What does the insertion symbol (^) signify in reading assessments?

The insertion symbol (^) is utilized in reading assessments to indicate that a word has been added during the reading process. This allows educators and assessors to accurately track changes from the original text and assess students’ reading fluency and comprehension. By marking the insertion, it signals that the reader has inserted a word, which may suggest attempts to clarify or enhance their understanding of the text, or it may indicate a reading strategy they are employing. Understanding this concept is essential for analyzing a student's reading behaviors, as it helps identify how they interact with the text beyond just reading words in isolation.

In contrast, the other options relate to different aspects of reading inaccuracies. For instance, the omission of a word would be marked differently since it reflects a failure to recognize or articulate a component of the text. Similarly, difficulties in pronunciation would require distinct notation to reflect that the word was read but not accurately pronounced. Lastly, signaling an incomplete sentence would involve yet another type of notation to highlight that the reader has stopped prematurely before finishing the thought. Each of these errors requires a specific notation method to clearly convey the nature of the reading difficulties being assessed.