How many times have teachers heard this? I can’t count that high. I have learned from experience that I have to
preface the oral reading we do in class with an explanation. As a teacher, I need to hear the students
read, so that I can gain some information about the problems the students are experiencing
with reading. Yes, there is a plethora
of tests to indicate reading and comprehension levels. Yes, the students are
tested multiple times using multiple formats.
Although, there is no substitute for observing (visually and aurally)
the student perform. There is a tremendous amount of information that you gain
by hearing the students read aloud. You
can hear mispronunciations, attention to punctuation, inflection, expression,
etc. Without hearing the student read,
you are losing important information that could be corrected to lead to a
student’s success. My observations are
not only auditory, but also visual. The
students’ body language yields valuable information. There are many times that I discover poor
eyesight just by watching the student read.
If I can solve the problem with addressing eyesight issues, then that is
a winning situation for the student and for me.
When a student is assessed in reading, many times the scores
are reported as “grade level” scores. A
grade level score would look something like 7.2. That score means that the student is reading
on grade level 7, second month. If the
student is a 7th grader and that it is the beginning of the school
year, then that student is on grade level. The problem occurs if the student is again assessed,
using the same instrument, and continues to test at 7.2, then we as teachers
are going to have to discover or explore on a deeper level why that student is
not growing. If the student assesses at
a higher level, we need to continue to challenge them to stretch and grow. A student performing at a higher level would
be given reading material on a higher grade level than what assessment results indicated. A parent might hear complaints of the “work
being too hard.” The student needs to be
challenged, without this challenge they will not improve. I am referencing Lev Vygotsky’s, Social Development Theory and in
particular the Zone of Proximal
Development. You will also find the
terms “scaffolding” or “constructed” used in conjunction with the Zone of Proximal Development. (Retrieved
4/23/12; http://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html)
An analogy could be learning italic handwriting. As you practice writing, your instructor observes the way you hold your pen, or makes the strokes for the letters, with brief instruction to correct the deficit, you would be able to hold the pen correctly or make the strokes of the letters correctly. Sports skills are perfect examples. Any skills that you are trying to learn, or improve on demands a progression of difficulty to increase your skill level would be examples or could be analogous to this theory. If this student is given something below their
reading level on a continuous basis, they will not grow and perhaps become
weaker in skills that they had already mastered (resistance to learning
(Retrieved 4/23/12; http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/resistan.htm).
Sometimes reading assessment scores are reported as
stanines. A stanine score is on a scale of
1-9. Nine is the highest a student can
achieve on an assessment reported as stanines.
From my experience a student who is scoring in the 4-5 stanines is more
than likely reading below grade level.
If a student consistently scores 4-5 on a stanine assessment they will
likely need some reading remediation. It
follows that if the student scores 1-3 on a stanine scale then they are well
below grade level and will need intense remediation. There are other assessment scores that your
child’s teacher may report to you (i.e. lexiles or percentiles). You child’s teacher should be able to explain
the assessment scores to you and what the scores would indicate is needed to
help your child succeed. The key to
understanding all scores is to observe a steady increase regardless of how the
scores are reported. What I like to see
is a steady progression over time. If fluctuations
in the scores are occurring, then I as a teacher will have to do some more
investigation; you as a parent can really assist teachers at this point. Your knowledge of your child and a discussion
of their habits, likes and dislikes, lifestyle, eyesight, etc. will be
extremely helpful for the teachers to understand what approach and methodology
to use with your child.
Teachers are just as individual as students. We are all people, so we are all unique. I approach reading somewhat differently than
other people, and perhaps somewhat similar to some. When I encounter the entrenched “I don’t want
to read,” I immediately try to investigate.
Many students are “taught” to hate reading. Reading is seen as a chore, and in some
instances torture. Somewhere and somehow
these students have been taught to hate reading (not necessarily in a school
setting, but sadly many times it has been).
Perhaps it is poor reading skills, maybe the student has a speech
impediment, poor eyesight (and refuses to wear glasses), or just by having an embarrassing
moment at some point in their past when called on to read. I have to address all of these issues, as do
other reading teachers. If I can’t get
past this roadblock, then I will not have much success if any. That is why a classroom needs to be a “safe
zone” so students who are inhibited will feel safe from reprisals and will
stretch out to become successful.
The most opportune time to address reading issues is prior
to and during 4th grade.
Reading issues can be addressed at higher levels in school and should be
addressed. A deficiency that is apparent at 4th grade is hard to
overcome. I will discuss this 4th
grade issue in another post.
Retrieved 04/23/12
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