A Closer Look at a Phoneme Segmentation Subtest

Version 1 8/23/10

A Closer Look at Maze Reading Comprehension

Rationale for Assessment: The ability to monitor students’ understanding of text. This assessment helps measure comprehension and vocabulary as students select the correct response. (Florida Center for Reading Research)

“Comprehension is often viewed as ‘the essence of reading’ (Durkin 1993). It involves interacting with text, using intentional thinking to construct meaning. The RAND Reading Study Group (RRSG 2002) defines reading comprehension ‘the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language.’ Harris and Hodges (1995) refer to it as ‘the construction of the meaning of a written text through a reciprocal interchange of ideas between the reader and the message in a particular text.’ Perfetti (1985) simply calls it ‘thinking guided by print.’ (Honig, Diamond, et al. 2008) Supported by our GLCEs: (Grade 2-8: Using metacognition by self-monitoring comprehension when reading or listening to text. R.MT.02.01, R.MT.03.01, R.MT.04.01, R.MT.05.01, R.MT.06.01, R.MT.07.01, R.MT.08.01. Grades 2-5: Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes to construct and convey meaning. R.MT.02.04, R.MT.03.02, R.MT.04.02, R.MT.05.02. Grades 6-8: Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes for their own reading comprehension. R.MT.06.02, R.MT.07.02, R.MT.08.02.

A Maze Screening assessment is a multiple-choice cloze task that students complete while reading silently. The first sentence of a 150-400 word passage is left intact. Thereafter, every 7th word is replaced with three words inside parenthesis. One of the words is the exact one from the original passage. Science-based research has shown that this provides a reliable and valid measure of reading comprehension. This assessment can address the “who” to be concerned about. The subtest alone will not be sufficient in defining the “what.” Further assessments may be helpful in creating an instructional plan for the whole class or individual students. We need to rely on multiple assessment measures to verify, identify, specify, and recognize various student needs. AIMSweb Growth Table MAZE – Comprehension (2009-20010)

Grade Fall Winter Spring 50%ile- RC 50%ile – RC 50%ile - RC 1 1 3 8 2 4 10 14 3 12 15 16 4 13 19 19 5 16 21 25 6 20 25 26 7 21 23 27 8 22 20 26 Sample Errors and Instructional Considerations:

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Sample Error: Initial Thoughts: Further Assessment Examples of Instructional Strategies/Activities Low score Analyze student’s Administer Running Record. (i.e. running Decoding lessons focus on helping children to fluently and assessment. Is there a record in its entirety, QRI, DRA, Jerry automatically recognize ALL words, both regular and decoding concern? Johns – BRI, etc.) irregular.

For students breaking down on cvc words such as mop, begin with the following Sound by Sound Blending Routine:

1. Write the spelling of the first sound in the word. Point to the spelling, and say the sound. (For the word cat, write letter c) 2. Touch below and say “sound.” 3. Write spelling of next sound (a for the word cat.) 4. Touch below and say “sound.” 5. Make a loop below the two sounds and scoop as you ask students to “blend” the two sounds. 6. Write the final spelling (t for cat) 7. Touch below and say “sound. 8. Scoop below all sounds and ask students to “blend.”

9. Repeat and ask students to “read the word.”

Sample Error: Initial Thoughts: Further Assessment Examples of Instructional Strategies/Activities Low score (cont.) Analyze student’s Administer Running Record. (i.e. running Progress to the following Whole Word Blending assessment. Is there a record in its entirety, QRI, DRA, Jerry Routine: decoding concern? (cont.) Johns – BRI, etc.) (cont.) 1. Write the entire word (ex: cat) 2. Touch underneath the first spelling and say “sound.” 3. Touch underneath the second spelling and say “sound” 4. Touch under the two spellings and make a scooping motion as you say “blend” 5. Touch underneath the final spelling and say “sound” 6. Scoop below all spellings and say “blend” 7. Repeat and ask students to “Read the word.”

Introduce Word Building and Dictation Routines to support the Spelling/Encoding Process:

Dictation/Word Building Routine: *Use decodable word list focusing on a targeted skill Sound By Sound Routine: 1. Say the word (ex: cat) 2. Ask students, “What’s the first sound?” They respond with the sound not the spelling. (/c/ vs. the letter c) 3. You say “Write it,” or “Build it.” 4. You say, “Next sound?” 5. Students respond with appropriate sound 6. Use say, “Last sound?’ 7. Students respond with appropriate sound 8. You say, “Write it” or “Build it.”

Sample Error: Initial Thoughts: Further Assessment Examples of Instructional Strategies/Activities Low score (cont.) Analyze student’s Administer Running Record. (i.e. running assessment. Is there a record in its entirety, QRI, DRA, Jerry Elkonin Boxes decoding concern? (cont.) Johns – BRI, etc.) (cont.)

Students orally segment words using counters.

