QRI 5 Administration with Mary

Examining the results of Mary’s QRI 5 Assessments

Word Lists (Word Identification out of context) 

Mary scored at an independent level on word list level 1, reading 18 out of 20 words correct for a score of 90%; She seemed happy and confident while reading the list.

Mary scored at an instructional level on word list level 2, reading 15/20 words correct for a score of 75%; She was noticeably less confident with this word list, and did score on the lower end of instructional. 

Mary did not complete word list level 3 as it was obviously too challenging for her.

Prior Knowledge Questions - Level 2 Expository Passage, Wales and Fish 

Mary demonstrated very little prior knowledge about content in the passage, and responded "I don't know" to two of the concept questions. Her thoughts about what "baby animals staying with their mother" meant was limited to an example of how baby animals might get killed if they do not stay with their mother. She was not asked to make a prediction. Given Mary's limited background knowledge on this topic, comprehension may prove to be challenging for her.

Passage Reading, Level 2 Expository Text - Word Identification in Context, Oral Reading Rate, Comprehension 

Mary read the passage about Whales and Fish at an instructional level, with 10 total miscues, 4 of which were self-corrected. Her self corrections indicate she is monitoring for meaning, and monitoring for accuracy at the word level. Mary consistently mispronounced “most” for must. This may be due to English being her second language. Some miscues were on word endings (“lived” for live, and “whales” for whale), which did not alter meaning dramatically. Two of Mary's miscues (“thought” for though, and “they” for through) point to weakness in her high frequency words/sight words; These errors changed meaning and possibly compromised text comprehension. She often paused before high frequency words indicating that she is not yet reading them automatically.

Mary's oral reading rate, including correct words per minute, fell within the ranges for level 2 text, however her rate was low (words per minute was 46 in a range of 43-89, and correct words per minute was 44 in a range of 19-77). This indicates that her reading fluency at this level is labored, and you could hear it in her reading which was sometimes choppy and had starts and stops. The starts and stops indicate hard work on Mary’s part at the word level with decoding unknown words. All of this impacts comprehension, which was demonstrated in her comprehension of the passage. At one point she lost her place in the reading and needed assistance with getting back to where she left off. She also started to track with her finger which some readers use as an aid to keep place and to focus on decoding each word. Mary was not reading this text at a fluency level that I would be comfortable with for independent reading. This is the kind of reading that I would want to be at her side for in order to coach, teach, and prompt. Mary was spending a lot of time and energy decoding the words and it appears that this may have limited her comprehension.

Mary's comprehension of the passage fell in the instructional to frustration level.  Mary's retelling included the main idea with some supporting details, however, she left out important supporting details (for example key information about how whales and fish breathe, details about how fish and whales are born, and how fins and flippers are used). Mary's information and supporting details were accurate and sequential, but limited, and required additional prompting from the teacher. Without this prompting, I am not sure she could offer the structure independently, which points to a weakness in understanding expository structure. Mary's retelling and details were offered with brief statements and vague explanation, with the exception of information about how baby whales and fish feed. Her brief explanations could be a function of her speaking English as a second language.

Mary offered answers to some but not all comprehension questions with a score of 4 out of 8.  I was curious why not all of the comprehension questions were asked?  Mary was able to say what the passage was mainly about, and provide examples of how whales and fish are different (birth and baby feeding), and alike (fins and flippers). Her comparison of size indicated use of prior knowledge, as the passage didn't discuss this. Overall, Mary's discussion of the text reflected a basic understanding, but not a level of comprehension that I would be comfortable with.  She is right on the border of instructional and frustration.

Mary’s Reading Level, Strengths and Weaknesses, and Implications for Instruction

At the word identification level, a level 2 passage is instructional for Mary; this is true both in and out of context (word list and passage). At the comprehension level, a level 2 expository text is at the beginning frustration level for Mary.  I would heavily scaffold Mary’s readings of text like this to teach her essential comprehension strategies for reading nonfiction.

If I were to move forward with teaching Mary, I would want more information.  I would want to hear her read a level 2 narrative passage. We know that expository text is generally more challenging for students, especially if the topic is unfamiliar to them, and this was true for Mary. I am interested to know how she would do on her oral reading rate and comprehension with a narrative structure. In my opinion, a level 2 narrative assessment is necessary to really determine Mary’s reading level. Depending on how she does on that, more information may be needed. 

Mary's oral reading miscues and word list reading point to instructional opportunities to focus on high frequency words for level 2, and certainly level 3, and attention to word endings when reading. Mary is to be complimented for her attention to meaning while reading which serves her well, as indicated by self-corrections. She should also be complimented for word attack skills at points of error and unknown words. Mary is bringing prior knowledge to reading (information about fish and whale size) which is a good behavior, but she should know that when retelling it is important to only use information in the text.  Mary clearly needs support with pre, during, and post reading comprehension strategies for reading nonfiction.

