As I read the Opitz text and the article I can see where ideas merge and where they are different. Both the article and the Opitz text discuss that students should create assessment tools in order for students to be involved and understand how they will be evaluated. Both the text and the article discussed testing- whether it be norm referenced, criterion referenced, or interim/benchmark testing and discussed that those tests have faults in that it may not address "skills and standards that were taught from day to day" (Risko and Walker-Dalhouse, 2010). The idea of using assessment to guide instruction was also discussed in both readings and the article made direct mention of differentiation (Risko and Walker-Dalhouse, 2010). The Opitz text discussed the importance of using assessments to guide instruction but also gave a lot of examples about the many types of assessments that can be used.
Both readings discussed assessment, however, when I think of assessment I automatically think of testing or tests as assessment and sometimes forget that just a casual conversation, inventory, or observation can be assessment. I really like how the Opitz text divided up assessments into standardized assessments and informal assessments. The Optiz chapters 5 and 6 really went through the various types of observation techniques, anecdotal records, and student interest surveys and I liked how each informal assessment had an actual example of one that could be used in the classroom (Opitz, Rubin, and Erekson, 2011). The article addressed more of the formative and standardized assessments and did not mention a lot about the informal assessments that teachers use on a day to day basis.
I like how the Opitz text discussed standardized testing and how they can be administered in the fall and then used to guide instruction but if they are administered later in the year it doesn't help to guide instruction (Opitz, Rubin, and Erekson, 2011). This is so true. Giving my students the CRCT at the end of the year only serves to evaluate the teacher and students and not guide instructional practices.
Both readings though really focused on assessments guiding instruction. Targeting skills that students need and using their interests, strengths, and weaknesses is going to be more valuable than teaching every student the same skill. "When teachers used formative assessments to guide their instruction, students made gains that were considered large and meaningful" (Risko and Walker-Dalhouse, 2010).
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Module 2: Article: Making the Most of Assessments to Inform Instuction
As I read this article by Risko and Walker-Dalhouse I realized that this article is addressing differentiated instruction and RTI. I really liked how the authors addressed pacing guides because what we, as teachers, should be doing is evaluating students and discovering what skills they need or don't need and then really focusing in on those skills that students need.
Students' skills, strengths, needs, and interests should be used when creating instruction and then assessments should be created and used that are tailored to those skills and instruction. Since common core focuses a lot on deeper thinking, assessments should evaluate more than just the basic knowledge of a book. Assessments should be used to test the deeper knowledge and multiple skill sets that have been taught and modeled. Using open ended formats for assessment not only can evaluate that deeper understanding, but a teacher can also evaluate writing and vocabulary.
My district uses benchmark/interim testing each nine weeks in each subject area. I really liked how this article addressed that type of testing as well. These tests address every skill that is to be taught within the nine week period, however, may not assess the skills that were taught based on the needs of the students. Using assessments to guide instruction is part of differentiation.
Allowing students to take what they have learned and evaluate themselves or allowing them to be apart of the process that creates the assessment will give students more understanding of how they will be assessed. Since students are in a very technological world, these technology modes should be incorporated into the instruction and assessment. Technology should be incorporated into the regular classroom and used as part of instruction and assessment and not used sporadically. These different technological modes can be beneficial to lower readers and writers and ELL students.
Classroom assessment should be based on frequent data collection, and instructional adjustment based on the data. Teachers need to be pushing students to that deeper level of understanding and thinking but it needs to be done as each child needs it and not tailored to a "one size fits all" model.
Risko, V. J., & Walker-Dalhouse. (2010). Making the most of assessments to inform instruction.
The Reading Teacher, 63(5), 420-422. DOI:10.1598/RT.63.5.7
Students' skills, strengths, needs, and interests should be used when creating instruction and then assessments should be created and used that are tailored to those skills and instruction. Since common core focuses a lot on deeper thinking, assessments should evaluate more than just the basic knowledge of a book. Assessments should be used to test the deeper knowledge and multiple skill sets that have been taught and modeled. Using open ended formats for assessment not only can evaluate that deeper understanding, but a teacher can also evaluate writing and vocabulary.
