“Based on diagnostic assessments, students will have different kinds of instruction designed for them. They will be placed in different reading levels of books for guided reading. …The teacher will construct focused reading lessons on aspects of comprehension – on setting purposes for reading, summarizing, visualizing, making inferences, understanding vocabulary from context, learning new information, and interpreting the text…The assessment picture will be rounded out by other information gained from interviews with the students to determine the topics they are interested in, the kinds of reading they prefer, and the conditions they need to help them learn…” “Once a course of instruction has been established for students, they will be given monitoring assessments, … (T)he results may be shared with other teachers, …and will serve as an occasion to decide whether the present plan of instruction should be followed or if different strategies should be tried to improve each student’s learning.” “In addition the teacher will practice Kidwatching, … in sum how the teacher can help each one be successful in this class” “Late in the year will come the outcomes-based assessments” (Gilbert, et al, 2008, pp 27-28).
This is what the authors attempt to portray as the classroom that prizes reading instruction and learning at the high end of the curriculum. In my head I hear them played out as a movie voice-over, “In a world where reading scores have fallen, to save the fate of a nation, one teacher must take a stand… etc., etc., etc. I have two school aged children of my own (a 5th and 1st grader), and I have been in scores of observation classrooms; I have yet to see the classroom as described in the chapter. In the passage above it seems we are shown a glimpse into a classroom in which every teacher knows and agrees on what the goal of reading instruction should be/ is. In addition, every teacher agrees on what instructional methods, strategies the group will collectively use; each has equal access to resources, materials, texts, etc.; everyone develops a consensus on placement and instructional pacing (all within the range of student variability). Furthermore, the teacher understands the purpose for assessment and testing as that which is meant to provide information on a student’s current level of performance and, most importantly, uses the results to determine whether to continue to use existing strategies and materials or to adjust them to enhance/ support/ remediate the student’s performance to meet mandated standards. Within the topic of assessment, the teacher would likely use smaller, informal assessments quite frequently as a maintenance routine. That is, short diagnostics conducted fairly often would give a “real-time” account of where a student was performing with regard to reading ability at various points in the school year. The authors contend, I believe, the purpose of keeping an updated record of each student would alleviate the stress and consequences attached to so-called “high-stakes” testing conducted once at the end of the year. I tend to agree. The passage above, and indeed most of the chapter, is concerned with what is required of a teacher in teaching a student to read, and to understand what he/she has read. While the authors don’t make arguments in specifics such as differing philosophies of reading instruction, instructional methodologies, etc. it seems to me that the one central concept they attempt to convey is that teaching children to read and comprehend is a complex process that requires advanced understanding of the issues, recognition of the variability in students’ reading abilities, and conscientious selection and application of assessments. Where is it that teachers might learn these skills? I assume they are in fact learnable. And, will the teachers then use what they’ve been taught? I haven’t seen too much of the latter yet. …Yet.
The classroom within the reading is one that is based on assessments. Any effective teacher needs to know the level at which their students are on in order to teach them. There will be many times within the classroom where no two students are at the same level. The article talks about how nice it would be if every student that comes into the classroom with the same preparation for reading. This would make the teachers job thousands of times easier. This is describing the perfect classroom. In no since there is a perfect classroom. All that teachers can do is their best to make their classroom perfect. As long as teachers have the materials needed they will be well qualified. The article describes how nice it would be if all students learned at the same rate. If all students learned the same way and at the same rate the teachers job would be made very easy. There would be no need for all of these strategies and techniques talked about in the article. The routines within the text are the students come into the classroom and the teacher gives them an assessment. Once the assessment is finished the teacher has the information needed to determine at what level the particular student is at. Depending on the level of the student the teacher then knows what strategies to use to be able to reach their students. This is where all of the techniques comes into play that are described in the text. Once the teacher has determined the best technique they can begin planning their instructions. After the students have been taught the teacher can reassess the students and see how their progress has been made. The teacher can then use this material in decisions to be made about the continuation of practices or if they need to be changed. The picture that is being painted within the chapter is the teacher just teaches reading and the students read. The students job is to comprehend the material. In a sense this correct. The teacher is meant to teach the students but to also have a semi-personal relationship with the students. Teachers do not need to stand at the front of the classroom and lecture to the students. The students do not just need to read the material. They need to be able to read the material, comprehend, and redistribute the comprehended material again. Within the chapter the focus is on the assessment. The picture of the classroom is the focus on assessment. This would be the idea picture of a classroom.
It seems as if the classroom is based on assessments and assessing students on their reading to prepare them for the work force and as Kevin said, “high-stakes” testing. Though the reading process is complex, students must learn to comprehend, decode, identify sight words, etc. First, the student is tested to see where he/she is at and then teachers base their instruction off of the student's preference and reading levels to help the student become a successful, fluent reader. Throughout the process of learning, the teacher is to monitor the student’s progress. As stated previously, the reading focused greatly on the idea of assessment, which in turn helps teachers become aware of where their students are at. With this, teachers can guide their students in the right direction. Assessing students can benefit both the student and the teacher to see where the student stands. I think assessing a student is an important part of the reading process because, as the article explained, every student is different. In order for students to become successful readers, teachers need to know what the student already knows and what he/she needs to learn to prepare instructional methods to increase his/her literacy. I personally think portfolios are a great way to assess a student. The student is given responsibility for his/her progress and is given the opportunity to collaborate and discuss what he or she has learned or needs to learn.
