Pre-And Post-Reading Response Paper

Assessment provides information to support the planning of effective learning experiences. By assessing my students I will understand better what they know and can do, so I can further extend their learning where they are already accomplished or I can support the areas which need work. Assessment is also useful as a diagnostic tool (McConney 2015 pp1) when it comes to learning problems and also giftedness in students, so that they can then be better provided for.

Sam is an 8-year-old third grade student at Rowayton School in Norwalk, CT who has received intervention since Kindergarten. Speech and Language services are provided for one hour, and Resource support is provided two hours weekly. Sam’s end of second grade assessment data revealed that she is approximately one full grade level behind her placement in Oral Reading Fluency. She read 49 words per minute with 92% accuracy; which is below the end of year benchmark at 87 words per minute with 97% accuracy. However, Sam’s score of 30 exceeded the grade level benchmark for retell of 27 because her retell included using at least three events from the passage.

After reading chapter 11 of our textbook, there were three important topics that stood out to me. The first topic that I thought was interesting was the purposes of assessments. According to Carjuzaa and Kellough, the purposes of assessments are for assisting student learning, identify students’ strengths and weaknesses, assess the effectiveness of a particular instruction strategy, assess and improve the effectiveness of curriculum programs, assess and improve teaching effectiveness, to provide data in order to communicate with parents and guardians and to involve them in their children’s learning, and to provide data that assist in decision making about a student’s future (Carjuzaa & Kellough, 2017, pg. 337-338). Assessing to identify strengths

Tina is currently in kindergarten and is going to need to develop her literacy skills in order to be successful in school. There is a

“Many children fail to reach proficient levels in reading only because they do not receive the amount and type of instruction they need” (Foorman, Francis, Fletcher, Schatschneider, & Mehta, 1998; Morrison, Bachman, & Connor, 2005 2005; Vellutino, Scanlon, Sipay, Small,

Vanessa’s independent level for oral reading was determined to be grade three on the Ekwall/Shanker Independent Reading Inventory (IRI). Her instructional level for oral reading on the IRI was grade four and her frustration level for oral reading was grade five. As compared to the San Diego Quick Assessment Graded Word List (GWL), Vanessa reads words in isolation independently at a fourth grade level, instructionally at a fifth grade level, and frustration level of a grade six. This suggests that she has stronger decoding skills and word attack skills when words are put in isolation than when reading oral passages indicating that reading for meaning by using semantic and syntac cuing is a weaker skill.

Amari is a 13-year old 8th student whose independent oral reading level is four grade levels below his current grade placement. Initial assessments revealed that Amari’s knowledge of sight words enabled him to read primary texts with ease. Additionally, Amari’s receptive comprehension at grade 7 suggests that he is able to read at a higher level than his current performance implies.

I think my Interactive Read Aloud lesson and planning out my guided reading lessons have helped me to improve in the assessment area on the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System. In my first reflection I put myself at the developing level after my running record. I feel that after lesson planning a lot more I have moved up to the skilled level. One of the points says, “The teacher uses assessment data to identify students’ strengths and needs, and modifies and differentiates instruction accordingly.” I have done fluency, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing assessments with my guided reading group. These assessments have helped me plan my guided reading lessons to work on students’ weaknesses. For my first week of guided

I chose to explore the link between assessment and instructional decisions by reading the article “Making the Most of Assessments to Inform Instruction,” by Victoria J. Risko and Doris Walker-Dalhouse. This article talks about assessment and instructional decisions in regards to the subject of reading. In the beginning of the article, the authors mention how assessments can influence instruction. The article states “assessments can transform instruction by providing timely information that captures students’ strengths, needs, and specific instructional history” (Risko and Walker-Dalhouse, 2010, p. 420). This quote shows how much assessment influences instruction. While the article states that assessment impacts instruction, it also mentions

Jane Doe has struggled with reading and learning to talk as early as preschool. During her

It is reasonable to assume that Edwin needed support in identifying high frequency words, as well as employing phonics strategies to successfully decode connected text, to understand a given passage and correctly answer comprehension questions. Additional support in these areas would be beneficial for Edwin to improve his silent reading achievement.

A cognitive recommendation to support further growth and development is to allow Aileen explore and find answers on her own. Since Aileen showed enthusiasm in learning and responding to the teacher, supporting her cognitively will help Aileen develop the skills she needs to think logically and give reason that she can uses to support her responses. Accordingly to my observation, Aileen can read a number of sights words. In order to develop Aileen cognitively, we, as teachers, can teach Aileen to sound out and read other words so that she can incorporate it in her daily vocabulary usage.

Her parents have been involved with tutoring her reading since before she was diagnosed however, she is still below her grade level. As Louise progresses it would be recommended that Louise’s parents maintain the support they are giving her for the reading disability for continued and constant improvement. Research shows that parents tutoring children with a reading disability have a consistent positive effect on their development and reading fluency (Gortmaker, Daly, McCurdy, Persampieri, & Hergenrader, 2007; Rashid, Morris, & Sevcik, 2005). Restarting private tutoring for Louise’s reading disability would also be beneficial. Having well targeted private tutoring has proven to improve reading fluency, which has a cascade effect onto spelling and writing (Ireson, 2004; Lingo,

My student has mastered letter names as well as letter sounds and she can read two syllable words. My student is learning how to comprehend text by exploring the basic elements within a story, while also building vocabulary and phonics.

When Ava was younger I took advantage of her natural born talent to read and write by giving her books to read. I would make each book increasingly more challenging for her vocabulary. I would also encourage her to improve her writing by practicing every day. The results in her report reflect this choice benefitted Ava because she is above average in “…word reading, reading fluency, phonological awareness, and spelling”