When assessing reading progress, informal assessments are primarily used for which purpose?

Informal assessments play a crucial role in the classroom by providing immediate and actionable insights into a student's reading abilities and challenges. These assessments, which may include observations, running records, or informal reading inventories, allow educators to gauge individual performance and understanding in a more flexible and responsive manner than standardized tests.

The primary purpose of informal assessments is to inform instruction and support individual student needs. By utilizing these assessments, teachers can tailor their teaching strategies to better meet the diverse needs of their students, adjusting instruction based on specific strengths and areas for improvement identified through the informal assessment process. This ongoing feedback loop fosters a supportive learning environment that can adapt to the unique perspectives and requirements of each student.

In contrast, standardizing testing across classrooms, preparing students for state assessments, and identifying students for gifted programs involve more structured and formalized approaches that do not align with the primary function of informal assessments.