If the goal of these assessments is to determine Mary’s independent and instructional reading levels, more information is needed. I believe that a good starting point for gathering this information is an assessment of her word identification, oral reading rate, and comprehension at a level 2 narrative passage. Based on the findings of the assessments viewed, instruction could focus on level 2 and 3 high frequency words (with attention to /th/ high frequency words), accurate reading of word endings, and comprehension strategies (particularly in nonfiction). All of this would be supportive to Mary as a growing reader.

Week 4 Assignment #2, Reading Intervention Power Point

Week 4 Powerpoint - Reading Intervention

Week 4 RTI

RTI or Response to Intervention is the most recent method used to identify students with learning disabilities. RTI is a departure from the historically used approach of comparing student IQ to performance levels to determine learning disabilities.  This change in approach was prompted by the special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).    

The reasoning behind RTI is, in my opinion, educationally and ethically sound.  RTI requires educators to know student abilities well and early on by using close observation and assessment.  This is something all teachers should do and know how to do.  RTI also requires that educators match instruction to student needs/levels using research based instructional methods; This is a hallmark of effective teaching.  RTI requires educators to closely monitor student response to instruction, curriculum, and intervention, and to make decisions based on this data.  For these reasons, RTI  reflects many of the qualities of good teaching that I believe in. Furthermore, RTI assists students immediately, rather than waiting to establish a problem, and wasting valuable time.  Another aspect of RTI that I find compelling is that it assesses and assists students in the very natural and authentic learning context of the classroom.  I think this is important to accurately and effectively determining any kind of learning issue.  

RTI is broken down into tiers and each tier reflects a level of intervention, starting with the most simple, and increasing in severity.  Tier 1 interventions are classroom based interventions, made by the teacher (classroom or additional resource teacher), in response to teacher evaluations of student performance.  Tier 2 interventions are more targeted and focused interventions put into place based on student needs as determined by teacher observations and assessments.  Tier 2 interventions include small group instruction inside and outside of the classroom, and are given to children who are not making sufficient progress with Tier 1 instruction only.  Tier 3 interventions are those that are administered to students who do not show sufficient progress with Tier 1 and 2 interventions. Tier 3 interventions can be one-on-one interventions or increased small group work.  Tier 3 can also be a path to a formal evaluation to determine possible special education requirements or a diagnosed learning disability.  Under RTI all students receive Tier 1, and only some students receive Tiers 2 and 3.  The number of students receiving higher level tiers gets smaller.  The idea is to decrease the number of students referred for special education by intervening more in the classroom.  However, the intention is not to keep children from receiving special education services if that is what is needed.  

It seems to me that RTI is administered in different ways across schools, and that the way it is administered depends a great deal on support, funding, staff, student body, and the quality of instruction.  I like that RTI emphasizes student performance in the classroom and response to intervention.  I also like that it reflects the belief in instruction based on ongoing assessment.  However, RTI also requires a lot of additional work for classroom teachers who are not always given the extra support, time, and resources necessary to do it.  In the videos we watched this week I saw a lot of resource teachers in classrooms helping out with tiers of RTI.  I know that organizing this kind of work takes not only the staff, but also the time to effectively plan and implement the intervention.  I believe that RTI is the right approach, and far better than any deficit model, yet at times it feels that it is something that we are being told we have to do, but not being given what we really need to do it.  Classroom teachers are completely overloaded with responsibilities and I believe need more support with implementing this process.

QRI5

What is the QRI5?

The QRI is an informal reading assessment tool that is administered individually.  The QRI5 can be used with children in the primary grades through 12th grade.  The QRI5 can be used by classroom teachers and literacy specialists to collect a variety of information about a child’s reading skills including:  word identification, reading level (instructional, independent, frustration), comprehension abilities, reading fluency, reading rate, reading behaviors/feelings, attitudes, concepts about print, listening comprehension, language skills, and prior knowledge.  The QRI5 is a good tool for assessing student reading abilities in order to determine instruction in a classroom, or to plan and implement intervention for a particular student or group of students. It is also a good tool for monitoring student progress over time.  

What is the purpose of using QRI5?

The purpose of using the QRI5 is to collect comprehensive, foundational information about a child’s reading skills in order to plan instruction to meet student needs and help a child grow as a reader.  The QRI5 can be used to monitor and track student growth over time.  The QRI5 can be used to assess regularly developing readers and children who show signs of learning issues.  The QRI5 can help you to begin to tease apart areas of concern for a student.  For the classroom teacher, the QRI5 can help you determine the independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels for your students.  This can allow you to match students to appropriate book levels for independent and guided reading, which is very important. The QRI5 is also a good tool to have if you get a new student to your school for whom you don't have any previous information, or if you get a new student in the middle of the year. It is probably also a good tool for use with ELLs.

Have you seen similar assessments?  What are they?

Yes, the QRI 5 is similar to the Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) Fountas and Pinnell program I have most recently used.  It is also similar to some of the running records we used to use from the Teacher’s College assessment program, and the former ECLAS assessment tool kit used by the DOE.

What is your impression of QRI5?

