![[Study of Standardized Tests and Alternatives for Elementary Schools.pdf]] - Some of the alternative assessments used in the above study were running records--an observational task whereby teachers note a student's reading errors. Another observational task used was anecdotal notes, in which teachers keep a dated written record of any type of observation they deem important to a particular student. Writing vocabulary and word dictation was another method used by teachers in this study. For this assessment, students were asked to write any words they think they can write and then read these back to the teacher. Interviews with the students gave teachers an idea of the students' feelings about what they were learning and what more they wished to learn about a particular subject. Journals were a final alternative assessment mentioned in this study, which were used by teachers to help them direct their instruction to the students' needs and interests.