ELL Case Study

ELL Case Study

Below are links to student samples and sample activities from the classroom I observed.

Student Sample Argumentative Essay Rubric
Student Sample Body Paragraph Draft
Student Sample Conclusion Draft
Student Sample Final Draft Essay
Sample Graphic Organizers
Sample Student Activity

Week 12

Technology in Literacy Instruction Prezi

Assignment #2

Digital literacy is a major component of literacy instruction in today’s classrooms.  Students should be able to write with not only text but audio and video as well.  Digital storytelling is an emerging form of literacy.  The ability to hear and see a story simultaneously helps students develop fluency and better understand content.  Some resources such as iMovie, Podcasts and other audio and video devices allow students to record themselves telling a story and/or presenting their work.  Since students live in a world consumed by technology it is important to bring that into the classroom in order to capture and maintain their interest.  The most obvious forms of technology used in the classroom are word processors, IWB’s, and presentation software.  Most classroom use these resources to present content to students and to share student work.  I cannot imagine my classroom without these.  Other invaluable resources include blogs, Google Docs, and presentation tools such as Smore and Prezi.   It is important for teachers to familiarize themselves with the available technologies and to teach their students to use them appropriately.  I feel like instruction is lacking without some sort of technology component.  Although there are teachers who can effectively teach without the aid of technology I think technology improves any lesson tremendously.  Students are excited to share learning experiences that involve digital and interactive content.  As a teacher I am just as excited as my students are when I find and/or test out a new technology resource.

QRI5 / DIBELS Assessment Report

QRI-5 Assessment Report
QRI5 Docs



DIBELS Assessment Report

Week 11

Cause and Effect Text Structure Lesson

Compare and Contrast Text Structure Lesson

KWL Lesson

Week 10 Assignment 5

https://docs.google.com/a/nyit.edu/document/d/1k-2xZbuRc733lMJaXTqwu3o9deJUcy-fCTyC_59T9GM/edit?usp=sharing

Week 9 Assignment 3

Summarize each assessment battery tool. 

QRI5 is an informal reading inventory used to assess the level at which a student is reading.  The measures assess whether students are able to read independently and how much they need help from the teacher.  Passages provided for students are chosen based on student grade level and the level at which they are expected to read.  Students are assessed based on the words per minute they are able to read and their ability to retell a story.  QRI5 is used to identify students’ independent, instructional and frustration levels as readers.

DIBELS is a system of assessments that are used to measure different aspects of reading.  The system is used to assess early level reading and literacy skills.  The assessments are used often and are brief.  Phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, comprehension, vocabulary and fluency and accuracy with text can all be measured using the DIBELS system.  In most cases students are scored based on the number of words/sounds/phonemes they produce correctly.

Describe the similarities and differences of both assessments. 

Similarities. The two literacy assessments are similar in that they are used to measure student reading skills and abilities.  Both can be used to measure student progress toward a goal and identify student strengths and weaknesses.  Each assessment method scores students based on the words they read correctly and counts the number of errors the student makes when reading. 

Differences. DIBELS is primarily to determine early reading skills and determine early success where as QRI5 can be used throughout high school.  The DIBELS assessments seem to be mostly kept to one minute where QRI5 did not have such specific time constraints.  These assessments also seem to be more specific and there are different assessments for each big idea reading skill.

Describe how they can be used (in the classrooms or as a standardized tool) for instructional planning and decisions. 

Both assessments can be used to determine student reading level and the appropriate text to provide students with.  They can also be used to measure student progress toward goals and to create new reading goals for students.  The assessments should be repeated throughout the year to track student growth and determine new levels of student’s reading skills.  These can be used in small groups and with individual students (DIBELS is used individually).  The results of these assessments can and should be used to plan appropriate instruction for students and decide what level of text is appropriate for students.  They can also help to identify at risk students and areas of weakness.  The information provided by these assessments can be used to gauge and promote student reading fluency and comprehension.

Week 8 Assignment 3

Fluency Lesson Plan

Above is the link to my fluency lesson plan for this week!  Any feedback is appreciated.

Week 6

Mary could not recall many details from the text “Whales and Fish”; she recalled 16 ideas out of 49 in total.  Mary also had very little prior knowledge when she began reading the text.  The ability to recall details and activate prior knowledge can be considered weaknesses for Mary.  It is important that Mary learns how to sort between prior knowledge and unfamiliar details in a text in order to better comprehend what she is reading.  For Mary’s intervention I would focus on the ability to make connections between texts being read and prior knowledge and to self monitor comprehension.  I think it would be helpful for Mary to re-read the same text and look back to identify more details from the text.  The use of graphic organizers can be helpful to improve Mary’s ability to recall details from the text.  As Mary is reading I would have her pause to write down or discuss any new details she has read aloud.  I am unsure of how long the intervention would need to be.  I feel like the length of an intervention depends on the individual student and the gains they are making.  Interventions can be short term or long term depending on the student and their weaknesses.

