My observations are going really well.  I have really enjoyed watching my mentor teacher and working with the kindergarten students.  My mentor teacher is very knowledgeable and has shown me a lot of great tools.  I also really enjoy the school that I was placed in. 

A Critique of Instructional Materials

During my observations at Phillip Showell Elementary School I have had the pleasure of observing a variety of instructional tools.  My teacher is very active throughout the day and ensures that the students never spend too much time in their seats.  They are actively engaged throughout the day and are always expected to participate.  One of the main focuses in Kindergarten is reading, which is only made possible by acquiring certain skills.  The students are constantly working on letter recognition, phoneme awareness, and learning how to quickly recognize their “sight words.”  The students work on these skills every day using a variety of activities.  Below, I have given a few examples of these activities and how I see them as beneficial to the students.

1)      Sight word Song:  This is an excellent resource.  The students thoroughly enjoy singing and it engages them in the activity.  Through the participation in this song, they are seeing the word, and saying/singing it.  It is also full of positive messages about practicing your sight words every night and learning how to read.  This is a very engaging activity that is also helpful to visual learners in the classroom (since the students are seeing the words on the smart board as they sing along).  By using technology it helps engage those students who have a hard time paying attention during more typical reading lessons.  In addition, music is a great teaching tool that reaches a lot of students (and is often forgotten).  I think that the repetition in this song is very helpful in the beginning stages of learning.  The use of music is also a great way to make learning fun!

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=sight+word+song

2)      Little “m” Book:  This book helps students recognize the letter and associate it with words that start with that letter.  By reading the words out loud and having students point out the letter, they become more familiar with the letter/sounds/words.  This is a great tool for a variety of reasons

a)      Read alouds have proven to be very beneficial

b)      It reinforces reading comprehension skills

c)      Repetition of the letter/sounds is beneficial to reinforce the new knowledge

d)     This activity helps students visualize the letter and associate various items that begin with that letter so they recognize the sounds when they hear it. 

3)      Phonics Flashcards:  The teacher uses flashcards in a variety of ways.  She often holds them up and asks students to identify the letter and associated sound.  After they have practiced with the cards, the teacher uses the cards to spell out their sight words.  She spells them correctly first and then incorrectly to see if the student can identify what is wrong with how she has spelled the word.  She has also incorporated them into games such as “around the world” where students are required to know their letters and sight words readily so that they can advance in the game.  Flashcards are a great resource for students because they are easy to carry around and therefor easy to practice with.  These cards are great for beginning level learners all the way up and definitely help students get better at recognizing words more quickly.

4)      Jamaica’s Find: Teacher reads the story aloud.  She uses the book as a foundation to teach students about things like; title page, and beginning/middle/end of story.  The teacher used this book to teach a variety of skills.  Not only did she take the time to point on the different parts of the story but she also made a point to pause for a number of comprehension questions.  Although read alouds alone can be beneficial, it is important to make sure the students are paying attention during the activity. 

5)      Practicing letters using a worksheet:  The teacher uses worksheets as a follow up to learning a new word.  The worksheets ask students to trace the word, write it three times, and cut out the letters and glue them in the right order (to form the word).  This is beneficial because the repetitive nature helps the student learn the word.  It is also helpful because it makes the student practice writing the word and visualizing how it is supposed to look.

      All of these materials are great ways to engage students in their learning.  It is also helpful that these tools can be used at home with the use of just a few materials.  The use of technology, music, reading, and written practice are great ways to engage the students in the learning process.  The way this teacher varies the way in which she conducts a lesson is also helpful in that it can reach different types of learners. 

                        Kourtney Goodman

                                                Data Chart Summary

Throughout the years administrators and teachers have developed and used a variety of tests to determine reading skills.  All of these tests have their strengths and weaknesses and it is important to be aware of these when deciding which test to administer.  While testing a group of students it is important to be aware that one test does not work for all individuals.  By becoming aware of the individual’s capabilities, you may be able to figure out which test will give you the most accurate score.  It is important to keep in mind which skills you are actually trying to test, as well as the population you are testing (special needs or general education students).  Being aware of what you are looking for and who you are testing will make it much easier to decide which test to administer.

The purpose of each test varies a little.  When deciding which test to use, it is integral that you know which skills you are actually trying to assess.  The Slosson Intelligence test, for example, is great for testing a variety of skills.  It tests comprehension, ability to compare and contrast, vocabulary, etc.  It can be administered quickly and it can be scored during testing so it is very efficient.  In addition, it is very user-friendly which makes it a lot more accessible.  However, there is not enough information about test results for students with disabilities or those that are gifted, so it is not effective to use with these groups of people.  So while this may be an effective test for some, it does not work for all populations.  A test such as the Slosson Oral Reading Test may be more suitable in this situation.

