Erica Walker

READ 436
Exit Slips

#1 Describe the assessments you will use for instructional level readers, define
the levels (independent, instructional, frustration), and explain the factors
that will influence your grouping for instruction.

The assessments I would use to assess my students’ instructional levels is using the
DSA (Developmental Spelling Assessment), running records, and reading rates. The
DSA determines the students’ word recognition and spelling. This will determine
their reading level because it shows what level books they will be able to read. The
students will be assessed for fluency using running records, which determine how
many words a student can read in a given amount of time. The running record score
shows how fast the student can read and what their reading level is. Lastly, the
reading rate is the amount of words students read per minute. There is a formula to
determine how many words a student can read per minute: it is the amount of
words in a passage divided by the seconds it takes the students to read the passage
multiplied by 60. Multiplying by 60 converts the seconds it takes the students to
read into minutes. The score the students get on this reading rate can then be
divided by 100 to show what percent accuracy the student has. The higher the
percentage is, the higher the students’ reading level is.

The three reading levels include independent, instructional, and frustration level.
The independent level reader has good comprehension, fluency, and reading skills.
They can read comfortably without a parent or teachers’ guidance, they make
minimal mistakes while reading, and can accurately describe the story. An
instructional level reader also has good comprehension skills but has lower fluency
skills than an independent reader. Their pronunciation, speed, and expression are
limited, and they need guidance from a parent/teacher. Lastly, the frustration level
is the level which students have low comprehension, fluency, and accuracy skills
while reading.

I would organize my students by their instructional levels for reading

centers/activities, since students in different reading levels will need different types
of guidance. A student reading at their grade level would be bored reading a book at
a lower level, because it would be too easy for them. This would happen if I were to
place a higher-level reader in a group with lower level readers. On the other hand, if
I were to place a lower level reader with a higher-level reading group, the student
would be confused and unable to keep up with the other group members.

#2 Define fluency and describe how you will teach it, including examples and
resources from class.

Fluency is how fast a student can read a piece of text and if they read it using the
correct expression. When teaching fluency to students, it is important to conduct
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activities/lessons that are on their instructional level. It prevents the students from
becoming confused and frustrated during the activities. The activities that I plan to
implement in my classroom are reader’s theater and model reading. Reader’s
theatre is a good way of assessing fluency because the students will demonstrate
how fast they can read and if they use the right expressions used in the play. The
students will have time to practice their roles before performing as a class, which
provides the students time to make corrections to any mistakes students make as
they are reading. This activity incorporates an aspect of pretend play, which makes
it more engaging for the students than reading off the script sitting down.

Another fluency activity I would incorporate in the classroom is model reading.

Model reading involves reading a passage given to the students and reading it with
expression. The more dramatic the passages are, the more enjoyable it is for
students to read the passages. If a story has a happy or sad expression, students can
imitate that as opposed to using a general reading voice. It makes the story more
memorable to them because they read it in a different way.

#3 Compare word study to the method used when you learned to spell.

I do not have vivid memories of learning how to spell in elementary school. I had an
excellent elementary school experience, but I do not recall the specific techniques
my teachers would use in the classroom. Literacy has been one of my strongest
subjects since grade school and I remember reading a lot in my spare time. At home,
my mom would read with me and test me on “big words” that I may not know. That
is the most recent memory I have of elementary school literacy.

Word study today is implemented in the classroom through word sorts, which are a
group of words that focus on word patterns: long o’s, short e’s, words ending in “on.”
Additionally, the word sorts help the students learn how to pronounce the words
they are learning. After observing some word sorts in my practicum classroom, I
recall using similar types of sorts. However, I feel like there are multiple approaches
to word sorts now to make them engage for students: making games using words.

#4 Why do we use before, during, and after activities for comprehension? Name
at least one comprehension activity for each (before, during, and after) with
resources from class.

The pre-activity portion of comprehension lessons address any preconceptions

students have about the topic we are discussing. The activities conducting
during the reading will ensure the students are paying attention to context
clues, making observations, and predictions for the outcome of the story. The
post activity will be a chance for students to show what they have learned
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from the story and to assess students on specific questions I have about the
novel. Overall, doing each of the three activities during a comprehension
lesson keeps the students engaged in the story and provides them an
opportunity to share their thinking. The activities also provide a source of
assessment, so teachers can identify what techniques works best for each
student.

#5 Compare our writing activities to what you see in practicum.

The writing activities we have discussed in class include the Frayer Model and
reflection activities like RAFT. The Frayer model is a diagram that incorporates
vocabulary words and different ways for students to represent them: an example of
the word, illustration, characteristics, and non-examples. Using this tool in class is a
good way to assess the students’ preconceptions about new vocabulary they are
learning in the classroom. Another writing activity we have discussed in class is
RAFT, which stands for Role of Writer, Audience, Format, and Topic. These
reflection activities help narrow down what the students should have discovered
while reading stories in class.

In my practicum class, I saw my teacher implement multiple forms of reflections.

The reflections usually consist of comprehensions about the text they were reading.
I have also had my teacher give handouts in which the students had to assume the
role of a famous American. This provided the students an opportunity to learn about
a famous American they were curious about. The students in my class are struggling
in writing and spelling, so their activities are modified for their writing/spelling
abilities.

#6 In class exit slip – write your own information sheet for parents’ night (for
instructional level readers, grade of your choice). Use the handouts from
class as an example.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Hello! My name is Ms. Walker and I am going to be teaching 2nd grade this
year. I am sending this letter to inform you what literacy practices I will be
conducting in the classroom this year. The 4 key components of literacy that the
students will be focusing on is fluency, comprehension, word study, and writing.
Fluency focuses on the student’s ability to read quickly and use the correct
expression while reading. An activity that I plan on doing in the classroom is
reader’s theatre, an interactive way for the students to learn fluency and improve
their oral communication skills (SOL 2.3). Comprehension focuses on the student’s
ability to answer questions about a given reading. In this case, I would ask the
students follow-up questions on a book we are reading in class: whether that be
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verbally or on a worksheet. Word study addresses how students learn new

vocabulary words, in which we will be sorting words in categories: differences
between long and short vowels. This will increase their vocabulary and their
pronunciation of words. Lastly, writing will be incorporated within the other
components of literacy and the other subjects presented throughout this semester.
Students at this age are still learning to create legible print, so I will conduct
activities centered around improving the students’ handwriting.

If you have any further questions about what the students are learning and how it
applies to the curriculum, feel free to email me at walke5em@dukes.jmu.edu.

Thank you and I look forward to working with your student throughout the year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Walker