Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Teacher Work Sample

Cover Page

Teacher candidate name Erika Shillings

Licensure/program area K-6 Elementary Education
College Supervisor Isabella Lindner
School/Center Hose Elementary
Grade/age 1st grade ages 6-8

Classroom Context/Community and Family Engagement

Hose Elementary is located in Crawfordsville, IN. This community and
school population is comprised of mostly low income, low socio-economic
status families. This community has a growing Hispanic population and has
limited resources for ELL. The classroom I am currently teaching in has one
female student who receives ESL intervention. My current placement
includes approximately eight students who are receiving reading
intervention/Title 1 services. This classroom has one student with an IEP and
one student who receives speech intervention. This classroom has three
students who have been previously retained.
Family and caregivers are included through letters home, phone calls, parent
teacher conferences, and school newsletters. Family members are welcome
to volunteer in the classroom and in the school. Additionally, family
members have been encouraged to observe their child in the classroom
environment to better understand and address behavior and limited growth
and improvement.

TEACHING CONTEXT DESCRIPTION

Class/Classroom Information
1. Grade levels in class (list all that apply): First Grade
2. Ages in class (list all that apply): ages 6-8
3. Number of students enrolled in class: 20 students
4. Number of students typically present: 20 students
5. Time available each day to teach all students (in this class): approximately 4 hours
6. Resources (equipment and supplies) available for this class (mark one):
____Well equipped and supplied (for example, multiple technologies, sufficient paper
and supplies)
_X___ Adequately equipped and supplied (access to technology and appropriate
paper and supplies)
____ Poorly equipped and supplied. (limited technology and supplies or rationing of
supplies)
7. Community, district and school factors. Address geographic location, community and
school population, socio-economic profile and race/ethnicity. Stability of community,
political, climate, community support for education, and other environmental factors may
also be addressed. Consult Indiana Department of Education website, school district
website, Chamber of Commerce (if available) for information.
One of the major challenges of teaching in this area is the socio-economic profile. Many
students are from low-income families and parents education is limited. Many parents
show little interest in their students education and fail to communicate effectively with
the teacher and school staff regarding the childs progress and needs. Additionally, there
are many English Language Learners in the school and communicating with parents can
often be a challenge for teachers who do not speak Spanish or other foreign language.
Individual Differences
1. Number of students in class with diverse languages: 2 students
2. Number of students in class with IEPs: 1 student

3. Number of students in pull-out or supplementary programs:

4 Title I

0 Gifted

4 RTI

3 Other: (Retained)

4. Patterns of development (number of students typically at each level)

9 Atypical

5 Typical

6 Advanced

5. Plot the range for each factor listed on the continuum.

Ages minimal level
Languages moderate level
Achievements/Developmental Levels moderate to high level
Cultures moderate to minimal level
Note other class/classroom conditions, if any that have caused you to adjust instruction in
some way: ELLs, students with emotional and behavioral issues, and number of atypical
learners, Title 1 students, and retained students.
Due to the needs of the English Language Learner in this class and the number of
atypical, Title 1, and retained students in the class I often have to slow down instruction
and give more step-by-step instruction than would be necessary with more typical/on
level learners. Students with behavioral and emotional problems in the class present an
issue that causes difficulty in large group instruction as a handful of students can often
disrupt the class and result in response team intervention due to escalating and violent
behavior. It is important to be careful about the students who are grouped together and
carefully schedules the day with difficult and complex assignments scheduled when an
aide is present in the classroom. Due to 20 students in the class it is easier to make these
accommodations and provide more individual assistance to struggling learners. It has also
been easier to identify struggling students and their individual needs due to small class
size.

Pre-Assessment Data

Lesson Plan 1
Learning goal and objectives: 1.1.4: Distinguish beginning, middle, and ending
sounds in single-syllable words (words with only one vowel sound). 1.RF.3.5 Segment
the individual sounds in one-syllable words.
Teacher Content Knowledge: As the teacher I must be familiar with commonly found
words in Matts current reading level. I must be able to read and spell the high frequency
words that Matt will be encountering as he continues to work on reading grade level text.
Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Engage Activities: Matt and I will review high
frequency words and the importance of being able to read and spell words that he will see
in reading and need to be familiar with in writing. Matt will be informed of the activity
that we will be doing today and the rules for the activity.
Learning activities: I will list high-frequency words for Matt to write on the table that
we will cover in shaving cream. Matt will write the high frequency word and upon
completion I will show him the flash card. Matt must compare what he was written on the
table to what he sees on the flash card to check if his spelling is correct.
Assessments/Closure: Through this activity I will be able to work on mastering highfrequency words with Matt and see what words he has mastered and what words he
continues to struggle with. This will also allow me to see if there are particular
letters/sounds that he is struggling with or any other reoccurring problems that I see as we
are completing the activity.
Materials/technology: Shaving cream, table, flash cards with high-frequency words,
cleaning wipes.
Context---Accommodations/ modifications: As I see Matt struggling with certain
words I will make note of this and focus more time on reviewing and mastering these
words.
Reflection: Matt really enjoyed this activity and was able to correctly spell and
pronounce several high frequency words. Matt was very energetic and had some
difficulty sitting still and focusing. Matt made some careless mistakes that he instantly
recognized and corrected whenever I slowed him down. I also saw this same thing in
completing the running record. Matt was easily distracted and reading quickly through
the text making careless mistakes.