My district uses benchmark/interim testing each nine weeks in each subject area. I really liked how this article addressed that type of testing as well. These tests address every skill that is to be taught within the nine week period, however, may not assess the skills that were taught based on the needs of the students. Using assessments to guide instruction is part of differentiation.
Allowing students to take what they have learned and evaluate themselves or allowing them to be apart of the process that creates the assessment will give students more understanding of how they will be assessed. Since students are in a very technological world, these technology modes should be incorporated into the instruction and assessment. Technology should be incorporated into the regular classroom and used as part of instruction and assessment and not used sporadically. These different technological modes can be beneficial to lower readers and writers and ELL students.
Classroom assessment should be based on frequent data collection, and instructional adjustment based on the data. Teachers need to be pushing students to that deeper level of understanding and thinking but it needs to be done as each child needs it and not tailored to a "one size fits all" model.
Risko, V. J., & Walker-Dalhouse. (2010). Making the most of assessments to inform instruction.
The Reading Teacher, 63(5), 420-422. DOI:10.1598/RT.63.5.7
Module 2: Video Analysis- QRI-5
As I watched this video and read over the steps to administering a QRI-5 I realized that I do this very often with my own students. My district uses the Fountas and Pinnell leveled kits to administer reading tests to students three times a year. I use the leveled word lists at the beginning of each evaluation to determine which book to use during the test. If a student misses two or more words I go down a level when I give the book test. After the student reads the word list, I then administer the boko test and check for fluency as the child reads out loud. Students then read the rest of the book to themselves and then when tehy are finished, I ask them questions in which answers can be found within the text, beyond the text, and about the text. I then score the student a 0,1,2, or 3 to determine comprehension. Using the word list really helps to narrow down which level to start off a book test with and saves time by not having to test a student multiple times in one sitting.
After I administer a book test, I am then able to determine what that student struggles with and then create lessons that are focused on those skills. I can group students based on skills in order to effectively teach those skills in small groups or one on one.
Through tutoring, I can encourage my tutee to administer a word list then determine the student's level for a book test. The word list also gives important information to the teacher such as vocabulary knowledge, and decoding strengths and weaknesses. Through the word list, my tutee can then determine what skills the student needs when encountering unfamiliar words. After my tutee has administered a word list and the book test a lot of information can be gained from comprehension questions such as a student may be able to answer low level questions but have difficulty with higher level questions. In which case, a plan of action would be discussed and carried out.
After I administer a book test, I am then able to determine what that student struggles with and then create lessons that are focused on those skills. I can group students based on skills in order to effectively teach those skills in small groups or one on one.
Through tutoring, I can encourage my tutee to administer a word list then determine the student's level for a book test. The word list also gives important information to the teacher such as vocabulary knowledge, and decoding strengths and weaknesses. Through the word list, my tutee can then determine what skills the student needs when encountering unfamiliar words. After my tutee has administered a word list and the book test a lot of information can be gained from comprehension questions such as a student may be able to answer low level questions but have difficulty with higher level questions. In which case, a plan of action would be discussed and carried out.
Module 2: Power Point Response: Assessment of Reading and Writing Processes
I really liked reading through this power point. I felt like a lot of my time is spent assessing, whether it is formal or informal and much of it is related to reading and/or writing assessment. I give Fountas and Pinnell tests to my students 3 times a year. I have seen how low comprehension is driven by low vocabulary. In today's classroom, many students use slang when they speak and it is hard to evaluate their vocabulary when they use words that are not often found in print books. However, I have asked students what some of their terms mean and they are able to tell me and when they read and answer comprehension questions, they are also able to translate phrases or words into their own dialect or slang. Therefore, you can evaluate their vocabulary acquisition.
