Individual Literacy Assessment Portfolio

Individual Literacy Assessment Portfolio

Jane Wahlman

University of Alaska, Southeast

ECE 661

Susan Andrews

May 3, 2017

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Table of Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................... 3-4
Concepts About Print Score Sheet .........................................................................................................................................5
Analyzing Student Work Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 6-9
ASW Student Sample ................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Running Record Example .............................................................................................................................................. 11-12
Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

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 Introduction

The following informal reading assessments are beneficial to teachers in a number of ways.

Most importantly they help identify the type of individual instruction required by each child. One of

the first codebreaking activities in reading is to discover something about the conventions of how

printed messages are presented, otherwise known as Concepts About Print (C.A.P). Some children

have had opportunity to develop their knowledge about “language in print” and others have not by the

time they reach school age. Children that are more aware of print will transition more easily into

reading and writing. Once children have some idea about how books are presented, they can look

through a story in sequence, but must also attend to the detail in print. C.A.P assessments identify

how students move through a word, where they start, and in what direction they move. These results

guide the teacher on how best to proceed with instructing each student.

Analyzing Student Work (ASW), an informal assessment tool, can identify and distinguish the

various levels of learning that exist in a classroom. This information proves helpful in several ways.

Among these is identifying what set of skills each group can work on in order to get them to the next

level. These samples also help the teacher plan effective instructional strategies so students are

challenged at their level. This gives proper attention to scaffolding at appropriate and unique levels

such that every child can succeed in their own capacity. When examining student work it is important

to identify what the students understand, what misconceptions might be present and what the student

needs to do in order to meet the standards or improve their work. This exercise can identify which

students are meeting the standard, those who are not, and to what extent the students are challenging

themselves and in what way. This also can inform the teacher about how well the instructional

strategies worked and how instruction can be modified to improve students’ understanding of the

topic.

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 Running records are an effective way that teachers can identify the current reading level of

their students. Based on the accuracy percentages, teachers can select the correct leveled reader for

the student. A teacher can examine a student's running records over a period of time. With this

information, the teacher can identify patterns in the kinds of behaviors the child exhibits. Teachers

can also identify patterns of reading behaviors of certain demographics of students, for example, ELL

students.

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 ANALYZING STUDENT WORK: CONTENT BASED ASSESSMENT
Student Samples – Students A-H (Target is D)

Process Small group – journal entry (developing writers)

STEP 1: Assessing and Identifying Proficiency
Read the assessment prompt and/or rubric and identify:
 What are the students expected to do?
Response: Complete a journal entry using the prompt on the board: Animals live . . . Reminder
to use complete sentences with proper punctuation.

 Which standards (CCSS or content standards) or curriculum expectations are

being assessed?
Response:
RF.1.1.a - Print Concepts
Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print;
a. Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., first word, capitalization, ending
punctuation).

RF.1.3.a-g - Phonics and Word Recognition

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words;
b. Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words;

 What assistive devices, if any, will students be able to use (i.e. calculator, ruler,
protractor, number charts, graph paper, scrape paper, etc.)
Response: Students use their journals (they can look back through past entries) and can access
both the alphabet on the wall and a “tricky” word wall (which includes several sight words).

 What do you consider to be a proficient response on this assessment? Exactly

what do students need to say or write for you to consider their work proficient?
Response: Students need to use capitals and punctuation (periods) to form complete sentences.
Students use finger spacing between word and consistent spacing between letters. Capital and
lowercase letters are used appropriately. Sight words are mostly spelled correctly. Print
contains message.

 Does the assessment give students a clear opportunity to demonstrate what

they know or have learned? Provide a clarifying statement for how…
Response: Students have been learning about animals in various habitats thus they can use the
journal as an opportunity to demonstrate the meaning in the text. They have been working
steadily in language arts to write complete sentences with a finger space distance between
words, and correct use of punctuation.

STEP 2: Identifying Strengths and Needs if working with a group of learners

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 Do a “quick sort” of students’ work by the general degree of the objectives met,
developing, or not yet.

Met Students have already demonstrated consistency with key

objectives knowledge and skills for the assignment.
Developing Students are appropriately prepared to meet the
objectives demands of the assignment.
Not Yet Students have not yet met the pre-requisite knowledge of
objectives skills necessary to complete the assignment.

