Linking the Developmental Reading Assessment to Instruction

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Linking the Developmental Reading Assessment to
Instruction

• Debbie Watson
• Bridgeport, CT

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Developmentally appropriate reading and writing
practices

• are ways of teaching that consider the results of
  the ongoing assessment of each individual
   childs progress in reading and writing. The
  results are used to plan  next steps or to adapt
  instruction when children fail to make expected
  progress or advance to higher levels. 

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Why an assessment, not a test?

• Assessment in Latin to sit beside one
• Assessment is a process, not an act.
• Assessment is an on-going, systematic process
  that includes collecting, analyzing and
  interpreting data. It includes multiple
  measures.
• In the case of the DRA, it includes running
  records, observations, performance, interviews,
  retelling and a knowledgeable assessor.

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Developmental Reading Assessment

• What is the DRA?
• an individual assessment designed to assess
  students reading performance in k-3
• What are the components of the DRA?
• the required components include Leveled texts,
  the Observation Guide, and the Developmental
  Continuum which includes the Focus for Instruction

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The DRA assesses

• Knowledge retelling and comprehension
• Skills reading/accuracy, decoding,
• phrasing and fluency
• Dispositions reading preferences, book
• choice, motivation
• This information enables teachers to match
  instruction with how and what children are
  learning.

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The primary purposes of the DRA are

• to monitor student growth on a variety of crucial
  skills and strategies that successful readers
  utilize
• to diagnose students needs and plan for
  instruction
• to determine the level at which a student is able
  to read independently
• to group students effectively for reading
  experiences and instruction

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Purposes continued

• to document changes over time in reading
  performance by monitoring growth in a variety of
  skills and strategies
• to identify students who may be working below
  proficiency and need further assessment or
  intervention
• to inform parents and other educators of student
  achievement

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DRA information enables teachers to

• conduct 11 conferences
• observe childrens reading behaviors
• use running records and/or records of oral
  reading to record observable reading behaviors
• determine the readers independent reading level
• confirm or redirect reading instruction
• identify reading behaviors that should be
  reinforced, reviewed or introduced

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DRA information enables teachers to

• group students effectively for instruction
• identify students who may be working below
  proficiency and in need of further assessments or
  instructional interventions
• use leveled assessments

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The DRA Assessment Cycle
Assessing performance
Teaching and learning
Analyzing and reflecting
Planning instruction
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Independent and Instructional Levels
The students independent reading level is the
level at which the student is able to read and
comprehend the text without the assistance of a
teacher. This is the level the DRA
identifies. The students instructional reading
level is the level at which the student is able
to read and comprehend with the support of a
teacher. This is usually 1-2 levels higher than
the independent level.
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Independent and Instructional Levels
The research shows us

• 85 of everything children read should be easy
  for them (independent reading level)

• 15 of everything children read should be a bit
  of a challenge (instructional level)

• 0 should be at the difficult level
  (frustration level), it provides no purpose for
  learning
• -Richard Allington, 1998

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A students independent reading level is found
when he/she

• reads text orally with 94 (or better) accuracy
• AND
• comprehends with adequate (3) or very good (4)
  understanding
• except levels A, 1, 2 where the accuracy is 90
  or higher there is no retell

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Critical years

• Throughout these critical years, accurate
  assessment of  childrens knowledge, skills, and
  dispositions in reading  and writing will help
  teachers better match instruction  with how and
  what children are learning. 
•  

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STOP for today
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Recording and Analyzing Information

• Running Records enable teachers to
• use tasks that are close to the learning tasks of
  the classroom
• observe what a child can do in reading
• look for patterns in the childs application of
  reading strategies
• reflect on the childs reading behaviors
• determine what reading behaviors children should
  be taught now
• help children improve their skills
• plan for instruction

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Running Records

• During a running record, we record
• substitutions (write above text)
• omissions (circle word omitted)
• insertions (indicate with caret, write word)
• repetitions (underline repeated words)
• self corrections (write sc after miscue)
• tolds (write T above word)
• appeals
• do not count these as miscues

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Video segment level 4

• Sarah, a kindergarten student
• complete a running record as Sarah reads
• we will discuss your scoring

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More than a Running Record

• many times children can decode and do well on a
  running record, but they cannot comprehend
• we must check for their understanding
  (comprehension) also

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Retelling
One of the best ways to find out if a child
understands a story he has read is through
retelling. (Gambrell, Pfieffer, Wilson,
1985 Morrow, 1985)

• Retelling reveals.
• what the reader thinks is important
• how the reader organizes and sequences
  information
• the readers ability to infer from the text
• the readers language development
• how the reader constructs meaning

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Fluency

• Components of fluency
• Accuracy
• Phrasing
• Intonation and expression
• Reading punctuation
• Reading rate

Fluency is recorded on the DRA Observation Guide
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Video segment level 4

• Instruction Implications
• Complete remaining parts of the Observation
  Guide, plotting Sarah on the Developmental
  Continuum and determine a Focus for her
  instruction.
• Discuss
• Debriefing between Joetta and the teacher.
  Discuss.