Lesson Plan 2
Learning goal and objectives: 1.RL.3: Describe characters, settings, and major events
in a story, using key details.
Teacher Content Knowledge: As the teacher I must be able to explain what characters,
settings, and major events are in reading a story in order for students to identify each
while reading. I must be able to identify these items in reading a story in order to ensure
students are correctly recalling the characters, settings, and major events and using key
details.
Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Engage Activities: Matts first grade teacher reads a
chapter to the class each day from a chapter book she selects. Today I read the chapter
with Matt alone. Prior to listening to the story I told Matt that he was going to have an
assignment afterwards so he needed to listen for the characters, settings, and major events
in the chapter. Matt and I reviewed what characters were, what the setting is, and what
major events might be. Matt and I talked about why it is important to pay attention to
these important details when we are reading or listening to a story.
Learning activities: I read the chapter to Matt and then gave him the worksheet
included below (retrieved from pinterest.com). I reminded Matt of his assignment to
recall the characters, setting, and major events to demonstrate that he had comprehended
what we read. Matt worked independently on the paper and submitted upon completion.
This assignment was used as a way to help Matt begin paying closer attention to these
aspects of the story in order to improve overall comprehension as he is listening to stories
or reading independently.
Assessments/Closure: Matt completed that assignment independently and submitted
upon completion. Matt was able to recall the majority of the main characters, setting, and
major events from this chapter. I think it helped Matt to know what he needed to listen to
and comprehend prior to beginning the chapter.
Materials/technology: Chapter book, worksheet, pencil, and eraser.
Context---Accommodations/ modifications: Students requiring accommodations may
have a shorter section of the story or a shorter story read to them for this assignment so
that they have less information to comprehend and write about. Students requiring
accommodations may be able to demonstrate their comprehension verbally rather than by
writing/completing the worksheet.
Reflection: Matt did well on this lesson and was able to demonstrate satisfactory
comprehension of the text. I believe that Matt did better on this assignment as he was
informed of the task and what he needed to be listening for/thinking about prior to
reading. Additionally, I feel that by working one-on-one rather than in the classroom with
all other students Matt was able to apply the necessary energy and focus to the task to put

forth his best work. Matt struggles to comprehend information as he reads as he is

focusing on correctly sounding out and reading the words. By having my read to him he
was able to work on comprehension without having to focus on reading at the same time.
I think this is a great way for Matt to begin working on improving his comprehension and
is comprehension and reading both become more natural and automatic for him, he will
be able to do both simultaneously. Obviously, Matt needs to continue to work on
comprehending text as he reads to himself but I think this is a good way to take the
pressure of reading off of him in order for him to solely focus on comprehension.

Lesson Plan 3
Learning goal and objectives: 1.RF.4.6: Read grade-appropriate root words and affixes
including plurals, verb tense, comparatives (e.g., look, -ed, -ing, -s, -er, -est), and
simple compound words (e.g., cupcake) and contractions (e.g., isnt).
Teacher Content Knowledge: As the teacher I must be familiar with root words and
affixes and be able to explain these to students along with how they change the meaning
of the word (past, present, future). Additionally, I must be knowledgeable about
compound words and how two words can be put together to make one word.
Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Engage Activities: Matt and I first reviewed verb
tenses. Matt came up with verbs and then we changed the tense by added ing and ed. I
had Matt use the words in sentences with each ending to hear how the word changes and
how the meaning changes although the action is still the same. Matt and I then reviewed
compound words. I gave him examples of compound words and he had to tell me what
two words made up the compound word. Then I had him give me examples of compound
words.
Learning activities: Matt and I reviewed the worksheet together and I helped him
understand the directions. Matt and I did the first problem on the verb tense worksheet
together and we reviewed the compound word worksheet. Matt then worked
independently to complete the activities.
Assessments/Closure: Upon completion Matt and I checked the assignments together.
Instead of me just checking the assignments and telling him how he had done I wanted
him to think back through the papers with me. For the verb tense worksheet I would put
the word he wrote in the box in a sentence using the column headings and Matt had to
determine if what he had put was correct. Matt and I also reviewed the compound word
worksheet together and stated the names of each picture to check that he had correctly
placed all images. Matt enjoyed reviewing his work with me and putting the stamp on it
upon review.
Materials/technology: Papers, pencil, eraser, scissors, and glue.
Context---Accommodations/ modifications: Students requiring accommodations may
have to complete less of the questions or only one of the papers. Students may have
additional assistance from myself to complete the assignments rather than working
independently. Additionally, the compound word worksheet may have one of the three
spaces already filled in and students would only have to complete the other two to create
the compound word.
Reflection: Matt took a little longer to catch on to the verb tenses but by reviewing
them and using them in sentences he caught on quickly. Additionally, I underlined the
ending of the already completed words in the boxes to help Matt see the trend. Matt