The SORT is also a very quick screening.  It can be used to determine a student’s reading level by targeting word recognition.  It is also effective because it can be used with students with disabilities.  In addition, it can be used on children and adults.  Unfortunately, this test is not capable of measuring skills such as word knowledge, or comprehension.  Therefore, if you have a student with a disability and you want to test just word recognition this would be the test to use.  However, if you are trying to test skills such as comprehension or word knowledge, it would be better to use a different test. 

The Basic Reading Inventory is great for testing a wide variety of skills.  It helps determine reading grade level and can be used at the beginning and end of the school year to track progress.  This test assesses comprehension, word recognition, and speech.  Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time to administer.  Also, the results can be skewed if the student is not completely focused on the test.  This can make administering the test to young children extremely difficult.  When testing skills related to phoneme recognition, the Wepman’s test of auditory discrimination or the comprehensive test of phonological processing would be the best tests to use.

The Wepman’s test of auditory discrimination is very helpful in identifying children who can’t recognize English phonemes.  It is very economical and can be administered and scored in five minutes.  In addition, it has already been used on millions of children so the results are easy to compare.  Unfortunately, it cannot be used to identify specific learning disabilities.  Therefore, although it can test phonemic recognition, it can’t be used to determine the root of the problem or which individual disability the student has.  Due to the nature of what this test assesses, it is important to note that it can be used on preschool and elementary students. 

The other test that assesses phonological skills, the Comprehensive test of phonological processes, deals more with the process of recognition.  It assesses the processing skills and where there are strengths and weaknesses.  This test can also be used to identify those individuals who are not on the same level as their peers in phonological abilities.  The CTOPP-2 can serve as a measurement device in the studies investigating phonological processing.  Unfortunately this test is very time consuming which can lead to difficulties when administering.  The last test covered is the Test of visual perceptual skills.  It is very helpful with students who cannot use words to express their responses.

The Test of visual perceptual skills can also be very time consuming.  However, it is effective as an assessment of individual strengths and weaknesses.  This test can track progress over time which makes it a very useful tool.  The TVPS-3 is useful for students with various disabilities because students are able to respond in a variety of ways.  This way, even if a student cannot speak, they are able to show their understanding with another gesture.  It is important to be aware of these differences when deciding which test to use.  Just as these tests assess different skills, they are also more effective with different populations.  Through this compare and contrast assignment it is easy to see how certain tests would be a lot more effective with special needs students than others.

While reviewing the various tests it is clear that some work better with special needs students while others will work more efficiently with general education students.  For example, it would not be as effective to use the SIT because they do not have enough data collected on people with disabilities or those that are gifted so it would be difficult to determine where your results fall in the spectrum.  On the other hand, the TVPS-3 is easily used with students with various disabilities because its’ response format allows for students to answer in a variety of ways.  This means that just because a student may not be able to speak, they can still show that they understand with a hand gesture, visual gesture, etc.  This is very important because lack of speech does not equate to lack of intelligence and we need to know what these students are capable of understanding too.  Just as it is important to keep in mind the needs of the student, it is also important to be aware of the skills you are actually trying to test.

Although it may seem daunting to have all of these choices when it comes to picking the best reading skills assessment, it becomes much easier if you know what age you are testing, what skills you are looking for, and whether the students have special needs.  All of these tests have their own strengths and weaknesses and it is important to be aware of these when deciding which assessment to administer.  These tests can also be done in conjunction to ensure that you are getting valid information.  It is also wise to administer the tests multiple times so that you can track the students’ progress.  If used correctly, these tests can be very helpful in identifying specific needs of the students. 

Johns, J., (2012). Basic Reading Inventory. (11^th Ed.).  Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Martin, N., (2206).  Test of Visual Perceptual Skills.

McKechnie, J., & Bradley, E. (2001).  Test review Slosson Intelligence test- revised (sit-r).  Retrieved from http://aac.ncat.edu/newsnotes/y01win.html.

Slosson, R., (2014).  Slosson Oral Reading Test- Revised (sort-r3). Slosson Educational Publications Company. 

Wepman, J., & Reynolds, W., (1987).  Wepman’s auditory discrimination test. (2^nd Ed.).  Retrieved from http://wpspublish.com/store/p/2649/wepmans-auditory-discrimination-test-second-edition-adt.

