Which assessment type would be least effective for students with dyslexia?

The least effective assessment type for students with dyslexia is multiple-choice spelling tests. This assessment format often emphasizes a student's ability to recognize correct spellings, which can be particularly challenging for individuals with dyslexia, as they may struggle with decoding and encoding words accurately. Dyslexia primarily affects reading, writing, and spelling skills, making it difficult for these students to perform well on tests that rely heavily on written language and the quick retrieval of spelling.

Multiple-choice questions can also disadvantage students with dyslexia because they may struggle with processing the text quickly enough to make informed choices, leading to incorrect answers based on misreading or misunderstanding the options. In contrast, oral reading assessments and written narrative evaluations allow for different modes of expression and demonstrate understanding in ways that can be more accessible for students with dyslexia, such as through verbal explanations or storytelling. Numerical fluency scores can also be beneficial as they assess mathematical understanding, which may not be hindered by language processing issues.