Cover page: Case Study student background information

1. Concrete Data
a. Name Student 2
b. Birthdate 05/19/2010
c. Home language(s) Spanish, English
d. Year and grade level entered school in the U.S.: 2018
e. ELPAC levels (as appropriate):
Reading: 1 Emerging
Writing: 1 Emerging
Overall: 1 Emerging
f. Current age and grade level: 12, 6th grade
g. Language of instruction: English
h. Reading level: (please include year and month for each level) 3.6 AR

Part One:

I. Reading Interest Inventory

After giving student 2 the Reading Interest Inventory, I was able to gain insight in my students experiences
and interests thus far. Student 2 likes reading Adventure, humor, and non-fiction books that are mostly online
except for a few. The student states that she likes to read but she knows that she struggles with it. She says her
parents read with her at night and that her favorite books are Harry Potter. The students reading level and
participation in class tell me she most likely struggles very much while reading these books. This student seems
to be online quite often and is very familiar with a phone as well as the Chromebook provided by the school.

II. Brief social history/ Cultural context/ Personality

Student 2 has three older siblings that are not at the same school as her. According to the classroom teacher her
parents are aware that she struggles with reading however they refuse any extra supports offered by the school.
Student 2 is very vocal in class when she is confident about the topic. She works hard and I can tell she wants to
learn to read but no one has taken the time to teach her.

III. Brief school history

The student came to Jefferson with no prior academic history regarding her language learning
throughout her schooling. Since student 2 entered Jefferson Elementary with no cume file or information
regarding English Learners Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC) levels and other testing criteria,
myself and my Coordinating Teacher (CT) compiled formal and informal assessments to place the student at a
low intermediate level. The student takes part in a designated English Learner Development (ELD) group once
a day with five of her peers. Within this group the student shows strength in collaborative skills while needing
supports in interpretive and productive skills. Student 2 is always in class and on time making it easier to see
her progress over the year.

IV. Health (brief)

Although we do not have access to a file for this student, from what we know this student does not have any
significant health issues and wears glasses as needed in the classroom.

V. Behavior during Testing (brief)

The results of these assessments may only be “somewhat” accurate. With no cume file we have little to no
background on the student. This along with the student being defiantly affected her performance and therefore
test results. Student A was also interrupted in the middle of the tests which I noticed threw her off a bit. I made
sure to tell her she was not getting scored on this and it is just for me to learn how to be a batter teacher.
 VI. Justification (brief)
Both my CT and I decided that student 2 would work for my case study because she is an English learner and
generally struggles with reading. As mentioned previously the students needs extra support in this area and
without parents’ consent to further assist providing appropriate instruction throughout the school day is crucial
for her improvement.

Part Two

Third and 1. Silent reading comprehension: 410 (about third grade

above level) What is the measure that was used? Make sure to note
the assessment name.
2. Oral Reading Accuracy and Rate for one minute only:
-70% accuracy, 61 cwpm What grade level was this
assessment? Important to note the grade level.
3. Basic Phonics Skills Test (BPSY IV), Tab 3, pg. 119)
 a.1 (cvc starting with continuous sounds) = 4/5
 a.2 (cvc starting with stop/other sounds) = 4/5
 b (consonant digraphs) = 5/5
 c (consonant blends) = 4/5
 d (final e) = 4/5
 e (long vowel digraphs) = 2/5
 f (r-controlled) = 4/5
 g (other vowel digraphs) = 2/5
 h (inflectional endings) = 2/5
 i (2-syllables vccv) = 3/5
 j (2-syllables vcv) = 2/5
 k (3-syllables) = 2/5
 l= 2/5
 m= 0/5
4. Irregular Words Test,Part I, ,Part II, & Part III
 Part 1 = 52/60, Part 2 = 25/60 Did you give her part 3? It’s in the
protocol so if you did not then there should be a statement of why
the assessment was stopped.
 Total = 77/120
 Benchmark = 90/120

Part Three: Strengths and/or needs

This student has strengths in consonant digraphs, on the Basic Phonics Skills Test assessment, she scored a five
out of five. A second strength and/or need from the data set. This student also has strengths in final e. On the
BPST IV assessment, she scored a four out of five. The area from the data set that indicates this student needs
work with are long vowel diagraphs other vowel diagraphs word patterns. On the BPST IV assessment, student
2 scored a two out of five for both tests. Given the student is a sixth grader it is a good practice to lump the
strengths on one assessment together rather than break out small pieces – she has strong single syllable
decoding including short vowels, final e, and r-controlled. An area of need, as evidenced by the BPST IV is the
complex vowel patterns – long vowel digraphs and other vowel digraphs. This helps narrow down information
at the upper grades. You focused on one assessment only – remember that you want to make connections across
assessments and determine a wider range of instructional supports – especially at sixth grade. For example, the
BPST IV, IWT, and rate and accuracy can be nicely combined, and a greater intervention plan can be
determined.

Part Four: Instructional strategies/Activities

An appropriate strategy (or activity) to help this student is using flash cards. This will address her area of need
in long vowel diagraphs. The teacher would start with a few long vowel diagraphs used in words on flash cards.
(ee, ea, ie). Change the first or last letter of the cards and incorporate old and new cards in as necessary. The
words pulled to use are partly some she already knows mixed with new words from the course content. Another
appropriate activity to help this student is using a reading that the student likes and is also reading level
appropriate to highlight the long vowel diagraph words. Another form of this could be to have the teacher read
the text and have the student raise a card every time they hear a long vowel diagraph. To support the other
vowel diagraphs, we can use the same strategies and activities together to support one another. Doing these
activities for small amounts of time every day with different variations will help improve the areas of need the
student has. Teaching the vowel patterns on cards in good – what is changing the first or last letter on the card
about? I don’t understand that. You say you are pulling words – based on what and how are they being
presented? Are you thinking about a mixed list? The reading at this level should be decodable text – you will
have a hard time finding practice material that will match her interests – the goal is practicing sound spelling
patterns – what she likes to read is done at another time of day – refer to types of reading in the binder. How
will the student know the digraph card to raise? That is counting on her to know the spelling of words – not easy
for an EL or struggling reader. What she really needs in the lesson routines from the spelling pattern lessons –
refer back to the binder.

Part Five: Explanations

This strategy of incorporating words from the student’s current curriculum into the designated phonics time will
address the student's need in the area of long vowel diagraphs and other diagraphs. Introducing these words
using flash cards and white boards will be helpful for the student in making quick connections the diagraphs.
Along with the flashcards the text reading will help prepare the student for the in class read aloud giving her
confidence to participate more. These activities build on the students’ strengths in consonant diagraphs and final
e words by incorporating them into the flashcards and recognizing them in the readings. The words in the
current curriculum may or may not be easy to find to match complex vowel patterns – you may be confusing
pulling words from the curriculum as it relates to polysyllabic decoding lessons – in spelling pattern level the
words are chosen to match the sound spelling that was taught. The student is not ready to read along with sixth
grade text even with this intervention – the text is too complex. Reading practice here is decodable text.