Module #4: Assessment

I read Article #2 and #4. Article #2, Closing the Gap Early: Implementing a Literacy Intervention for At-Risk Kindergarteners in Urban Schools written by Colleen MacDonald and Lauren Figueredo talks about preparing students, with tutors, for kindergarten and learning the skills needed to understand literacy (MacDonald C., & Figueredo L., 2010). "In the development of reading and writing skills, the academic performance gap is evidence early on as a deficit or lag in oral language and emergent literacy (phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge) skill" (MacDonald C., & Figueredo L., 2010, p.404). Research has shown that oral language is the key of literacy development. "Unfortunately, students who have early difficulties in oral language are at risk for later reading problems" (MacDonald C.,  & Figueredo L., 2010, p.404). To avoid students facing reading issues later in life, research have found programs to assist students to improve in literacy. One program mentioned in the article is the KELT Program which is a program used to tutor kindergarteners oral language and literacy. Six different areas are used to measure students' progress such as oral language, concept of print, phonemic awareness, letter-sound knowledge, letter-sound correspondence, and word knowledge.

Article #4, Tile Test: A Hands-On Approach for Assessing Phonics in the Early Grades, written by Kimberly A. Norman and Robert C. Calfee talks about the importance of learning the different literacy skills and mastering them early in school. "Phonics instruction is one gateway toward this goal by providing students with the skills to decode unfamiliar words encountered in new and challenging passages" (Norman K.A., & Calfee R.C., 2004). The authors mention one assessment used, which is the Tile Test. This is an individual assessment used to evaluate early readers' and writers' understanding of letter sounds, words, and sentences (Norman K.A., & Calfee R.C., 2004). In the first segment, areas that are tested include letter name identification and sounds, decoding spelling of words (cvc), and sight-word reading.

 Both articles talk about programs that are used to assess kindergarteners oral language and literacy skills. The different areas tested are letter and sound knowledge, word knowledge, and word spelling. Article #2 and #4 mention two different programs used to assess kindergarteners measuring the same areas.

One area of assessment focuses on letter-sound correspondence. Using the letters, administers point to the letter and wait for student response. The test should begin with the uppercase letters and students response should be noted.

Another area assessed is word knowledge. Students are presented with high-frequency words and is measured on students' word knowledge. High-frequency words include the, me, a, I, is, etc. This assessment provides administers with information on what students need more engagement in word knowledge and vocabulary development.

Word spelling assesses students' ability to read consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. It measures students' knowledge about letter-sound correspondence. It focuses on the change of either the initial or final consonant (pat-->, sat-->, sam) (Norman K.A., Calfee R.C., 2004).

The main idea is to prepare young learners, early on, to avoid issues that may occur later. Assessing these different areas, allows teacher to know what their students may or may not struggle with. 

Module #3: Supporting Emergent Readers

Orlando is a seven-year old, 1st grader, who struggles with comprehension when reading independently.

Comprehension is the understanding of the text that is being read. As emergent readers begin to read, it is important for them to learn this skill that they can eventually use on their own. These skills improve when teachers model the process behind each strategy. Comprehension strategies include predicting (prior to reading, students can make predictions about the text based on the title and a picture walk through), summarizing (allows students to sum up what they read in 1-2 sentences), retelling (students retell the story after they have read it or it was read to them), rereading ("look back" strategy encourages students to go back into the story to find the answer), and questioning (students should be able to answer who, what, where, when, how questions). These strategies help proficient readers gain meaning from a text. Teachers should only teach 1 or 2 strategies at a time and not move on until the first strategy is mastered.

By students mastering the 5 comprehension strategies listed in the STAR SHEETS, it allows them to become great readers and allows them to understand the text. If students do not understand the text being read, they are reading just to read! These strategies need to be taught and mastered at a young age to avoid reading comprehension issues in later grades.

