Literacy Survival Tips - Liberty Drive Elementary School

DECEMBER 2010

Literacy
Survival

Tips

for New
Teachers!

By Lori Oczkus Assessment Survival Tips:

Guidelines and TOP 5 Quick,

Informal Assessments Every Teacher

Should Know

2 Assessment Overload

These days, we teach in Assessment Is a GOOD Thing Diagnostic assessments
an assessment-crazed
environment. Politicians, the There is some good news! With This type of assessment gives a
carefully planned assessment and baseline reading level of the student.
consistent use of the results to We also gain information regarding

general public, and the media focus inform instruction, assessment use the student’s strengths and needs.

constant attention on schools and can lead to increases in student How to use this information: The

test scores. The pressure to improve learning. Additionally, our instruction data gathered help us determine how

student performance is everywhere. becomes more informed and focused to group our students for instruction.

Most likely, your district as we strive to vary our lessons to We can also analyze the strengths

embraces a variety of required tools meet student needs and to improve and weaknesses of our students

for you to bombard students with performance. and see where we need to improve

throughout the year: beginning- This article covers some informal, our instruction. Remember: If you

of-the-year assessments, ongoing super simple assessments that administer an assessment, plan time

assessments, and a parade of formal elementary and middle school for analyzing and interpreting the

and informal district, state, and teachers employ to improve reading information you collect, then use it!

national tests. Many teachers express instruction in their classrooms. Brief Examples: Developmental Reading
frustration with the constant testing summaries of each tool make this the Assessment (DRA), Informal Reading
and feel that they barely have time to perfect quick reference for your own Inventory (IRI)
teach the necessary information to classroom.

do well on the exams or to cover the When you use these easy,

curriculum. classroom-tested assessments, you Formative assessments

gain rich, on-the-spot information These are on-the-spot assessments

that helps given while our students are reading.

Questions to Consider ■ Back your more formal testing with This type of assessment should be
When Assessing additional data to inform selection given frequently to provide feedback
Students’ Reading of instructional materials on our lessons and student progress.

■ How do I find time to assess my ■ Inform your instruction and How to use this information: The
students’ abilities and determine provide feedback for future lessons data gathered give us feedback on
their individual needs? to meet student needs student progress and advise us which
students didn’t “get it” and how to
■ Group students together who share reteach or provide differentiated
the same problems or strengths instruction.

■ What level text can each Reading Assessment 101 Examples: Running records,
student read, and what is the observations, written responses,
independent, instructional, and The main categories of all verbal responses, student–teacher
frustration reading level of each assessments we administer in and student–student conversations,
student? workbook pages

■ Which skills and strategies do classrooms today are diagnostic,

my students need to learn? formative, and summative. Serravallo Summative assessments
(2010) suggests that when we
■ How do my students feel about understand these basic terms, we can These are end-of-unit assessments
reading? categorize the types and purposes of to evaluate how well students have
assessments for ourselves, parents, learned the information taught. The
■ How can I assess the pillars of and administrators. The different information provided is different
reading instruction (word work, types of assessment measures work from that of diagnostic or formative
phonics, phonemic awareness, together to give us an accurate assessments, in that you are assessing
fluency, and comprehension)?

■ How can I use informal picture of students’ progress so we how well students have learned

assessments to inform and can adjust our instruction to meet what you intended to teach during a

improve my daily instruction? their needs. specific period of instruction.

3

How to use this information: The data now. I see that you are having trouble observe their attempts, and return to

gathered are analyzed and can be finding clues from the text to justify modeling based on their predictions.

used to form groups for intervention your inferences. Let’s find some Be sure to praise students for

or extension. We can also decide if we clues together, and you can practice their approximations. You may even

need to reteach any of the material or finding more character-feeling clues want to create simple rubrics or

differentiate our instruction. on the next page.” criteria to help students know what

Examples: End-of-book test or a Feedback in fluency might sound good strategy or skill use looks like.
test on writing summaries after a like this: “You are reading more words For example, you can review with
unit on the strategies and skills for per minute and so your speed has the class the steps for giving a verbal
summarizing reading material, end- improved. Great! I did notice that text summary and together list those
of-unit tests with formal reading you are reading so fast that you steps in order for student reference
programs, standardized tests, district are speeding past the punctuation when they practice summarizing.
assessments signals! Let’s try reading this together,
and we will try using the punctuation Peer evaluation:
Essential Guidelines signals to sound more natural when Two heads are better than one!
you read.”
Another important piece of the
Immediate feedback sets

for Making Assessment students on the correct path for assessment puzzle is peer and self-
Meaningful learning and improving their reading. evaluation. During a lesson, students
Try to build constant feedback for might turn to partners and try a

The key to making assessment the class and individuals into your strategy such as summarizing. One

work for you and your students is to lessons. student takes a turn providing a

involve the students in the process summary while the peer observes.