My students create a writing portfolio, however it is not used to assess their writing progress throughout the year. Each of their scored writing pieces is kept in this portfolio so the progress can be seen at the end of the year. Students also keep a reading and writing journal but typically it is used for students to respond to a book or a prompt. We do use writing rubrics to evaluate writing. I do teach 5th grade and my students take the GA 5th Grade Writing test. In my county students are required to pass before they can be promoted to the 6th grade. However, on the rubrics, the ideas sections is weighted more heavily than the other components of the rubric because the ideas reflect the paper as a whole. Students do not help in the construction of these rubrics since they are county made. The components to the writing we use are Ideas, Organization, Style, Conventions. Word choice is within style.
I have never heard of the TOWL before. I think it would be an interesting assessment to use with many students. However, I think with the writing rubrics that are used county wide within my district, each student is evaluated using components of TOWL-3.
AS students write, even within the content areas it is important to observe whether they are going through the stages of writing- planning, drafting, revising/editing, proofreading etc. Students who fully understand the stages of writing will use these techniques in any situation they are asked to write. The more students read the wider vocabulary they will use within their conversations and within their writing.
My students create a writing portfolio, however it is not used to assess their writing progress throughout the year. Each of their scored writing pieces is kept in this portfolio so the progress can be seen at the end of the year. Students also keep a reading and writing journal but typically it is used for students to respond to a book or a prompt. We do use writing rubrics to evaluate writing. I do teach 5th grade and my students take the GA 5th Grade Writing test. In my county students are required to pass before they can be promoted to the 6th grade. However, on the rubrics, the ideas sections is weighted more heavily than the other components of the rubric because the ideas reflect the paper as a whole. Students do not help in the construction of these rubrics since they are county made. The components to the writing we use are Ideas, Organization, Style, Conventions. Word choice is within style.
I have never heard of the TOWL before. I think it would be an interesting assessment to use with many students. However, I think with the writing rubrics that are used county wide within my district, each student is evaluated using components of TOWL-3.
AS students write, even within the content areas it is important to observe whether they are going through the stages of writing- planning, drafting, revising/editing, proofreading etc. Students who fully understand the stages of writing will use these techniques in any situation they are asked to write. The more students read the wider vocabulary they will use within their conversations and within their writing.
Module 2: Powerpoint Response: Strategies that Support Emergent Literacy
As I read through the powerpoint presentation titled Strategies that Support Emergent Literacy I found myself relating to it a lot. My daughter is 2 years old and is in the Emergent literacy stage. Her speech is developing out of need to communicate with us and out of frustration when we don't always know what she is trying to tell us. She is able to recognize different print, her favorite being Chick-fil-A which she calls "moo cow" and she knows she eats chicken nuggets and fruit there. :) She loves for us to read books to her, but doesn't quite understand that we are reading the words on the page. She knows that letters are "abc's" but doesn't understand that those letters are put together to make words, sentences, or the story. My daughter loves to color or use chalk and her formations consist of scribble since she has no concept of the letter formations yet and the letters don't mean a whole lot to her.
I have never taught in a first grade classroom where many of the early reading stage is formed. I do know that the first grade teachers at my school have the sight word wall and go over those words daily. I think it would be interesting and valuable to spend time in a first grade classroom to see how these students move from emerging readers to early readers.
I really love that this power point addressed all the elements of reading. Since I teach 5th grade, my students are reading for meaning however, it is important for my students to be able to use phonological and phonemic awareness in order to decode unfamiliar words. Decoding however, can affect fluency if they spend too long decoding the word. When I taught 4th grade we actually used many nursery rhymes in our poetry unit and it saddened me that so many of our students didn't know many of the basic nursery rhymes we discussed throughout the unit.This is a strategy for improving phonemic awareness.
I have never taught in a first grade classroom where many of the early reading stage is formed. I do know that the first grade teachers at my school have the sight word wall and go over those words daily. I think it would be interesting and valuable to spend time in a first grade classroom to see how these students move from emerging readers to early readers.