Comparing and Contrasting Reading Assessments

 

 

                           Purpose                    Strength                      Weakness                Appropriateness

SIT (Slosson Intelligence Test)	-provides a quick, reliable index of intellectual ability -tests a lot of different skills	-can be done quickly -can be used on the blind/visually impaired -administration and scoring can be done at the same time	-it can’t be used on it’s own as a screening -lack of information regarding the percentage of people with disabilities or those who have been identified as gifted	-as an initial screening or used in conjunction with other tests -as an assessment of verbal skills and ability -can be used as a quick screen for mental retardation
SORT (Slosson Oral Reading Test)	-quick screening to determine a student’s reading level -targets word recognition -can be used for regular education students as well as for many special needs populations	-quick and easy to use -can be administered at a very young age	-it doesn’t measure all aspects of reading (example: word knowledge) -it is not a diagnostic tool -does not measure vocabulary or comprehension	-easily used at every grade level -can be used at beginning and end of the year (to track progress)
BRI (Basic Reading Inventory)	-helps determine reading grade level by testing a number of skills	-tests a variety of skills -easy to administer -can be used at any grade level	-takes a lot of time to administer -results can be unreliable if the student has a lack of focus	-pretest can help teacher determine a lesson plan that will help the student and posttest will help determine progress
Wepman’s Test of auditory discrimination)	-helps identify children who can’t recognize English phonemes	-economical -quick (can be administered and scored in five minutes) -already used on millions of children	-cannot be used to identify specific learning disabilities	-can be used for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary children -can be used at half year intervals (for children from 4-8) to find a baseline and track progress with phonemic discrimination
Test of visual perceptual skills (TVPS-3)	-can track progress over time -assesses individual strengths and weaknesses	-response format suits all children including those that are disabled -can be administered at a range of ages	-difficult to score -time consuming	-for children with various disabilities
Comprehensive test of phonological processing (CTOPP-2)	-assessment of reading related phonological processing skills	-determines strengths and weaknesses among developed phonological processes	-time consuming	-identifying those individuals who are not on the same level as their peers in phonological abilities -serves as a measurement device in studies investigating phonological processing

 

                                                                                                                        Kourtney Goodman

                                                            Learning to Read

            Learning how to read is a developmental process just like learning how to walk.  Children go through many different phases and not every child goes through that phase at the same time.  Although there isn’t a strict guideline for when children complete each developmental stage, a lot of children follow a pattern.  Teachers and parents should be aware of these stages so that they can guide children through them and do whatever they can to help. 

            According to a publication by the National Institute for Professional Practice; children go through some basic developmental processes that can be tracked:

·         Awareness and Exploration of Reading Stage (typically pre-K)

·         Emergent Reading Stage (typically pre-K to early Kindergarten)

·         Early Reading Stage (typically Kindergarten to early Grade 1)

·         Transitional Reading Stage (typically late Grade 1 to Grade 2)

·         Fluent Reading Stage (typically Grade 3 and higher)

These stages can give teachers a starting point to base their instruction off of.  Then, as they discover where their students fall on the spectrum they can tailor instruction to reach all students.  A great way to do this is with small group activities.  By grouping students with peers that are at the same level, they can develop and learn from one another on a more one-on-one basis with the teacher.  Students can work through reading activities that will enrich their vocabulary and their comprehension abilities. 

            Starting at birth, it is important to expose children to various types of literature.  Considering that comprehension develops immensely in the first year, this is the time that children can really benefit from this exposure.  Although children (usually) can’t speak until their first birthday, they are learning the meaning of words.  They respond to music, commands, and try to communicate in their own way in their first year, by reading to them you are only enriching that knowledge that they are trying to develop. 

            By kindergarten, some students are able to read, and some are not.  A lot of this has to do with how much they have been exposed to at home.  Although teachers do as much as they can, it is extremely beneficial to have the support of the parents/caregivers.  According to the National Reading Panel during one of their conventions, parent involvement was a key concept.  Children need to be enriched at home to reinforce what is being taught at school.  While at school, teachers will integrate the five components of effective reading instruction into their lesson plans. 

Phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, reading comprehension, and vocabulary will all be discussed and explored in the classroom.  Students will learn how to sound things out, how to recognize word sounds and how to make them, how to read at a reasonable pace, how to understand what they are reading, and what the words mean.  As they get more proficient with the basics of each component, they will be able to build on this knowledge. 