*Use letter tiles with Elkonin boxes to reinforce the segmentation of sounds when spelling.

Syllable Scoop.

Students segment and sort words by number of syllables. For printable materials go to:http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2-3Phonics_4.pdf

Digraph Roll-A-Word

Students will blend onsets and rimes to make words by using digraph onset and rime letter cubes. For printable materials go to: http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2-3Phonics_1.pdf

Low Score Analyze student’s Using materials available, administer one Digraph Diphthong Dash. assessment. Is there a minute fluency assessment. fluency concern? (i.e. The student will gain speed and accuracy in recognizing accurate but student did not letter-sounds within a 1 minute time frame. For printable get very far in text) materials go to: http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G2- 3/2-3Fluency_1.pdf

Syllable Sprint.

The student will gain speed and accuracy in reading syllables. For printable materials go to: http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2- 3Fluency_1.pdf

Sample Error: Initial Thoughts: Further Assessment Examples of Instructional Strategies/Activities Low Score Analyze student’s Administer a running record or Oral When encouraging thoughtful reading, introduce the assessment. Is there any Reading Fluency assessment to observe a following Comprehension Strategies: evidence of the student student’s ability to exhibit various reading reading in a thoughtful strategies while reading a passage. Asking Questions: Asking questions and searching for manner? Does the student answers- before, during, and after reading. (I wonder…, I know what to do when his or For sample comprehension strategies rubric, was confused when…., Why… Do I understand what I’m her reading breaks down? Is see: reading….?) there any self-monitoring of http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/S comprehension? trategy%20Rubrics.pdf Main Idea: I know what the main ideas are and what the author considered important. (The big idea is…, The most important ideas are…, So far, I have learned that…, The author wants me to know…)

Inferring: Drawing conclusions, making predictions, evaluating, judging and reflecting on my reading. (I’m guessing that…, I predict…, It would be better if…., If I were the main character…, The theme of the story is….)

Making Connections: Using what I know to understand the text. (That reminds me of…, It made me think of…, I read another book…, This is different from…, I remember when…)

Repairing/Monitoring Comprehension: Using “fix-up” strategies when I come to a word I don’t know or a part I don’t understand to help myself understand what I am reading. (I tried these decoding strategies…, I make sure what I read makes sense, I tried these comprehension strategies, I know when I don’t understand what I read.)

Synthesizing: Combining new ideas with what I already know to get something new and different. (I can apply this new understanding…, I have learned that…, This gives me an idea…, I can summarize the author’s underlying theme and/or reason for writing).

Visualizing: Creating a picture in one’s mind. Using all

Sample Error: Initial Thoughts: Further Assessment Examples of Instructional Strategies/Activities

senses to connect to the text, characters, events, and/or ideas. (In my mind I could see…, I could smell, hear, or taste…, I could picture….)

Low score Analyze student’s Informal assessment/teacher observation “Students learn vocabulary directly when they are assessment. Is a lack of within the classroom Administer Dolch explicitly taught both individual words and word-learning vocabulary a concern? (i.e. sight word list assessment. strategies. Direct vocabulary instruction aids reading house vs. horse ) http://www.mrsperkins.com/ comprehension.” (CIERRA, 2003)

Homophone Hunt.

The student will identify homophones by choosing the correct homophone in a flip book to complete sentences. For printable materials go to: http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2- 3Vocab_1.pdf

Meaning Exchange

Students will identify the meaning of words in context by playing a matching game. For printable materials go to:

http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2- 3Vocab_5.pdf

Low score Analyze student’s Address medical concerns. Listen and Read assessment. Student Complete further assessment such as a skipped lines of text. Is Running Record to see if student continues Students practice reading fluently by reading along with a there a tracking problem? having tracking difficulties. tape-recorded book using an “e-z strip” to encourage Check for visual concerns proper tracking. (See your school’s resource room for e-z (medical history). strips). For printable materials go to: http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2- 3Fluency_4.pdf

Sample Error: Initial Thoughts: Further Assessment Examples of Instructional Strategies/Activities

Two to Read

Students will gain speed and accuracy in reading connected text by rereading texts with a partner. For printable materials go to:

http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2- 3Fluency_4.pdf Low score Analyze student’s Complete further assessment using cloze Cloze (“fill in the blanks”) activities can be used as a assessment. Student’s procedures (untimed) to see if student means of testing reading comprehension. Cloze answers show a pattern continues with such a pattern. procedures can also be used as an aid for language (e.g. consistently selects the learning and reading instruction. first word as the correct answer). Does the student What-A-Word understand directions of the assessment? Did they Students complete sentences in text by choosing guess? appropriate words. For printable materials go to: http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2- 3Vocab_5.pdf

See Guess The Covered Word by Joyce Kohfeldt, Annie King & Helen Collier (various grade levels available ) For ways to incorporate your materials or text see:

http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/childlit/covere d.htm