Reading assessment and reading development with AI

In German teaching methodology the advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been met with great interest. While in writing and literature teaching methodology there are already numerous conceptual proposals and also initial empirical studies on the use of AI, a focused discussion of AI in reading instruction is still emerging. The former is primarily driven by the hope that AI could help address the persistently poor performance in reading by school pupils in the German-speaking countries. To provide an overview of current developments related to reading in the context of AI, this article first charts contemporary concepts regarding the use of AI and the handling of AI-generated texts in reading instruction. Building on this, it explores, in the context of teacher professional development, what knowledge must be shared in initial teacher education and continuing professional development to make meaningful use of AI in reading assessment and support. In the conclusion, further implications of the assessment conducted are drawn for teacher education and professional development, as well as for research into reading instruction.