In the classroom described in this chapter the teacher is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each student and strives to meet their needs with differentiated instruction. The instructor knows the reading level of each student and provides students with books on that level to read. "Teachers use different kinds of assessments for different purposes at different points in the year." (Gilbert, p. 10). Based on their spelling stage students will be given different groups of words or sorts for word study. I teach in a first grade classroom and I really try to keep up with each of my student's progress. I am very fortunate to work with wonderful reading teachers and we have a 30 minute period each day where my class goes to reading team time where they work with three reading teachers and me in small groups. The groups are flexible and are based on running records. Each group works at their reading level with leveled readers. Since there are four teachers working we spend one day every other week doing running records to make sure each student is in the correct group and each nine weeks the students are tested to find their correct reading levels. It has been a wonderful help to be able to consult with other professionals to get their opinions on each student's needs as a reader. The most struggling readers qualify for Reading Recovery where they work with a reading specialist one-on-one for 30 minutes each day. This gives those struggling readers the boost they need to know that they can learn to read and become good readers. I do a QSI spelling test three times a year to see what spelling levels my students are at. Last year I did small group instruction with Words Their Way, but I haven't found the time to do it this year. I try to meet with each student every few days to conference about their reading. The biggest problem is always finding the time!!! I try to meet with small groups for guided reading every day in the classroom with leveled books. It is hard to keep all the rest of the students working and on task when you are working with an individual child or with a small group, some days are better than others. I am very fortunate that the school I work for supports reading and offer the wonderful programs they do. It makes my job a lot easier. My goal is to differentiate my instruction and meet the needs of all my students, but I fall short every day. Time is always the biggest problem. There is never enough time to do all that needs to be done in a classroom.
The authors of this text describe a classroom in which various forms of assessment are constantly being performed. Assessments take place at the beginning of the school year and continue throughout the entire academic year. These assessments are used to determine each student’s appropriate reading level and group students according to ability. In turn, the educator can differentiate their instruction to meet the various literacy levels within their classrooms. Not only do the authors discuss the importance of assessment in relation to instructional differentiation, but they also discuss the use of assessments to monitor the success of instructional approaches and to assess instructional practices. I believe that this is extremely crucial to the education process. As an educator, it is important to be aware of the practices and approaches that are and are not working well within the classroom for a particular set of students. This is a continual process. The authors paint a picture of classrooms that are directed and modified according to various assessment practices. Instruction is tailored to meet the needs of all students. Constant and meaningful assessments of this nature are an ideal practice. As Terri previously mentioned, the biggest problem is time. Assessments are often time consuming to perform and evaluate. The classroom that I am currently co-teaching in is one in which continual assessments are performed. My mentor teacher and I perform periodic assessments to evaluate the students’ progress as well as our own teaching. We are fortunate in having two teachers in one classroom. This allows us to perform a number of assessments that some teachers would be unable to perform due to the time constraints within a typical day. Instruction is constantly changing due to these assessments and the needs of the students.
The classroom that I see from the authors is very diverse. The authors point out how nice it would be to have everyone reading on the same level and being able to stay at the same level throughout the year. If the students could all learn in the same way as each other. This all sounds nice but at the same time the world would be very boring. The authors then switch to how this is not the way and how hard it can be for teachers to teach such a wide variety of students. The authors make the class look diverse. The routine would be for the teacher to assess the childrens current skills to establish a baseline. The teacher then figures out the students intrests and establishes a goal for the student to reach. The teacher then uses assessment. The teacher can use many diffrent kinds of assessments such as porfolios and running records. The picture that was painted for me was that teachers can teach students how to read but then also need to teach the students the love for reading. Students need to read more than just text books. Students can read magazines. The class should be a class that the teacher is up walking around the classroom and not just setting at his/her desk as Whitney had mentioned. The teacher also needs to make sure to keep assessment up.
The classroom in my head from this article is dull, strict, and very limited. The authors of this article describe the classrooms as being assessed very frequently to monitor the student's current progress. The students are tested frequently, to not only see where they stand on their reading levels, but also to see if the curriculum being presented is working. I feel that assessment is a good thing and I also feel that it can be very effective on finding out where the students stand on their learning. On the other hand, I also feel that assessment is sometimes just as hurtful as helpful. It seems that in today's classrooms, like the one described in the reading, students are being tested more often to check progress. I feel that tests can become a big problem, especially when it comes to No Child Left Behind (NCLB). When high stakes tests, like described in the article, come about it is a vigorous and limited testing environment. I can personally remember taking high stakes tests and I can remember getting tired of answering questions and becoming frustrated. I feel that high stake tests can be inaccurate when it comes to testing students because a student could just have a bad morning and it could have a major effect on that student's test scores. Overall the author described the classroom as a frequently tested environment that is constantly monitored to see if the students are learning. I feel that we monitor so much that it has limited our creativity as teachers and because we have to teach to the test so much, it has limited some of our abilities to create unique and effective ways for students to learn. In the picture that the authors paint it almost seems scary the amount of assessment being used. Although assessment is a good thing, but too much of anything can equal a negative outcome. On the other hand the author also brings up alot of good programs other than assessment that help students and help readers to improve their skills. I also feel that things like "kid watching" from the article should be used more often. Teachers should have some abilities when it comes to observing their students progress other than just testing, afterall they do spend almost 8 hours a day with the students....
The classroom that I see the authors portray in this article is a classroom where assessment is held high. The author starts the the article by painting a "what-if picture" for us that seems to be almost too surreal, in my mind would make the classroom look boring, and it would take away the diversity that each student has come into the classroom with. The author then focuses mostly on assessment and keeping up with each individuals progress. The idea of continual assessment to me is a great tool because I as a future teacher will want to be up to date with each students progress so that I can alter my instruction strategies as the class is going along. The assessment in this particular classroom begins at the beginning of the academic year and continues all throughout the entirety of the school year. I like this idea and I believe that it will also help the educator be able to identify the instruction strategies and the different types of assessment that do and do not work inside the classroom. THerefore, in my mind it is not only a learning experience for the students, but also for the particular educator as well. However, one issue I see with the idea of assessment that the author holds so high, is the issue of time. Most classrooms today only have one teacher and if they are lucky they have an aide. Assessment tests not only take a significant amount of time to administer, but also takes a good amount of time to assess, leaving the teacher to not only assess all these tests, but further the instruction each day and still plan for each student as well. The author also shows us that the idea of continual assessment will also keep the parents on the same page as the instructor. If the students are constantly being assessed then their parents are going to know the level at which their students are performing at, allowing them to know specifics about how they can help them at home and what they should and should not be doing while reading outside of the classroom. I enjoyed reading this article, but I feel like it is a bit ambitious for the regular classroom. Teachers need to be able to keep up with the assessment and be applying it constantly and also reviewing their instruction. It could prove to be extremely beneficial in the classroom, but at the same time I feel like it could be very harmful if not handled and administered the proper way.
