Chapter+6

__**Chapter Six: Assessments and Projects**__
 * 1) 1. This chapter deals with how we assess our students before, during and after a cycle of reading clubs. There are several ways we can pre-assess so that we match instuction to our students' needs. Having read over the three ways and looking at Figure 6.1 on pages 90 & 91, you probably do these already without even thinking of them as pre-assessments. Which ones were new to you or given a new twist?

As I read the chart on pages 90-91 I noticed that I do a lot of pre-assessment with my students based on observations and whole class discussions. I keep notes on my students as readers but in the past I was more concerned with skill acquisition and their attitude toward reading and took paid less attention to their thinking. I questioned but did not ask the type of questions that elicit deep thinking, just surface thinking which was little more than a retell. I plan to try Kathy's suggestion to interview my students to find out how they feel about different genres, characters or topics. I am interested to see what my first graders will claim are their favorite characters or genres. Over the summer I have been trying to collect more books that will lend themselves to character studies. I am hoping to get reccomendations from other first grade teachers as to books you have found work well with character studieds. --Jodee Tuttle Chapter 6 Question #1 from Bobbi Friend – When thinking about pre-assessments, I am currently using all the methods suggested. Informal observation is vital at the beginning of the school year. I definitely look at student book choice and what they are currently reading as just right books. Using read-aloud time to model specific strategies through certain text is another pre-assessment that I use to determine the needs of the students. For example, I will read a particular author or type of book with strong characters when I am teaching my character unit. Pre-assessment needs to be used when developing our entire classroom library, not just for reading clubs. We need to be able to determine the needs of our readers to be certain we have the correct books for them to read.
 * Respond Here:**
 * Assessing students before, during and after after a Reading Club cycle will be new to me thias year. My assessments in other years were based on basic research techniques. My observations or understanding my students needs were not documented as well as they could have been The documentation was in isolation. Meaning I didn't build, I was putting a bandaid where it needed to be fixed and hoped it healed. My twist is assessment that is well documented using a variety of methods. Lessons, modeling and or demonstrations will be used as I confer within the clubs.**
 * Margaret Fox﻿**
 * I know that I keep saying this, but I have to do very specific assessments in my district and one of them is to give whole class DRA's three times per year. This is very similar to a formal running record and they are wonderful to give as it enables teachers to see exactly where their children are at on many levels. DRA's target these areas; fluency, strategy use, decoding skills, retelling, comprehension skills such as inferring, predicting, analyzing, etc.... The higher up the DRA level, I believe it starts at a 28 the kids need to write answers to comp. questions. So, after I give my DRA's and have had enough time to informally observe, interact with kids while they are reading whole group, small group and individually, then I can gather up alll my pre-assessment to form groups and meet the students' needs! SLG Somthing that I don't do and was new to me was to interview the kids and see what they like to read. The DRA's hit on that a little bit.**

Good to read and hear it again. It is so important to know where a students are and meet them at that point. Fran Olesen

Like one of the teachers above (sorry, I don't see the name) I rely a lot on the running records that I do. I do get a lot of good information, but not all the same information that I would get from an extended period of observing them interact with a specific type of text before book clubs actually start. I do a lot of observation of children as readers, but I think I'm often in a rush to start teaching. I'm curious about making myself stay in a pure observation role longer. Will it help me have deeper reflections about my students and their reading? In my rush to start teaching right away maybe I, too, am being more on the surface and not digging deeper. Krista Raffenaud


 * Before reading this chapter, I probably had not thought about pre-assessing before doing a reading club. So the chart on these 2 pages gave me some things to think about for doing that. I can see myself especially doing the first thing listed on the chart, which is putting out some of the book baskets that will be available for the reading club and letting kids explore. Then I'll be listening in to see what kids already know about these kinds of books. This would tell me a lot about certain kids/partners and if the book basket they choose is right for them to do the reading club with. It would help me guide kids away from certain books at times, or guide them toward books that would be a good fit for them. Doing this listening in at the beginning would also give me some idea of what kind of learning I should be able to see from kids at the end of the reading club. They may present it in different ways, but it would help me to see whether they should just be getting some beginner knowledge of a certain type of books, or whether they should be able to go much deeper with it. **
 * --Kristy Weberg--﻿ **