struggled to correctly spell the words as he switched between tenses (i.e. dancing
dance, and skipping skip). Matt did very well with the compound words worksheet and
caught on to the concept rather quickly. Matt was able to break compound words apart
into 2 smaller words and able to come up with compound words on his own.

Lesson Plan 4
Learning goal and objectives: 1.RF.4.4: Recognize and read common and irregularly
spelled high- frequency words by sight (e.g., have, said).
Teacher Content Knowledge: As the teacher I must be familiar with high-frequency
words that students should be able to recognize and read by sight. Additionally, I must be
able to read and pronounce these words and assist students with learning and reading
these high-frequency words.
Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Engage Activities: For this lesson I created a sight
word game using a Candy Land game board. Each colored square has a high-frequency
word written within the square. Students must draw a card and find the next
corresponding color square as if they were playing Candy Land. However, students must
correctly read the high-frequency word written in the square in order to move forward. If
students are unable to read the word they do not move forward and the next player takes
their turn. Prior to starting the game I explained the rules to Matt and 2 of his classmates.
I encouraged them to pay attention as the other players took their turn so that they could
get practice with reading the high-frequency words and to make sure that the other
players read the words correctly in order to move forward on the game board.
Learning activities: Matt played the Candy Land High-Frequency Word Game with 2
of his classmates. I sat nearby watching as the students played and ensured that they
followed rules and played correctly. I intervened as students encountered troubling words
and assisted them with sounding out the words in order to learn new high-frequency
words that they have not yet mastered.
Assessments/Closure: Students progress could be seen on their next assessment of the
high-frequency words list. Additionally, activities like this can be beneficial in reading
grade level books and becoming more fluent in reading, having less errors, and increased
comprehension. Activities working with high-frequency words can also improve students
writing and spelling.
Materials/technology: Candy Land board game and stickers with high frequency words
placed on squares.
Context---Accommodations/ modifications: Students requiring accommodations may
have a game made with fewer and easier high-frequency words that are repeated
throughout the game board. Additionally, students requiring accommodations may have
assistance from a teacher or aide to sound out words rather than having to recognize
words independently in order to move forward.
Reflection: Matt really enjoyed this game and did well at reading the majority of the
high-frequency words. This was a good way for me to address high-frequency words that
Matt has not yet mastered and assist him with sounding out the words and becoming

more familiar with the new words that are being introduced. Words that Matt struggled
with were words that do not follow rules that they have been taught, words with
unfamiliar blends, and words with two vowels together (i.e. where, school, read, write,
would, some, are, our, what, were, been, could, about, etc.)

Lesson Plan 5
Learning goal and objectives: 1.RF.2a: Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in
spoken single-syllable words.
Teacher Content Knowledge: As the teacher I must be familiar with short vowel
sounds and long vowel sounds. I must be able to read words with short and long vowel
sounds. Additionally, I must be able to give my students examples of short and long
vowel sounds in order to help them learn the sounds each vowel can make to assist them
in sounding out words and improving their reading abilities.
Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Engage Activities: For this lesson, I first reviewed
each vowel with Matt. We reviewed the 2 sounds that each vowel can make, long and
short. Next, Matt and I reviewed words so that he could hear the difference between long
and short vowels in words.
Learning activities: First, Matt and I reviewed the directions for the Raking Up Long
Vowel Sounds worksheet and then he completed the assignment independently, coloring
the words that contain the long vowels. Next, I gave Matt 2 copies of the paper with the
turkey body outline, one labeled Long Vowels and one labeled Short vowels. I also
provided Matt with a list of words and feathers cut from colored construction paper. Matt
had to write the words on the feathers and glue the feathers onto the correct turkey.
Assessments/Closure: Upon completion, Matt and I checked his assignments together
and said each word aloud. Together we listening for the vowel and determined if it was a
long or short vowel and if he had placed it correctly. Matt did very well on both
assignments and seems to have a good understanding of long and short vowels when
focusing on the assignment. With more practice I hope that he will be able to rely on this
knowledge when reading to sound out problem words more easily.
Materials/technology: Leaf Worksheet, pencil, eraser, orange crayon, 2 turkey
worksheets, long and short vowel word list, construction paper feathers, black marker,
scissors and glue.
Context---Accommodations/ modifications: Students requiring accommodations
could have words read aloud to them to assist them with listening and identifying the