Throughout the article I see something that would be considered the "ideal" classroom where all students are at the same level and all students learn the same way, but this is not the "typical" classroom at all and it would be close to impossible to have all students reading and thinking on the same levels. Assessment is the driving force that helps teachers determine the reading levels of students, their strengths and weaknesses, and to help identify the literacy stages for all students (Gilbert, p. 8-9). The chapter goes on to speak about the different types of assessments that are normally used. Having the opportunity to work within a reading classroom I can say that the different types of screening and diagnostic assessments can be inaccurate. Test does not show what all children are capable of in any way. I had a group of eighth graders and of course at this stage and age students can be very clever. Accelerated reading was one thing that students had to test on at the beginning of the year at it was seen as a joke to a large amount of these students. They would purposfully score low on the test so they could read books that they enjoyed or so that they could meet their goal for the semester. With that said, some of the ways that students are assessed should be re-evaluated. However, I agree that effective use of assessments are very useful for educators.
The routine set for teachers that are mentioned within the chapter is that teachers give a test at the beginning of the year to figure out at what rate are students performing and then the teachers apply the strategies that they feel will help the students become better readers. I believe that the followup with providing each student the different strategies that will help them individaully is unrealistic because in a typical classroom there are about twenty students and one teacher for 45 minutes. How can a teacher reach all of these students and accomodate all of their needs in a 45 minute time frame? This article sounds great, but if there is only one teacher I think that it is impossible to meet the needs of all students even when you may know what they need.
The picture that is painted is that through assessing students teachers can figure out what ways to help students become better readers. I believe that assessment could be great if used for the purpose stated above rather than using assessments as a tool to take away from what a students has to offer. I personally believe that observation in the case of reading is the best form of assessment because it gives the students the opportunity to really show the teacher what they are capapble of through reading.
This article is one that starts with a scenario that will never happen! Students all have different needs and abilities. As a future special education teacher, I am preparing for the differences among each and every one of my students in the future. Like the classroom described in the reading, special education classes are often full of different assessment techniques. These assessments are used to gage the baseline for the students and create goals to work towards. Assessment is continuous and frequent so as to monitor the children. We must monitor if they are on track to meeting their goals and continue the methods that are working and make changes to those that are not. In the classroom that the reading creates, some assessment is performed daily, weekly, etc. This continuous and frequent testing is also to keep on track towards the high stakes testing that the students will be engaging in. Like others have said, high-stakes testing puts much pressure on the students as well as the teacher. In turn, many students shut down and many teachers are molded into a generic group that, in order to keep their job, must "teach to the test." This interferes with the students' and teachers success and enjoyment of reading. The picture that this reading paints is one that is unfortunately the way most of our classrooms will probably be ran. Assessment is necessary for success, but hopefully we can find assessment techniques that interfere as little as possible with the flow of the class, and that are also less stressful and more uplifting for our students.
I completely agree with Ellie the scenario that is described in the article is one that is very unlikely to ever occur. As a teacher you will have so many children in your class at so many levels. All teachers will have the hope that they will get a class that is full of student who can read and work at one level. This is most likely never going to happen. Assessments are what help teachers determine what level their students are on. Assessments are necessary in all classrooms. There are many different types of assessments that can be used to determine where a student’s level is. The article discusses many different types. One type of assessment is continual assessment. This is something that I think is a great idea because it is something that can be used the student whole academic life. One downfall of assessments is that sometimes it is not as accurate as people think it is. With No Child Left Behind I think students, including myself, become frustrated and tired to setting for long periods of time going through questions. This is when it can become an issue of whether the assessment is accurate or not.
I think it is important in a classroom for students to read more then just the textbook. This can get old for students and they may decide that they do not like reading. If you can switch up the material they are reading you may have better luck. Having students read story book, magazines, articles, journals, and newspapers are nice. It is always nice to keep track of your student’s progress regularly. I think trying to meet with each student once a week is a nice idea. This way you can see what they are doing and if it is on their correct level or if they need to move up or down. This is a good way to keep up with your students as well.
What an attention getter! As I was reading this my normal reading face turned to a frown, followed by a a smile and by the end of the paragraph I giggled a little.
The authors paints a picture of a classroom that understands the importance of consistent varied forms to assess reading. They provide tools and strategies that will make the teacher an effective educator of reading. The authors ultimately gives you everything you need to know to close the reading gap. Now I have a question, is this realistic?
How is a teacher going to provide all these assessments in a classroom that is at its legal limit of students? I am sure that most teachers can say that are effective teachers with the resources that they have access too in their school. With that in mind, imagine a place where school districts have enough monies to provide students and their teachers with the resources to gain knowledge of reading. Like an aide to assist teachers in the care of the children so clear assessments can be made. This will be followed by more carefully planned instruction that will further the use of time in the classroom.
I have to put the spotlight on Figure 1.4 Language Exposure of Preschool Children. There is a subject characteristic threat to this research. Parents receiving public assistance may not know how to successfully record the amount of words obtained in the child's first 4 years. To counter that, professional parents know the importance of reading and may inflate the amount of words recorded for their children. I also believe that researchers would have more access to public assistance documentation easier than any others. Since public assistance benefits are dispersed according to income you run the threat to validity.
The routine of kidwatching is a perfect way to assess children. Yetta Goodman was spot on when referring to kidwatching as, “a host of of observation, ranging from observations quickly captured on sticky note, to home visits, to more formal assessments. (Gillet 13)” I think that everything observed is important. Even though formal assessments are essential to the development of reading, little snapshots and quick notes are vital little pieces of the reading pie.