I really love that this power point addressed all the elements of reading. Since I teach 5th grade, my students are reading for meaning however, it is important for my students to be able to use phonological and phonemic awareness in order to decode unfamiliar words. Decoding however, can affect fluency if they spend too long decoding the word. When I taught 4th grade we actually used many nursery rhymes in our poetry unit and it saddened me that so many of our students didn't know many of the basic nursery rhymes we discussed throughout the unit.This is a strategy for improving phonemic awareness.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Module 1: Article and Text Comparison
I found the article, Data, Our GPS to be very interesting. Throughout the article the authors focus on the ELL population. While this is important, the strategies used within this school district can and should be used with various sub groups of students. I think that using the methods presented in the article can be a great way to help students and collaborate with fellow teachers.
As I read the sentences about the student Sergio, I found it interesting that his accident had not been discussed before. As mentioned in this module's power point, ELL students need to be monitored closely and it is important to know whether or not an ELL student struggled in their native language. This information, or data, is vital and can provide a lot of information as to how to teach that student. It is important to understand if an ELL student has struggled with native language reading and if not then the student is having difficulties with the English language and not the reading skills.
As noted in the Opitz text, Response to Intervention is key in determining how to teach struggling students. My school district automatically puts every child in Tier 1 of RTI because the use of differentiation cause be used with any student. Through RTI, data is collected that determines the skills the student needs to work on and then the teacher designs lessons centered around those skills. RTI is a constant cycle of data collection, instruction, and checking for udnerstanding.
I also liked how the authors of this article discussed district testing. My distrcit uses Elements, a computer system that administers tests for each subject. The questions are written by teachers within the district who have content knowledge for those grade levels. Stuents are given these Interim/Benchmarks tests on teh computer each nine week period. The tests are scored automatically through the computer system and as the teacher, I have a detailed look at each standard that was tested and the percentage of students who missed that standard. I am also able to see which students met or did not meet on standards. It is a great tool not only to guide my instruction, but to show to parents as well. Not only do we have that testing, but I am required to use the F&P tests on my students three times per school year. This gives valuable information on decoding, fluency, and comprehension. I can then use this information to guide instruction for small groups and one on one conferencing. Again, this use of data drives my instruction.
We have PLC meetings at my school once a week. In these meetings we discuss student progress and student data. On page 58 of the article Smith, Johnson, and Thompson mention that their teachers identify groups of students with particular needs and group them for instruction. A few years ago my school used CQI to group students for math and each week an assessment was given and then students were regrouped based on the skills they needed. We have moved away from that since we use workshop methods for each subject area and we are expected to be using the workshop as a way to use flexible groupings in order to meet the needs of each student. I feel as though CQI has been replaced with RTI.
When I compare the text and the article I definitely see that the use of RTI is valuable and important and ELL students need to be monitored closely. However, I feel as though the article gave more real classroom and school examples of how these processes are being handled and the book merely explained what each of these processes are. I think they both incorporate the ideas of collecting data in order to guide instruction. Both references were different in that the article did not go in depth with the levels of language when discussing the ELL students.
Opitz, Michael F., Rubin, D., and Erekson, J. Reading Diagnosis and Improvement: Assessment and Instruction. 6th ed. Boston, Mass.: Pearson, 2011. Print.
Smith, R., Johnson, M., & Thompson, K. (2012). Data, our GPS. Educational Leadership, 69(5), 56-59.
As I read the sentences about the student Sergio, I found it interesting that his accident had not been discussed before. As mentioned in this module's power point, ELL students need to be monitored closely and it is important to know whether or not an ELL student struggled in their native language. This information, or data, is vital and can provide a lot of information as to how to teach that student. It is important to understand if an ELL student has struggled with native language reading and if not then the student is having difficulties with the English language and not the reading skills.
As noted in the Opitz text, Response to Intervention is key in determining how to teach struggling students. My school district automatically puts every child in Tier 1 of RTI because the use of differentiation cause be used with any student. Through RTI, data is collected that determines the skills the student needs to work on and then the teacher designs lessons centered around those skills. RTI is a constant cycle of data collection, instruction, and checking for udnerstanding.
