Week 5-Assignment 2

Mary's Level 3 Word List:


Total Correct Automatic: 3/20=15%
Total Correct Identified: 1/20= 5%
Total Number Correct: 4/20=20%

Week 5-Assignment 1

Mary's Word Identification Scores:


Total Correct Automatic: 16/20=80%
Total Correct Identified: 1/20=5%
Total Number Correct: 17/20=85%

Week 4-Assignment 2

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x0qvk41yedniznr/AJ_cSryFWp


Above is the link to the powerpoint-enjoy:)

Week 4-Assignment 1 a

My understanding of RTI is that this is a screening process to ensure that really no children fall through the cracks and that every student receives the proper instruction at the proper time. As explained in the video, literacy instruction is three tiered. Most children fall under the biggest tier and they receive at least 90 minutes per day of literacy instruction including phonics. This instruction is monitored and adjusted by the teacher to meet the needs of her students. The next tier is for a smaller portion of students who need extra help in grasping literacy but do not fall under the category as special ed. These children get at least thirty minutes of extra instruction on top of what they are learning in class. This is an important point since this extra time is meant to reinforce what these students are receiving in class, not to replace that time. The third tier is for an even smaller group of students who would fall under a special education category and receive special services.


It seems like RTI comes with all of the tools that teachers need to teach literacy effectively. Not only is the method successful but because it is user friendly and requires little extra work outside of class it seems to be a favorite among educators. Teachers however need to be constantly aware of their students' status and gather evidence of their students' work. I wonder if this is challenging for teachers to have to keep track of the individual state of each of their students. I also wonder if there are other effective assessments and literacy techniques that teachers implement successfully. I truly hope that through RTI that every child really receives the literacy instruction that he needs but I find it hard to believe that no one falls through the cracks. I am looking forward to learning more about the subject and implementing it in my classroom.

Week 3 Assignment 3

What is QRI5?
QRI5 is an informal reading assessment that is used to determine a child's word identification, comprehension, and the circumstances where students can read and understand fluently. The system was developed over many years and was researched thoroughly. There are passages that are appropriate for different grade levels from first grade through high school. Along with these passages are word lists and questions that asses literal and deeper meaning of the material.

What is the purpose of using QRI5?

The purpose of using QRI5 is for the teacher to be aware of her students' reading abilities and be able to plan accordingly. Based on the results of this test, the teacher can choose appropriate reading material for her student, focus more on a skill that seems to be lacking etc.

Have you seen similar assessment activities like QRI5? What are they?

I am not so familiar with the proper names of the assessments. However when I was a teacher's assistant in a first grade classroom I remember the teacher reading through different passages with the children and testing the correct words per minute that the children read from a word list.

What is your impression of QRI5?

My impression of QRI5 is that it is a thought out process that really comes with all of the tools for teachers to implement the assessments successfully. Honestly straight after I read about QRI5 I thought "what a great business to be able to market assessment packages to schools!". It seems that this tool is fully loaded with all of the materials to make teachers lives easier. An effective and easy way to asses our students-what could be better?

Week 3-Assignment 2

After reading the P21 article the expectations of the Common Core Standards became more clear. The examples used to describe implementation really painted a clear picture of what an ideal lesson should look like that models the CCS. One of the expectations mentioned was creativity. Creativity in regard to ELA can be done through writing, discussions and projects. To assess creativity is a little bit more grey than other areas since part of this aspect can be a personal bias. Creativity is somewhat reflective of a child's reading level since it is indicative of the deeper connections that the child gained from the reading or from the writing. Although this is the case, teachers can gauge the level of assessment for creativity based on the reading level of the child. For instance, if a child's comprehension is weak it'll be harder for him to develop an idea that carries deep connection with the material since he barely scratches the surface of the basic meaning. In this case teachers' can expect a lower level of creativity in the child's work and assess the child accordingly.


For the 21st Century Themes, the best way to measure students' learning outcomes is to give them real life situations to solve. The complexity of the situation can be based on their skill level. Assessments will depend on the effectiveness of the solutions that the students develop as a group after research and discussion.

Week 2-Assignment 3

Teaching literacy is multifaceted and made up a number of parts including: print awareness, sounds of speech, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, and writing. Print awareness is a child's knowledge of how written work looks like and functions. Sounds of speech is a child's ability to listen and differentiate language that he hears. Phonemic awareness is how the child is able to work with individual sounds. Phonics is when the child uses the phonetic sounds of the ABC for literacy. Fluency is when the way the child is able to read with expression, speed and accuracy. Vocabulary is when the child gives meaning to the words that he is reading. Spelling indicates that a child is able to identify the phonemes of words. Comprehension is when children understand what they are reading and apply previous knowledge to the new information. Finally, writing is a skill that includes all of the above areas and is a reflection of good reading skills.