Sorted lists:

Met Developing Not Yet

objectives Objectives objectives
Student A Student B Student E Student C Student F
Student G Student H Student D (Target)

37.5 % of class 25 % of class 37.5 % of class

STEP 3: Identify the prerequisite knowledge (skills) the students

demonstrated they are able to use (items may be bulleted within each category).
These are the strengths or skills demonstrated by student within each category of
your pre-sort.
Met Developing Not Yet
progressing work samples incomplete work samples
best quality work samples
 Consistent space between  Good letter formation  Spacing is inconsistent
words  Word attempts are a mix between words and within
 Conventionally spelled of upper and lower case words
high frequency words (in & the) letters  Picture non-existent or
 Phonemic approximations  Spacing is consistent may not match print
of unknown words  Conventionally spelled  Words and letters are not
attempted: high frequency words (are, organized within the lines
(Evreeware: everywhere and)  Upper and lowercase
Stase: states  Punctuation varied in the letters are mixed up
Cruncherees: countries) consistency (some periods  Punctuation and
 Punctuation (period) marked the end of the capitalization are
 Capitalization at the sentence) erroneous
beginning of the sentence
 Some capitalization at the
 Work includes picture that beginning of the sentence
matches/supports print
 Simple sentence is
 Phonemic approximations
attempted (sum:some)
complete

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STEP 4: Identify the missing information/skills and the misconceptions and/or
wrong responses in the table that follows. You may need to review the
separate groups of work samples to ensure that you have no gaps.

Met Developing Not Yet

possible skills to work on for possible skills to work on for possible skills to work on for
this group of students:
 Sentence construction
 Appropriate use of
punctuation (period only)
 Consistent use of sight
words/high frequency
words
 Attempt unknown words
with sounds recorded in
sequence
 Capitals and lower-case
are used correctly
this group of students:
 Consistent spacing
between letters within
words
 Include sight words
 Every word contains a
vowel
 Consistent spacing
between words
 Correct use of capitals and
lower-case letters
this group of students:
 Students should always
place a finger at the end of
one word before
beginning another
 Practice forming letter and
words on lines, rather than
floating
 Recall punctuation of
simple sentences-capital
letters to begin sentences
and periods to end them

STEP 5: Identify Instructional Next Steps

Based on the analysis of the students work samples, ask yourself:
 What patterns or trends are noted for the individual or the group?

 Think about a range of instructional strategies that will be beneficial for the
individual or the group? Then based on your analysis of student data
(responses), within each category, identify specific instructional strategies
to be used in the support of learners in meeting the identified objectives.
Complete the table:

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 Instructional Strategies/ Next Steps
What will you focus your instruction on for the student or students in each group?
Met Developing Not Yet
Students who demonstrated full Students who demonstrated partial Students who attempted to complete
competence in this assignment need to competence in this assignment need to this assignment need to focus on the
focus on the following skills next: focus on the following skills: following skills:
 Introduce varied  Consistent spacing  Spacing is clear
punctuation usage between words and consistent
within a sentence  Capitals and lower- between letters
 Practice sentence case letters are used and words
structure with properly in  Print contains
upper and lower sentences message
case letter usage  Contains correct  Readable letter
(proper nouns) punctuation formation
 Word Study:  Write about what  Focus on beginning
Practice identifying reader knows and ending
differences  Work with sentence punctuation for
between simple building sentences
words that sound
the same
 Include more
details to expand
topic

Self-reflection on your process (Reflect on the use of such an informative assessment tool
and how you think this tool or similar type of process could be used in your developing
practice.): This assessment tool can identify and distinguish the various levels existent in a
classroom. This information proves helpful in several ways. Among these is identifying
what set of skills each group can work on in order to get them to the next level. These
samples also help the teacher plan effective instructional strategies so students are challenged
at their level. This gives proper attention to scaffolding at appropriate and unique levels such
that every child can succeed in their own capacity.

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 Summary

Assessment is an essential element of education used to inform instruction. All students have

various backgrounds and skills in literacy. Due to the various student levels, it is necessary to design

literacy instruction to meet the individual needs of each student. Individual needs can be determined

by initial and ongoing reading assessments. These assessments provide teachers with the information

needed to develop appropriate lessons and improve instruction for all students. Early literacy

assessments such as the C.A.P, the ASW, and Running Records guide teachers on how best to proceed

with instructing each student.

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