I also liked how the authors of this article discussed district testing. My distrcit uses Elements, a computer system that administers tests for each subject. The questions are written by teachers within the district who have content knowledge for those grade levels. Stuents are given these Interim/Benchmarks tests on teh computer each nine week period. The tests are scored automatically through the computer system and as the teacher, I have a detailed look at each standard that was tested and the percentage of students who missed that standard. I am also able to see which students met or did not meet on standards. It is a great tool not only to guide my instruction, but to show to parents as well. Not only do we have that testing, but I am required to use the F&P tests on my students three times per school year. This gives valuable information on decoding, fluency, and comprehension. I can then use this information to guide instruction for small groups and one on one conferencing. Again, this use of data drives my instruction.
We have PLC meetings at my school once a week. In these meetings we discuss student progress and student data. On page 58 of the article Smith, Johnson, and Thompson mention that their teachers identify groups of students with particular needs and group them for instruction. A few years ago my school used CQI to group students for math and each week an assessment was given and then students were regrouped based on the skills they needed. We have moved away from that since we use workshop methods for each subject area and we are expected to be using the workshop as a way to use flexible groupings in order to meet the needs of each student. I feel as though CQI has been replaced with RTI.
When I compare the text and the article I definitely see that the use of RTI is valuable and important and ELL students need to be monitored closely. However, I feel as though the article gave more real classroom and school examples of how these processes are being handled and the book merely explained what each of these processes are. I think they both incorporate the ideas of collecting data in order to guide instruction. Both references were different in that the article did not go in depth with the levels of language when discussing the ELL students.
Opitz, Michael F., Rubin, D., and Erekson, J. Reading Diagnosis and Improvement: Assessment and Instruction. 6th ed. Boston, Mass.: Pearson, 2011. Print.
Smith, R., Johnson, M., & Thompson, K. (2012). Data, our GPS. Educational Leadership, 69(5), 56-59.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Module 1: Powerpoint
As I read through the powerpoint presentation I came across many points that were also made from the Opitz text. I do agree that many ELL students struggle with reading and writing because they are not familiar with the language and that is why it is important that they are completely immersed into the language within a classroom. They should be given the opportunity to hear as much language as possible. Sometimes teachers fail to question if the student struggled in their native language and immediately think that because they are ELL they will struggle with the English language. If a student struggled in their native language then there may be a serious learning issue that needs to be evaluated and addressed, however, any child or adult will struggle with a new language. The command of a language is what will determine success. If a student did not sturggle with their native language then they will be able to successfully learn the English language.
AS I have tested my 5th graders I see decoding issues as the main problems. Many times my students are skipping over the words and not attempting to decode and replace the word with something that has the same letters but doesn't make sense within the sentence. This decoding issue then affects the comprehension. Many times as a result of this issue, students are put through the RTI process in order to prevent major gaps and remediate the issues with interventions.
In my reading workshop I encourage students to read something that interests them and believe in the power of free choice. I teach mini lessons that introduce skills and then use conferences or guided reading groups to reinforce skills that the students need to work on.
AS I have tested my 5th graders I see decoding issues as the main problems. Many times my students are skipping over the words and not attempting to decode and replace the word with something that has the same letters but doesn't make sense within the sentence. This decoding issue then affects the comprehension. Many times as a result of this issue, students are put through the RTI process in order to prevent major gaps and remediate the issues with interventions.
In my reading workshop I encourage students to read something that interests them and believe in the power of free choice. I teach mini lessons that introduce skills and then use conferences or guided reading groups to reinforce skills that the students need to work on.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Module 1: Chapters 1 and 2 Opitz text
It has been studied that students take on the attitude and view that the teacher has of reading. Therefore, it is important for students to understand that reading means to comprehend. As I mentioned in my post about the video, it is important for teachers to assess students' reading skills frequently in order to provide intervention of specific skills that the student lacks.