The classroom described by the author is very diverse in learning abilities. Students are working at different reading levels and differential instruction is needed. Utilizing assessments is the method by which differences in student reading ability is determined. Assessments are used throughout the year to monitor progress and redirect instruction. Enhancing reading skills are considered a high priority and required for student success. If students are struggling with beginner reading skills they are directed toward sight vocabulary and decoding skills. As those skills are developed fluency is improving and vocabularies are expanding. Ultimately, the classroom goal is to master comprehension ability which includes the following major factors: making interferences, main idea, and meta-cognition. The picture the authors paint portrays the importance of assessing student reading skills to provide them with the most valuable learning experience. There are various assessments that can be utilized to address several different areas of the reading curriculum, phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension. Currently in my classroom setting we use very similar types of assessments for determining student areas in need of improvement, as well as, skills they are capable of achieving. My mentor and I use standardized assessments, curriculum based assessments, observations, and reading inventories to determine student reading abilities. These assessments are needed to evaluate the progress of our students. Since educators are all aware every student learns and grows at different paces, it is crucial for us to assess all student abilities and direct our instruction in a way that most beneficial to them.
The authors describe a classroom that is stocked with different forms of literature for learners at numerous stages in the reading pyramid. The stages include emergent literacy, beginning reading, building fluency, reading to learn and for pleasure, and mature reading. In any elementary classroom, one teacher may have students whose reading ability range across three stages. In order to keep track of each student’s placement and progress, assessment is key. Assessment comes in various forms and includes everything from an informal reading inventory such as the QRI to a norm-referenced test like the ACT to an authentic assessment such as a student portfolio. Assessments are used for a variety of reasons such as guiding instruction, keeping track of whether the instruction is successful, making decisions about placements in certain reading groups or special education, ensuring that students are meeting state standards, giving feedback to students and their parents, and allowing teachers to determine what is working and what could change in their teaching.
As I see it, the authors painted a picture of a classroom where reading instruction and assessment are the only occurrences in each school day and there is more than one teacher in the room. I do not want to undermine the importance of assessment, but in order to evaluate each student using the whole group, small group, and individual assessments that were described in the chapter, a teacher would have to have a group of perfectly behaved and self-motivated students for the classroom to be successful. What I find frustrating is that we know great ways to assess kids and we know that they all learn to read at different rates and therefore need different levels of instruction, but I have yet to read an article that really lays out a good classroom routine to meet the needs of each student. I would like to learn more about how to make it actually happen in the classroom. I am fortunate to have a co-teacher in my current classroom, so we are able to differentiate instruction easier than a single teacher in a classroom. During the core reading block, I work with the higher-level students and she works with the remaining. Then during our reading group time, we split the three first grade classrooms into five groups and work in small groups with five teachers. During reading centers time, we split our class into four heterogeneous groups and rotate between four different centers with three teachers (myself, my co-teacher, and the title teacher). Then three times a week, our lowest readers receive additional instruction in the afternoon from the title teacher. In my current classroom, I would love to have time to use more authentic assessment. Unfortunately, there is a big focus on Aimsweb testing, Star testing, and Basil testing which leaves less time for the kind of activities that allow for freedom of choice in reading and less structured, yet purposeful reading activities. Overall, I think assessment is key in knowing what to teach each child, but if you’re constantly assessing then you’re ultimately taking away precious teaching time.
This is a study that was done to find information about several articles that discuss reading. This study was done to decide which literature was useful in reading instruction. This article starts with an overview. Next it discusses the finding of their research. Last this article tells us as teacher where we should go from here. What I was looking for personally in this article was implications for children with learning disabilities. Which is the whole reason I am taking this class. I want to learn how to teach my son with dyslexia and ADHA how to read. I found lots of useful information. Such as phonemic awareness is not very effective in helping disabled readers learn to spell and Synthetic phonics has a great effect on disabled readers. This article talks about other things that are useful such as fluency and comprehension. I am excited about using the information I have found in my parenting as well as my teaching career.
From the beginning of the article the author tells us how boring it would be if all students were on the same reading level, from the same background, and had the same experiences from reading. We all know that this isn’t possible and that is what makes us all individuals. As teachers we are aware that we have very diverse students who come from very different backgrounds, some may not have even been read to as a child, others may have hours of reading to account for. I feel that our responsibility, as stated in the article, is to figure out what types of students we have in our classroom. This is done by many forms of assessment. In order to find out the best strategy and instruction for our students we must use certain types of assessment. The author points out four types of assessment; screening assessment, diagnostic assessment, monitoring assessment, and outcome-based assessment. The first is screening assessment which helps us assess the entire class and gives us a basic understanding of who may need added support. The diagnostic assessment gives us more details about what types of areas students need more support in and aids in altering the instruction of that student. Monitoring assessment is just that, periodical monitoring to make sure the student is on track. Monitoring can be done in many different ways and at many different times throughout the year. The final assessment is the outcome-based which is meant to meet the state learning standards. All of these assessments, according to the author, should be done for each student throughout the school year. In my many classroom observations I have yet to see any teacher that is able to perform all of these assessments on a regular basis as perceived in the article. I think it is easy to say that all children are able to read as long as we follow the guidelines and assessments but it’s not as simple as having the child read a sentence and saying they can read. I think screening assessments are important, especially with diverse learners, because it gives us an understanding of where to begin instruction and the areas that need to be focused on. The other assessment mentioned are important also but in the real classroom I just don’t feel that there is enough time or manpower for all of these things to occur. The purpose is to teach children how to read, not spend all of our time filling out graphs and data about the different types of assessments being used.
