A Prototype Bilingual Literacy Screening Test for Pupils in Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht Schools

Design Consideration and Teacher Attitudes

Abstract

The present paper has two main aims. The first is to describe the prototype development of a bilingual literacy screening test for pupils in Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools. A description of the design process is provided, including the guiding design principles, task selection and task development. A number of challenges to development are identified within the Irish-English context, including the need to minimise cross-linguistic bias in order to facilitate comparisons across scores in each language. The second aim is to examine teachers’ (n = 8) perceptions of the prototype screening test. The participating teachers implemented the assessment over a two-week period in their school setting. They then took part in semi-structured interviews to examine their perceptions of the feasibility of implementing the assessment as well as its utility in identifying students who may need additional support. The findings indicate that teachers recognised the need for more bilingual screening tests in Irish-medium schools, and that they favoured an assessment of a broad range of skills – including phonemic awareness and listening comprehension – over a narrow assessment of reading and writing skills. Participants from Gaeltacht schools emphasised the need for an oral language assessment, recognising the integrated nature of language and literacy skills. The need for equal provision of screening and diagnostic assessments for children in English- and Irish-medium education is highlighted.