I have never really thought about assessing a child's reading and determining a diagnosis, however, it does make sense to diagnose a child's reading and determine what skills the child needs and what skills the child is strong in. When I administer F&P tests to my students, it becomes very clear what a student needs and then I create lessons that center around those skills. Many times, if a child is below grade level I begin to take data and begin the RTI process in order to administer interventions that would help with a child's weak reading skills. Of course, if the child does not make adequate progress through RTI then other steps are taken to determine if the child should be given testing to determine if there is a learning disability. Typically we see progress when using RTI and then if any progress is made the child is monitored from then on. It isn't okay to label children with weak reading abilities into a category of special education before there is enough data to prove there is a significant gap.
My administration talked a lot about the RTI process how each student should have equal access to their education and that doesn't all mean that it is fair. I thought they did a really good job showing visuals that represented this. One picture showed three students of tall, medium, and short heights standing behind a fence and the short and medium height students didn't have step stool. The picture next to it showed the medium height child with a step stool and the short student with two step stools. Therefore showing they each had equal access some were provided with an accommodation to allow them that equal access.
Since I am administering my F&P tests to my students I have seen many behaviors listed on both sides of the Proficient/Less Proficient chart. There are very few students at this point in the year that read to make it sound like language. Students have had some background knowledge on earthquakes and animal adaptations so many have been able to use their background knowledge to help them answer the deeper questions I ask about those books in the F&P kit. Many of the students I have tested do seem to go back and reread if they call out a word that doesn't make sense and they correct themselves.
However, I have had many students also attempt to read the words correctly and fail and not go back and reread. FOr example, one student was reading about a jaguars sleek broad legs, and instead of saying broad she said board. She did not go back to fix her mistake and did not seem to think it didn't make sense.
I do not believe in the bottom up approach to reading. I feel that it teaches that letters sounds, and words are more important than the text itself and the meaning within the text. I used to feel as though the top down approach was where I fell because it teaches the value of the whole text over the words and letters, however, after my summer reading class, I now see the value in and interactive approach and teaching the letters and sounds in combination with the whole text meaning.
As a teacher it is vital that I take notice of how I teach and how I deliver my message to students. Students who struggle due to disabilities, or language barriers need my messages to be clear and purposeful. In order for that to occur I must self evaluate and make plan accordingly. I believe a balanced approach to reading is necessary. There are times such as a mini lesson that should be delivered whole group and then the one on one instruction and small guided groups should be used to reinforce and teach the students the skill based on their instructional reading level. It is important to know your students in order to provide an effective reading plan. You must be aware of how much support they have at home and if the parents are willing and able to provide support at home.
I have never really thought about assessing a child's reading and determining a diagnosis, however, it does make sense to diagnose a child's reading and determine what skills the child needs and what skills the child is strong in. When I administer F&P tests to my students, it becomes very clear what a student needs and then I create lessons that center around those skills. Many times, if a child is below grade level I begin to take data and begin the RTI process in order to administer interventions that would help with a child's weak reading skills. Of course, if the child does not make adequate progress through RTI then other steps are taken to determine if the child should be given testing to determine if there is a learning disability. Typically we see progress when using RTI and then if any progress is made the child is monitored from then on. It isn't okay to label children with weak reading abilities into a category of special education before there is enough data to prove there is a significant gap.
My administration talked a lot about the RTI process how each student should have equal access to their education and that doesn't all mean that it is fair. I thought they did a really good job showing visuals that represented this. One picture showed three students of tall, medium, and short heights standing behind a fence and the short and medium height students didn't have step stool. The picture next to it showed the medium height child with a step stool and the short student with two step stools. Therefore showing they each had equal access some were provided with an accommodation to allow them that equal access.
