Designing Appropriate Instruction: The Use of Informal Observations

Gaining insights to enhance and refine instruction

Two ways: Formal / Informal

Formal CASAS TABE

How did “they” get the number “2.7” grade level?

From the formal tests…What does 2.7 mean?

How did “they” get 2.7?

Give 1000 2nd grade students in grade 2.7 Raw score of 24 Anyone who scores 24 = 2.7

Give 1000 3rd grade students in grade 3.7 Raw score of 32 Therefore anyone scores 32 = 3.7

What if some got a score of 28 extrapolation = 3.2

So how well does 2.7 read?

Given any materials, she / he reads as well as anyone who scored 2.7?

But if given materials written on 2.7 level – how well will she/ he read the materials?

Usually - struggles with TOO many errors to be considered appropriateappropriate for instruction.

Purpose of Formal Test

Compare one group with another group

Compare a group’s progress over time

Norm weight of ABS Faculty

Establish norm for ABS faculty:

Men = 201 pounds

Women = 171 pounds

But, What is a healthy weight for Men? Women?

What criteria were used to establish these “ideal” weights?

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/height_weight.shtml

Criteria established for “ideal” growth in reading…

Observing successful readers

Comparing unsuccessful readers’ practices with successful readers

Clinical observations of “unsuccessful readers” growth when given successful readers’ type practices… (Independent Reading Level)

Process we use for developing HEALTHY readers Establish criteria – MOST thrive and grow

Follow criteria to accomplish

Hippocratic Oath

How do we come up with a criteria for developing READERS? Those who learn to read and LOVE to!!!

Success - Independent Reading Criteria

Instructional Reading Criteria

Failure - Frustration Reading Criteria

Success - Independent Reading Level 90 % comprehension

98-100 percent Instant and accurate pronunciation of the words

Fluency

Instructional Reading Level

70 % comprehension70 % comprehension

95 % of the words95 % of the words instant and accurate instant and accurate pronunciation pronunciation

FluencyFluency

Failure - Frustrational Reading LevelBelow 70 % comprehension

Below 95 percent of instant and accurate pronunciation of words

Poor fluency - showing frustration.

Informal Oberservation Design

The closer the “test” looks like real reading the better insights the observations will provide…

Goal:When faculty understands/uses

the basic criteria – any printed material can be used as an “observation tool”…

How do we determine reading levels of text materials?

Readability of text

Usually number of syllables in 100 words

Number of sentences in a 100 words

Compare IRI passages…

OR type into Microsoft Word – get Grade Level

TABE Equivalents

Table 2. TABE Test Levels Test Level Grade Level Equivalent L Literacy 0.0–1.9 E Easy 2.0–3.9 M Medium 4.0–5.9 F Difficult 6.0–8.9 A Advanced 9.0–12.9

http://www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org/content/assessmentmellard.pdf

Page 5

CASAS Reading Grade Level Equivalent below 200 1 201 – 205 2 206 – 210 3 211 – 215 4 216 – 220 5 221 – 225 6 226 – 230 7 231 – 235 8 236 – 240 9 241 – 245 10 246 – 250 11 251 – 255 12 266+ 13+

http://www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org/content/assessmentmellard.pdf Page 5

Table 1. CASAS Scaled Levels and Corresponding Grade Level

Bananas and Apples

Standard Reading Test

Grade Level Raw score 17 = 1.5 23 = 2.5 31 = 3.5 40 = 4.5

Informal Reading Inventory

Grade Level Raw score AAA = 1.1 to 1.3 AA / A = 1.5 to 1.7 B = 2.0 to 2.5 C = 3.0 to 3.5

Generalizations about Formal Test

Placing students in “materials” on or near suggested grade level will usually result in…

FRUSTRATION reading

experiences

Rule of thumb – DROP 1 to 1 ½ grade levels

Compare TABE / CASAS with IRI

TABE IRIPractice

Sam 5.0 4 < 4 Agnes 8.2 5 < 5 Ronald 2.1 1.7 <

AA Regina 5.3 3 < 3

Rule of Thumb – 1 to 1 ½ levels below for major practice in reading

Purposes of Informal evaluations

Establish comfortable place to begin instruction

Monitor on-going of progress Modify instruction based on how one

functions in “real” reading Pick up on clues as to what needs targeted

instruction Best way to assist student in monitoring

his/her own progress

Answers we want when observing…

What levels can the student read “independently”?

Reading instructional level – what problem(s) keep(s) student from reading this level - independently? Alphabetics (Word Recognition) Word meanings Comprehension Fluency

Training eyes to see – ears to hear

Informal Reading Inventory What is it? How do we use it? Mistakes we note Answers we want…

Instructional level – what keep it from being independent?

Ultimate goal… use techniques without the “test”…

Marking errors: Substitutions

Substitutions- the learner substitutes a different word for the one that is printed.

Write the substituted word above the line. If the substituted word is a nonsense word, write it phonetically. cow

Bob and Sue have to get a car. cow

The old car will not run.

Marking errors:

Omissions- the learner omits a word or leaves off an ending or part of a word.

Circle the word or part that the student does not say.

Bob and Sue like to fish. The car they get will have to be big.

Marking errors: Insertions

Insertions- the learner inserts a word or phrase into the sentence.

Mark the sentence with a caret (^) and write the word or phrase above the line.

old They have a big ^ dog. The dog likes to

ride in the car.

Marking Errors: Pronunciation

Pronunciation- the instructor pronounces the word for the learner after five seconds.

Put a “P” above the word that was pronounced for the learner.

P P Sue wants the car to be blue. Bob says

he wants a red car.

“Non-counted” errors. Corrections- the learner makes an error and then corrects it himself.

Mark the error as usual and then put a “C” over it.

pigThey have a big dog.

Repetitions- the learner repeats a word or phrase.

Draw an arrow beneath the word or phrase repeated. They have a big dog.

Choppiness- the learner reads in a choppy manner.

Mark the sentence with slash marks where choppy. They/have a big/dog.

C

Planning Appropriate Instruction: Observations…

What information can I get from a word list? How can I best use this information? What can I learn from having the learner read

paragraphs? How will assessing comprehension help me

in planning instruction? How will marking word identification errors

help me in planning instruction?

Collaborative Assessment

View the student as a collaborator in the assessment process.

The instructor encourages the student to monitor his/her own performance.

Gain Insight from Student

What seems to be the problem which keeps the student from being a good reader at the upper end of his/her independent reading level?

Is it comprehension? word identification skills? fluency/anxiety?

Example:

Ask the student to: put a check next to each word that takes more

than a second or two to figure out

circle the words that are hard to recognize

Explain Criteria to a student

Success - Independent reading Instructional reading Failure - Frustration

Questions

Is this level comfortable for the learner? Did the learner’s errors make sense? Does the learner know basic “sight words?” What kinds of questions did the learner answer

correctly? How well did the learner understand the selection? At which level(s) did the learner read independently,

instructionally or with frustration? What keeps the learner from reading well at the

instructional level?

Students experience success when…

Most reading time – independent reading level 98+ % instant word identification 90+ % comprehension Fluency – near normal speech flow

Limited reading – only with direct instruction – Instructional reading level 95 % instant word identification 70 % comprehension

Nature of successful practice

Great readers – most of their practice has been – independent reading level

Great readers – rarely encounter a word they don’t know – 1 in 200 or 500 words…

100 hours of easy meaningful practice will produce a years growth!!!!!!!