Assessment of Literacy Learning

Assessment is a regular part of a teacher's and student's everyday life. Teachers are constantly assessing and students are constantly learning. This module talks about the importance of assessment and different assessments a teacher can use to assess a student's early literacy learning.

Early Literature is Important

"There is now a substantial body of research that documents the early literacy behaviors that are critical to the development of beginning reading and writing" (Helman, 2005, p.668). Students who have a good start in learning to read can build confidence and competence and have a better chance of succeeding in literacy skills and knowledge. (Helman, 2005) Early reading instruction is important because it can help students move as quickly as possible toward independent comprehension of a broad range of texts. (Norman & Calfee, 2004)

Different Ways to Assess Student Reading and Writing Knowledge 

There are various ways to assess early literacy knowledge. The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is a standardized assessment used in K-3 classrooms across the country to measure reading progress and identify students in need of extra support.  PALS assesses word recognition in isolation, developmental spelling and oral reading in context. Word recognition in isolation assesses the student's ability to recognize and read grade-level words without sounding them out. Spelling inventory consists of students spelling words of increasing difficulty. Oral reading in context is where students read a graded passage of text and is scored for accuracy, fluency and comprehension to find the student's instructional reading level. The student is then asked comprehension questions. Teachers using PALS literacy assessment can become more informed about meeting the literacy needs of their students. (Helman, 2005) This assessment is beneficial because it can help teachers identify students who need intervention. The PALS assessment also helps teachers to identify individual reading instructional levels.

Another assessment one can use to assess phonics in the early grades is the Tile Test. "The Tile Test has been shown to be a reliable measure of basic decoding and spelling skills" (Norman & Calfee, 2004, p. 45). The Tile Test provides a hands-on interactive experience with letters and sounds for teachers who want to delve more deeply into students' underlying thinking. It is designed to quickly evaluate early readers' and writers' understanding of letters, sounds, words and sentences. When teachers are using the Tile Test to assess the student's knowledge and understanding of English orthography the teacher continually asks students to explain their thinking because the talk mirrors their understanding and the student becomes aware of what they know. Students explain how they build words and learn to decode and spell by understanding the system rather than through remote memorization. (Norman & Calfee, 2004)

The Tile Test differs from the PALS assessment because the Tile Test focuses more on letters and sounds and how the student knows those letters and words make those sounds. The Tile Test is also used in Prekindergarten through first grade while the PALS assessment is used in classrooms kindergarten through third grade. However, there are similarities between the assessments because they both assess early literacy and they help teachers to know where students are and how they should plan future instruction. Both assessments are beneficial because it provides teachers with knowledge about what their students know about letters, words and sentences. Since early literacy is important for student success then assessment is needed to see where students are and what future instruction should be planned.

Assessment Provides Feedback Needed to Guide Future Instruction

The results of literacy assessments assist teachers to help meet the needs of learners, whether it be from a diverse background and language or students whose first language is English. Data from early literacy assessments can help teachers to better instruct English language learning students. (Helman, 2005) "Ongoing assessments of early literacy progress is essential for giving teachers the information they need to measure student progress, identify students who may require additional or individualized assistance, and guide instructional practice" (Helman, 2005, p. 668). Assessment should not be done just to assess students but to know what the student has not mastered yet and still needs to learn. Teachers can use the data from early literacy assessments to pinpoint groups of students in need to extra support, determine which literacy activities are difficult for individuals and groups of students, and provide enriched learning opportunities that build on their background understandings. (Helman, 2005)

The PALS literacy assessment helps to identify students who need extra support in their development in early literacy. Teachers can use the data collected from the PALS assessment to create and form instructional groups focusing on the teaching goals and meeting the individual needs of the students. The teacher can also use the oral reading in context assessment to provide important to estimate instructional reading levels and analyze students' reading behaviors. (Helman, 2005) Finding students' instructional reading level helps teachers create guided reading groups.

The use of the Tile Test allows teachers to see and hear what students know and how they know it. It provides feedback needed to guide future instruction. (Norman & Calfee, 2004) "The purpose of the Tile Test is to assess student performance and feed that information into instruction" (Norman & Calfee, 2004, p. 49). During the assessment the teacher does not provide specific feedback, however general responses should be positive. The teacher should take the data from the assessment to create future instruction lessons rather than providing literacy instruction during the assessment. The teacher can use the Tile Test to collect information before, during and after instruction to check students' prior knowledge and progress and to plan future instruction. The results of the assessment can be used to help teachers identify the level of understanding students have about letters, sounds, words and sentences. (Norman & Calfee, 2004)

References

Helman, L.A. (2005). Using literacy assessment results to improve teaching for English-language  learners. The Reading Teacher, 58(7), 668-677.

