Individual Assessment, Analysis, & Planning Project Part 2

National University
Tasha Taylor
Background Information​:

Pressley is an eight year old third grader who enjoys playing and twirling baton. Her favorite
subject is math, but enjoys writing and would like to spend more time reading.

Assessments Used​:

Completion Statements for an Interest Inventory (text p. 552)​: many interests in playing, sports,
writing, math, and interested in spending more time reading.

Informal Assessment of Phonological Awareness​ : phonemic awareness- rhyme, initial sounds,

syllables,etc (strength)

The San Diego Quick Reading Assessment ​: ​ ​Grade 1:Instructional level, Grade 2: Frustration,
Grade 3: frustration

Primary Spelling Inventory (PSI)​ : spelling (need)

Florida Assessments For Instruction in Reading​: Fluency (need), comprehension (strength)

My Writing Survey​: low in spelling but can write complete sentences.

Strengths​:

Phonemic Awareness​: Syllables, rhymes, initial sounds, middle sounds, and ending sounds.

Writing and Math: ​The student likes to write and can write in complete sentences. She also has
a strong interest in math, which could be integrated later into some lessons.

Reading Interest​: The student may not like to read and spell but she shows interest in wanting
to spend more time reading and learning about it.

Areas of Need​:

Need #1: Spelling

Evidence from part 1: Using the results of 1/ 26 words spelled correctly from the Primary
Spelling Inventory (PSI), the student is at early spelling stage and may be well below grade level
her third grade level. She struggles with blends, digraphs, vowels, and ending sounds. Ex: Blends
like sl, dr, bl, et. Ending sounds: that end in d. Long vowel digraphs like ea or oa. This test shows
a discrepancy between the results compared to the ending sounds of the phonemic awareness
test.

Common Core Standard: ​CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3.3.B​: Decode words with common Latin

suffixes- This will help her understand how to decode words that have like spellings.

Need #2: Fluency

Evidence from part 1: In order to investigate the student’s reading fluency, the Florida
Assessments For Instruction in Reading were utilized.​ ​In passage 1, grade 2, the student read 41
wpm with 4 mistakes creating a 37 wpm rate. In passage 2, grade 3, the student reads 44 words
with 5 errors indicating a 39 wpm rate. In passage 3, grade 4, the student read 38 wpm with 6
errors indicating a 32 wpm reading rate. For passages Grades 2, 3,and 4 the student reads at a
second grade reading rate. She is 1 below grade level.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3.4.A​: Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.- ​She

should work on reading with more purpose to work on increasing her pace.

Strategies for Needs​:

Need #1: Spelling

Strategy 1: Making Words (Cunningham, pg. 129)

Making Words is a strategy that will have the teacher explicitly teach spelling by using letter
tiles, including a certain number of vowels and consonants, to have the students put together
words. This strategy could work for Presley because she loves math, so using a certain number of
tiles at a time can help incorporate math into the spelling lesson and ​motivate​ her to increase her
word sources. Even though she will be using letters, it is an interesting way to incorporate
numbers as well. This will help her ​comprehension​ by taking past strengths and integrating them
into a working skill.
● The teacher will ​explicitly teach​ the class using the tiles and project a word “eat” on the
overhead to the front of the classroom.
● The teacher​ models ​directions by placing another tile “h” in front of “eat” to spell “heat”
● The teacher can then place another tile “s” in the front to create the blend sound “sh” and
“h” at the end to get the ending ​blend​ sound “th”
● Outloud the class will then pronounce the blend “sh” with the middle “ea” and ending
blend “th” to get “sheath”.
● The teacher can make it harder by creating longer ​digraph​ words with long vowels.
● The students will then get a certain amount of tiles to try and spell a mystery word.
● The teacher will then monitor the student by giving them a few minutes to solve the
word.
Why this strategy is effective:
This strategy should help the student with ​blends, vowels, and digraphs​ by finding words that not
only look alike but ​phonetically​ sound alike, which is a great strength with this scholar. Presley
is able recognize rhyming words and recognize​ beginning, middle, and ending sounds​, so this
strategy could help her sort out different blend sounds when putting tiles together to spell longer
complicated words.

