Exit Slips for READ 436 #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. Children within the classroom are at various different reading levels. The independent reading level, which I refer to as the highest level is when a child can read a text on their own with ease. The child makes few errors, 95% accuracy and above. This child reads with great expression and can comprehend the story. Students at the independent reading level can silent read comfortably. Students that are at the instructional level of reading need support from teachers, parents, or a tutor when reading. New vocabulary is introduced most at this level and the instructional level is scaffold best through guided reading groups with the teacher. A child at the instructional level is reading with a 90-95% accuracy (2-5 word calling errors per 100 words of text). The greatest reading progress happens throughout this stage due to the help of the teacher, etc. As progression is made, students will become faster readers, recognizing more words, and begin to focus on comprehension more (75% accuracy on simple recall questions) as they move into the independent level. For the instructional reading level, a running record would be beneficial to measure a students accuracy when reading. This will allow me to find books on a childs instructional and independent reading level. PALS testing also measures childrens knowledge of sounds, spelling, concept of word, words recognized in isolation, and oral passage reading! The frustration reading level is too hard for the reader. They have to decode words and the vocabulary and concepts are too difficult for the student. The frustration level type books are best read aloud so the student can be exposed to the higher level vocabulary and content, all the while the teacher models good fluency, expression, and comprehension skills. The frustration has 10 or more word errors in a 100 word text (>90% accuracy). Comprehension levels at the frustration level are below 70% accurate. Some of the factors that I want to take into consideration when grouping for reading are interest, reading level, and prior knowledge. I want to make sure students have experiences at both the independent level and instructional level, as there is always room for students to be higher level readers during elementary years. I think students need to have opportunities to read to self, read to a buddy, read aloud, as well as incorporating read-alouds. When grouping, I need to be aware of any English language learning students, too.

#2

Define fluency and describe how you will teach it, including examples and resources from class. Fluency is freedom from word identification problems that might hinder comprehension in silent reading or the expression of ideas in oral reading. When a student is a fluent reader, they have automatic recognition of words, with appropriate phrasing and expression. Fluent reading allows students to focus on meaning of activity or enjoyment of activity. Strategies for teaching fluency include using easy text (independent reading levels) and having students participate in read alouds and poems with two voices. Furthermore, a readers theater would not only be good for students fluency but also their expression. Timed repeated readings will also encourage students to increase their speed of reading. Additionally, a dictated experience story, one where a child tells a story, the teacher types it up, and then the students re-read it, is another strategy to teach and practice fluency. For teaching, its important to model phrasing and teaching explicit, fluent reading. #3 Compare word study to the method used when you learned to spell. What Ive learned throughout school and remember align greatly with the word study techniques throughout the Words Their Way text. I remember doing many picture sorts when learning different word patterns and word families. We often sorted by sounds, beginning and end. I often see in my practicum where students sort by pattern-such as VCCVe-but Im not sure students could identify the sounds made by these patterns. I dont remember this as a child, but my practicum students do many sorts by meaning, especially since their sorts recently have been reviewing homophone. As a child, I remember having specific spelling words that were specifically geared for my personal word study level. #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. We used before, during, and after activities for comprehension so students become active readers and think as they read. What they do before gets them interested in and ready for what theyre about to read and allows them to make predictions, which will hopefully lead to active readers. The after comprehension activities allow teachers to assess what students understood. A before comprehension activity example such as story words allows kids to get engaged and intrigued with the upcoming story. This activity list words from the story. Students then predict what the title and plot of the story will be based off those words. A during comprehension activity include a character or story map, done throughout the story. An after comprehension strategy can include things like Venn diagrams, think-pair-shares, and timelines.

#5 Compare our writing activities to what you see in practicum. One of the most common writing activities we discussed in class that I saw in my practicum was the use of wordless picture books. However, my practicum teacher took pictures from an old calendar and had students write about the pictures using similes, metaphors, and onomatopoeia. My teacher always asks the students to go through the stages of writing whenever they write (brainstorming, pre-writing/rough draft, editing, and final draft). My teacher also gives the students topic questions to write about such as Imagine you find an old letter tucked inside a library book. The letter reveals that there is a hidden passageway somewhere at your school. Write about your search for the passageway and where it leads.