Developing an assessed reading portfolio to improve reading habits and raise test results

For over 10 years, preparatory students at Khalifa University, UAE, have been encouraged to improve their reading and language learning skills through the use of an assessed reading portfolio. This paper briefly outlines the rationale behind this type of assessment and the design features of the portfolio, before detailing some of the many adaptations that it has experienced over the years, paying particular attention to recent developments involving the use of technology. Through an evaluation of the portfolio, using authentic scores for the portfolio and comparing them to IELTS reading test scores, it emerges that students who do well on the portfolio are more likely to make gains in their reading scores than those who do not perform well in their reading portfolio assessment.