long and short vowels. Students may have shortened assignments and fewer words to
identify as having a short vs. long vowel.
Reflection: Matt did really well at the Leaf Worksheet and caught on to short vs. long
vowels quickly. Matt enjoyed the turkey vowel project and was able to identify the words
with short and long vowels independently and place them on the correct turkey.

Word list:

hug
ham
cute
fed
snow
eat
sit
dog
acorn
fire

Lesson Plan #6
Rationale for lesson: This lesson is a way for Matt to review letter and sound
knowledge, review high-frequency words and blends, and practice identifying beginning,
middle, and end sounds. By reviewing these high frequency words Matt will be able to
read them with more ease in grade level text. Additionally, by reviewing letter and sound
knowledge and blends Matt will be better able to stretch and sounds out unfamiliar words
in text and improve his fluency and WCPM.
Learning outcomes/objectives: As a result of this lesson Matt will be able to identify
high frequency words in grade level text and on high frequency words assessments. Matt
will be able to rely on his knowledge or letters and sounds in order to sound out and spell
unfamiliar words in grade level text and writing.
Assessment of student outcomes: I will watch as Matt plays the games I have planned
for him and determine his ability to identify high frequency words and use letter/sound
knowledge to sound out and spell high frequency words and unfamiliar words.
Related Foundations/Indiana Academic Standard: 1.RF.3.2: Blend sounds, including
consonant blends, to produce single and multi-syllable words. 1.RF.3.4: Distinguish
beginning, middle (medial), and final sounds in single syllable words. 1.RF.3.5: Segment
the individual sounds in one-syllable words. 1.RF.4.4: Recognize and read common and
irregularly spelled high- frequency words by sight (e.g., have, said).
Materials Needed: Smart Board or computer.
Lesson/Activity Presentation:
Anticipatory set: Prior to beginning this activity Matt and I reviewed sight words
and how they can help us be better in reading and writing. Matt and I discussed
how being familiar with sight words can help him to be a better reader and can
help him to be able to spell and write better sentences and stories. Matt and I also
discussed how working on spelling and listening to sounds and connecting the
sound to the appropriate letter can also help him in stretching out unfamiliar
words as he reads.
Teaching procedures: I set up the activities for Matt on the Smart Board and
explained directions to him. I sat nearby and observed as Matt played the games. I
assisted Matt as he encountered unfamiliar or troublesome words and helped him
use strategies in order to locate the word or spell the words.
Guided & independent practice: Matt completed the games independently on
the Smart Board and practiced listening to and identifying high frequency words.
Matt practiced sounding out words and using letter and sound knowledge to

identify words. Matt also used his letter and sound knowledge to spell out words
and listen for beginning, middle, and ending sounds and blends.
Closure: Upon completion Matt and I reviewed the importance of practicing and
reviewing high frequency. I had Matt explain the strategies he utilized to me and
had him demonstrate how he utilized these strategies in the activities. I praised
Matt for his work and prepared him for his postassessment.
Differentiated instruction: Students requiring accommodations or modifications may do
lower levels of these activities. Additionally, an adult who helps the student sound out
words to stretch out sounds may assist students requiring accommodations with these
activities.
Multicultural emphasis (if appropriate): Not applicable.
Technology (if appropriate): Smart Board and abcya website.
http://www.abcya.com/dolch_sight_word_bingo.htm
http://www.abcya.com/sight_words_recognition.htm
http://www.abcya.com/dolch_sight_word_spelling.htm
Reflection on lesson: As this was our final lesson I wanted to allow Matt to play games
using the Smart Board as a reward for his hard work and participation. Matt did really
well with these activities and enjoyed getting to learn in a fun and interactive way that
incorporated technology and allowed him to be out of his seat and moving around as he
learned. The games are very appealing for young students and made reviewing the high
frequency words, letters, sounds, blend, and beginning, middle, and ending sounds fun
for him. I think this is a great activity and resource to use to get kids excited about
learning and practicing high frequency words. I plan to utilize this resource in the future
and find ways to incorporate games and technology into future lesson plans.