These different strategies will help Orlando improve his comprehension skills when reading

a text. Orlando will be able to gain more meaning from the text. With the teacher's assistance, he will be able to master predicting by looking through the pictures and predicting what the story might be about. After reading the text, Orlando and the teacher can summarize and retell what the story was about and the events that occurred. Answering the 5 questions: who, what, when, where, how, can be answered by looking back in the story. After several times of completing these strategies, Orlando will gain more confidence in being able to understand the text and eventually master these strategies on his own.

Graphic organizers are diagrams used to help students recall story elements from a story they have read or listened to. These organizers help learners to identify the story elements such as characters, setting, sequence of events in a story, and answer questions like who, what, where, when, why, and how. These organizers provide students with an organized format for reading the selected text.

Teaching and exposing students to identify the story elements in a text, using different graphic organizers, strengthens their comprehension skills. Readers begin to connect what they know to what they are reading and learning. Teachers expose students to graphic organizers because it acts as a tool in assisting learners to better understand the text that is being read. With teacher assistance, graphic organizers act as a tool, students can learn to use on their own.

Graphic organizers can assist Orlando in identifying the different story elements within a text. This tool can help Orlando with his comprehension skills in an organized way. The skills can be anything from identifying the story's main idea, setting of a story, characters in the story, problem and solution, and sequencing. This will allow for Orlando to map out the text he is reading or being read too.

Repeated reading is a strategy used to increase reading fluency. A fluent reader develops word recognition skills. Word recognition skills are being able to quickly identify and read sight words in a text.

"Pappas (1991) found that children asked more questions and engaged in more dialogues when they listened to repeated readings of the same story" (Doyle B.G., Bramwell W, 2006. p.555). Repeated readings assist students to become fluent readers and build on comprehension skills. When using repeated reading, students are able to develop vocabulary meaning. Students, who reread a story, are able to determine what comes next and it assists them in being able to retell the story (Doyle B.G., Bramwell W, 2006).

Repeated readings will help Orlando with better understanding the text. Exposing him to the text more than once will build upon his comprehension skills. Each time Orlando reads the story, the teacher and Orlando can focus on one strategy. For example, the first read can expose Orlando to the text. The second read can focus on the characters and setting. The third read can focus on the main idea of the story and so on, making sure that each reread focuses on one comprehension strategy. 

The children's book I chose for Orlando is Corduroy written by Don Freeman's. The graphic organizer below will assist Orlando in identifying the story's main components such as the characters, setting, problem, solution, and events that occur in the story.

References

Doyle, B. G., & Bramwell, W. (2006). Promoting Emergent Literacy and Social-Emotional Learning Through Dialogic Reading. The Reading Teacher, 59(6), 554-564.

Module #2: The Components of Balanced Literacy

 As an early childhood educator, I always ask myself when is the best time to complete Shared Reading/Writing, Read-Aloud, Interactive Writing, and Reading/Writing Workshop, which are the different components of a balanced literacy program,throughout the day. After reading Chapter 5, titled The Components of Balanced Literacy, it all makes more sense! In Chapter 5, Mermelstein states, "Spiegel has defined balance as a "decision making approach through which the teacher makes thoughtful choices each day about the best way to help each child become a better reader and write," (Mermelstein, 2006). This approach is about making the connection between both reading and writing by using a balanced literacy program. An educator can only plan out their balanced literacy program after assessing their students and really understanding their individual needs and strengths in the classroom. The chapter breaks down each component and the author provides insight and strategies on what each component may look like in a classroom. 

Mermelstein compares her yoga practice to a balanced literacy program. Her yoga poses are connected to one another. To perfect one move, she had to perfect the pose before. For example, "Like how Half Moon gets you ready for Awkward Pose, and Awkward Pose gets you ready for Eagle Pose," (Mermelstein, 2006). Just like a balanced literacy program, all the different yoga poses prepare you for the next pose.

I compared a balanced literacy program to teaching my cheerleaders how to stunt. In order for them to be able to complete a full stunt, liberty and so on, they need to be able to perfect a simple half. All the other stunts are formed after learning how to do a basic half.

