Assessment and Conferring within the Balanced Literacy Block

Assessment and Conferring within the Balanced Literacy Block Franklin Schools District Tuesday 29 th June 2010 Presenters: Mr. Chris Lowrey AUSSIE Literacy Consultant chris. lowrey@aussiepd. editure. com

Icebreaker ‘Guided Reading Millionaire’

Assessments • What assessments are we required to do? • Which are the best at informing our instruction? • Discuss and compare with a partner • List the most valuable.

What are Running Records? • A running record allows you to assess a student's reading performance as she/he reads from a benchmark book. Benchmark books are books selected for running record assessment purposes. • A running record form, with text from the book printed on the form, accompanies each of the benchmark books. Only the first 100 -150 words of the longer benchmark books are used for the upper level running records. • A blank running record form is supplied for teachers who wish to perform running records on books other than the benchmark books or for additional text from the upper level benchmark books.

Processing Strategies • • • attending and searching anticipating monitoring checking (cross checking) confirming self correcting All assist in the meaning making process and when used effectively are interwoven.

Early Reading Strategies • Attend • Search • Predict • Check • Reread • Self-correct Meaning Structure Visual

Strategies are networks of actions, which efficient readers “call up” automatically

Which Strategy? The argle zurped the bordiddy. The bordiddy zapped the argle in the ershot. • What did the bordiddy do to the argle? • Why?

Which Strategy? • ho

ho • • • hot hook hope house horizon hoot • • • hoist horse horizon honey honesty hour

Which Strategy? √ √ Off came the shoes √ √ √ √ Off came the socks √ √ sea/str She paddled in the stream

Running records will only be a useful source for goal setting if: • They have sufficient errors to show the students tackles challenging text -90 -95% accuracy • The running record shows what the child did • The student’s errors and self corrections are analyzed.

Questions to ask when a child make an error • Does it make sense? M • Is it structurally correct? S • Does it look right? V

When a child self corrects was it because…. . • It didn’t make sense? M • It wasn’t structurally correct? S • It didn’t look right? V

Edwin and Hazel • Both read at the same level with the same accuracy level but they have very different learning needs • Hazel can… and needs to …. next • Edwin can…. and needs to… next

Hazel

Edwin

Strategies are networks of actions, which efficient readers “call up” automatically

Rory: Wibble Wobble • What does a running record of a student who uses a range of early strategies look like? • Look at Rory’s running record and subsequent analysis.

What information can be gathered from this Running Record of a student’s reading of a text?

4 -8 Page 26

4 -8 Page 27

What Did This Reader Do? Did the reader: • Use and monitor meaning? M • Use syntax or structure cues? S • Use grapho-phonic cues? V • How can we use this information to plan and form our groups?

Look at the student’s DRA continuum. How can this information , combined with the oral reading, and the written assessment information be used to plan and form guided reading groups?

Student Continuum from DRA 2 1 9 Wide Reading Where are the instruction al needs? 4 -8

What are Rubrics? • Rubrics are performance-based assessments that evaluate student performance on any given task or set of tasks that ultimately leads to a final product, or learning outcome. Rubrics use specific criteria as a basis for evaluating or assessing student performances as indicated in narrative descriptions that are separated into levels of possible performance related to a given task. • Rating scales can be either holistic or analytical. Holistic scales offer several dimensions together while analytical scales offer a separate scale for various dimensions.

Rubric Creation • Look at the birthday party rubric example in your packet • In groups of four create your own fun rubric (last page in packet) • Student Friendly checklist sample

Aussie Assessment Database • K-2 Comprehension rubric • 3 -8 Comprehension rubric • Writing rubric

Anchor/Mentor Texts • Here are some of my favorite anchor texts…… • List favorite read alouds that could be used as anchor texts to accentuate your mini lessons

Why Confer? • What do we already know about conferring? What questions do you have? Activity: • In pairs write down what you know about conferring • Share with another pair • Report out to group

Appreciating the student • Fletcher/Portalupi DVD • Watch video excerpt • Discuss

Conferencing in Action Watch DVD – Inside Writing – Donald Graves • Dexter’s Conferences • Sue Ann’s Fishbowl • Video Reflection Sheets in packet

Classroom Management when conferencing or taking running records • What are the other kids doing? • Literacy Centers • Aussie 360 degree view of classroom set up and ‘hot spots’

Keeping track of it all! • • • Instructions The two components of a good conference Possible Questions to Ask Students Writing Conferences with my class Individual Assessment sheets Sample Comments to write down • Make up your own conference folder!

Reflection on learning • List five adaptions you are going to make to your classroom assessment following this professional development!

And finally, • Questions • Evaluations • Professional Development Certificates • Attendance / Sign in sheets Thank you for participating in today’s workshop