Strategy 2: What Looks Right (Cunningham, pg. 153)

What Looks Right is a strategy that utilizes visual memory of the student and incorporates the
usage of the dictionary to determine if a word is spelled correctly. Since Presley does well with
rhyming​ words, this strategy will use word patterns and rhymes to help determine spelling of
certain words. This will help her in ​comprehension​ because she can pull from a strength area to
help her in an area or weakness. This boost of confidence will in turn​ motivate​ her to keep
challenging herself in learning new or bigger words.
● The teacher​ explicitly teaches​ using sight words from words that the student already
knows in order to compare two words that ​rhyme​ but are not spelled the same like “team”
and “seem”.
● The teacher ​models​ the spelling comparisons by writing them on the white board and
explaining the differences in spelling.
● The class will then make a ​chart​ with boxes underneath the category “team” and “seem”.
● The student will then demonstrate their understanding by writing words that ​rhyme​ with
the two words and are to write it both ways using “ea” and “ee”.
● The student will then use a dictionary to find the correct spelling of each word and will
circle the ones that are actually spelled correctly.

Why this strategy is effective:

This strategy allows the student to use words that sound alike but are not spelled alike and do not
always follow the same rules. Since the student has an area of need in ​vowel digraphs, long
vowel sounds, long vowel digraphs, ending sounds​ in “d”’s, and​ silent “e”​’s, this strategy is a
great introduction to these areas. It is visually appealing and a good reference for the student to
keep like a personal dictionary to look back at later to find words.

Strategy 3: Sound Sort

“Sound is the first layer of English orthography that students must negotiate to make sense of the
alphabetic nature of English spelling. At different points in development, students sort words by
rhyme, initial sounds, consonant blends or digraphs, rhyming word families, or vowel sounds.”
(Bear, pg. 53) This particular strategy can help the student keep​ interest​ if the words that are used
pertain to a certain topic the student has interests in. The student likes to play outside so using
words that correlate with types of play could interest her and build on her ​comprehension​ skills.
● The teacher will ​explicitly teach​ by using a list of words that will be needed to be
identified and sorted on the front board.
● The teacher will ​model learning​ by taking a small card with a particular sight word and
place it on the ​chart ​underneath the ​digraph​ category. If the category is “ay” then the
word “play” could be placed underneath.
● The student will have her own cards that she will be able to sort on the board under the
rows the words fit into.
● Pictures​ could also be used to help organize the words.

Why this strategy is effective:

This strategy will help Presley identify ​digraphs​ using ​sound and visual​ recognition. This will
also be effective when their is a list of sight words the student is studying for her to practice
recognition.

Need #2: Fluency

Strategy 1: Readers Theater (​https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/readers_theater​)

Readers theater​ helps developing fluency by having scholars read orally through reading scripts.
The students don’t have to memorize the script but read it several times allowing them to
develop their reading ​fluency​ through dialogue. This motivates the student to want to read
because they will be reading with others a script in which they had already read with the teacher
out loud which will give them many chances at ​comprehension ​of the passages. It can also help if
the script has something to do with their​ interests​, like sports or math.
● The teacher ​explicitly​ teaches through first distributing out the scripts and sorting each
student into a part to get to read.
● Teacher will ​model​ learning by reading the script out loud with the class the first time.
● Students will then move up to the front of the classroom and take turns reading their parts
of the scripts out loud.
● They can then switch parts and reread the script again ​orally​.

