EDRDG 430

Progress Report
Teachers College
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
Name: Jake
Tutor: Eric Southerland
I.

Grade: Childs Grade: 1

Supervisor: Dr. Angela H. Hampton

Background Information
Jakes attitude has been exceptional; he is always ready to learn with positive
attitude. He said he enjoys reading, but does not enjoy writing. During our first
session, he was really excited about the book David Goes to School. Jake
appears to be eager to work on his reading, however he sighs when we work on
writing together. He indicated he is interested in super heroes, pokemon, and
math. He reads through punctuation and reads over words. He believes a good
reader is someone who reads fast Jake is eager to work hard. He can become
distracted, but when directed Jake Jay quickly returns back to the task at hand.
He is vocal about his likes and dislikes if asked. Jakes favorite activity is using
the ipad during our sessions, but outside of our sessions it is riding his bike.
Jakes attitude is upbeat, positive, and ready to work in our sessions. His favorite
book is David Goes to School at least during our sessions. He is motivated by
his family encouraging him to get better. He is also motivated by recent
improvements in his reading skills obtained over the summer.
II.

Assessment Results -This whole section pertains only to the results

obtained from your initial testing sessions.

A. Tests Administered List each test administered. (specify pre and post tests
with dates)
Ongoing Observation
Running Records A-Z Books
o Level D 94% Pretest 9/15/2015
o Level E 90% Pretest 9/17/2015
o Level F 97% Pretest 9/22/2015
o Level G 97% Pretest 9/29/2015
o Level H 96% Pretest 10/1/2015
Independent Level H
o Level I 93% Pretest 10/8/2015
Instructional Level I
o Level J 89.6% 10/27/2015
Frustration Level J

Writing Samples

Fry High Frequency Word List Assessment

Phonological Awareness Assessment

B. Reading Levels
Initially, I thought Jakes independent level was D. I also thought his
instructional level was E. However, I went ahead to F to verify a frustration level of F
and he performed very well. I then looked at the errors in previous assessments. I
noticed in the first recording the mistakes Jake made were reading over words or adding
words. In the second recording the words he missed were all onomatopoeias, without
missing those words he would have performed very well. In my opinion, Jake is in the
full alphabetic phase of Ehris phases of word recognition. Jake has a large knowledge
of the alphabetic system. While he is accurate with his decoding, it is slow and
laborious for him. Jakes independent work level is level H, his instructional level is
level I, and his frustration level is level J.
C. Apparent Reading Strategies
Jake is excellent at self-monitoring, he often goes back to self-correct when he
catches he has made a mistake. Jakes reading strategy is to sound out words he does
not recognize right away by the letter. If he does not get the word by sounding out, I
break the word into chunks and ask him to decode the parts then blend the parts together.
He most frequently missed onomatopoeias. However, even though he could not figure
the onomatopoeias out he did recognize through context clues the words were going to
be sounds. Jake reads through punctuation when reading aloud. In my opinion, he
seems to believe reading fast is what a good reader is. He seems to comprehend stories
well that we have read.
D. Apparent Writing Strategies
Jake can form ideas very well. He listens to the questions first and is able clearly
explain his ideas before writing. However, Jake shows a strong dislike for writing.
When ever he is asked to write he sighs; or even say, Do we have to? The writings
sample have been in response to a story we have read together. Jake talks out what he
wants to write before writing demonstrating a strong understanding of the prompt. He
creates one sentence that is usually the overall topic of the story. He then creates a
second sentence using details remembered from the story. While he does only write two
sentences, those two sentences help indicate he has comprehended the story. His
mechanics as far as punctuation and capitalization are grade appropriate. He begins
each sentence with a capital letter and ends with a period. Some things in his writing
that need to be addressed would be he mistakes d with b in his writing. For example,
when writing the word book he writes dook through observation it is clear he knows
it should be written with a b. He spells words phonemically. In addition, when writing
words like again and away he seems to hear them as separate words writing a way or a
gain. Further writing samples will be needed for better assessment.

III.

Emphasis of Instruction
A. Goals

Student will identify new ways to decode words by chunking words into
parts and by using context clues to identify words.

Student will practice prosody in fluency by continuing to practice at

independent level. He will pause one second for comas and two second
for punctuations.

Student will practice expression in fluency by continuing to practice at

independent level. He change his voice based on context clues to identify
appropriate expression.