“Based on diagnostic assessments, students will have different kinds of instruction designed for them. They will be placed in different reading levels of books for guided reading. …The teacher will construct focused reading lessons on aspects of comprehension – on setting purposes for reading, summarizing, visualizing, making inferences, understanding vocabulary from context, learning new information, and interpreting the text…The assessment picture will be rounded out by other information gained from interviews with the students to determine the topics they are interested in, the kinds of reading they prefer, and the conditions they need to help them learn…”
ReplyDelete“Once a course of instruction has been established for students, they will be given monitoring assessments, … (T)he results may be shared with other teachers, …and will serve as an occasion to decide whether the present plan of instruction should be followed or if different strategies should be tried to improve each student’s learning.”
“In addition the teacher will practice Kidwatching, … in sum how the teacher can help each one be successful in this class”
“Late in the year will come the outcomes-based assessments” (Gilbert, et al, 2008, pp 27-28).
This is what the authors attempt to portray as the classroom that prizes reading instruction and learning at the high end of the curriculum. In my head I hear them played out as a movie voice-over, “In a world where reading scores have fallen, to save the fate of a nation, one teacher must take a stand… etc., etc., etc. I have two school aged children of my own (a 5th and 1st grader), and I have been in scores of observation classrooms; I have yet to see the classroom as described in the chapter.
In the passage above it seems we are shown a glimpse into a classroom in which every teacher knows and agrees on what the goal of reading instruction should be/ is. In addition, every teacher agrees on what instructional methods, strategies the group will collectively use; each has equal access to resources, materials, texts, etc.; everyone develops a consensus on placement and instructional pacing (all within the range of student variability). Furthermore, the teacher understands the purpose for assessment and testing as that which is meant to provide information on a student’s current level of performance and, most importantly, uses the results to determine whether to continue to use existing strategies and materials or to adjust them to enhance/ support/ remediate the student’s performance to meet mandated standards.
Within the topic of assessment, the teacher would likely use smaller, informal assessments quite frequently as a maintenance routine. That is, short diagnostics conducted fairly often would give a “real-time” account of where a student was performing with regard to reading ability at various points in the school year. The authors contend, I believe, the purpose of keeping an updated record of each student would alleviate the stress and consequences attached to so-called “high-stakes” testing conducted once at the end of the year. I tend to agree.
The passage above, and indeed most of the chapter, is concerned with what is required of a teacher in teaching a student to read, and to understand what he/she has read. While the authors don’t make arguments in specifics such as differing philosophies of reading instruction, instructional methodologies, etc. it seems to me that the one central concept they attempt to convey is that teaching children to read and comprehend is a complex process that requires advanced understanding of the issues, recognition of the variability in students’ reading abilities, and conscientious selection and application of assessments. Where is it that teachers might learn these skills? I assume they are in fact learnable. And, will the teachers then use what they’ve been taught? I haven’t seen too much of the latter yet. …Yet.
The classroom within the reading is one that is based on assessments. Any effective teacher needs to know the level at which their students are on in order to teach them. There will be many times within the classroom where no two students are at the same level. The article talks about how nice it would be if every student that comes into the classroom with the same preparation for reading. This would make the teachers job thousands of times easier. This is describing the perfect classroom. In no since there is a perfect classroom. All that teachers can do is their best to make their classroom perfect. As long as teachers have the materials needed they will be well qualified. The article describes how nice it would be if all students learned at the same rate. If all students learned the same way and at the same rate the teachers job would be made very easy. There would be no need for all of these strategies and techniques talked about in the article.
ReplyDeleteThe routines within the text are the students come into the classroom and the teacher gives them an assessment. Once the assessment is finished the teacher has the information needed to determine at what level the particular student is at. Depending on the level of the student the teacher then knows what strategies to use to be able to reach their students. This is where all of the techniques comes into play that are described in the text. Once the teacher has determined the best technique they can begin planning their instructions. After the students have been taught the teacher can reassess the students and see how their progress has been made. The teacher can then use this material in decisions to be made about the continuation of practices or if they need to be changed.
The picture that is being painted within the chapter is the teacher just teaches reading and the students read. The students job is to comprehend the material. In a sense this correct. The teacher is meant to teach the students but to also have a semi-personal relationship with the students. Teachers do not need to stand at the front of the classroom and lecture to the students. The students do not just need to read the material. They need to be able to read the material, comprehend, and redistribute the comprehended material again. Within the chapter the focus is on the assessment. The picture of the classroom is the focus on assessment. This would be the idea picture of a classroom.
It seems as if the classroom is based on assessments and assessing students on their reading to prepare them for the work force and as Kevin said, “high-stakes” testing. Though the reading process is complex, students must learn to comprehend, decode, identify sight words, etc. First, the student is tested to see where he/she is at and then teachers base their instruction off of the student's preference and reading levels to help the student become a successful, fluent reader. Throughout the process of learning, the teacher is to monitor the student’s progress.
ReplyDeleteAs stated previously, the reading focused greatly on the idea of assessment, which in turn helps teachers become aware of where their students are at. With this, teachers can guide their students in the right direction. Assessing students can benefit both the student and the teacher to see where the student stands. I think assessing a student is an important part of the reading process because, as the article explained, every student is different. In order for students to become successful readers, teachers need to know what the student already knows and what he/she needs to learn to prepare instructional methods to increase his/her literacy. I personally think portfolios are a great way to assess a student. The student is given responsibility for his/her progress and is given the opportunity to collaborate and discuss what he or she has learned or needs to learn.
In the classroom described in this chapter the teacher is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each student and strives to meet their needs with differentiated instruction. The instructor knows the reading level of each student and provides students with books on that level to read. "Teachers use different kinds of assessments for different purposes at different points in the year." (Gilbert, p. 10). Based on their spelling stage students will be given different groups of words or sorts for word study.
