QWIK Assessment Rationale

Context: I completed the Reading Assessment Assignment for RE 3030-418 under the advisement of Dr. Dave Koppenhaver in the Fall of 2007 as a Block I requirement. I gave this class assessment to 17 students in a 1st grade classroom at Glen Alpine Elementary School in Morganton, NC. I gave the assessment, scored it, interpreted instructional levels for the students based on the scores, and projected instructional implications based on the data.

Impact: This assessment is a wonderful clinical tool that provides teachers with accurate and useful information about students’ reading and spelling abilities. This helps teachers to see the instructional level of their students and how to go about developing specialized lessons to cater to each student.

Alignment:

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: I have learned about the developmental developmental stages of language acquisition by giving this QWIK assessment.

• Indicator 4: By giving this QWIK assessment it has shown me how my student's spelling and reading abilities relate to other aspects of their lives.

• Indicator 8: I now know and understand written and oral composition processes and how this information relates to other knowledge bases.

Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies such as this QWIK assessment to help them to design instruction for their students.

* Indicator : Indicator 3: By giving this assessment students had to use their prior knowledge of what letters made what sounds to help them figure out how to spell these words that they did not previously know how to spell.

* Indicator : Indicator 6: By giving this QWIK assessment I can now see at what level my students are on, and be able to develop special lessons just to help those students with specific problems. I can also see in what area they need help.

* Indicator : Indicator 7: By giving this QWIK assessment it shows teachers what level students are on, and in what areas they are having trouble so that we can collaborate to make appropriate lessons for these students.

Standard 8: Teachers can see what level their students are on, and can help build lessons that will build onto knowledge that students already have to build an even stronger knowledge base.

* 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.

* Indicator 6: By sounding out the letters in this assessment students are able to hear Standard English to be able to spell the words correctly.