What am I assessing? part 2

I've just finished grading some Latin 3 tests.  There are only 7 kids in Latin 3.  It's interesting...  the things that really used to work for them are no longer working.  That is, the harder the Latin gets, the more they avoid rereading, I think.

I'm not sure what to do to get them to reread more.  Except, of course, use my reading logs daily, which I forget to do.

If I assigned rereading, how could I assess it w/o giving myself more to grade that I can't keep up with? 

I thought the sight passage, modified and shortened from a Cambridge test, was good--not too difficult, but requiring you to demonstrate a command of cases and tenses and such.  A smattering of all the grammar covered.  Two people only missed 1 question--the same question--and if they had read the question again and read the passage they could have seen exactly what I was after.  That is, I don't think they should have missed it.  So the passage was doable.

Then comes grammar questions over the passage.  I don't try to make these terribly tricky or anything, but checking context is ALWAYS helpful.  One of the most commonly missed questions shouldn't have been missed if students had just checked the word in context to REALIZE that the word pumilio is a 3rd decl nominative, like Grumio.  Several missed identifying  an ablative IN A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE and instead marking it as dative.  PLEASE!  arg.  Or how about not identifying the ablative absolute phrase as, you know, AN ABLATIVE?!  arg. arg.    And I have done such a song and dance about ablative absolutes.

They've struggled with passives and deponents.  Perhaps it was my presentation.  Perhaps it was that one day they seemed to get it, the next they didn't.  Perhaps some old fashioned transformation drills are in order.   

But we've started the next book.  Unit 4.  And even before I had their tests graded I told them we would be going to a more traditional style of class--you prepare it the day/night before, we go over it WITHOUT NOTES or TRANSLATIONS the next day.  I could tell who didn't prep....  well, when I start getting more grades entered I suppose they will do something more productive.  But as I told them, if they were going to do AP next year (and 2 said yes, I may work on a 3rd), they need to learn to read and reread more. 

You know, I think about how much time is wasted--WASTED--in writing out translations when I know from personal experience that you can reread the same passage 2 or three times in the same time it takes to WRITE it out and LEARN it better.  But I don't know... maybe I should let them start writing out translations and checking them off for a grade.  I don't really have time to grade translations is the thing.  Reality.  Dreaded reality.

But if I don't change my approach, they won't be ready for AP next year.  No way.  Likewise, if they don't change their approach.

I'm going to think on it some more.  And grade some other stuff.  I need a week off not just a few days, that's for sure.