 * 1) 2. While reading clubs are going on, we should be looking for several different things. How would you keep track of the skills and observations in your classroom? Explain and share please.
 * 1) 2. While reading clubs are going on, we should be looking for several different things. How would you keep track of the skills and observations in your classroom? Explain and share please.

The Reading Clubs will have a focus based on the Minilesson of the day or during the week. The Reading Journal will give me insight to their learning. Listening in, but not in an intrusive way. My notes will go on one of the class lists, individual, whole class or the group. Another way of keeping track is a list of items I notice when we meet whole group. The Reading Clubs will be later in the year, by then I will have my keeping track of skill managed so I have a good handle on the needs of my children>

Margaret Fox My favorite and most effective way that I found for keeping track of each kiddo in all areas was to have a large 3 ring binder with a section for each student. I would keep conferring notes, assessment scores, sight word lists, book level/interest surveys, writing samples and everything I needed to know about each child to keep on top of their academic progress. It was a great way for me to have everything at my fingertips in one place. I worked to section the book into 5 sections so I focused on 1/5 of my class each day of the week to make sure I kept current each week with information to guide my instruction for the class and individuals. Carol Dawson Chapter 6 Question #2 from Bobbi Friend – Keeping track of skills and observations in my classroom requires two types of recording forms. First, I have a whole class list where I can keep track of the books, what type of reading club is going on with that student, the date that I meet with students, as well as goals that we develop when we meet. The whole class list allows me to look briefly at the class and check to see who I need to meet with, when I met with everyone, and what each student is working on. I like to be able to look at one quick form to see my class as a whole without flipping through individual pages. The other form I use is an individual form including more specific information for each student. I will include information gathered from conferences, sticky notes, study group notes, reading notebooks, and other informal observation notes. The note taking sheets found in Appendix D will be something that I may include when gathering information for each student as well.
 * Respond Here: This skill is one of my weaker areas. I used to do a lot of individual note taking on my students' reading and their habits, but with all the demands now it is getting harder and harder for me to keep up. I assess and keep track through their DRA's, some note taking, all tests that we have to give, and their reading response journals. I am looking into the note taking sheets that are in the back of the book as well so I can "bone up" on my weak area and start recording more important information that is needed. SLG**

I can honestly say that keeping track of the skills and observations in my classroom while reading clubs are going on is definately a weak area for me. I am constantly observing my children as they partner read but I need to develop a more consistant way of keeping track of their just-right books, and keeping track of the skills and strategies for reading and for book talks that are taught. I did like the sample assessment sheet Figure 6.2 from the book and the suggestions that went with it. I am constatnly looking in their reading response journals but I need to be aware of more important information on each individual child. JillB.

I am most successful during small group or during conferencing. I have real trouble during interactive read aloud to get up and move around gracefully and listen carefully to specific students. I also assess during share reading, too. Fran Olesen

I appreciate the comments above. I too find the actual task of record keeping to be a challenge and something I really have to focus on. I appreciated Margaret's response, but knowing myself, I'm not sure I'd get notes recorded in each of those categories. I've used something like the system Bobbi uses for general conferring during Reader's Workshop and I like it. I think I would like to try something new for partner work, however. I'm going to try to use Kathy's form that she models on page 93. I think it will help me focus and see the big picture. It might even help save some time because I can see notes on everyone at the same time without having to page through my notebook. Krista Raffenaud


