Early Reading Assessment

Context:

The Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge (Schlagal, 2003) and Early Reading Screening Inventory (Morris, 2003) assignments were completed for Foundations in Literacy (RE 3030) under the advisement of Janet Bloodgood in the spring of 2008. The QIWK assignment determined the student’s orthographic word knowledge in a third grade class at Moravian Falls Elementary School. This assessment allowed me to determine the child’s instructional reading level, and allowed me to project instructional implications based on the data. The ERSI was given to one kindergarten child at Moravian Falls Elementary, and assessed her knowledge of the alphabet, concept of word, phonemic awareness, sight word recognition, and decoding strategies.

Impact:

I believe that learning how to use these assessments will help me to make accurate judgments about students’ reading abilities. The Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge helps me to understand the child’s conceptual understandings of English orthography (letter-sound relationships). The information gathered from this assessment could be used to target instruction in word study, spelling, and provides information about the reading ability of the student. Students who are able to spell the words provided on this assessment have a higher likelihood of being better readers, and vice versa. The Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge data indicates to me the instructional levels for both word study and reading of the class assessed. I can use this data as a teacher to help me select appropriate texts for my students to read.

The Early Reading Screening Inventory can provide me with information about my class’s reading readiness. I can assess to see if these children have the foundations to begin reading in the classroom. The assessment documents what letters children can recognize and write, as well as what sight words children can read. It also determines what level of concept of word the child has (finger pointing task), what developmental stages children are regarding an understanding of word knowledge, and what level of phonemic awareness the children have (spelling task). Also, this assessment reveals the children’s ability to identify high-frequency words, as well as decode regular patterned words. The data collected from the ERSI can be used to target specific instruction for the child assessed.

Alignment:

The Following NCDPI Standards have been met with these assignments:

NC- North Carolina DPI Elementary Education Specialty Area Standards

Standard 1: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in English Language Arts and Literacy.

•Indicator 1: Teachers know the developmental stages of language acquisition.

This standard has been met because the data collected from the Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge indicates the developmental stages of a child’s language acquisition. Also, the Early Reading Screening Inventory reveals data about the early developmental stages.

Indicator 4: Teachers understand the elementary school child’s social, cultural, linguistic, cognitive, and affective backgrounds as they relate to the ability to develop effective communication processes (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

This standard has been met by providing data about elementary school children’s linguistic and cognitive knowledge that will influence their ability to learn new information.

•Indicator 8: Teachers know and understand written and oral composition processes. They understand:

oDetail : The written language as a symbolic system.

oDetail : The phonemic, morphemic, semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic systems of language and their relation to the reading and writing process.

This indicator is met through teachers using their knowledge of the symbolic system of children’s invented spelling (Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge and Early Reading Screening Inventory) to interpret assessment data. These assessments have helped me to interpret how the data reveals students’ awareness of the phonemic, morphemic, and morphophonemic systems of language and how these impact reading and writing.

Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies to design and deliver instruction in all areas of the elementary curriculum.

•Indicator: Indicator 3: Teachers promote new learning by using students’ prior knowledge, misconceptions, and interests when designing lessons.

This standard has been met through these assessments because the data is used to target and promote student learning. By using the information that I have learned from these assessments, I can design a lesson that will reach the weaknesses of the students in the class.

•Indicator : Indicator 6: Teachers modify instruction and assessments to meet the needs of individual students.

This objective has been met by using the data from the Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge, and the Early Reading Screening Inventory, to modify instruction, so that I can better meet the needs of individual students.

•Indicator : Indicator 7: Teachers develop and use a variety of formal and alternative assessment strategies as an integral part of instruction and learning appropriate for assessing individual, peer, team, and collaborative skills.

This objective is met by using these assessment tools as an part of teaching. I have learned two new ways of assessing the children in my classroom, and am able to gather information about what students know before creating the lesson plans and teaching them in class.

Standard 8: Teachers design instructional programs and strategies that build on students’ experiences and existing language skills to help students become competent, effective users of language.

•Indicator 1: Teachers teach children to read with a balanced instructional program that includes an emphasis on the use of letter/sound relationships (phonics), context (semantic and syntactic), and text that has meaning for students.

I have met this standard because the assessment instruments measure aspects of the reading process (letter/sound relationships as well as meaning related elements, such as vocabulary). They represent a balanced perspective on reading assessment and reading instruction.

•Indicator 6: Teachers model Standard English.

In the written summary of the reading assessments, I have modeled Standard English.

(Rational modified from Dr. Woodrow Trathen)