Post-Assessment Data

Case Study Student: Matt

Matt is a first grade student at Hose Elementary School in Crawfordsville.
Matt is in a general education classroom with 20 other students. Matt has a
speech IEP and receives speech services through the school. Matt does not
have a learning disability or any academic delays and is not considered to be
at risk. Matt receives no other pull out services besides his speech
intervention. Matt has met all academic goals on time and received all
satisfactory scores on his first 9 weeks report card. Matts teacher reported
that although he is reaching all benchmarks on time she feels that he could
be reading at a higher level and believes that he is not reaching his full
potential.
Pre-assessment Data:
Letter ID:
I gave matt the Alphabet Test Pre-assessment on 11/4/2014. Matt was able to
correctly identify all uppercase and lowercase letters during the preassessment.
Word Recognition:
Matt was also given the FRYE List of High Frequency Words Preassessment on 11/4/2014. Matt recognized 78 out of the 100 words on the
pre-assessment. Matt was unable to recognize the words: of (off), are (our),

what (wait), were (where), us (use), each, which, their, other (over), about,
out, these (those), would, write, number, could (cold), people, been (bean),
who, oil, find, and over. Matts attempt at these high frequency words are
indicated in parentheses.
Reading Fluency
I utilized an oral reading fluency assessment to gather pre-assessment data
for Matts reading fluency abilities. In order to administer the oral reading
fluency pre-assessment I selected a first grade passage, set the timer for one
minute, and had Matt sit next to my non-writing hand. Additionally, I
prepared a numbered copy of the sample text for myself. I provided Matt
with the unnumbered copy of the passage and explained the directions to
him. The passage consisted of 196 words. Matt was given one minute to read
the passage as I followed along on my numbered copy. Matt read 57 words
but only at 67% accuracy. Matt correctly read 38 words in the one minute he
was given. Matts pre-assessment ORF score is 38 WCPM.
Matts Reading Fluency Scores
Date
11/4/2014

Running Record:

Words in Passage
196 words

Words Read
57 words

WCPM
38 WCPM

Matt read The Nice Little House, Level D, on 11/5/2014. Matt read the Level
D text with 98% accuracy. Matt received a score of 1 for fluency as his
reading was very slow and disjointed and he failed to use appropriate stress
or pause for punctuation. Matt was scored a 4 for comprehension showing
limited comprehension of the text. Matts self-correction ratio was 1:1.6.
Matt self corrected 5 times and made 3 errors. Matt made errors by looking
at beginning letters and guessing a familiar word instead of reading
through/sounding out the entire word. Matt also made errors or self
corrected when he looked at pictures instead of reading the text, and
predicted using syntax.
Tutoring: Matt read The Nice Little House, Level D, on 11/5/2014 for his
pre-assessment. He read this text with 98% accuracy, 1 for fluency, 4 for
comprehension, and 1:1.6 self-correction ratio. This pre-assessment allowed
me to see that Matt using visual cues from the letters in the words to help
him determine what the word may be. Additionally, Matt made some
mistakes by making predictions using syntax. Matt also looks at the pictures
to determine what is happening in the story and what the text may be about.
Matt made 3 errors in this text and self-corrected 5 times demonstrating that
he was often aware that what he had read did not make sense or sound right
and was able to correct his mistakes. Matt and I reviewed stretching words

out and looking at all of the letters and sounds within the word instead of
relying on the beginning sounds alone. Although Matt read with high
accuracy he struggled with fluency and comprehension. I decided to have
Matt read another Level D text in our next tutoring session to further assess
fluency and comprehension at this level. On 11/10/2014 Matt read Our
Teacher Mr. Brown, Level D. Matt read with 95% accuracy. Matt made 6
errors and self-corrected 6 times and received a self-correction ratio of 1:2.
Again, Matts fluency score was a 1 as he continued to read in short, twoword phrases with little stress and slow rate. Matt improved his
comprehension score to 5 showing satisfactory comprehension of the text.
Matt continued to make errors by predicting using syntax and using pictures
as clues. For example, Matt read, We look at books when the text reads
We like the books. Again, Matt relied on visual cues to determine
unfamiliar words but attended only to the beginning letter sounds. After this
tutoring session I decided to move Matt to the next reading level. Although
he continues to struggle with fluency, Matt is reading a Level D with high
accuracy and satisfactory comprehension. Matt read The Zoo, Level E, on
11/13/2014. Matt read this text with 93% accuracy. Matt received a 1 for
fluency as he continued to read at a slow rate and in two-words phrases.
Matt did not use appropriate stress or pause for punctuation in his reading of

