Marie M Clay An Observation Survey of Early

Marie M Clay An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement Workshop for staff 2016 By Jane Denny. Catholic Schools Office Diocese of Broken Bay

The purpose of this assessment and the specific targeted teaching that is planned from the data gathered, is to ensure that all students are on track with literacy by the end of year one.

A Literacy Statement for the Broken Bay Diocesan School System FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS Throughout the Diocesan school system these foundational beliefs underpin our literacy work. v. It is a fundamental right of all students to be literate v. All students can achieve high standards given the right time, support and opportunity v. High expectations and early and ongoing intervention are essential v. All teachers can teach to high standards given the right assistance v. Teachers need to be able to articulate what they do and why they teach the way they do

Key Reference Resources One book per year one teacher is recommended.

An Observation Survey is a set of observation procedures for educational professionals interested in early literacy progress. The survey provides for the sensitive observation of a child’s individual pathway to becoming literate.

The Observation Survey is useful and essential for teachers: • To determine the sequence of instruction. • To work with children having temporary difficulties with literacy learning. • To discover where a child’s strength lies and where to begin instruction.

What is the point of the Observation Survey? Systematic observation allows a teacher to capture what change has occurred between two testing times, but only if the observations have been made and recorded, scored and interpreted in standard ways.

• Teachers should use the data and responses from the initial test to consolidate what children already know and to teach what the child needs to know. • A years worth of progress should be expected after a years worth of teaching. • Teachers can use student progress or lack of progress, to adjust their teaching to meet the needs of the learner. • Education Officers from the CSO are available to support teachers in designing effective programs for learning and supporting teachers to provide research based best evidence teaching strategies.

An Observation Survey What do I need to know? Why am I doing it? Teachers need accurate knowledge for the administration and scoring of six tasks which reveal how much young children know. When teachers become neutral observers and observe children in systematic and repeatable ways they: • discover what children already know and they do not need to waste time teaching those things. • Uncover some of their own assumptions and notice how wrong these can sometimes be. Teachers need to know how to administer the survey in a reliable, valid and fair way.

Before administering the survey Teachers are expected to read or become reacquainted with the reference book, An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement. • • Teachers must read: The introduction - p 1 -3 Chapter 1 - p 4 -13 Chapter 2 – p 14 -22 Chapter 3 - p 23 -35

Introduction - p 1 Read the introduction. Highlight: • points of interest • things that may need clarification • any information that may be new • any information that may conflict with previous assumptions Discuss these points with other teachers administering the assessment, a leader of literacy at your school or an education officer.

From the introduction did you notice the following points? “…When compared with the observation of learners at work, test scores are mere approximations that do not provide good guidance to the teacher of how to teach a particular child. . . ” “… The systematic observations that are needed call for the teacher to take a closer look than she normally has the time to take. They inform the teaching process ……they provide evidence of learning…” The focus is on what the child can do and what the child has learnt as opposed to a focus on what the child cannot do and what has been taught.

Chapter 1 Observing change in early literacy behaviours • Read the first paragraph. • Focus on the last sentence. “…children are not getting the kinds of help they need to learn at a faster pace…” • Continue reading chapter 1. • Make notes of things that resonate with you. • Highlight points that provoke your thinking.

Chapter 2 Reading and writing: processing the information in print • Read the section titled - The reading process What are some fundamental differences between effective and ineffective readers? How can teachers ensure that potential low progress readers come to function like high progress readers?

Chapter 3 Assisting young children making slow progress • Read the whole chapter. • Highlight points that will help you to understand the children making slow progress. • Highlight points that will influence HOW you will teach these children.

Read the section titled – The writing process • Take note of the last sentence on p 21 – …it should be remembered that the tasks described in this book are not teaching activities; they are opportunities for the child to reveal what he knows and can do. ” • What are the key messages for the teacher? • How will page 22 influence your teaching?

From Dame Marie Clay “When children enter school we need to observe what they know and can do, and build upon that foundation whether it is rich or meagre. I think we should abandon the readiness concept. All children are ready to learn more than they already know; it is the teachers who need to know how to create appropriate instruction for each child, whatever his or her starting point. ” p 10

Dame Marie Clay tells us that: . . . children have to extend their knowledge along several different dimensions of learning as they approach formal literacy instruction. At the same time they have to learn how to relate learning in any one of these areas (say letter learning) to learning in any other (say messages and meanings). Along each of these dimensions more learning has to occur. It does not happen in an orderly way. It is not the same for all children. Each learner starts with what he or she already knows and uses that to support what has to be learnt next…. p 10

The heart of the Observation Survey “The units of measurement in the observation tasks are immediately transferrable to teaching interventions because they direct a teacher’s attention to precisely what it is that she needs to teach. ” Marie Clay

From both a school and a system point of view • Test scores should be reliable. • There is an expectation of accuracy in recording. • Reliable assessments are vital because we do not want teachers to alter their teaching or decide on a child’s placement, on the basis of flawed judgement. • Data must be accurate and reliable for teachers to make informed judgements and for the office to use the data to see patterns and trends which influence PL opportunities.

The real value of the tasks in An Observation Survey is to uncover what a particular child controls and what operations he/she could be taught next.

Where to begin? • Begin with the running records. This assessment will help teachers to know if children are reading at level 8 or below at the time of testing. • A familiar text should be a good starting point to find an easy text. • Read Chapter 5 An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement. • Remember that three levels of difficulty must be obtained for research studies to ensure that the assessments are reliable. These levels need to be in consecutive order. • Note the section on assessment and comprehension p 61