Question 5
Share ideas about how the formal assessments (DRA/EDL/OS) anecdotal notes and running records can help you form groups, plan lessons, and conduct parent conferences. Share ways that you find are helping you keep this information useful and organized.
Formal assessments such as DRA and running records are designed to demonstrate my student’s strengths and needs to gather data about reading behaviors and processing in order to develop instructional goals. Also the observation of students while reading and writing provides me with important information for planning instruction.
ReplyDeleteFormal assessments such as DRA’s and OS serve as a guide in order for the teacher to divide students in groups where the students read at similar levels and exhibit very similar reading behaviors. Very early on in the school year a teacher has to utilize the DRA and OS information from the previous grade level to form groups. When those groups are formed the teacher very quickly begins to notice that one student may not be at the particular level that has been recorded in their literacy portfolio. Maybe because of comprehension or maybe that student is struggling with phonics and decoding. As a result, the child will be moved to another group, where other students may struggle with those same reading skills. Updated assessments can help avoid students often being pulled in and out of different groups. Once a teacher has an updated observation survey and DRA information, he/she can make better decisions about what students are best in a particular group. Once that student is placed in the best group that has been tailored to meet all those student’s needs, they will grow and develop in their reading together. At times there will be one or two students that may excel at a faster pace and then will need to placed into another group, but that is after that child has grown out of a group. I store all of my DRA/OS, running records, anecdotal notes for each individual child in a guided reading binder, which is separated by dividers with labeled tabs. Keeping this information organized this way, allows for each student’s information to be easily accessible during parent conferences. I simply find that child’s tab with their name and flip right to their assessments, notes, running records etc. This provides tangible information that aids in explaining to parents the reading level the child needs to be reading at, progress made, or even the reading skills they may struggle with.
ReplyDeleteFormal assessments such as DRA’s, OS and Running Records gives an inside knowledge of each child so that the teacher can plan appropriately challenging curriculum and to tailor instruction that responds to each child’s strengths and needs. Students are divided in groups where the students with similar reading abilities or students who need to acquire similar skills to be successful readers are grouped together. Through a running record I obtain information about a student’s use of reading strategies. With this data I collect I tailor the following lesson according to what the student needs more help in. For example it could be in word work or more instruction in comprehension skills.
ReplyDeleteAnother assessment is DRA, which is given at the beginning of the year. This tool helps me build knowledge about my student’s strengths and weakness in reading to develop groups according to students needs. I match students with similar needs in instruction and set goals specific to each group. The OS assessment is also given at the beginning of the year. It includes six literacy tasks, all of which are necessary for describing a young child’s emerging reading and writing behaviors. With the results I obtain I create goals for each student at the beginning of the school year.
These assessments are very helpful during a parent conference since you can demonstrate to the parent what their child’s strengths and weakness are. With this data you can explain to parents what the district grade expectations are compared to their child’s progress. Then you can explain to the parent how they can support reading instruction with their child at home.
I place my running records in a binder with the student’s names on labels in ABC order. I take running records in silent reading time or small group reading time. I place the students DRA and OS results in their SBISD blue folder.
I use DRA reading assessments to initially form my groups. Then, I use specific information such as comprehension scores and anecdotal notes to guide me in planning the activities that I will be using during my small group instruction. I find the clipboard assessment tool to be a great way to manage anecdotal notes and organize student data during observations.
ReplyDeleteThe The formal assessments DRA, Sp. Ed Reading Assessment, OS anecdotal records and running records can help me form groups, plan lessons and conduct parent conferences in the following ways:
ReplyDelete_ The DRA, Sp. Ed. Reading Assessment show the students instructional reading level and this forms the basis for formulating small groups
_ anecdotal notes and running records give information on specific areas to target for each student. In this way I am able to plan my lessons with specific teaching points to meet students' needs in any one or all of the essential components of reading
_ the detailed documentation yields data to show parents progress or lack of it during conferences.It also enables me to let parents know which areas need to be targeted and how they can help in achieving success for their children.
I use a 3 ring notebook with for the running records, I use a spiral notebook for the anecdotal notes and the Flexible small groups folder, that was made and given to us by our intervention specialist, helps me move the students as their levels increase at a different pace, some get ahead faster than others as some stay behind so the groups change through the year. I also use a large graph where the students view and move their own name as they move up. As a student’s moves their name as they go up a level, I make a pause so all the class could see each other’s accomplishments. This motivates not only the student who went up a level but also encourages the others to do the same. It is important to be organized and keep the information unified. This helps me to see which students need more support to advance in a timely manner.
ReplyDeleteSince you are constantly recording students reading habits, organization is key for planning and keeping track for students needs. I keep a binder with student names to keep track of assessments and observations taken during small group. It is also important for students to monitor their progress so it is important to have a place where student names are posted and they can physically move their name when they have made progress. I think this helps them be more accountable and motivated. I would like to try the index card filing idea. Also I like the idea of having each of the students index cards out while they are in small group so I can easily take notes on my observations. Doing this book study has really reminded me that are in order for our students to achieve the success that we expect from them our planning and instructional must be intentional for all students.
ReplyDeleteThe information that we gather from assessments such as the DRA, EDL, QRI is essential in helping us plan for small group instruction as it is indicative of our students specific needs in reading instruction. A few of the ideas that I have are the following...
ReplyDeleteUse the Focus for Instruction checklist that accompanies the DRA/EDL tests. It's full of lesson indicators that each student needs. You can then find ones that are similar among students and form groups that way.
Another idea is to vary the tests (books) that you use. It helps you to see the student's abilities in different genres. One last idea is actually showing parents the materials used for testing, the books, explaining how we time them and how we ask them questions. They then have an idea of how to best support their children so that their progress is better.
I use the Focus for Instruction page from the DRA/EDL to address what the student needs are. In addition, I use data to specifically target the objectives/TEKS the students have not mastered. During daily instruction, I take anecdotal notes to plan for future lessons.
ReplyDelete5. I use the Focus for Instruction checklist that goes along with the DRA/EDL tests. It's full of lesson indicators that meet the needs of my students. I use running records to track my student’s progress. I keep all my information in a binder that is divided by each student’s name. With the data I have gathered on each student I am able to show my parents exactly what their child needs to be successful in third grade. I also give my parents ideas on how to help their child at home.
ReplyDelete