this text. Matt received a 5 for comprehension and demonstrated satisfactory

comprehension of the text. Regarding comprehension, Matt was able to
recall information and details within the text but had more difficulty with
questions beyond the text. Matt made 10 errors and self corrected 5 times
giving him a self-correction ratio of 1:3. At the beginning of the text Matt
relied heavily on visual cues and made some self-corrections as he read,
demonstrating that he was aware that what he had read did not sound right or
make sense. As he continued, Matt relied on visual cues and pictures to
determine unfamiliar words. Matt made less self-corrections as he continued
to read despite his reading and word choices not making sense in the text.
Matt attempted to stretch out the words tall and said t-a-il and animals
and said a-m-als, however he was unable to determine the word as he
omitted the letters ni. Additionally, Matt appeared to not be using syntax
and meaning at this time as the text read, Giraffes are tall animals.
Towards the end of the text, Matt continued to make errors using beginning
visual cues. Matt also used the pictures to determine what the text was
saying and self-corrected when he compared what he had read to the words
on the page and determined that he was incorrect using visual cues. The last
sentence reads, You can see all the animals at the zoo!. Matt read, Can
you see all the animals at the zoo? and used questioning expression in his

voice, demonstrating that he had not paid attention to the exclamation mark
at the end of the sentence and instead was relying on syntax to add
expression to his reading. I decided to keep Matt at a Level E for our next
tutoring session due to his difficulty with reading fluently. On 11/17/2014,
Matt and I had our next tutoring session and he read Clown Paints His
House, Level E. Matt read this text with 95% accuracy. Matt improved his
fluency slightly and was scored a 1-2 for reading fluency. At times Matt read
in short, two-word phrases, but as he became more comfortable in the text he
began to read in longer, smoother phrases and paused at appropriate times.
Matt received a 6 for reading comprehension showing excellent
comprehension of the text. Matt was able to answer questions within the text
and was also able to think beyond the text and make guesses about what may
happen after the end of the story. Matt made 7 errors and self-corrected 5
times throughout his reading, resulting in a self-correction ratio of 1:2.4.
Matt continued to use beginning visual cues as he read. Additionally, Matt
relied on syntax to make predictions. For the word saw Matt read so but
paused and was able to recognize that so was not correct. Matt attempted
to stretch through the word but was unable to come up with saw by using
this strategy. Matt was also unable to read the word roof or stretch it
independently. Matt and I worked together to stretch the word out and I

showed him that the word was roof. Matt was then able to read roof
correctly as the text continued. After seeing that Matt made some
improvement in his fluency I wanted to keep him at this level to see how his
fluency would improve with more practice at a Level E. On 11/21/2014 Matt
read Seeds For the Birds, Level E. Matt read this text with 96% accuracy.
Matt again received a 6 for comprehension. Matt demonstrated excellent
reading comprehension by correctly answering questions within the text and
being able to think about questions beyond the text and provide reasonable
answers. Matt scored a 2 for fluency showing improvement in his reading
rate, appropriate pausing, and appropriate stress. Matt made 7 errors and 1
self-correction for a 1:8 self-correction ratio. Matt utilized syntax to make
predictions as he read and also attended to beginning visual cues. At one
point, Matt substituted the word bird for dinner and paused,
demonstrating that he knew his substitution was incorrect. Matt was unable
to stretch out the word and seemed to be stuck on the letter b although he
is able to correctly recognize b and d. Matt was told that the word was
dinner and was able to correctly read the word as he continued through the
text. At one point later in the text Matt substituted the word dinner for
birds. As he continued reading the sentence he realized his mistake and
went back, self-corrected, and used syntax and visual cues to read the

sentence. Towards the end of the text Matt relied more on visual cues and
paid less attention to syntax, not realizing when his substitutions did not
sound right and correcting his errors. At this time I felt comfortable with
Matts accuracy, fluency, and comprehension at a Level E and completed the
Fountas and Pinnell Level E benchmark for the teach during our next
tutoring session. On 11/24/2014 Matt read The Loose Tooth, Level E. Matt
read this text with 97% accuracy. Matt made 6 errors and self-corrected 1
time resulting in a self-correction ratio of 1:7. Matts fluency score again
fluctuated at a 1-2. Matt alternated from short, choppy, two-word phrases to
longer phrases with appropriate pausing and use of expression as he read.
Matt received a score of 7 for reading comprehension. Matt demonstrated
excellent comprehension of the text by appropriately answering questions
within the text, beyond the text, and provided additional understandings.
Matt received a score of 3 for his written reflection, which demonstrated
excellent understanding of the text. Matt struggled with contractions,
substituting do not for dont. Matt was unable to recognize or read the
word eat and substituted ate. Matt alternated between relying on syntax
and visual cues. However, at one point Matt relied on neither, substituting
by for my. Matt also struggled with ed endings and was unable to read
the words, however, he did recognize that his substation did not sound