Since I am administering my F&P tests to my students I have seen many behaviors listed on both sides of the Proficient/Less Proficient chart. There are very few students at this point in the year that read to make it sound like language. Students have had some background knowledge on earthquakes and animal adaptations so many have been able to use their background knowledge to help them answer the deeper questions I ask about those books in the F&P kit. Many of the students I have tested do seem to go back and reread if they call out a word that doesn't make sense and they correct themselves.
However, I have had many students also attempt to read the words correctly and fail and not go back and reread. FOr example, one student was reading about a jaguars sleek broad legs, and instead of saying broad she said board. She did not go back to fix her mistake and did not seem to think it didn't make sense.
I do not believe in the bottom up approach to reading. I feel that it teaches that letters sounds, and words are more important than the text itself and the meaning within the text. I used to feel as though the top down approach was where I fell because it teaches the value of the whole text over the words and letters, however, after my summer reading class, I now see the value in and interactive approach and teaching the letters and sounds in combination with the whole text meaning.
As a teacher it is vital that I take notice of how I teach and how I deliver my message to students. Students who struggle due to disabilities, or language barriers need my messages to be clear and purposeful. In order for that to occur I must self evaluate and make plan accordingly. I believe a balanced approach to reading is necessary. There are times such as a mini lesson that should be delivered whole group and then the one on one instruction and small guided groups should be used to reinforce and teach the students the skill based on their instructional reading level. It is important to know your students in order to provide an effective reading plan. You must be aware of how much support they have at home and if the parents are willing and able to provide support at home.
Module 1: Page #14, Activity 4
Since I am administering my F&P tests to my students I have seen many behaviors listed on both sides of the Proficient/Less Proficient chart. There are very few students at this point in the year that read to make it sound like language. Students have had some background knowledge on earthquakes and animal adaptations so many have been able to use their background knowledge to help them answer the deeper questions I ask about those books in the F&P kit. Many of the students I have tested do seem to go back and reread if they call out a word that doesn't make sense and they correct themselves.
However, I have had a handful of students also attempt to read the words correctly and fail and not go back and reread. For example, one student was reading about a jaguars sleek broad legs, and instead of saying broad she said board. She did not go back to fix her mistake and did not seem to think it didn't make sense.
However, I have had a handful of students also attempt to read the words correctly and fail and not go back and reread. For example, one student was reading about a jaguars sleek broad legs, and instead of saying broad she said board. She did not go back to fix her mistake and did not seem to think it didn't make sense.
Module 1: Video Analysis
As I watched this video I found it very interesting and I was able to relate to this assessment style. We use the Fountas and Pinnell kits to test reading comprehension and use the word list that is provided to determine where to start testing. I did find it interesting that the assessor wanted the child to read the word list as fast as she could and she was timed; this is something that I am not encouraged to do when I give reading assessments. My fear with timing a student reading a word list and assessing their words per minute is that the words are not in context and then they are only being assessed on word call and not comprehension. I only use the word list provided by the F&P kit to give me a baseline in order to know which leveled book test to give the student.
I do assess my students frequently in order to meet their needs and plan instruction based on what skills they need to work on. I use running records/records on the go to assess fluency and comprehension as students read independently. This is the only way to truly gauge and diagnose and identify what skills students are continuously using and what skills students need to be retaught or addressed.
I do agree that reading comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading and students who struggle with decoding lose the fluency piece of reading and then comprehension is lost. I have seen this first hand and I try my best to make sure that I teach decoding skills to those students. Usually I see this happen with ELL students or students who hear or speak another language at home but may not be labeled as ELL.
I do assess my students frequently in order to meet their needs and plan instruction based on what skills they need to work on. I use running records/records on the go to assess fluency and comprehension as students read independently. This is the only way to truly gauge and diagnose and identify what skills students are continuously using and what skills students need to be retaught or addressed.
I do agree that reading comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading and students who struggle with decoding lose the fluency piece of reading and then comprehension is lost. I have seen this first hand and I try my best to make sure that I teach decoding skills to those students. Usually I see this happen with ELL students or students who hear or speak another language at home but may not be labeled as ELL.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)