The mini-lesson I would use to help Mary recall details and make connections between a text and her prior knowledge is one that use Knew/New charts.  I would discuss the difference between knew and new with Mary (preferably in a small group) and why it is important for readers to distinguish between the two.  Thinking about what you knew before reading a text can help you make sense of the new information in a text.

I would model how when I am given a text I immediately think about the title and try to relate it to something I have read before or heard about before.  I would choose a text read the title and begin to brainstorm a list of things I already knew about the topic.  I would stress how using this prior knowledge helps me to better understand the new information in the text.

I would read the text aloud and model how when I come across something I already knew about I jot it down on a “Knew” list.  As I read I pick out new information and think aloud about anything that might be unfamiliar to me.  I add these details to a “New” list.  It is important to let the student(s) know that the Knew list will be shorter than the New list most likely; this proves you are growing as a reader and gaining new information.  I would also stress how gaining new information is what reading is all about.

After modeling the strategy I would provide a different text for students to complete the same process.  Once the students have completed their own chart we would share aloud the connections we made and the new information we learned about as we were reading.

This practice help readers keep track of details from a text and monitor the new information in a given text.

Week 5

Assignment#1 Use p.106 examiner’s word list to calculate Mary’s level in word identification.

Mary is reading at an independent level one.  She missed two of the words but was not easily frustrated with those two words.  She uses the appropriate skills to help identify words.

Assignment#2 Use p.107 examiner’s word list to calculate Mary’s level in word identification.

With word list 2 Mary is at instructional level.  That is, she read 85% of the words (17 out of 20) without any errors.  The three words she made errors with she confused the ending of the words.  Level 2is the right passage to assess Mary’s reading with because it is where she displayed a little bit of a struggle. 

Assignment#3 Use p.107 examiner’s word list to calculate Mary’s level in word identification.

At Level 3 word list Mary became frustrated and it was clear that this level was not appropriate for her.  She did not completely give up but it was clear that she was struggling with most words and even skipping through them.  It is appropriate to begin assessing Mary’s reading at Level 2.

Assignment#4 Use examiner’s scoring sheet (pp.223-225) to calculate the scores and to determine Mary’s strengths and needs

Mary’s prior knowledge was minimal but she was able to recall details from the text after reading.  She is at an instructional level with this text.  I think it is an appropriate text for Mary.  Her accuracy rate was 97% and her error rate was 33.  The self-correction rate was 2.  She struggled with sounding out some words and required minimal assistance from the teacher while reading.  Her fluency is average.  After completing the reading Mary was able to describe main ideas and some details from the text (but not all).  Her responses to questions were not very detailed and there was a limited understanding of the text.  Mary is able to sound out words and do not take extended pauses when reading.  It sounds as though she is making sense of what she is reading and not just focusing on what the next word in a sentence is.  A weakness is confusing words and adding endings to words.  

Week 4

Assignment 3
Here's the link to my PowerPoint!


Assignment 1

RTI is implemented in schools to insure that all students receive the appropriate instruction and that all of their learning needs are met.  In one of the videos it was discussed how teacher collaboration is used to insure no child slips between the cracks.  Children at risk are monitored continuously and teachers meet to discuss these children.  Reading specialists look for possible interventions to help any students struggling.

RTI is structured like a pyramid; there are 3 tiers.  The largest (bottom level of the pyramid) tier is Tier 1.  All teachers teach all students at this level using high quality instruction.  No child is left out of Tier 1.  At this level all students receive differentiated instruction by a general education teacher.  Instruction at this level meets the needs of 80 to 85% of students. 

If children are not successful in Tier 1 instruction teachers intervene to determine if the child requires Tier 2 instruction.  Tier 2 is more intensive as it builds on Tier 1 instruction and offers more systematic instruction.  This type of instruction can take place in a small group within the general classroom.  Tier 2 is offered to the remaining 15% of students that were not successful with Tier 1.  It is important to stress how students receiving Tier 2 instruction are also participating in Tier 1 instruction.  Tier 2 is that supplemental support these students need.

If students are still not being successful with Tier 2 learning, parents and teacher can be involved to possibly refer the child for evaluation for special education services.  Tier 3 learning is provided by special education teachers or intervention specialists.  Interventions are delivered to individual students and small groups.  Tier 3 is the most intensive intervention and supplements both Tier 1 and Tier 2 learning.  Some students can receive these interventions without being labeled special education students.   Tier 3 interventions are provided to about 5% of students.

The structure of RTI is what contributes to its success with students.  This sort of building upon learning and supplementing learning to meet individual needs of students insures that all students are receiving the appropriate intervention in order to be successful.