(DiRanna et al., 2008; Heritage, 2010; E. Modeling: Show me! The observer uses a class-created
Osmundson, personal communication, rubric or checklist that includes the
November 2010)! Following are some It makes sense that if
basics for engaging students in you expect students
assessment so they will be motivated to do something,
to use strategies to improve their own they need to know
reading. what a “good” one
looks like. If you are

Feedback: How am I doing? teaching summarizing
or inferring, you

Give students immediate feedback need to provide lots

as often as possible during lessons of strong examples

so they know if they need to work from text, share your

on a given skill or strategy. Feedback own think-alouds, and

includes compliments, corrections, allow students to offer

and suggestions. examples.

When teaching the whole class, The assessment

you might have students write cycle includes repeated

responses on a slate. You may then modeling from texts so

add an example to your teaching if that students will know

you see that half the class didn’t get what they need to do to

the concept. improve. For example, if

When you meet with individual you are teaching how to

students, provide feedback that make strong predictions

they can incorporate immediately. using text clues and

You might say, “You are starting to background knowledge,

make some strong inferences about you might model with

character feelings. You said you think a text, ask students to

the main character feels sad right practice with partners,

4 criteria for a good summary. (This A powerful way of engaging
might include filling in a frame, students in the assessment cycle
Sample Student Goals such as “In the beginning…, then…, is to help them create their own
in Reading next…, finally....”) The peer tutor specific goals for reading. Individual
shares what the partner did well and student conferences present a
■ I want to increase the number what was missed in the summary, perfect opportunity to help students
of books I read this month to then the partners switch roles. set goals. You can also teach quick,
[number]. whole-class minilessons on goal
Wiliam and Thompson (2007) note setting and model some examples.
■ I will improve my reading that the partner who is observing and
fluency to [words per minute]. providing feedback benefits as much Encourage students to write goals
as the partner who is reading, because and refer to them often. They can
■ I will read with expression. he or she internalizes the learning by keep a record of goals in their reading
evaluating another’s work. When you logs or folders, or on an index card
■ I will improve my fluency by engage students in peer evaluation, taped to their desks.
reading phrases instead of word they learn with and from each other.
by word. Be sure to provide strong modeling
along the way.
■ I will read more difficult
chapter books with good Goal setting: Encourage independence!
comprehension. I want to read
the book [title]. Many popular self-help books
promote the idea of goal setting for
■ I will read for 30 minutes every success in everything from weight
night at home. loss to time management to gaining
financial wealth. The success gurus
■ I will explore new genres by all seem to agree that goal setting is
reading books such as [titles]. important if you want to reach new
heights, and writing down goals is
■ I will improve my use of the even better. So why not borrow from
strategy [rereading, using the experts and bring goal setting
beginning sounds, visualizing, into our classrooms to improve
etc.]. (Note: Have students be student reading?
specific here. Say something
like, “I will improve my use
of predicting by looking at
headings in nonfiction and
thinking about what I might
learn,” “I will improve my use of
visualizing by stopping every
two pages to think about the
picture I am forming in my head
and rereading when necessary,”
or “I will improve my use of
figuring out words by looking
at the beginning sounds and
thinking about what makes
sense.”)

5 the better summary. You may then 2 Pile Sorting
decide what your next lesson will
Lori’s Top 5 Formative cover and how you will ask students Pile sorting is one of my favorite
Assessments to Use to practice their own summaries ways to flexibly group students for
DURING Lessons based on their responses to your further instruction. After scaffolded
lesson. instruction, I ask students to
1 Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down complete a brief assignment, such
In addition to asking students as a quick-write in their reading
It is easy to build quick checks for for a thumbs up or down, you might notebooks or a quick-write on a
understanding during every lesson have students indicate responses paper folded into fourths, requiring
to keep track of student learning. using the following methods: four examples. I read and sort their

