Week 7 Assignment 5

I worked with a first grade student on the following assessments:

1. Concepts About Print or Print Awareness

Areas assessed:

• Accurately identify cover of book
• Accurately identify point where reading should begin
• Accurately identify where reading should resume on a new page
• Accurately identify reading from left to right, and a return sweep after each line of text
• One to one matching of words on page with oral reading
• Accurate identification of beginning of story
• Accurate identification of end of story
• Accurate identification of starting on the left hand page when text is on left and right hand pages.
• Accurately identify question mark
• Accurately identify period

The student was able to complete all of the assessment activities correctly, except for identifying what a question mark and exclamation point were.  This indicates that she could use some support with understanding punctuation more.

2.  Sounds of Speech or Phonological Awareness

Areas assessed:

• Same different rhyming game - Can the child identify pairs of words that rhyme and pairs of words that do not rhyme?
• Rhyme production - Can the child produce a rhyming word for a given word?

The students was able to successfully complete these tasks..  However, she did show some difficulty producing a rhyming word for words that had digraphs (wish, math).  She may need some work in this area.

            3.  Phonemic Awareness

Areas assessed:

• Sound isolation - the students was asked to identify the beginning, end, and middle sounds for a variety of words (CVC, CCVCC, CVCC).   
• Phonemic Segmentation - the student was asked to produce the sounds for given words. For example when give the word like, she had to say /l/ /i/ /k/.  

For sound isolation, she was able to consistently and accurately isolate sounds in all parts of the word for CVC words.  In longer words (CCVC, CCVCC), she had difficulty with accurately identifying the middle sound.   For example, in the word slant, she said the middle sound was /l/, and in stamp, she said the middle sound was /t/.  This indicates that she needs some work with middle sound isolation for longer words as she reads and spells.  She may also need work with understanding initial and ending blends as word parts.  

On the phonemic segmentation task, the student showed the same pattern:  she had no problem segmenting sounds in CVC words.  However, in longer words (with digraphs, blends, glued sounds), she had more difficulty accurately segmenting the sounds.  

The results of this assessment suggest that instructional activities focused on closed syllables with blends, digraphs, and glued sounds be implemented.  Similarly, instructional activities that provide support with sound isolation and segmentation in these words should also be implemented.  It would also benefit the student to do some context embedded work with punctuation.  This could be achieved in shared, or guided reading.  

4.  Phonics

Areas assessed:

• Spelling activity - the student was asked to spell a variety of words CVC, CVCC, CCVCC, CVCC to determine her letter sound knowledge, and blending and segmenting skills.

The student accurately identified all but one of the vowel sounds indicating that her short vowel sounds are strong.  She was able to accurately spell all CVC words administered, and some CCVC and CVCC words, but all errors were made on words with either initial or ending blends or digraphs.  She had difficulty with the /qu/  sound and /ck/ digraph.  Instructional activities focused on beginning and ending blends would definitely be helpful to the student.  I would make sure that many of the words included had the /qu/ sound and the /ck/ digraph.  

Suggested Learning Activities

This student would benefit from sorting, counting, and letter use tasks involving CVCC and CCVC words in support of her developing phonemic awareness aurally in the areas of weakness (beginning and ending blends, middle sounds, digraphs, and some glued sounds).  She also had a hard time in these areas with her spelling.  Word building with letters and boxes would be supportive on a phonics level.  Additionally, she will benefit from daily classroom instruction in our Fundations program where the children are asked to tap out words (when necessary) to read and spell.  She should be provided more practice in her areas of weakness.  

Suggested Learning Websites/Apps

Montessori Crosswords - Fun app where kids construct words (CVC CCVC CVCC) using letters, pictures, and word pronunciation.  Practice with blends and digraphs is guaranteed.  Student will get practice with isolating, blending, and segmenting sounds in instructional target areas.  

Word World / Word Friends - App where kids can play games involving building words by identifying, blending and segmenting letters & sounds to make words.  Visual and auditory support provided.  

I Learn with Boing - App where kids can build words offering practice with blending and segmenting sounds.  Words increase in difficulty as students demonstrate accuracy and understanding.  Student will get practice with isolating, blending, and segmenting sounds in instructional target areas.