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April 20, 2006

First DRA2 Training is Huge Success

The first DRA2 training occured October 3 in Douglas County, Colorado. This Train the Trainers session included Reading Specialists and Coaches from all the schools in the district. It was an exciting day as the new "green boxes" were opened and contents discovered. Ooh's and ah's were heard throughout the room as the instructors viewed the new materials. "I love this clipboard...how perfect!" "Look at Level 4, they changed the drawings...this is so much better....I really like this." " I like the green box!" " Oh, oh, here is the individualized diagnostic piece. I have students who need this today." "Multiple copies-yes!!"

The training was provided for current DRA users, who decided to update the assessment process for all district teachers. These trainers were the "creme de la creme", easy to instruct, attentive, and anxious to get started with their teachers. It was a great day to see their instructional plans come together smoothly with the new DRA2.

Posted by Deia Roberts at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)

April 16, 2006

Learning to Read Strategically

When was the last time you were reading and encountered a word that you did not know or a passage that you didn't understand? Adults often forget the many strategic skills that are combined for successful reading. As successful readers, our strategies are all on "automatic pilot," and we use them subconsciously. That is not the case for emerging and developing readers.

When completing the Record of Oral Reading using the Developmental Reading Assessment® K-3 or 4-8, Second Edition, (DRA2), it is the observations the teacher makes about a student's reading that provides a window to understanding what the student does while decoding text. Does the student attempt to decode unknown words? Does the student know when he or she has made a miscue? Does he or she attempt to self-correct miscues? Having an understanding of these miscues provides an opportunity to design instruction in the areas of relative weakness by teaching specific reading strategies.

There are several strategies that are useful for children to have when reading. Reading with Strategies is a program that was developed by Debra Meckley, Lorraine Edwards, and Deanna Stegeman to teach children how to use seven specific strategies to become better readers. The strategies are as follows:

Reading with Strategies comes at two levels—Emergent and Early. Each set includes 24 poster-size cards that have a colorful, engaging photograph and a sentence or two about the photo. This learning tool also includes two sheets of small cling-ons that are used to cover specific words that represent unknown words to students. The Teacher's Resource that accompanies the program is rich with directions on how to teach each of the strategies; questions to ask before, during, and after reading; and specific suggestions for which words to cover with the cling-ons.

Collecting assessment data using the DRA2 is just the first step in improving reading. What we do with the information is what changes reading behaviors over time. It is time to move the assessment results from the file cabinet to the lesson plan and model and teach students how to effectively use reading strategies to become self-sufficient readers.

For more information on Reading with Strategies, refer to page 74 of the Pearson Learning Group '05-06 catalog or contact customer service at 1-800-321-3106. The ISBN for Reading with Strategies, Emergent Stage is 0-673-77812-6 and Early Stage is 0-673-77866-5.

Posted by Melody at 05:49 PM | Comments (0)

April 03, 2006

Using Wordless Books

Much of the concern about reading progress is related to the lack of comprehension skills. If we are to have a nation of students reading on-grade-level, attention needs to be focused on the development of comprehension skills. Developing previewing and predicting skills helps students construct a tentative meaning about a text and will enhance comprehension skills.

A safe, risk-free way to begin helping children "construct their tentative meaning" is by using wordless books. By using a wordless book, all student responses are accepted and there is no right or wrong response. There are many wordless books that can be used in these activities, but a favorite is the Little Celebration book, The Pumpkin (ISBN: 0-673-57663-9 for 6-pack). This is a photo essay about growing a pumpkin from a small seed.

Set the stage by encouraging students to look at one page at a time—without saying a word. Allow several seconds to absorb the meaning. Slowly turn each page, always allowing time for students to "read" the page or make meaning. When all pages have been "read," ask students to share their stories. There will be a variety of stories retold. Some will be narrative texts, simply telling the story of the pumpkin based on personal experiences. Others will be process analysis, describing the step-by-step process for growing a pumpkin. Still others may represent a creative, fictional story. Some will be personal and others will be informational. But, ALL will be correct.

This activity provides great insight into background knowledge, creativity, vocabulary, and beginning comprehension skills. Some students may still view each photo as an individual scene and others will see the inter-relatedness of each of the photographs. It is important to demonstrate for students that there are many points of view when reading a book. By previewing and predicting, it helps create a schema for understanding the book.

Looking for more wordless books?
Try these Little Celebration titles:

Car Trip 6-pack
ISBN: 0-673-57615-9

Follow the String
6-pack ISBN: 0-673-57617-5

Noggin and Bobbin in the Snow
6-pack ISBN: 0-673-57661-2

Oops!
6-pack ISBN: 0-673-57662-0

The Mitten
6-pack ISBN: 0-673-57659-0

Posted by Melody at 05:25 PM | Comments (0)