Why this strategy is effective:

This strategy can be effective by helping the student read material with others and listen to the
material also being read by others and herself. If the script deals with a subject within her
interests, then this gives the student the incentive to reread the passages as well which will help
her with words that she might have trouble pronouncing and sounding out.
Strategy 2: Choral Reading (Sousa, pg. 91)
Choral reading​, or reading in unison, is when the entire class reads a passage aloud at the same
time with the teacher. Hearing not only themselves read aloud, but also their peers, may boost
their confidence and​ motivate​ them to keep pushing and reading along. Reading it out loud also
helps read into the text and hear certain inflections which can help the scholar remember details
of the story for better ​comprehension.
● The teacher ​explicitly teaches​ the class and student by talking about what the story is
about first including the topic, characters, and story line based off of the title.
● The teacher then ​models ​reading of the story by having the students read along out loud
at a steady pace created by the teacher.
● The students get involved by following along and reading out loud as well either slowing
down to stay at the right pace with the teacher of challenging themselves to speed up to
stay in unison.

Why this strategy is effective:

This strategy will help the student who has a lower reading ​fluency​ try and keep up and read in
unison with the rest of the class and teacher. Words that the student might have usually been
stuck on and had to sound out slowly will hear others say the word and therefore word
recognition will increase. Longer ​syllabled​ words or words that the student is unfamiliar with
will then be heard and practiced more.

Strategy 3: Partnered Reading (Sousa, pg. 91)

Partnered​ reading allows the student to partner with another student who may read at a higher
fluency level allowing her to not only get help but also might motivate her to try to increase her
reading speed to keep up with the other student. The student will have a higher ​interest​ if there is
someone at the same age level reading with her out loud, and the scholar will have even higher
interest if the subject of the reading has to do with her interests such as baton twirling.
Comprehension ​of longer unrecognizable words are more likely to increase if the situation is
more comfortable for her to read in.
● The teacher will​ instruct​ the students to read the story that they have picked out with the
teacher.
● Then the students that have picked the same book will partner up and read the book back
and forth orally to each other.
● The students will then help each other with sections they may not understand.

Why this strategy is effective:

This strategy is effective because the student is able to take charge of what they are reading
based off of their interest. They are then partnered up based on ​similar interests​. Reading it first
with the teacher and then with the partner should build on their ​reading fluency ​and will allow
them to increase their reading pace. Talking about what they just read will also help with reading
comprehension​.

Reflection:
During the assessments I felt that the administering part was fine, however the professor

stated it should take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes and mine ran at about 20 minutes which

was 5 minutes over the time frame. That had me thinking that perhaps I was administering

them too slow or explaining too much. At the same time though, it also depends on the student

being assessed and this particular student was a little more thoughtful about the process and

took her time, which I liked because it showed how seriously she was taking it. I think my

explanation of what was happening was the most effective part but what was most difficult was

the analysis as she was taking the test. This student self corrected many times throughout and

so I needed to write the initial statement of what she said and also the restatement or correction

which I wasn’t sure would throw her off seeing me write so much for one part and only a little

for the next.

Within correcting the assessment, I needed to look up exactly how to grade certain

assessments like the phonemic awareness assessment and the Words Their Way Primary

Assessment. Next time I think it might be better already knowing exactly the breakdown of

points to each assessment so it is more clear to me and in return more clear to the scholar that

the assessment is being administered to. The only other specification would be for me to have

everything laid out in front of me even if I did not think I would need it, because it is difficult to

be trying to find things when the recording is going and the scholar is waiting for you to do or

instruct them in the next assessment. For the most part I had everything laid out and in order, but
I did have my stopwatch at first across the table and spent a couple seconds leaning over trying

to find it.

References:

Cunningham, patricia M. (2017). ​Phonics They Use 7th edition.​ PEARSON.

Sousa, David A. 2014. ​How the Brain Learns to Read 2nd Edition.​ Thousand Oaks, California:

CORWIN.

Thara, et al. “Story Maps: Classroom Strategy.” Reading Rockets, 13 Sept. 2019,

www.readingrockets.org/strategies/story_maps.