Katie is a first grader and Estella is third grader, in my class. Estell has shown growth this year on DRA2, DIBELS, and the Running Record I administer, supposedly at a DRA Level 16. The Mondo levels are inconsistent or idiosyncratic with what our staff is familiar. A constant concern is the high level vocabulary. Predator is in the first grade guided reading book. Yet, neither students tested missed the word. They both new it. Estella was familiar through her own guided reading and oral language. Katie was familiar from a silly song the students learned in shared reading, thus seeming to support the graphophonics theory of subconscious acquisition (Freeman & Freeman, p.152). Estella substituted the word clod for cloud. I would support using the spelling strategy of sorting vowels. Furthermore, I would like to try a more difficult level for Estella to see if I can find patterns in here reading. I would also like to use a text with which I'm familiar with. I was not particularly comfortable with my tracking as I rushed to get the students tested.
Though repeats are not counted against the score, Estella, repeats often. I suspect it is to make sure it is making sense as here slow fluency may make meaning more challenging for her. Actually, there are so many things I will do differently next year with spelling. I've learned so much and all students will benefit from the strategies I've learned. Estella was given a list each week to memorize. The words were taken from lists of rules, math, social studies, and science. We just didn't spend much time on them. The program Katie's class uses is Fundations. It works with words by categorizing, substituting, and dictation. Spelling test are involved and take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. They do render a great deal of information and only administered every 3 weeks or so. Over the last 7 years as a third grade teacher, I've noticed that the students come as great spellers, indeed, all three third grade teachers agree on this. But this year I told my teammates that I was really having to spend time on thinking skills. I completely identified with the quote from the teacher, Vivian, (Freeman & Freeman, p. 150) and that "constructing meaning" as words are learned would be most beneficial.
I must say I agree with the articles and text I’ve read, that it is important to be comfortable with the running record. I can’t say why administer Running Records went by the wayside but it did. I can’t say I don’t assess often, I do. But, I am realizing the value. The first articles I found, “How Do We Know Johnny Can Read?” Evaluates the use of Running Record as a pilot assessment for first graders, from Central School District. The plan was to have teachers trained to use running records to adjust strategies and increase reading speed. The idea was to be able to ensure their assessments were giving the teacher the information they needed. The second article is helpful for guiding information to relate to parents, “Parents and Children Reading and Reflecting Together: the Possibilities of Family Retrospective Miscue Analysis.” The author looked at how teachers could inform parents so that miscues analysis information is understood by parents and then parents are given strategies to work with their child in the home. Apropos to what I'm learning.
References:
Freeman, D. & Freeman, Y. (2004). Essential linguistics : what you need to know to teach reading, ESL, spelling, phonics, grammar. Portsmouth:NH. Heinemann.
Kabuto, B. (2009). Parents and children reading and reflecting together: the possibilities of family retrospective miscue analysis. The Reading Teacher, 63(3), pp. 212–221.
International Reading Association. DOI:10.1598/RT.63.3.4 ISSN: 0034-0561 print / 1936-2714 online.
Yates, S. & Nagel, S. (1997). How do we know Johnny can read? Thrust for Educational Leadership, 10552243, Feb/Mar97, Vol. 26, Issue 5. EBESCOhost. online
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