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Utilizing The DRA Continuum
The Continuum contains a series of statements
that describe a range of possible reading
behaviors and reflect the stages of reading.

• The behaviors to score on the Continuum are
• book selection and sustained reading
• previewing and predicting
• oral reading and use of strategies
• comprehension
• Focus for Instruction

• Procedures for completing the DRA Continuum

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Assessment Analysis

• Partially correct responses provide direction for
  the next steps. 
• What the teacher reflects to the student
  continually is the best  possible picture while
  being honest about his/her progress. She meets
  him as he is  and finds something admirable.
• As a result, he may  find the strength to become
  even more admirable. 

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Assessment Questions help students set
expectations and gain satisfaction from learning
great for independent reading too

• Did anyone try to write a new word today? 
• What did you do? 
• Did anyone struggle with a word in reading?
• What did you try? 
• Did anyone try something that didnt work? 
• Did anyone try a different kind of writing or
  book today? 
• Did anyone try a different kind of punctuation or
  sentence?
• Did anyone create a new character? 
• How have you changed as a reader?a writer? 
• What do you need to learn to do better? 

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Guided Reading

• Once the DRA has enabled the teacher to determine
  which children are reading at or about the same
  instructional level and have similar needs and/or
  interests, the teacher forms instructional groups
  for guided reading. (1 or 2 levels higher than
  DRA level).
• Additionally, the teacher can create browser bags
  for each student for his/her independent reading
  (DRA level).

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Guided Reading enables teachers to scaffold
instruction.

• Guided reading is the heart of a comprehensive
  literacy program and allows for a more effective
  instructional focus. This focus is based on what
  skills and strategies have been developed, and
  which ones need to be developed.
• Scaffolding is based on Vygotskys Zone of
  Proximal Development. The teacher provides each
  student with specific prompts and strategies to
  address the skills that s/he is neglecting
  thereby pushing him/her to the next level of
  development. Scaffolding is planned and
  provides the impetus for instruction.

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Guided Reading

• Makes students responsible for first and second
  readings of a text
• Matches students with text they can read with a
  little support
• Explores students understanding and reaction to
  the text
• Allows students to demonstrates reading
  strategies and language conventions in context
• Provides teachers with opportunities to observe
  and monitor reading behaviors and to prompt
  strategy development

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Guided Reading

• using the to, with, by instructional method,
  guided reading is the with
• Therefore, guided reading is the bridge between
  shared reading (to) and independent (by) reading.

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Steps for Guided Reading

• 1. Setting the Scene access and discuss
  childrens schema or background knowledge and
  experiences
• 2. Orientation to the Text introduce the
  title, author and illustrator discuss the cover
  complete a picture walk - present new
  vocabulary or concepts introduce new strategy or
  reinforce a skill

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Guided Reading Steps contd.

• The First Reading students read softly or
  silently to themselves as the teacher circulates
  and listens in the teacher provides strategic
  prompting to encourage struggling readers
• Comprehension Questions before, during and
  after reading
• Revisiting the Text (depends on the nature of
  the text, students responses, purpose of
  reading)

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Revisiting the text contd

• It may be good to
• compare original predictions with actual text
  citing evidence
• isolate the new skill or strategy in context
• discuss the authors message, points of view,
  characters, main ideas, fact and opinions
• study interesting or difficult words
• discuss difficulties encountered and strategies
  applied by each student
• learn a phonics or cueing strategy within context
• read again with peer or as a group

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Possible follow-up activities

• Word Work
• Magnetic letters, locating sight words, making
  words
• Readers Response
• Cut-up sentences, white board writing, extending
  writing activities
• Write about what the story made you think of
  your favorite character new ending, etc.

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A final word from the author
The number one goal of any reading program
should be to help students become proficient,
enthusiastic readers who enjoy reading and read
for a variety of purposes. -Joetta Beaver