By doing so, you provide active ■ Hold up fingers to indicate which responses in three groups: those who
engagement while assessing student number is correct in a multiple got it, those who sort of got it, and
learning (Oczkus, 2009). response. those who didn’t get it. This takes just
a few minutes and identifies three
During a think-aloud during

reading instruction, read from ■ Hold up fingers to rate a story/ groups of students with whom I can

the text and model how to give a author and turn to a partner to meet and do the following:

summary. Discuss with students justify response. ■ Provide deeper examples for the
what a good summary looks like, and ■ Record responses to problems or group who got it.

questions on slates and hold up for ■ Give opportunities to review and

you to see. move into deeper examples for the

■ Underline portions of text or put group who sort of got it.

a sticky note next to text with a ■ Reteach and provide intervention

symbol on it. for the group who didn’t get it.

either model one or ask students to ■ Use new technologies such as Another option would be to
tell what they think a good summary interactive whiteboards and mix students from all three groups
should include. Then, model a poor clickers. and work through more examples
short summary lacking information, after I model, of course. This way
and ask students to show with a Many school districts across they help one another deepen their
thumbs up or down whether they the United States are updating understanding. For example, I may
think your summary was good. their technology and providing teach a lesson on asking questions
interactive whiteboards and clickers. before reading. The questions
Immediately model in a think- Each student uses a remote to click begin with the words “I see…and I
aloud a better summary that includes an answer to a carefully planned wonder…” (Oczkus, 2004). Students
main ideas in order, and ask for a question, revealing immediately flip through the illustrations prior
thumbs up or down. Note which which students understood the to reading to record what they see
students are able to demonstrate question and which need additional on each page and something they
their understanding. instruction. A written record is wonder. When I collect their papers,
available for reference and lesson I skim them looking for wonders that
Give another set of examples and planning. Students love to click match the text illustrations and follow
see how many students can identify away and respond to the immediate a logical path of thinking.
feedback. The new generation of
clickers enables students to type in In a lesson using the book
longer written responses. Digging Up Dinosaurs by Aliki, I
ask students to write “I see and I
Be cautious and judicious with wonder” statements for the first 10
your use of these automated systems. pages in the book. The first pages
Effective teachers collect evidence demonstrate how a fish became a
on student learning from a variety fossil. One student writes, “I see a
of sources that reflect the complex fish buried under layers of soil and I
processes of reading. wonder how long it took to become

6 a piece of yarn and pen attached students to discuss their reading.

a fossil.” Another student writes in

response to the same picture, “I see that you can grab at any moment You may wish to use the clipboard

a fish under the dirt and wonder to record your observations of cruising method for recording

how long the Tyrannosaurus Rex was students. information; however, you may need

here.” The second student has some ■ Put a sheet of computer labels or an entire sheet of paper rather than
good ideas but is not wondering sticky notes on the clipboard. sticky notes or labels for recording
specifically about the illustration in-depth interviews.
at hand. A third student misses the ■ Circulate around the classroom
point entirely and writes, “I see a and date each note as you record Routman (2003) points out that by
bone and wonder if I can get a fish.” information about one student at a second grade, children do not require
So my quick piles begin: the first time. You may not get to everyone oral reading as part of the conference.
student in the got it pile, second in in one day. Use your judgment for how much oral
reading you want to observe.

the sort of got it pile, and third in the ■ Once you’ve recorded an Here are some questions you

didn’t get it pile. observation for each student, use might ask students in a one-on-one

I plan a lesson to build more the information to form flexible conference (Routman, 2003):

background on the topic and model groups of students who have ■ What are you reading?
examples of “I see and I wonder” for similar needs or strengths. ■ Why did you pick this book?
the students. I provide individual ■ Do you like it? Why or why not?
coaching and small-group work to ■ The sticky notes or labels with
student names are easily removed

practice wondering. As students turn from the clipboard and placed in a For fiction, ask,
in their examples, I look for evidence
folder for each student.

of growth and teach increasingly ■ You may look for the same skill or ■ Who are the main characters?
sophisticated lessons. strategy at a later date to see how ■ What is the problem?

each student has progressed. ■ What are your favorite parts?