During observations, I have been able to witness these lessons and see how effective continued direction with these topics can be.  The teacher will begin by introducing a new word.  The students will have to sound the word out and use it in example phrases.  Then, the teacher may move on to another activity such as reading a book and having the students point out the word within the book.  This continues to reinforce this new information and give students various examples of how they can sound it out, identify it, and use it.

As these lessons continue, students will learn to sound out the words on their own.  They will begin to read introductory books independently and will become more fluent.  As this happens, teachers will require students to do more of the reading on their own and then ensure that they have understood what they have read by asking comprehension questions.  It is still helpful to utilize small group instruction during this time.  This way, if students have not understood something within the story, the teacher can work with a smaller group to find out where/why the misunderstanding occurred. 

As the students learn how to use these components as tools, they will learn how to direct themselves as they read independently.  They will learn how to work through all of these aspects of reading on their own so that they can comprehend the reading.  These processes will become more natural and eventually, they will become fluent readers.  Some students will require more help during this process, but as long as teachers and parents work together, they can achieve this goal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                            Work Cited

"National Institute for Professional Practicewilkes University." Developmental Stages of               

            Learning to Read. 2014 National Institute for Professional Practice, n.d. Web. 13 Sept.    

            2014.  

"Teaching Children to Read: An Evience Based Assessment of the Scientific Literature on

            Reading and Its' Implications for Reading Instruction." National Reading Panel, n.d.

            Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

 

                                                                                                                      Kourtney Goodman

Reading Comprehension

The article “Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension” by C.R. Adler found on Reading Rockets, addresses the various ways to teach reading comprehension.  This was a very thorough look at this topic and gave great examples of how to impart this knowledge on your students.  Reading comprehension is so integral to learning and it is very important for teachers to be aware of the ways to help their students in this field. 

Reading comprehension is one of the fundamental elements of learning how to read.  Students have to learn to understand what they are reading or the passage or book is rendered useless.  Some students understand this concept without further instruction while some need strategies to come to this understanding.  According to this article, there are seven strategies that can teach students reading comprehension; monitoring comprehension, metacognition,  graphic and semantic organizers, answering questions, generating questions, recognizing story structure, summarizing.  Teachers can easily incorporate these strategies into lesson plans to provide a well rounded reading experience for all students.

            During the reading process some students need guidance to understand the text.  By working through these strategies, students can get to a point where they think more deeply about the text and come to a deeper understanding of their reading.  Teachers need to be aware of their students’ needs and what strategy will work for them.  Some students may benefit from a graphic organizer that can help them understand the relationships between the different concepts in the text.  There are various organizers that can be used for this purpose; Venn-Diagrams, storyboard/chain of events, story map, and cause/effect to name a few.  If students learn how to group the concepts of the story on paper, they will eventually learn to do the same kind of organization in their heads as they read.  This will teach them how to pick out main concepts and how they relate to the story as a whole.

            It is important to ask comprehension questions to ensure that the students have understood what they have read.  The questions should address the key concepts, characters, and plot details.  Students will learn what is important and how to determine what the key points of a story are and where to look for them.  There are four different kinds of questions; right there, think and search, author and you, and on your own.  These questions will become essential tools for the students and they will begin to think of them as they read on their own.  While reading, some students may also generate their own questions that help them understand the passage.  They will learn to ask themselves questions about the main idea and how to connect concepts within the story.

            By asking themselves these essential questions they will begin to understand the structure of the story.  The use of a story map may also help students understand the structure.   Learning how to understand this will also help them better understand other concepts in the story (plot).  Students need to learn how all of the concepts come together to create a story.  Using the key concepts, students can summarize the story and understand the main idea.  If the student can accurately summarize the story, then you know that they have understood what they have read. 

            In an observation that I did, the teacher used all of these strategies while reading in their small groups.  One student asked questions, one was a summarizer, and one was in charge of keeping track of the characters.  This format taught the students what to look for in the story and gave them a better understanding of what they were reading.  The more the students practice this within their classroom, the more naturally it will come and the more they will do it on their own.  As they get used to knowing what they are supposed to look for the more they will learn each time they read. 

            If teachers effectively teach these strategies to their students they will create readers who truly understand their readings.  They will know what to look for within a passage and how to make sense of the concepts.  They will learn to link the concepts so that they can effectively understand the story as a whole and how to summarize it.  By answering comprehension questions they can demonstrate their knowledge even further.  All of these strategies are so important to comprehension and must be employed in the early stages so that students innately work through them as they read.

Adler, C.R. "Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension." Reading Rockets. N.p., 2001. Web. 08 Sept. 2014.

http://prezi.com/4umh-ytbcxhh/reading-comprehension/