 

All of the components, Shared Reading/Writing, Read-Aloud, Interactive Reading, and Reading/Writing Workshop, all come hand in hand with one another. Shared Reading and Read-Aloud both allow for student build up independently, in understanding the meaning of the text. Interactive Writing and Shared Reading allow for student build up in understanding the visual aspect of a text. Reading and Writing Workshop are a combination of all. Students are to build up meaning, independently, to construct meaning into the text being read (Mermelstein, 2006).

As an educator, I will definitely take these components and combine them together to construct a successful balanced literacy program in my Kindergarten classroom. With such a rigorous curriculum, it is imperative to incorporate the different components to allow my students to grow and become better readers and writers. After assessing my students and understanding their individual needs and strengths, I will have a better idea of when to incorporate these different strategies into my ninety minute reading block. 

The video below shows a teacher and her students during Shared Reading, which is one of the components in a balance literacy program.

References

Mermelstein,L.(2006).Reading/writing connections in the K-2 classroom.Boston:Pearson.

Module #1: Literacy Autobiography

Growing up, I developed a great amount of love towards reading! As I entered Kindergarten, my parents remind me still to today, the excitement and interest I showed towards reading. I vaguely remember my early elementary years but my parents have shared many memories with me. I would come home from school, excited to share with them that I was able to read a simple sentence as "I see the red ball."  I see how my students, today, get excited over reading sentences as simple as that. It gives me an insight as to how I reacted when I was in their shoes years ago. My Kindergarten teacher would send home flash cards, weekly, with words being taught that week. I would sit down with my parents and show them how to blend the sounds together in a word. Being able to complete that task, allowed me to gain a love for reading!

Fast forwarding to years later, starting fourth grade, I was left back. My parents transferred me from a catholic school to a public school. I was behind in the curriculum and was not able to catch up in time to advance to fifth grade. Being in fourth grade, for the second time, my teacher made me lose interest in not only reading and writing, but school as a whole. She would single me out and reminded me that I should be aware of the skill being taught as I was taught the same skill the previous year. My love for reading and learning went out the window!

It wasn't until fifth grade that I gained my love for reading and learning, as a whole, because of the FABULOUS teacher I had. She showed such great interest in her students goals and interests and never once singled any of us out. She encouraged me to READ, READ, READ, and KEEP READING and that is exactly what I did until I entered high school! I remember, every morning, she would allow us to have fifteen minutes of free reading time. We were allowed to read a book of our choice and when the timer went off, we had to write in our journal and reflect on what we read. When it came to writing, she taught writing in a fun and creative way that engaged all of us to write. She inspired all of us to keep a journal so that whenever we had a thought come to mind, we could jot it down. It was like having our own personal diary.

Not only did she make a big impact in gaining my love for reading and learning back but my parents also played a major role in my studies and pushed me to never give back. Even after all my struggles in my second year of fourth grade and being in fifth grade, they were all my backbone and encouraged me everyday to be better than I was the day before. They all took great interests in my studies. After completing fifth grade, my fifth grade teacher still supported me in sixth grade and continued to encourage me to NEVER GIVE UP!

Being a Freshman in high school I thought I was TOO COOL to read and put reading aside! I lost interest in reading books and would much rather watch the movie instead of reading the book. When my college years began, I did not realize how much reading would be required. It wasn't until my Sophomore year of college that I started to read, not only what was required from my professors, but I put time aside for myself to read for pleasure. Today, I am someone who needs to read the book before watching the movie, which half of the time the book is 1,000 times BETTER than the movie.

As an educator, I express to my students the love I have for reading. I take great interest in what they love to read about and explore with. I put time aside, everyday, where they are allowed to have free time to read a book of their choice. In Kindergarten, many of my students are just learning how to read sight words such as I, the, my, we, it, she, he, etc..., become aware that letters make up sounds that are blended together to make up words which are segmented together to make up sentences. Many of my students are unable to read at the beginning of the year but it is GREAT to see how they are able to tell a story just by looking at the pictures. Seeing them develop a love for reading, MAKES MY HEART HAPPY, which is something I share with them daily. :)