ReplyDeleteI teach in a first grade classroom and I really try to keep up with each of my student's progress. I am very fortunate to work with wonderful reading teachers and we have a 30 minute period each day where my class goes to reading team time where they work with three reading teachers and me in small groups. The groups are flexible and are based on running records. Each group works at their reading level with leveled readers. Since there are four teachers working we spend one day every other week doing running records to make sure each student is in the correct group and each nine weeks the students are tested to find their correct reading levels. It has been a wonderful help to be able to consult with other professionals to get their opinions on each student's needs as a reader. The most struggling readers qualify for Reading Recovery where they work with a reading specialist one-on-one for 30 minutes each day. This gives those struggling readers the boost they need to know that they can learn to read and become good readers. I do a QSI spelling test three times a year to see what spelling levels my students are at. Last year I did small group instruction with Words Their Way, but I haven't found the time to do it this year. I try to meet with each student every few days to conference about their reading. The biggest problem is always finding the time!!! I try to meet with small groups for guided reading every day in the classroom with leveled books. It is hard to keep all the rest of the students working and on task when you are working with an individual child or with a small group, some days are better than others.
I am very fortunate that the school I work for supports reading and offer the wonderful programs they do. It makes my job a lot easier. My goal is to differentiate my instruction and meet the needs of all my students, but I fall short every day. Time is always the biggest problem. There is never enough time to do all that needs to be done in a classroom.
The authors of this text describe a classroom in which various forms of assessment are constantly being performed. Assessments take place at the beginning of the school year and continue throughout the entire academic year. These assessments are used to determine each student’s appropriate reading level and group students according to ability. In turn, the educator can differentiate their instruction to meet the various literacy levels within their classrooms. Not only do the authors discuss the importance of assessment in relation to instructional differentiation, but they also discuss the use of assessments to monitor the success of instructional approaches and to assess instructional practices. I believe that this is extremely crucial to the education process. As an educator, it is important to be aware of the practices and approaches that are and are not working well within the classroom for a particular set of students. This is a continual process.
ReplyDeleteThe authors paint a picture of classrooms that are directed and modified according to various assessment practices. Instruction is tailored to meet the needs of all students. Constant and meaningful assessments of this nature are an ideal practice. As Terri previously mentioned, the biggest problem is time. Assessments are often time consuming to perform and evaluate. The classroom that I am currently co-teaching in is one in which continual assessments are performed. My mentor teacher and I perform periodic assessments to evaluate the students’ progress as well as our own teaching. We are fortunate in having two teachers in one classroom. This allows us to perform a number of assessments that some teachers would be unable to perform due to the time constraints within a typical day. Instruction is constantly changing due to these assessments and the needs of the students.
The classroom that I see from the authors is very diverse. The authors point out how nice it would be to have everyone reading on the same level and being able to stay at the same level throughout the year. If the students could all learn in the same way as each other. This all sounds nice but at the same time the world would be very boring. The authors then switch to how this is not the way and how hard it can be for teachers to teach such a wide variety of students. The authors make the class look diverse.
ReplyDeleteThe routine would be for the teacher to assess the childrens current skills to establish a baseline. The teacher then figures out the students intrests and establishes a goal for the student to reach. The teacher then uses assessment. The teacher can use many diffrent kinds of assessments such as porfolios and running records. The picture that was painted for me was that teachers can teach students how to read but then also need to teach the students the love for reading. Students need to read more than just text books. Students can read magazines. The class should be a class that the teacher is up walking around the classroom and not just setting at his/her desk as Whitney had mentioned. The teacher also needs to make sure to keep assessment up.
The classroom in my head from this article is dull, strict, and very limited. The authors of this article describe the classrooms as being assessed very frequently to monitor the student's current progress. The students are tested frequently, to not only see where they stand on their reading levels, but also to see if the curriculum being presented is working. I feel that assessment is a good thing and I also feel that it can be very effective on finding out where the students stand on their learning. On the other hand, I also feel that assessment is sometimes just as hurtful as helpful. It seems that in today's classrooms, like the one described in the reading, students are being tested more often to check progress. I feel that tests can become a big problem, especially when it comes to No Child Left Behind (NCLB). When high stakes tests, like described in the article, come about it is a vigorous and limited testing environment. I can personally remember taking high stakes tests and I can remember getting tired of answering questions and becoming frustrated. I feel that high stake tests can be inaccurate when it comes to testing students because a student could just have a bad morning and it could have a major effect on that student's test scores. Overall the author described the classroom as a frequently tested environment that is constantly monitored to see if the students are learning. I feel that we monitor so much that it has limited our creativity as teachers and because we have to teach to the test so much, it has limited some of our abilities to create unique and effective ways for students to learn.
ReplyDeleteIn the picture that the authors paint it almost seems scary the amount of assessment being used. Although assessment is a good thing, but too much of anything can equal a negative outcome. On the other hand the author also brings up alot of good programs other than assessment that help students and help readers to improve their skills. I also feel that things like "kid watching" from the article should be used more often. Teachers should have some abilities when it comes to observing their students progress other than just testing, afterall they do spend almost 8 hours a day with the students....
The classroom that I see the authors portray in this article is a classroom where assessment is held high. The author starts the the article by painting a "what-if picture" for us that seems to be almost too surreal, in my mind would make the classroom look boring, and it would take away the diversity that each student has come into the classroom with.
ReplyDeleteThe author then focuses mostly on assessment and keeping up with each individuals progress. The idea of continual assessment to me is a great tool because I as a future teacher will want to be up to date with each students progress so that I can alter my instruction strategies as the class is going along. The assessment in this particular classroom begins at the beginning of the academic year and continues all throughout the entirety of the school year. I like this idea and I believe that it will also help the educator be able to identify the instruction strategies and the different types of assessment that do and do not work inside the classroom. THerefore, in my mind it is not only a learning experience for the students, but also for the particular educator as well.
However, one issue I see with the idea of assessment that the author holds so high, is the issue of time. Most classrooms today only have one teacher and if they are lucky they have an aide. Assessment tests not only take a significant amount of time to administer, but also takes a good amount of time to assess, leaving the teacher to not only assess all these tests, but further the instruction each day and still plan for each student as well.