Student will improve writing through continued practice. He will be

given lists of words containing the letter b throughout providing the
opportunity to correctly use b instead of d.

B. Methods
A typical tutoring session is 60 minutes long. We have developed a routine.
Jake listens to a read aloud, sometimes taking turns reading every other page. Next, he
completes a writing sample that is to include at least two sentences about the story. He
then spends 5 minutes on the ipad for a brain break that allows Jake a break, but is still
working on word study with the ipad. He next completes a read aloud on his own as I
listen. Afterwards we have quick discussion about the story. Finally, an assessment is
performed, typically an A-Z leveled reader to help identify independent, instructional,
and frustration levels.
Read aloud is used for Jake to have a model to guide him in his own reading. I
have adapted the typical read aloud to provide more practice for Jake. The goal of this is
for Jake to become proficient in monitoring his own reading by providing a model for
him to follow. Particularly when it comes to prosody in his reading.
Writing samples are used for Jake to have the chance show his comprehension of
particular reading. In addition, the writing sample gives him the opportunity to practice
his writing. Writing is linked to the improvement of reading and vice versa. The goal is
for Jake to demonstrate his ability to comprehend a story and to improve his skills in
reading and writing.
Word study to be used to help Jake identify words in future readings. Jake uses
the ipad to provide a break from work. However, the game he plays allows him to work
on words. He hears the word and then must match the written word to the spoken word.
This activity allows him to place the in his auditory memory and his visual memory
improving his ability to read those words in future readings. The goal is for Jake to have
break from reading, but to work as he does so.
Read aloud is used to identify possibly problem areas for Jake. I use the read
aloud to identify how Jake is decoding words. Is he using context clues, sounding words

out, or chunking word parts? The goal is for Jake to self-monitor and become a better
independent reader, while providing practice to reach that goal. The discussion
afterwards is geared toward how to become a better reader and what was the story about.
Assessments are used to help create lesson plans that will be effective in guiding
future instruction. The goal is to identify the areas Jake could improve through proper
instruction and practice.
In future lessons I hope to use peer assisted reading, readers theatre, and silent
readings. I believe these activities can further improve Jakes fluency as a reader.
C. Materials
Teacher Read Books
Moosetache
A Bad Case of Stripes
David Goes to School

Student Read Books

How do Dinosaurs Learn to Read?
Duck and a Book
Rain, Rain, Go Away
The Wheel
Bath Time
Monkey to the Top

Other Materials
Ipad
Paper
Pencils
Crayons
IV.

Student Progress
A. Reading Jake has made progress in fluency by using more expression in his
readings. Jake initially read as fast as he could which caused him to read in
monotone voice. Jake improved his prosody by slowing his reading down by
acknowledging punctuation. Jake now has expression in his voice. It is a large
improvement since the beginning of our sessions. I can hear the difference in his
readings. In addition, I have video taped evidence were I ask open-ended
questions in regards to prosody and expression in reading.
B. Writing Jakes handwriting has improved significantly. He also improved in
his use capital letters and punctuation. Jakes writings are usually short and to
the point. However, there is usually enough evidence to show he comprehended
the main points from his readings. If you examine earlier pieces of writing
compared to more recent writings you can see the growth he has made. As far as
goals he has slightly improved when shaping the letter b and d, but there is room
for improvement.

V.

Summary and Recommendations

A. Summary:

Jake and I had 17 sessions together. We were scheduled to have 18 sessions

with one being a celebration session. We had 16 sessions and one celebration
session lasted one hour each. We missed one due to Jake being absent due to an
illness. In addition, there was another student who tutored with us.
The lessons took place at the Ross Center in Muncie. The lessons focused on
fluency particularly on expression and prosody with a writing component.
Nonfiction and fiction reading selections were used during are sessions. Most
lessons required an ipad, at least one book, writing material, and readers theatre
scripts.
Prior to our sessions beginning, there was a one-hour session to let the student
and I get to know one another. The session consisted of an interview, were I was
able to find out the students likes and dislikes. During the interview, the student
identified some of his beliefs regarding reading.
Jake is repeating first grader this year. Based on his grade Jake is on reading
level I and is ready to move onto the second grade. However, he should have
been a second grader this year and based on that information he is still slightly
behind.
Jake has progressed in fluency during our sessions together. He is
demonstrating great expression and prosody now. His writing has improved
mechanically. He is now using capital letters to start a sentence and a period to
end a sentence. His writing has also demonstrated a comprehension of the text
that was not there originally.
B. Recommendations
I would recommend the next tutor work on comprehension and multi-syllable
words in reading.
1. Reading
A. Comprehension
1

