Easing the Burden of Reading Assessment with Microsoft Reading Progress

A significant responsibility for elementary school educators involves determining each student's reading proficiency, often through individual assessments that can be both time-intensive and stressful for the student. Microsoft’s Reading Progress application is designed to alleviate some of this workload. It enables students to complete reading assignments remotely and utilizes natural language understanding to pinpoint areas of difficulty and monitor their development.

Addressing Learning Loss

The disruptions of the past year significantly impacted educational progress, and reading levels, in particular, did not advance as expected with widespread school closures. Companies such as Amira are responding to this challenge by offering AI-powered reading monitoring. Microsoft’s goal is to equip teachers with additional resources to support their students.

How Reading Progress Works

Reading Progress functions as an extension for Microsoft Teams, providing teachers with a more adaptable method for administering reading assessments.

This approach reduces the pressure on students who may struggle during live, in-person evaluations. The application identifies and records key reading behaviors, including skipped words and self-corrections.

Teachers assign reading materials to individual students or entire classes. Students then complete the readings independently, resembling a homework assignment rather than a formal test.

Students record a video within the application, and the audio is analyzed by algorithms to detect common reading difficulties.

Student Perspective

Consider the experience of 4th grader Brielle, as demonstrated in this video testimonial:

For students like Brielle, who exhibit confidence, this method may be preferable. (And her reading level is now two years above her grade – a commendable achievement!).

However, the benefits are potentially even greater for students who face challenges such as dyslexia, concerns about their pronunciation, or general shyness. The ability to record themselves reading privately, in a comfortable environment, can lead to improved performance and a more accurate assessment of their abilities.

A Tool, Not a Replacement

It’s important to note that Reading Progress is not intended to replace the teacher’s role. Instead, it serves as a tool to help educators prioritize their efforts, focus on individual student needs, and track progress more objectively.

This is similar to the function of Amira, which complements, rather than replaces, traditional in-person reading groups – a format that was particularly challenging to maintain during the pandemic. Both tools offer a valuable process for quickly identifying and correcting common errors, while simultaneously encouraging the reader.

Further Information

Microsoft has released several resources detailing Reading Progress today. These include its development story, a comprehensive overview, a dedicated product hub, an instructional video, and research supporting its methodology.

Additional details can be found in this broader announcement concerning new education-related products currently available or forthcoming.