The author also shows us that the idea of continual assessment will also keep the parents on the same page as the instructor. If the students are constantly being assessed then their parents are going to know the level at which their students are performing at, allowing them to know specifics about how they can help them at home and what they should and should not be doing while reading outside of the classroom.
I enjoyed reading this article, but I feel like it is a bit ambitious for the regular classroom. Teachers need to be able to keep up with the assessment and be applying it constantly and also reviewing their instruction. It could prove to be extremely beneficial in the classroom, but at the same time I feel like it could be very harmful if not handled and administered the proper way.
Throughout the article I see something that would be considered the "ideal" classroom where all students are at the same level and all students learn the same way, but this is not the "typical" classroom at all and it would be close to impossible to have all students reading and thinking on the same levels. Assessment is the driving force that helps teachers determine the reading levels of students, their strengths and weaknesses, and to help identify the literacy stages for all students (Gilbert, p. 8-9). The chapter goes on to speak about the different types of assessments that are normally used. Having the opportunity to work within a reading classroom I can say that the different types of screening and diagnostic assessments can be inaccurate. Test does not show what all children are capable of in any way. I had a group of eighth graders and of course at this stage and age students can be very clever. Accelerated reading was one thing that students had to test on at the beginning of the year at it was seen as a joke to a large amount of these students. They would purposfully score low on the test so they could read books that they enjoyed or so that they could meet their goal for the semester. With that said, some of the ways that students are assessed should be re-evaluated. However, I agree that effective use of assessments are very useful for educators.
ReplyDeleteThe routine set for teachers that are mentioned within the chapter is that teachers give a test at the beginning of the year to figure out at what rate are students performing and then the teachers apply the strategies that they feel will help the students become better readers. I believe that the followup with providing each student the different strategies that will help them individaully is unrealistic because in a typical classroom there are about twenty students and one teacher for 45 minutes. How can a teacher reach all of these students and accomodate all of their needs in a 45 minute time frame? This article sounds great, but if there is only one teacher I think that it is impossible to meet the needs of all students even when you may know what they need.
The picture that is painted is that through assessing students teachers can figure out what ways to help students become better readers. I believe that assessment could be great if used for the purpose stated above rather than using assessments as a tool to take away from what a students has to offer. I personally believe that observation in the case of reading is the best form of assessment because it gives the students the opportunity to really show the teacher what they are capapble of through reading.
This article is one that starts with a scenario that will never happen! Students all have different needs and abilities. As a future special education teacher, I am preparing for the differences among each and every one of my students in the future. Like the classroom described in the reading, special education classes are often full of different assessment techniques. These assessments are used to gage the baseline for the students and create goals to work towards. Assessment is continuous and frequent so as to monitor the children. We must monitor if they are on track to meeting their goals and continue the methods that are working and make changes to those that are not. In the classroom that the reading creates, some assessment is performed daily, weekly, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis continuous and frequent testing is also to keep on track towards the high stakes testing that the students will be engaging in. Like others have said, high-stakes testing puts much pressure on the students as well as the teacher. In turn, many students shut down and many teachers are molded into a generic group that, in order to keep their job, must "teach to the test." This interferes with the students' and teachers success and enjoyment of reading. The picture that this reading paints is one that is unfortunately the way most of our classrooms will probably be ran. Assessment is necessary for success, but hopefully we can find assessment techniques that interfere as little as possible with the flow of the class, and that are also less stressful and more uplifting for our students.
I completely agree with Ellie the scenario that is described in the article is one that is very unlikely to ever occur. As a teacher you will have so many children in your class at so many levels. All teachers will have the hope that they will get a class that is full of student who can read and work at one level. This is most likely never going to happen. Assessments are what help teachers determine what level their students are on. Assessments are necessary in all classrooms. There are many different types of assessments that can be used to determine where a student’s level is. The article discusses many different types. One type of assessment is continual assessment. This is something that I think is a great idea because it is something that can be used the student whole academic life. One downfall of assessments is that sometimes it is not as accurate as people think it is. With No Child Left Behind I think students, including myself, become frustrated and tired to setting for long periods of time going through questions. This is when it can become an issue of whether the assessment is accurate or not.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important in a classroom for students to read more then just the textbook. This can get old for students and they may decide that they do not like reading. If you can switch up the material they are reading you may have better luck. Having students read story book, magazines, articles, journals, and newspapers are nice. It is always nice to keep track of your student’s progress regularly. I think trying to meet with each student once a week is a nice idea. This way you can see what they are doing and if it is on their correct level or if they need to move up or down. This is a good way to keep up with your students as well.
What an attention getter! As I was reading this my normal reading face turned to a frown, followed by a a smile and by the end of the paragraph I giggled a little.
ReplyDeleteThe authors paints a picture of a classroom that understands the importance of consistent varied forms to assess reading. They provide tools and strategies that will make the teacher an effective educator of reading. The authors ultimately gives you everything you need to know to close the reading gap. Now I have a question, is this realistic?
How is a teacher going to provide all these assessments in a classroom that is at its legal limit of students? I am sure that most teachers can say that are effective teachers with the resources that they have access too in their school. With that in mind, imagine a place where school districts have enough monies to provide students and their teachers with the resources to gain knowledge of reading. Like an aide to assist teachers in the care of the children so clear assessments can be made. This will be followed by more carefully planned instruction that will further the use of time in the classroom.
I have to put the spotlight on Figure 1.4 Language Exposure of Preschool Children. There is a subject characteristic threat to this research. Parents receiving public assistance may not know how to successfully record the amount of words obtained in the child's first 4 years. To counter that, professional parents know the importance of reading and may inflate the amount of words recorded for their children. I also believe that researchers would have more access to public assistance documentation easier than any others. Since public assistance benefits are dispersed according to income you run the threat to validity.