a. CROWD, a dialogue reading, were the teacher asked the student

questions encouraging the student to actively engage the text. The C, stands
for completion, would be like a fill in the blank and helps to support
comprehension-using predictions. The R, stands for recall, this question
regarding specific details from the story comprehension by building story
sequence and retelling abilities. The O, stands for open-ended questions, this
supports comprehension by offering opportunities for personal interpretation.
The W stands for who, what, when, where, and why. This supports
comprehension because it focuses on the storys elements. The D, stands for
distancing, which means to relate the story to the real world. It supports
comprehension by encouraging real world connections.

2
b. Then use PEER, an interactive instructional sequence. The P, stands for
prompt, using CROWD ask students to respond to the story. The first E,

stands for evaluate, you should evaluate or affirm the students response. The
second E, stands for expand, means to expand the students response by
adding to information to it. The R, stands for repeat, you should have the
student repeat your expanded response.
B. Multi-syllable words
a. Flexible strategy for reading big words would help aid the student in
reading multi-syllable words. There are four steps to this strategy. The first is
have the student circle the prefixes and suffixes. The second step is to have
the student underline the vowels in the uncircled part(s) of the word. The
third step is to have the student read the word by parts or syllables. The final
step is to have the student read the whole word and confirm its pronunciation.
b. Root word transformation strategy is design to show students how adding
affixes to root word can change the word. The first step is to introduce the
root word. The second step is to use affixes to add onto the root word in order
to make bigger words. Once you have identified all the words you can make
have the student read aloud the word family created.
2. Writing Jakes handwriting has improved. I would suggest continuing to
work on making b and not d when writing. In addition, I would work on
adding detail content when responding to the story.
a. I would target stories that have the letter b in them, so Jake could have
the opportunity to continue practicing shaping the letter the correct way when
responds to a story.
b. Content is an area that could be improved I would suggest using some
preformed sentences with blank spaces for Jake to fill in, and then slowly
make the blanks bigger prompting for a larger response.
VI.

Evaluations
A. Student Self-Evaluation

I conducted an exit interview with Jake to find out his view of his reading skills.
I kept the interview short and only asked a few questions. I asked What are you best at
in reading? Initially he stated he was good at reading books, but I prompted him to get
a more specific answer. He said, He is good at sounding words out. In addition, I
asked, Is there anything you want to get better at? Jake said, I want to get better at
big long words. I asked, How do you feel about reading? He said, Good, I really
like to read animal books. He also said, He really likes to look at the pictures.
I overall could see an improvement in Jake's fluency skills pertaining to
expression and prosody. I also noticed he seems to be more confident about himself as a
reader.

B. Tutor Self-Evaluation
I think I have improved as a reading and writing teacher. However, I think I still
have a lot to learn about teaching reading and writing. Considering the IRA standards
for reading, I believe my foundational knowledge was improved because I learned new
information this semester pertaining to language comprehension and word recognition.
Curriculum and instruction is the area I improved the most. Coming into this class, I felt
I had no idea what and when to teach. Throughout the semester I discovered how to
create lessons using a variety of text. In addition, I used multiple sources for material
ranging traditional print to digital sources. When comes assessment and evaluation I
believe this area aided me well in curriculum and instruction. I used assessments to
identify problematic areas to design and plan my lessons around. Initially, I was
assessing more than teaching, but once I identified the area of need and independent,
instructional, and frustration levels I was able to focus more on teaching content.
However, when it comes to diversity I do not think I improved in this area. While I did
use a diverse set of material, I honestly think I failed to diversify my lesson in any other
way. It was not until I reflected back I realized this failure. Perhaps in the future, I will
reflect more often in order to adapt and diversify my lessons. As it pertains to literacy
environment, I think I improved because I learned to provide students with choice and
used materials that interested students to help motivate them to become better readers.
Finally professional learning and leadership, I do not think I improved in this area other
than I understand the importance to continually improve my own teaching skills. I also
understand the importance of not just attending to improve my teaching skills, but to
improve my own reading abilities. I do still have a lot of information to learn pertaining
to reading and writing in these areas. I think the biggest area of improvement was my
confidence. In the beginning, I was honestly terrified about teaching reading. After the
experiences, I feel I have the capability to teach reading and to be confident when
teaching.