ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING AND EVALUATION

ASSESSMENT READING AND WRITING IN ENGLISH LEARNING

  FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ELINDA DWI KUSUMA

 

Learning English at the elementary school level is one of the efforts to build a quality basic foundation that is ready to compete in the global community. The elimination of English lessons in elementary schools as local content certainly does not erase the importance of these lessons. Even though it is only an additional subject, teachers can continue to develop English in elementary schools. Various learning models can be carried out such as:

running dictation, picture media, word card media, the total psychological response, guided note-taking, bingo game, picture series media, audiovisual media, multimedia-based learning, roundtable, index card match, drill method, and reading aloud. English as a means of expression requires high self-confidence for students. So it is important to build confidence in students in the learning process. 

English in elementary schools from the first until the 2013 curriculum was implemented needed despite so many problems encountered in implementing learning English in the classroom. Why English in elementary school needed in learning English:

first in early childhood learning language is easier to grasp; Second, in today's digital era, which one? all living systems use English, with the presence of English on Elementary schools make it easier to accept the technology used. Third, with given English at elementary school automatically when children will continue on Middle-level students will easily accept English. Research results on ten elementary schools in Jakarta. English teacher, Principal said that English needs to be taught in elementary schools.

 

1. Assessment in teaching

Assessment is all forms of information-gathering activities for decision making. This activity can be in the form of observations, questions, and answers with students, observing notes about students, to formal activities in the form of quizzes or tests. Assessment activities are carried out continuously from the beginning of teaching until the teaching ends. The teacher will always find out what the students already know, what they need, what they like, whether they can understand the teaching or not, what difficulties they face in learning, and so on. The answers to these questions are obtained through an activity called assessment. The information collected through this assessment activity will be very useful for teachers in planning their teaching in the classroom, determining materials, teaching strategies, and teaching activities that are suitable for their students. Teachers will also know whether the teaching they carry out can achieve the goals that have been set or not. To find out whether the teaching we carry out can achieve the teaching goals we have set or not, the teacher needs to do an assessment in the form of giving quizzes, practice assignments, or tests.

 

2. Several stages of assessment 

Assessment for reading and writing learning Assessment for reading and writing is a complex process. Reading in English (Reading) includes the ability to decode, pronounce, and also comprehend the message. Reading comprehension questions can be used to find out whether students understand the contents of the reading they are reading or not. Another way to find out students' understanding is with a story-map, which is a summary image of the story. This story-map technique will help you to find out whether students understand the main idea of the reading or not. If students are asked to answer in writing, this technique can also be used to see students' abilities in writing. In the Story, Element Map students are asked to describe the different elements or parts of a story, for example, the setting, the actors or characters, the conflict, and also the problem-solving. 

Example:

Assessment Reading and Writing in English Learning for Elementary School Children.

Assessment is all forms of information-gathering activities for decision making. This activity can be in the form of observations, questions, and answers with students, observing notes about students, to formal activities in the form of quizzes or tests. Assessment activities are carried out continuously from the beginning of teaching until the teaching ends. A teacher will always do an assessment in his teaching either consciously or not. The teacher will always find out what the students already know, what they need, what they like, whether they can understand the teaching or not, what difficulties they face in learning, and so on. To arrange quizzes, assignments, or tests for elementary school children, there are several things that need attention, namely:

1. Do not expect beyond the ability of students. For example, do not expect students to be able to speak English fluently, equal or even exceed their fluency in using their mother tongue. Don't expect 1st graders who are just learning to read and write to do written English questions where they have to read the questions and write down the answers.

2. Allow sufficient time for students to express the answers asked. If you ask a student, you must patiently wait for the student to answer. Give it a few moments, for example by counting silently.

3. Provide transition activities from a Javanese or Indonesian language atmosphere to an English-speaking atmosphere. for example, you have to give greetings and a few questions and answers about the news in English.

4. Give orders simply and clearly. Commands must be broken down into short sentences, delivered in English.

In the planning process, the teacher experienced a little difficulty in its preparation. The difficulty experienced by the teacher in this planning is that the teacher must consider the level of difficulty of the questions, ranging from easy, medium to difficult questions. In preparing the mid-semester test questions, the teacher chooses a reading assessment in the form of multiple-choice, short answers, and filling in gaps in text/sentence (cloze and gap-filling tasks). The teacher chooses these types of reading assessments because these types are in accordance with the characteristics of the class students. Meanwhile, in planning the reading assessment carried out by the teacher at each meeting, the teacher uses the reading assessment that is already available in the book which is the learning resource book. In the sourcebook, there are several types of reading assessment used, including closing the gap and filling tasks, arranging the words, matching items, short written answers, and true or false. So based on the research that has been carried out, it can be concluded that in planning the assessment in English skills. The implementation of this assessment discusses what reading assessment techniques are used by the teacher. For example, the teacher uses multiple-choice assessments, composes sentences, matches, fills in text or missing sentences, and so on. After the teacher carries out a reading assessment in the mid-semester test, then the teacher gives an assessment of the student's answers.

In addition, for writing, the teacher also carries out the same assessment as the reading assessment. Before doing the writing assessment, the teacher must first do the planning, namely by making an assessment plan that is in accordance with the syllabus, lesson plan, considering reading techniques and instruments what assessment is in accordance with the characteristics of students, giving a weighting score for each question and consider the suitability of the assessment with the material that has been submitted.

Writing assessment used by English teachers citizen includes multiple-choice (Multiple choice), short entry (short written answer), text/sentence gaps (cloze and gap-filling tasks), arrange words (arrange the words), true or false (true or false ), match (matching items), and match pictures (matching picture). In implementing the writing assessment, the teacher conducts an assessment as previously planned and analyzes the quality of the instrument used in writing assessments. While the follow-up was carried out by the teacher in writing assessment by doing remedial.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arikunto, Suharsimi. (2005). Dasar-Dasar Assessment Pendidikan. Jakarta: Bumi Aksara. Mckay,

Penny. (2006). Assesing Young Language Learners. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Maili, N, S. (20170). Masalah-Masalah Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris Pada Sekolah Dasar Di Jakarta. 

Penggabean, H, (2015). Problematic Approach to English Learning and Teaching: A case in Indonesia English Language Teaching. Canada: Canadian Center Of Science and Education.