Week 3

Assignment #2

Providing opportunities for creative writing, reading lengthy and complex texts and encourage research in order to develop productivity skills, implementing cross-disciplinary topics are all ways to appropriately develop the skills required by the standards.  Assessing these skills comes in when we observe student performance during group tasks, review the presentations and proposals they create, and their writing skills.

The 4th grade example of students recording their conversation to identify points of view was pretty impressive.  I had not observed or experienced this type of learning.  It seems to require a higher level of self-awareness and listening to and making sense of what others say.  It is like a new level of listening.  The use of persuasive proposals is also something very interesting and I would think beyond grade level!  As a middle school teacher I am often out of touch with the elementary classroom, especially with the emergence of Common Core.  The skills students are developing and practicing in the classrooms contribute to fostering an awareness of others and the ability to be successful members of society.

Assignment #3

• What is QRI5?  QRI5 is an informal reading inventory that includes word lists and passages that assess the reading and listening abilities of students.  

• What is the purpose of using QRI5? The purpose of the informal reading inventory is to gather information used to gauge students' reading levels, group students, and choose appropriate reading assignments for students.

• Have you seen similar assessment activities like QRI5? What are they? Running records have a similar purpose; assessing students' reading ability and words that students struggle with and even to decide the appropriate reading level for individual students.

• What is your impression of QRI5? I think this type of assessment really covers all of the bases as far as assessing students' reading ability.  Having students retell, answer questions, look-backs, and think aloud while reading are all useful strategies that help assess students' comprehension of a given text.  I also think assessing students' abilities with different type of texts is important in order to fully gauge students strengths and weaknesses.

Week 2

Assignment 1:

• Why do we assess reading? We assess reading in order to identify students' strengths and weaknesses.  With accurate measures we are able to track students' progress and make the necessary interventions and provide the appropriate enrichment depending on the student being assessed.

• What do we assess when we assess reading?  When we assess reading we assess students' fluency, accuracy, reading comprehension and phonological awareness.

• How (and where and when) do we assess reading?  Teachers are constantly assessing students' reading in the classroom: informally during read alouds and in small groups. Teachers can also ask questions that assess students' phonological awareness, reading comprehension, etc.  More formal reading assessments include running records.

• What reading assessments do you know of?  Running records, various checklists created by the teacher

• Did you observe any reading assessments in the classroom? Explain type of the assessment and the procedures. Teacher had a checklist for each unit and monitored student progress throughout the unit.  She informally assessed students during read alouds and conversations during the active engagement portion of the lesson.

Assignment #2

·         What new assessment practices will you use in your classroom? Running records (I am already familiar with), anecdotal notes (taking notes on interactions with students and taking note of strengths and weaknesses)

·         In what ways do you plan to use the results of your assessments? The results of these assessments help to track student progress and make decisions based on students’ needs, strengths and weaknesses.  The results of assessments can indicate the needs of the class as a whole and individual students/groups of students.  When planning lessons it is important to know the levels of students’ needs and how to address both strengths and weaknesses (i.e. how/when to enrich students and how/when to supplement learning for students).

·         What assessment practices do you want to know more about? Are there specific templates for anectdotal logs?  At my school we maintain TANs (teacher assessment notebooks) in which we keep anectdotal logs of interactions with students (strengths, weaknesses, etc.).  I am wondering what this looks like specifically in the literacy classroom. I have seen checklists in previous literacy courses as well.

·         What are the challenges you still face in assessing and recording student achievement and progress in reading and writing? I feel like with the average teacher work load it can be challenging to track every students’ progress.  I feel like students can often “fall through the cracks” and students who need to be challenged more don’t receive that challenge because the teacher focuses on bringing below level students on level.


A  Assignment #3
    I read about the difference between concept of word and concept of print and the importance of both as foundations for children's reading abilities.  I started to think about how when I was in early elementary school the first thing I remember is focusing on the alphabet and what letters look like and being able to identify letters.  I never really thought about this progression of letter recognition to word recognition which eventually leads up to reading comprehension and being able to extract meaning from a text.  There is a connection between letter recognition and sound recognition.  Students need to be able to make the connection between speech sounds and the corresponding letters.  I really didn't know anything about phonemic awareness and read a little about it and the difference between phonemic and phonic awareness (sounds of words vs. blending).  When I was reading about fluency I read about how its entails accuracy, reading quickly, and using expression.  I  read how to develop fluency teachers should give students the opportunity to read the same passage aloud;  I have seen students being asked to re-read a passage or part of a passage to develop meaning but did not consider fluency.  Comprehension requires all of these skills; everything really builds up to comprehension.  Also vocabulary is a necessary component for reading comprehension because in order to understand a text students need to be familiar with vocabulary words (this is where interactive word walls comes in).