Norman, K.A., & Calfee, R.C. (2004). Tile Test: A hands-on approach for assessing phonics in the  early grades. The Reading Teacher, 58(1), 42-52.

MODULE 3 

Orlando is a boy in first grade that is having trouble comprehending and answering simple comprehension questions. Three possible strategies that can be used to help Orlando with his comprehension are graphic organizers, repeated reading and comprehension strategies.

Comprehension is the understanding of what has been read. (Sayeski & Paulsen, 2003) A reader can use comprehension strategies are techniques readers use to gain meaning from the text. Teachers should teach text comprehension strategies rather than just asking questions about the text. Students should also be taught when and where to use the comprehension strategies.

Predicting, summarizing, retelling, rereading and questioning are the comprehension strategies that the teacher will use and teacher Orlando. “Predicting sets a purpose for learning and guides comprehension” (Sayeski & Paulsen, 12, 2003). Students can make predictions about what the book might be able from looking at the title or front cover, which can then activate prior knowledge. Students can also make predictions about what they think might happen next in the story. Summarizing is an important comprehension strategy where the student identifies the main idea of the story. It is important that teachers model how to summarize what was read in a short paragraph or story. (Sayeski & Paulsen, 2003) Engaging in modeling teacher’s thinking has great benefits in terms of cognitive development and reading comprehension. (Pinnell & Fountas, 2011) Retelling is a comprehension strategy where students retell in order what happened throughout the story. Rereading is an important comprehension strategy because it helps students to read fluently. Rereading is also a great way for teachers to model how to look back into the story to find the answer to a question. (Sayeski & Paulsen, 2003)

It is important for teachers to model these strategies and their own thinking aloud in order to teach students when they should each strategy. Since Orlando is in first grade he will need cues and reminders as to what comprehension strategy to use and why. It is also important that Orlando’s teacher use text that Orlando can read independently. The focus is on Orlando using the comprehension strategies to comprehend the text rather than decoding words. If Orlando’s teacher teaches each comprehension strategy three or more times and continues to model and facilitate each strategy then Orlando should be able to comprehend texts.

“Graphic organizers are simple diagrams used to assist students, at any grade level, in organizing and recalling elements from stories they have listened to or read” (Sayeski & Paulsen, 2003, 15).  The use of an organized format can increase learning comprehension skills because they can help students remember what they have read by recalling story elements such as main idea, characters, setting and sequence of events. At-risk readers have a hard time making connections between what they already know to what they are reading. The use of graphic organizers can help students organize their thinking. The students can identify and answer questions about characters, settings and events within a story. (Sayeski & Paulsen, 2003)

The use of graphic organizers can help Orlando with his comprehension. It is important for Orlando’s teacher to model and think aloud how to use a graphic organizer. The best way for Orlando to use and practice the use of graphic organizers is within a small group setting or one on one. According to Brooke Graham Doyle and Wendie Bramwell, children who read in small groups demonstrate better story comprehension rather than children read to in whole-class setting. (2006) This will give Orlando’s teacher an opportunity to give quick feedback and adjust his or her instruction to meet children’s level of understanding. (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006)

Repeated reading is another comprehension strategy that can be used to help with comprehension because the student is able to eventually read the text fluently so he or she can spend their energy on comprehension and less time decoding. It is important for students to read texts on their independently level so they can read the text fluently. When students struggle with decoding a text they have less short-term memory available for comprehension. (Sayeski & Paulsen, 2003) Students who listen to repeated readings of the same story engage in more dialogue about the text than students who did not. (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006)

Repeated reading is a great comprehension strategy that can be used to help Orlando with his comprehension. Orlando’s teacher should select a text that is on his independently level that he can read with ease. Orlando should not be focusing on decoding words within the text but rather focusing on the comprehension. Orlando’s teacher should also select texts that fit the developmental level and interests of Orlando. (Pinnell & Fountas, 2011)

                                               

With the use of all three of these comprehension strategies Orlando should make great strides with his comprehension. Orlando’s teacher should use repeated reading text on Orlando’s independent reading level to read the text repeatedly. Throughout the reading of the text the teacher can model and use the comprehension strategies to predict and recall what is happening throughout the text. Then, the teacher can use graphic organizers within small groups to help record characters, setting and sequence of events. I believe that with constant use of these strategies through modeling, thinking aloud and practice Orlando will have success with comprehension.