3 Clipboard Cruising For example, after teaching For nonfiction, ask,
lessons on predicting while reading, ■ What is interesting?
Another great addition to your clipboard cruise and ask each student ■ What do you want to learn/what
assessment techniques is to be a for a prediction and reason for
super kidwatcher (see Goodman, that prediction. Do so three times are you learning?
1985) or observer. As students are during a grading period and use the ■ How is this book organized?
engaged in meaningful reading information to create more lessons ■ What are your reading goals? (e.g.,
tasks, circulate the room and collect and flexible groups to target the
specific evidence of student learning. predicting strategy. harder books, topics, fluency)
If you are teaching a lesson on ■ What do you want to read next?
inferences, for example, listen in on

conversations about how students 4 Individual Reading Conferences As you confer with each student, you
arrived at their conclusions. Make may also want to make a note of the
notes on your clipboard about who One of the most powerful ways following:
understands what and the evidence. to instruct students is to conduct
Examine these notes after instruction individual reading conferences ■ Was the book too easy, hard, or
for patterns and trends. (Routman, 2003). If you are already just right for the student?

Clipboard providing ■ How fluently did the student read
cruising time for it aloud to you?
(Kaufeldt, 2005) independent
is a formative reading ■ What strategies does the student
assessment through use to figure out words?
technique that sustained
can be done in a silent reading 5 Running Records
variety of ways. or readers’
workshop, A useful reading assessment to easily
■ To get started, meet with implement with any text, on the
keep a individual spot, is a running record, where an
clipboard with individual student reads aloud from a

7

100-word passage while the teacher or word-by-word did the

records and then analyzes decoding, student read? How was his or

comprehension, and fluency (Clay, her overall comprehension?

1993). A running record reveals how Acceptable scores depend

a student is functioning in a certain on the reading material

level of text and which decoding (Serravallo, 2010). For

strategies the student is using, independent reading material,

provides a quick fluency check for you the student should score 97%

to watch for intonation and prosody, or higher in oral reading with

and helps you plan specific coaching natural-sounding fluency and

and lessons around student needs good comprehension. For

(Cooper, Robinson, & Kiger, 2010). instructional-level text, the

How often you give a running student may score 95% or a

record depends on your purpose for bit below, and comprehension ■ Coach individual students—If

giving the assessment. You may give and fluency may be lacking. If the a student needs to use more

more frequent running records, even score comes in below 90%, the phonics, decoding, or maybe

once a week, to younger children and student may be frustrated with the meaning clues while reading, you

struggling readers to monitor their text and unable to maintain meaning. can model using a variety of texts.

progress and to adjust your instruction Use running records to inform You might say, “I noticed you are
to fit their needs. When using running instruction: Taking running records substituting words that make sense
records to monitor reading level, you is not enough. You can use this but do not begin with the letter of
may give running records in grades valuable information to plan lessons, the word in the book.” Then model
K–2 every three weeks and in grades coach individual students, and form how to sound out the words and
3–6 every four to six weeks. groups. think about what makes sense.

Analyze the results: You can ■ Form groups—You can group

informally analyze the results and ■ Plan lessons—The results from your students who need to work on the

see what patterns the errors form. running records reveal patterns same strategies, such as reading

Ask, Did the student use meaning, across your class, and you can build more fluently or using meaning to

phonics, visual clues? How fluently lessons around student needs. figure out words.

Taking Running Records Is Easy

Get started conduct a modified, super simple omissions and record self-corrections,
running record (Routman, 2003). substitutions, and insertions. Count
Choose or have the student select a Listen to the student read aloud and the number of words the student
passage of 100 words out of any text. then measure overall comprehension read correctly, including self-
Make a photocopy of the page or by asking the student to retell or to corrections, and calculate results
simply take notes on another paper as answer a couple basic questions. using this formula:
the student reads to you. Sit next to Record only the substitutions the
and a bit behind the student so that student makes or the self-corrections. _N_um__b_e_r _of_w_o_r_d_s_re_a_d_c_o_rr_e_c_tl_y × 100 = % of words read correctly
he or she will not be as conscious of The easiest way to do that is to Number of words in the text
your note-taking during the reading. write what the student says on top
Date your notes for later reference and and what the text says below it. For Example: Julian read 97 out of 100 words correctly.
comparison. example, if the student says “dog”
and the text says “pet,” you write the __9_7__ × 100 = 97%
Record student errors following: 100
and self-corrections
page 3 child reads: dog Assess comprehension
Choose either a modified, super text says: pet
simple running record or a more After a read-aloud, ask the student
detailed one. Both are easy to take Or take a more detailed running to retell the reading in his or her own
once you’ve had some practice. record: To take a more detailed words or to answer a few questions
running record, follow a copy of regarding main events and ideas from
Take a modified, super simple the text as the student reads. Circle the text. The student should be able
running record! When taking notes to recall 90–95% of the material.
without a copy of the text, you can