My impression of QRI5 is that it is comprehensive and informative.  I think it is likely a very good tool to use regularly with students who are having difficulty with learning to read, as it allows the teacher to collect information about all areas of a child’s reading development.  This can help the teacher to continually target areas of need in intervention.  The QRI5 may be used simply to identify a starting point in reading instruction for some children and to assess their reading level over time. On the other hand, it can also be used as an ongoing assessment tool for children who need more attention, instruction, and intervention. I see this as its greater purpose/strength as an assessment tool.

Week 3 Assignment #2 PS21 Common Core Tool Kit

Student Outcome	CCS	Possible Assessments	Possible modifications for range of readers I think it is important that all students know the goals of the activity/lesson before starting.  They should be stated, written, and explained. These will be what you use to assess the children and they should know before starting.  This can also provide a framework for their reading, thinking, and talking. I would suggest this for all three of these outcomes.
Students demonstrate understanding of a text or texts by working together to identify and ask significant questions to clarify various points of view.	RL.4.1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. SL.4.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. RL.4.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range	Provide students with a form for recording the open-ended discussion questions they prepare before coming to the group discussion.  Use these as a form of assessment.   Provide students with a student friendly form/checklist/rubric for them to use when listening to the recording of their discussion.  This will help guide them to evaluate the work. Make your own rubric/checklist/form for use in evaluating each student in each standard.   Observe students during text reading and during discussion to assess understanding, participation, strengths and weaknesses.  Take notes. The use of the previously mentioned rubric may be helpful.	Depending on the reading levels in your classroom, some students may need assistance with reading and understanding the text. To support them, it may be necessary to run a guided reading group with the passage while other students read independently.  This could also be done a day before if necessary. Depending on the needs of your students, work could focus on structure, vocabulary, or comprehension.  This could work well if you only have a small group of students who need assistance with the grade level text. It is also possible to assign students text to read based on reading level and to have students reading the same text in the same literature circle.  This would work well if you have many reading levels in the classroom. Given the nature of this assignment, I think it is important that students work independently to develop open-ended questions.  Providing guided reading can help level the playing field with this. Some students may need assistance with participating in the discussion and providing prompts or key conversation terms may be helpful.  For example, “I agree because…”, “I disagree because…”
Frame, analyze and synthesize information from a range of texts  in order to solve problems and answer questions.	RI.4.3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. W.4.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,reflection, and research. SL.4.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.	This activity provides you with student work which is always a great assessment tool. Create a rubric for yourself to use while observing students during discussions and to evaluate student work.	Some readers may need guided, additional practice with reading various text and explaining events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why based on specific information in the text. Therefore the teacher may need to provide this instruction before this task, and give students time to practice this in just right text before participating in this whole class activity.This additional instruction can help kids with drawing evidence to support analysis, reflection, and research, as the CCS states.   The same students may also need support with reading the text that the whole class will read for the task.  This could be done in a guided manner with the teacher before hand, or while other students work independently.   If necessary, students across the class could read from different, leveled sources, and still do the same activity in groups according to sources read.  Again, this would work well in a classroom with a wide range of reading levels.
Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others through original writing.	W.4.3.Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. W.4.6.With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.	Student writing is a great assessment tool. It is full of information for the teacher.   Create a rubric for you to use when looking at student writing. Observe students while they work.   Create a rubric for students to use to facilitate self evaluation and revision.	Struggling readers are often struggling writers.  Your struggling readers may need additional small group instruction with how to do the assigned activity, and/or they may need supporting materials, depending on their area of need.     You may also need to modify expectations for your students, depending on their reading level.  Modifications can ensure participation and success, and avoid students becoming frustrated or overwhelmed.     Mentor texts, including teacher made text (at different levels) are also helpful.  Showing students what is possible and expected can be very helpful, especially for strugglers.

Week 2 / Task #3 Response to Reading 101: What You Should Know - Reading Rockets

Reading 101: What You Should Know

If there is one thing that these series of clips, and the various links on the Reading Rockets website shows, it is that learning to read is a long and complex journey for children beginning with print awareness, growing into phonemic awareness, phonics skills, vocabulary development, decoding, fluency, comprehension, writing and so much more.  Knowing and understanding these stages, and many facets of literacy development, can help teachers provide students with the learning experience they need to grow, and also offer insights into possible areas of breakdown. 

The video clips and related articles also highlight the fact that children come into our classrooms with a wide range of previous language and literacy experiences (both from home and other schools).  Mira and Neil were examples of children who would come to school with a wealth of previous knowledge and experience with literacy building blocks. We know this is not representative of all children. This is where assessment becomes so important, so that we can truly know what our children know and do not know, and be the best teachers possible by making informed instructional decisions.  

Another idea that these readings/videos made clear is that one of the greatest gifts we can give our students (and our own children) is the message that reading is a joyful and fun experience. The work that Mira's parents did with her around print awareness and reading for enjoyment, and the games that Neil's mother played with her, illustrate the importance and possibility of early (preschool) literacy experiences. It is easy to see how providing these experiences gives children a powerful head start when they enter classrooms and encounter formal reading instruction. Furthermore, when we see that children have not had these experiences, we know what we need to provide them with to help them reach important literacy understandings and milestones.