What essential reading skill provides feedback on a child's progression throughout the academic year?

Progress monitoring is an essential reading skill because it involves regularly assessing a child's understanding and skills over a period of time, typically throughout the academic year. This ongoing assessment allows educators to gather data on a student's progress in reading, helping to identify areas where the student is improving or may need additional support.

By utilizing progress monitoring, teachers can adjust their instruction based on the student's needs, providing targeted interventions when necessary. This approach not only tracks the child's achievements but also informs instruction in real time, making it a dynamic and responsive tool for enhancing literacy development. This stands in contrast to other assessment methods that might only provide a snapshot of student ability at a specific point in time, rather than an ongoing view of growth and learning progression.