The routine of kidwatching is a perfect way to assess children. Yetta Goodman was spot on when referring to kidwatching as, “a host of of observation, ranging from observations quickly captured on sticky note, to home visits, to more formal assessments. (Gillet 13)” I think that everything observed is important. Even though formal assessments are essential to the development of reading, little snapshots and quick notes are vital little pieces of the reading pie.
The classroom described by the author is very diverse in learning abilities. Students are working at different reading levels and differential instruction is needed. Utilizing assessments is the method by which differences in student reading ability is determined. Assessments are used throughout the year to monitor progress and redirect instruction. Enhancing reading skills are considered a high priority and required for student success. If students are struggling with beginner reading skills they are directed toward sight vocabulary and decoding skills. As those skills are developed fluency is improving and vocabularies are expanding. Ultimately, the classroom goal is to master comprehension ability which includes the following major factors: making interferences, main idea, and meta-cognition.
ReplyDeleteThe picture the authors paint portrays the importance of assessing student reading skills to provide them with the most valuable learning experience. There are various assessments that can be utilized to address several different areas of the reading curriculum, phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension. Currently in my classroom setting we use very similar types of assessments for determining student areas in need of improvement, as well as, skills they are capable of achieving. My mentor and I use standardized assessments, curriculum based assessments, observations, and reading inventories to determine student reading abilities. These assessments are needed to evaluate the progress of our students. Since educators are all aware every student learns and grows at different paces, it is crucial for us to assess all student abilities and direct our instruction in a way that most beneficial to them.
The authors describe a classroom that is stocked with different forms of literature for learners at numerous stages in the reading pyramid. The stages include emergent literacy, beginning reading, building fluency, reading to learn and for pleasure, and mature reading. In any elementary classroom, one teacher may have students whose reading ability range across three stages. In order to keep track of each student’s placement and progress, assessment is key. Assessment comes in various forms and includes everything from an informal reading inventory such as the QRI to a norm-referenced test like the ACT to an authentic assessment such as a student portfolio. Assessments are used for a variety of reasons such as guiding instruction, keeping track of whether the instruction is successful, making decisions about placements in certain reading groups or special education, ensuring that students are meeting state standards, giving feedback to students and their parents, and allowing teachers to determine what is working and what could change in their teaching.
ReplyDeleteAs I see it, the authors painted a picture of a classroom where reading instruction and assessment are the only occurrences in each school day and there is more than one teacher in the room. I do not want to undermine the importance of assessment, but in order to evaluate each student using the whole group, small group, and individual assessments that were described in the chapter, a teacher would have to have a group of perfectly behaved and self-motivated students for the classroom to be successful. What I find frustrating is that we know great ways to assess kids and we know that they all learn to read at different rates and therefore need different levels of instruction, but I have yet to read an article that really lays out a good classroom routine to meet the needs of each student. I would like to learn more about how to make it actually happen in the classroom. I am fortunate to have a co-teacher in my current classroom, so we are able to differentiate instruction easier than a single teacher in a classroom. During the core reading block, I work with the higher-level students and she works with the remaining. Then during our reading group time, we split the three first grade classrooms into five groups and work in small groups with five teachers. During reading centers time, we split our class into four heterogeneous groups and rotate between four different centers with three teachers (myself, my co-teacher, and the title teacher). Then three times a week, our lowest readers receive additional instruction in the afternoon from the title teacher. In my current classroom, I would love to have time to use more authentic assessment. Unfortunately, there is a big focus on Aimsweb testing, Star testing, and Basil testing which leaves less time for the kind of activities that allow for freedom of choice in reading and less structured, yet purposeful reading activities. Overall, I think assessment is key in knowing what to teach each child, but if you’re constantly assessing then you’re ultimately taking away precious teaching time.
This is a study that was done to find information about several articles that discuss reading.
ReplyDeleteThis study was done to decide which literature was useful in reading instruction. This article starts with an overview. Next it discusses the finding of their research. Last this article tells us as teacher where we should go from here. What I was looking for personally in this article was implications for children with learning disabilities. Which is the whole reason I am taking this class. I want to learn how to teach my son with dyslexia and ADHA how to read. I found lots of useful information. Such as phonemic awareness is not very effective in helping disabled readers learn to spell and Synthetic phonics has a great effect on disabled readers. This article talks about other things that are useful such as fluency and comprehension. I am excited about using the information I have found in my parenting as well as my teaching career.
From the beginning of the article the author tells us how boring it would be if all students were on the same reading level, from the same background, and had the same experiences from reading. We all know that this isn’t possible and that is what makes us all individuals. As teachers we are aware that we have very diverse students who come from very different backgrounds, some may not have even been read to as a child, others may have hours of reading to account for. I feel that our responsibility, as stated in the article, is to figure out what types of students we have in our classroom. This is done by many forms of assessment. In order to find out the best strategy and instruction for our students we must use certain types of assessment. The author points out four types of assessment; screening assessment, diagnostic assessment, monitoring assessment, and outcome-based assessment. The first is screening assessment which helps us assess the entire class and gives us a basic understanding of who may need added support. The diagnostic assessment gives us more details about what types of areas students need more support in and aids in altering the instruction of that student. Monitoring assessment is just that, periodical monitoring to make sure the student is on track. Monitoring can be done in many different ways and at many different times throughout the year. The final assessment is the outcome-based which is meant to meet the state learning standards. All of these assessments, according to the author, should be done for each student throughout the school year. In my many classroom observations I have yet to see any teacher that is able to perform all of these assessments on a regular basis as perceived in the article. I think it is easy to say that all children are able to read as long as we follow the guidelines and assessments but it’s not as simple as having the child read a sentence and saying they can read. I think screening assessments are important, especially with diverse learners, because it gives us an understanding of where to begin instruction and the areas that need to be focused on. The other assessment mentioned are important also but in the real classroom I just don’t feel that there is enough time or manpower for all of these things to occur. The purpose is to teach children how to read, not spend all of our time filling out graphs and data about the different types of assessments being used.
ReplyDelete