 * To assess and record observations during a Reading Club, I would probably create a different recording sheet for each type of club we're doing. This coming year I plan to do a nonfiction reading club, a poetry club, and possibly a biography reading club. My sheet may look similar to the one shown on page 93, with spaces for each childs' name and the subject of the club. But at the top I would list specific skills I would be looking for the kids to do during the club. Then looking back over these sheets, I would see some things that many students need for attention with and possibly do a couple whole-group mini lessons with this. I would also see things to cover in small groups or in conferring with specific students. **
 * --Kristy Weberg-- **

One small idea came to me as a small center that could pre assess the whole class in a center type format. I have 8 x 11 sheet with genre description and picture of 3 or so popular books in that genre. A partnership could discuss the genres with the use of the cards. Then talk their individual book boxes and sort. Then they could conclude if any thing is missing and do they know anything that could fit in the open genre. Maybe they need more experience in that area. KDN
 * 1) 3. As the reading club cycle comes to an end, how would **you** assess the growth of the students as readers and thinkers? How would you hold them accountable? Kathy shares a few ideas. Share your ideas and add to the list.
 * Respond Here: I would hold them accountable by first making sure that they are recording and filling out the forms needed as they meet every time. I will review those and give them a choice as to what project they would like to do. Many kids like to make posters, some like oral reports, others like to make summary cubes and a story map as well. I will give them a few choices, but not too many as I usually do, it is too over whelming for them. SLG**
 * Respond Here: I would hold them accountable by first making sure that they are recording and filling out the forms needed as they meet every time. I will review those and give them a choice as to what project they would like to do. Many kids like to make posters, some like oral reports, others like to make summary cubes and a story map as well. I will give them a few choices, but not too many as I usually do, it is too over whelming for them. SLG**

Chapter 6 Question #3from Bobbi Friend – In order to assess my students at the end of the reading cycle I plan to use the data sheets that they have recorded during the reading club. When students are involved in a club, I will require that they record the page numbers, dates, as well as discussion notes for every time they meet. The recording sheet will not take a great deal of time for them to complete, but they will give me insight into each groups’ work that I cannot keep track of through observation only. I do not plan to do written assessments at the end of each cycle because I do not want to take too much time assessing rather than reading. I plan to do a self-reflection as well at the end of each reading club similar to the one found in Appendix E. I will also use oral presentations during some reading clubs, but not each one. The reading club projects that are discussed are time consuming when dealing with 150 students. I may use those one time toward the end of the school year, but not on a regular basis. I like the idea either from earlier in this book or from the other book study I am doing regarding using the book (I think by Fountas and Pinnell) that outlines what a reader should be able to do if they are reading at a level F or level T or any level...I would create some checklists with this information to keep in my large binder I mentioned above. This would help me identify the skills each child is showing proficiency with and areas to revisit again...either by coaching the book club, conferring or with a small group lesson. The other piece I would use for assessment of the book clubs is to just listen to the conversation and perhaps create a rubric to identify how deep the conversation of each child is surrounding their current books...an "observation" conference. Carol Dawson As stated on Pg. 95, "if reading clubs enable students to become experts about a topic, an author, or series...we can ask students to demonstrate their expertise by giving them opportunites to present something..." I believe that this is so important for children. After a non-fiction reading club series in my classroom, the children have made posters explaining, highlighting all the things that they have learned about their topic. The children love to share this with the other children and even other classes. I like how it shows just how creative the children can be, but at the same time they are sharing their information with others. I would like to try the whole-class project on contributing a page of facts to a class Big Book. This would be a way of using the poster idea but shrinking it to size to form a class big book. The children love to read all the "class" books that we make and this would be a wonderful way of sharing information from non-fiction reading to have in our classroom in the classroom library. JillB.

This is tough for me - so many upper el kids want to posters

In the spirit of student independence, I would brain storm a list of possible projects. The projects could be thing like traditional reports, posters, diagrams, skits, newspaper book review, chew and chat question for new partnerships and a newly developed theme song. I would help guide the students to have a diverse list that hits all the learning styles and as many GLCE’s as possible. Kdn