Assessment & Small Group Work
Overview: Students receive small group instruction during the Readers Workshop lesson in their classrooms twice a week. Some students may meet more frequently for additional instruction with a specific focus. Depending upon the needs of individual students these lessons may consist of word level skills, oral reading fluency practice, and reading comprehension. Group discussion is a key component as it enhances oral language skills, listening skills and overall comprehension.
Assessment of Student Progress:
The students are formally assessed 3 times per year; September, January, and May. Students are also progress monitored in between these formal assessments times to make sure they are progressing or to modify intervention groups. These assessments measure decoding and encoding skills, fluency, and comprehension. After analyzing data grade level teams that include special educators and classroom teachers meet to create flexible intervention groups according to student need. We meet throughout the year to check in and modify groups in order to meet the individual needs of each student.
Small Group Instruction:
Intervention groups meet 2 times per week for 45 minutes. Small groups are made according to the individual needs of the students after analyzing their assessment data and conferring with the RtI team. The groups are small, usually 3-5 students. Some students may meet more frequently for additional instruction with a specific focus. Depending upon the needs of individual students these lessons may consist of word level skills, oral reading fluency practice, and reading comprehension. Group discussion is a key component as it enhances oral language skills, listening skills and overall comprehension.
Word Level Skills: Based upon their needs, students follow a scope and sequence of phonics instruction building upon their prior skills. They learn and apply rules for encoding (spelling) with the Wilson Reading Program for grades K-2 and the Words Their Way Program for grades 3-5. Students may continue to receive support in decoding (reading) words through the REWARDS program for reading multisyllabic words. Students may also practice their skills with the Lexia Core 5 software program. The goal is to develop automaticity in applying those skills in their independent reading.
Reading Fluency: This portion of the reading lesson involves the use of short text for fluency instruction through repeated readings with text and/or computer assisted technology. Lessons may include a preview, building background knowledge, discussion of new vocabulary, teacher modeling and guided practice. Students are directly taught the use of phrasing, intonation, and oral expression in order to build fluency. Students may practice with poetry, short passages, or use programs such as Quick Reads, Read Naturally, or One Minute Reader. Most importantly, students apply these skills in independent reading.
Comprehension: Our program spirals through the reading comprehension strategies that are taught in the Core Curriculum. Students receive direct instruction in the strategies of making connections, using sensory images, questioning, inferring, determining importance and ultimately use all of these strategies to synthesize. Students are encouraged to self-select books of their own interest that are just right for independent reading. They also read some teacher selected texts for close reading and guided reading of complex texts.
Writing: Writing in response to reading is an expectation for all students. This takes practice.
Entries may be written at each reading session, either before, during or after reading.
Assignments will vary as the year goes on, based upon the comprehension strategies they learn.
Ultimately, our goal is that students will apply the comprehension strategies to synthesize and respond to text.
Homework: Students are required to read 20-30 minutes each night and respond to the text. Through the reading response journal students demonstrate the application of strategies in written form. This also helps them prepare for and participate in group discussions.
Overview: Students receive small group instruction during the Readers Workshop lesson in their classrooms twice a week. Some students may meet more frequently for additional instruction with a specific focus. Depending upon the needs of individual students these lessons may consist of word level skills, oral reading fluency practice, and reading comprehension. Group discussion is a key component as it enhances oral language skills, listening skills and overall comprehension.
Assessment of Student Progress:
The students are formally assessed 3 times per year; September, January, and May. Students are also progress monitored in between these formal assessments times to make sure they are progressing or to modify intervention groups. These assessments measure decoding and encoding skills, fluency, and comprehension. After analyzing data grade level teams that include special educators and classroom teachers meet to create flexible intervention groups according to student need. We meet throughout the year to check in and modify groups in order to meet the individual needs of each student.
Small Group Instruction:
Intervention groups meet 2 times per week for 45 minutes. Small groups are made according to the individual needs of the students after analyzing their assessment data and conferring with the RtI team. The groups are small, usually 3-5 students. Some students may meet more frequently for additional instruction with a specific focus. Depending upon the needs of individual students these lessons may consist of word level skills, oral reading fluency practice, and reading comprehension. Group discussion is a key component as it enhances oral language skills, listening skills and overall comprehension.
Word Level Skills: Based upon their needs, students follow a scope and sequence of phonics instruction building upon their prior skills. They learn and apply rules for encoding (spelling) with the Wilson Reading Program for grades K-2 and the Words Their Way Program for grades 3-5. Students may continue to receive support in decoding (reading) words through the REWARDS program for reading multisyllabic words. Students may also practice their skills with the Lexia Core 5 software program. The goal is to develop automaticity in applying those skills in their independent reading.
Reading Fluency: This portion of the reading lesson involves the use of short text for fluency instruction through repeated readings with text and/or computer assisted technology. Lessons may include a preview, building background knowledge, discussion of new vocabulary, teacher modeling and guided practice. Students are directly taught the use of phrasing, intonation, and oral expression in order to build fluency. Students may practice with poetry, short passages, or use programs such as Quick Reads, Read Naturally, or One Minute Reader. Most importantly, students apply these skills in independent reading.
Comprehension: Our program spirals through the reading comprehension strategies that are taught in the Core Curriculum. Students receive direct instruction in the strategies of making connections, using sensory images, questioning, inferring, determining importance and ultimately use all of these strategies to synthesize. Students are encouraged to self-select books of their own interest that are just right for independent reading. They also read some teacher selected texts for close reading and guided reading of complex texts.
Writing: Writing in response to reading is an expectation for all students. This takes practice.
Entries may be written at each reading session, either before, during or after reading.
Assignments will vary as the year goes on, based upon the comprehension strategies they learn.
Ultimately, our goal is that students will apply the comprehension strategies to synthesize and respond to text.
Homework: Students are required to read 20-30 minutes each night and respond to the text. Through the reading response journal students demonstrate the application of strategies in written form. This also helps them prepare for and participate in group discussions.