correct and paused, looking at the word until I helped him stretch the word
and add on the ed ending. Matt acknowledged exclamation marks at the
end of the story and read the final sentences using appropriate expression.
Matts writing demonstrated his ability to sound and stretch out words and
was well written and thought out. Matt spelled the majority of words
correctly in his writing and was close on more difficult word spellings. Matt
used little punctuation in his writing. At this point in our tutoring schedule I
felt it was time to move Matt to the next level. On 11/26/2014 Matt read
From Nest to Bird, Level F. Matt read with 94% accuracy. Matt received a
score of 1-2 for fluency. Again Matt fluctuated between slow, short, twoword phrases with little expression, pausing, and stress to smooth, three- or
four-word phrases with appropriate stress, pausing, and expression. Matt
received a score of 5 for reading comprehension. Matt demonstrated
satisfactory comprehension of this nonfiction text. Matt was able to recall
information and details from within the text to correctly answer questions
but had some difficulty answering questions beyond the text. Matt received a
2 for his written reflection, which demonstrated partial understanding of the
text. Matt was able to form thoughts related to the text. Matt used
capitalization to start his sentences but also included incorrect capitalization
within the sentence. Matt used some punctuation but failed to include

punctuation and the end of every sentence. Matt sounded out words and was
able to spell words correctly or close to the correct spelling. Matt made 10
errors and 2 self-corrections throughout the text resulting in a 1:6 selfcorrection ratio. Matt was unable to recognize the word what and used
chunking to read -hat but was unable to reach the word what and looked
to me for assistance. Matt was unable to read the word keeps and did not
attempt to stretch out the word. Matt continued to rely on visual cues and
syntax to make predictions as he read. Matt continues to have difficulty with
the words went and want and mixes the two up. Matt was also unable to
recognize the word where and stretched it out saying w-her. Matt was
unable to come up with the word where and required assistance from me
to move on. Additionally, Matt continued to substitute ate for eat
throughout the text. At some points Matt appeared to disregard punctuation
and used syntax to complete next sentence. Our final tutoring session
occurred on 12/4/2014. Matt read Bedtime for Nick, Level G, for his postassessment. Matt read with 96% accuracy. Matt received a 1 for reading
fluency as he read at a slow rate, with short, two-word phrases and lacked
expression, pausing, and stress. Matt received a score of 5 for reading
comprehension. Matt demonstrated satisfactory comprehension. Matt was
able to recall details and information from within the text and appropriately

answered questions but struggled to provide reasonable and insightful

answers to questions beyond the text. Matt received a score of 1-2 for his
written reflection showing very limited to partial understanding of the text.
Although Matt was able to recall information and events from the text he
turned the details around, stating Nicks mom turned off the nightlight when
she actually turned it on. Matt did not use appropriate punctuation and
capitalization but was able to form thoughts in complete sentences and
sound out words to accurately or closely spell words. Matt made 8 errors and
8 self-corrections throughout his reading resulting in a self-correction ratio
of 1:2. Matt continued to rely on visual cues and syntax to make predictions
about the words. Matt struggled with gh blends and was unable to sound
out nightlight, saying n-i-j-t. I assisted Matt with using clues from the
pictures and syntax to determine what the word was and told him the word
was nightlight, stretching it out as a ran my finger underneath the word.
Later Matt continued to struggle with the word light saying l-i-t-ch-ed. I
again reviewed the gh sound with Matt and helped him see that the word
was light. Matt continued to utilize syntax and visual cues as he read
through the text and was able to make self-corrections. Based upon this
information I believe that Matt is able to read at a Level G independently. At
this time I believe that Matt is ready to begin reading at an instruction Level

H. Matt would benefit from continued individual or small group support and
opportunities to read aloud in order to improve reading fluency and
comprehension.
Post Assessments:
Letter ID:
Matt was given the Alphabet Test Post-assessment on 12/4/2014 and again
recognized 52 out of 52 letters.
Word Recognition:
Matt was also given the FRYE List of High Frequency Words Postassessment on 12/4/2014. Matt improved his score from 78 of 100 words on
pre-assessment to 89 of 100 words on post-assessment. On post-assessment
Matt was able to recognize the words: of, are, which, their, out, these, would,
people, been, who, over. Matt was still unable to recognize the words: what
(with), were (where), use (us), each, other (over), about, write (where),
number, could (cold), oil, find. Again, Matts incorrect attempts are indicated
in parentheses. Matt recalled the majority of the sight words automatically
and is able to work through unfamiliar words using letter/sound knowledge.