I created a sequencing graphic organizer to the story “Sneezy the Snowman” by Maureen Wright. I love this story as a read aloud because it has repetitive language and colorful imagery. There are many different ways you can use this story. You can use this fun story to teach cause and effect or sequencing events. I used this story with a comprehension graphic organizer for sequencing. This story has a lot of repetitive parts to it and can be hard to remember that happens next. The use of a sequencing chart can help students look back into the story to find the events that happen in order.

Just like in the video “Interactive Read Aloud” from the Teaching Channel, you can use the book “Sneezy the Snowman” to teach students sequence of events as well as vocabulary about clothing articles. Having students make physical connections between the story and articles of clothing is a great way for students like Orlando to deepen their comprehension.

References

Doyle, B. & Bramwell, W. (2006). Promoting emergent literacy and social – emotional learning  through dialogic reading. The Reading Teacher, 59(6), p554-564.

Fountas, I.C., & Pinell, G.S., (2001). Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook. Pourtsmouth, NH

Sayeski, K ., Paulsen, K ., & the IRIS Center . (2003) . Early reading. Retrieved on [February 16, 2017] from http://iris .peabody .vanderbilt .edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf_case_studies/ ics_earrd .pdf


https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/pre-k-reading-comprehension

Balanced Literacy

The article "The Components of Balanced Literacy" was personally a great read. When I thought about balanced literacy before reading the article I thought it was just whole group and guided reading. This article has given me more of an insight as to what balanced literacy actually is. As teachers, we make decisions everyday about the best ways we can help our students become better readers and writers. 

Shared writing and read aloud are components of balanced literacy that focus on building students' independence in the meaning and structure sources of information. This means the teacher does the modeling of thinking, the teacher does the physical writing while the students supply the teacher with the ideas, and the teacher reads loud a story while the students discuss the components of the story by listening and comprehending. (Mermelstein, 2006)

Interactive writing and shared reading are components of balanced literacy that focus on building students' independence in the visual sources of information. That means the teacher composes a large text with the students. The students participate by writing parts of the text. A shared reading differs from a read aloud because the teacher reads a story aloud the class has already read. The students read along with the teacher. The students use strategies to help them when they encounter difficulties.(Mermelstein, 2006)

I particularly found interactive writing and shared reading to be very interesting. I do shared writing and read alouds all the time. I think slowing down and chunking an interactive writing so the students are not bored or overwhelmed is a great idea. I also feel that shared reading is a great way to show and discuss different strategies that students can use when they are reading. When they get to a word they don't know they can use the clues in pictures and letter sounds to help them. Shared reading would be a component I would not do as frequent in whole group because most of my students know how to read. But it would be a great component to do in small groups. (Mermelstein, 2006)

Writing workshop and reading workshop are components in balanced literacy where teachers work with individuals or small groups to use meaning, structure and visual sources of information independently to compose meaning into and from texts all at once. (Mermelstein, 2006)

When using balanced literacy, teachers will decide how often to do each component based upon the assessments of their class. For example, my students would not need shared reading as often as read aloud because most of my students know how to read but need more help with comprehension. 

Over all I thought this was a must read article for teachers who teach early literacy! The ideas within this article will make you think about how you teach literacy and what are some components you could add into your routine. 

References 

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

Hello! My name is Renee and I teach first grade. I am currently finishing my masters on Urban Education. This degree will help me to educate the Urban community that I currently teach in to the best of my abilities. What I expect to learn from this course is to grasp a better understanding of early literacy education and best practices that I can incorporate within my classroom.

Growing up I came from a very large family. Lots of aunts, uncles and cousins. But as time went on my family has come down to me and my mom. She is one of my best friends. She has helped me to become the woman I am today by expressing how proud she is of me and the choices I have made in life. However, I am excited to hopefully one day expand my family by having one of my own.

A few hobbies of mine include cooking, working out, shopping, having dinner with friends, reading and sleeping. Yes, sleeping is my favorite past time.

When I think about how I learned to read no specific moment pops into my mind. I don't actually remember learning to read. All of a sudden I was just reading. I do remember a specific moment when I was in first grade. Every week one student would bring in their favorite book and would read it aloud to the class. When it was my turn I brought in the Berenstein Bears book. But, when I went to read it aloud to the class I had to keep asking the teacher for help. I remember that didn't make me feel good that I had to keep asking for help.

However, ever since I can remember I always loved books. Even to this day I love to read. I try to instill a love of books to my students by reading them some of my favorite child books. Hoping that my excitement and enthusiasm will transfer onto them. However, these days its more about reading for purpose rather than pleasure. I am sure the reading for this class will be a combination of them both.