This trusted practitioner guide and course text helps K-8 teachers utilize assessment as an integral component of classroom instruction. It guides teachers step by step to recognize good reader behaviors, assess students' strengths and weaknesses, and make evidence-based instructional decisions. Formal and informal measures are discussed for evaluating specific components of literacy, with a focus on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Every chapter features activities for developing understanding; in-depth practice exercises are provided in several appendices. Helpful reproducible tools can be photocopied from the book or downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2 x 11 size. New to This Edition *Chapter on major current initiatives: the CCSS and response to intervention. *Extensive CCSS content woven throughout the book. *Expanded coverage of vocabulary assessment, now in its own chapter. *Checklists to guide the selection of high-quality published instruments.