Reading Fluency:

The post-assessment passage consisted of 200 words. Matt was again seated
next to my non-writing hand, given a copy of the passage, reminded of
directions, and given one minute to read the passage as I followed along on
my numbered copy. Matt read 68 of the 200 words. Matt read at 72%
accuracy. Matt correctly read 49 words in the one minute he was given.
Matts post-assessment ORF score is 49 WCPM. Matts ORF score
increased by 11 WCPM from pre to post assessment. This unit has proven to
be successful as Matt not only improved his ORF score and read 11 more
WCPM, he also improved his reading accuracy percentage by 5%.
Matts Reading Fluency Scores
Date
11/4/2014
12/10/2014

Words in Passage
196 words
200 words

Words Read
57 words
68 words

WCPM
38 WCPM
49 WCPM

Running Record:
Matt read Bedtime for Nick, Level G, on 12/4/2014. Matt read the Level G
text with 96% accuracy. Matt has made three level gains throughout our
tutoring sessions. Matt received a fluency score of 1 as his reading was slow,
choppy, and disjointed and he failed to pause for punctuation or use
appropriate stress. Matt read primarily in two-word phrases with some threeand four-word groups. Matt has shown improvement in his fluency
throughout the tutoring sessions but his fluency scores fell with the increase

to Level G on this date. Matt received a score of 5 for comprehension

showing satisfactory comprehension. Matt has shown improvement in
reading comprehension throughout the tutoring session. Matt was scored a
1-2 for his written reflection showing very limited to partial understanding
of the text. Although Matt was able to recall information from the text he
turned the information and details around stating the mother closed the door
when she had opened the door. Matts self-correction ratio was 1:2 with 8
errors and 8 self-corrections. Matt made errors by predicting using syntax
and using beginning visual cues but not reading through the word. I believe
Matt is at an instructional level H. Although Matt is reading with high
accuracy he is continuing to struggle with fluency and comprehension and
needs to make improvements in these areas.
Outcome Analysis:
Matt has done very well throughout the tutoring sessions and has
participated and applied a great deal of effort towards his readings. Matt has
been hard working and motivated and is eager to continue making progress
and working on improving his reading abilities. Matt has made several gains
throughout the tutoring sessions that we have completed. Matt increased his
word recognition from 78 of 100 words on pre-assessment to 89 of 100
words on post-assessment. This is a gain of 11 words throughout the tutoring

period. Matt began reading at a Level D and ended the tutoring sessions by
reading a Level G at 96% accuracy. At this time, Matts scores show that he
is able to read a Level G independently and is most likely at an instructional
Level H. Matt made gains in his reading fluency throughout the tutoring
sessions and is able to read longer groupings of words with appropriate
pause, stress, and expression as he becomes more comfortable and confident
in the text. Additionally, Matt has improved his reading comprehension and
is able to answer questions regarding information within the text accurately.
Matt is often able to answer questions that extend beyond the text and
require him to think about what may happen after the text and information
not directly stated within the text. Matt also improved his ability to reflect
upon the reading through a written reflection. Matt was able to form
thoughts and complete sentences and demonstrate his understanding and
comprehension of the text through his writing and drawing. Matt needs to
continue working on appropriate use of capitalization and punctuation. Matt
has used his letter/sound knowledge to sound out words and is able to
correctly spell many words and sensibly spell irregular words. Matt relies on
visual cues and syntax to predict and read unfamiliar words within the text.
Matt also relies on pictures to help him determine what is happening in the
story and to think about the words in the text. Matt is able to separate words

into smaller parts at time to help him read unfamiliar words. Additionally,
Matt utilizes letter/sound knowledge to stretch through and sound out
unfamiliar words within text. Throughout our tutoring sessions I assisted
Matt by reviewing skills to use to read unfamiliar words. Additionally, Matt
and I reviewed high frequency words that he would encounter in the text to
help him become more familiar with these words. Matt and I reviewed the
various sounds letters can make and troublesome blends and worked
together to stretch and sound out unfamiliar words. In order to assist Matt
with continuing to make reading gains it is important for Matt to have
frequent opportunities to read independently at the appropriate reading level.
Additionally, Matt will benefit from continued individual or small group
reading opportunities at his instructional level. Matt will benefit from
continuing to review high frequency words, letter sounds, and blends that he
may encounter in the text. Matt will also benefit from reviewing and
practicing the strategies he most frequently uses in reading text, syntax and
visual cues. I believe it is important for Matt to continue to have frequent
opportunities to practice at his independent level and instructional level in
order to become more confident in his skills and abilities. Matt can lack
confidence in his abilities at times and resort to guessing instead of relying
on the strategies he is able to use. Additionally, through practice

opportunities and increased confidence Matt will also be able to make gains
regarding reading fluency and comprehension.