8 Q&A use the information in new reading new words or confusing parts in
situations. The key is to be positive the text. Now you might want to

Should I share assessment results in the process. Here are some simple try rereading difficult or confusing
with students? How can I use the points to consider to get the most words or parts to also help you
results to get buy-in from my out of sharing assessments with your clarify.”
students? students:
■ Help students set specific goals
You should absolutely share ■ Ask students how they think they based on the assessment results
assessment results with students did on the assessment. What was and the skills and strategies you
and provide feedback so they hard or easy for them? are teaching.
can grow and learn from the
■ Build on the known. Give ■ Praise evidence of progress and
approximations as students

information collected. When compliments on what students do practice the skills, strategies, and

students reflect on their results, well. For example, “I noticed you reading behaviors they need to

they become metacognitive and check the illustrations to figure out improve.

Lori D. Oczkus is a literacy coach, author, and Web Resources ReadWriteThink:
popular speaker across the United States. Tens www.readwritethink.org
of thousands of teachers have attended her Bright Hub:
motivating, fast-paced workshops and read www.brighthub.com/education/ ReadWriteThink is a great resource for
her practical, research-based professional special/articles/31319.aspx hundreds of free downloadable lessons on
books, including Interactive Think-Aloud all aspects of reading. Here are some to try:
Lessons: 25 Surefire Ways to Engage Students “Short Cuts to Take and Use Running
and Improve Comprehension (Scholastic & Records” ■ “Name Talk: Exploring Letter-Sound
International Reading Association, 2009) Knowledge in the Primary Classroom”
and Reciprocal Teaching at Work: Powerful Busy Teacher’s Cafe: (Grades K–1) by Kathy Egawa
Strategies and Lessons for Improving Reading www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy/
Comprehension (2nd edition; International running_records.html ■ “Poetry: A Feast to Form Fluent Readers”
Reading Association, 2010). Lori has extensive (Grades 3–5) by Sheila K. Seitz
experience as a bilingual elementary This page provides information on
teacher, intervention specialist working administering running records and using ■ “Promoting Student Self-Assessment”
with struggling readers, staff developer, the information to guide your reading (Grades 6–12) by Phil Wilder
and literacy coach. She works regularly with instruction.
students in classrooms and really knows the Teacher2Teacherhelp:
challenges that teachers face in teaching Learn NC Editions: www.learnnc.org/ www.teacher2teacherhelp.com/
students to read! You can contact Lori through lp/editions/readassess/1.0 uncategorized/individual-reading-
her website at www.lorioczkus.com. conference
“Ongoing Assessment for Reading”
Educational consultant Annemarie Johnson
provides information on individual reading
conferences.

References Kaufeldt, M. (2005). Teachers, change your bait! Brain-
compatible differentiated instruction. Norwalk, CT: Crown.
Clay, M.M. (1993). An observation survey of early literacy
achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Oczkus, L.D. (2004). Super six comprehension strategies: 35
lessons and more for reading success. Norwood, MA:
Cooper, J.D., Robinson, M.D., & Kiger, N.D. (2010). Success with Christopher-Gordon.
RTI: Research-based strategies for managing RTI and core
reading instruction in your classroom. New York: Scholastic. Oczkus, L.D. (2009). Interactive think-aloud lessons: 25 surefire
ways to engage students and improve comprehension.
DiRanna, K., Osmundson, E., Topps, J., Barakos, L., Gearhart, New York: Scholastic; Newark, DE: International Reading
M., Cerwin, K., et al. (2008). Assessment-centered Association.
teaching: A reflective practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Routman, R. (2003). Reading essentials: The specifics you need
Goodman, Y.M. (1985). Kidwatching: Observing children in to teach reading well. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
the classroom. In A. Jaggar & M.T. Smith-Burke (Eds.),
Observing the language learner (pp. 9–18). Newark, DE: Serravallo, J. (2010). Teaching reading in small groups:
International Reading Association; Urbana, IL: National Differentiated instruction for building strategic,
Council of Teachers of English. independent readers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Heritage, M. (2010). Formative assessment and next- Wiliam, D., & Thompson, M. (2007). Integrating assessment
generation assessment systems: Are we losing an with learning: What will it take to make it work? In C.A.
opportunity? Washington, DC: Council of Chief State Dwyer (Ed.), The future of assessment: Shaping, teaching,
School Officers. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from and learning (pp. 53–82). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
www.ccsso.org/Documents/2010/Formative_
Assessment_Next_Generation_2010.pdf