Assessing Early Literacy Students Essay

Total Length: 2176 words ( 7 double-spaced pages)

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Client Report: Early Literacy Template

Kayla is a first grade student who has passed the kindergarten literacy standards. Although she passed the kindergarten literacy standards, she has not passed the first grade reading standards due to her difficulty with reading. Recent assessments revealed that she continues to perform below average in reading skills, particularly with decoding, fluency and comprehension.

List of Assessments (to be included with Client Report: Final Submission)

Informal Assessments

Parent Permission Form with your full name and first name of parent typed in

Teacher Referral Form with all information typed on this template

Observation Checklist: Early Literacy Behavior with all information typed on this template

1. Early Literacy Writing Sample with form completed in template and a jpg file of actual writing sample included.

Formal Assessment

Early Literacy Assessments -- Complete all parts of the Test Summary Sheet (from John's Basic Reading Inventory: Early Literacy)

Narrative Description of Test Behavior: (to be completed for Client Report: Final Submission)

Kayla alternated between showing some basic signs of testing anxiety and signs of problems related to her attention. She seemed to sense that the testing activities that she was asked to complete were of some degree of importance. However, that did not stop her attention from wandering during the reading of passages. She was able to focus more during the writing components of her assessment, and on the whole is a much more accomplished writer than she is reading. It appears that both testing anxiety and her wandering attention negatively impacted her comprehension.

Narrative Summary of the Entire Evaluation. Include a summary of your classroom observation, the informal writing sample, and a summary of your client's performance on the Early Literacy Inventory: (to be completed for Client Report: Final Submission)

Kayla is a fairly gregarious first grade student who seems both likeable and well-liked by her peers. During the classroom observation she demonstrate a propensity for incurring errors related to decoding when attempting to read, which affected her overall comprehension. One of the things that was able to hold her attention, however, was working on the computer and charting her own progress via its digital exercises. The informal writing sample showed that composition is definitely her strong point in language arts. Still, she wrote in a an extremely rushed way which evinced itself with difficulty in forming her letters and putting the proper spacing between them and entire words. Also, this sample indicates that she has some trouble with her fine motor skills. The Early Literacy Inventory helped to confirm Kayla's difficulty paying attention, especially in the group setting in which she was noticeably distracted on more than one occasion. She still tried to sound out words when it was her turn to read, but was plagued by insufficient decoding skills. Additionally, her scores in phoneme awareness and segmentation was insufficient for a first grader. She was able to do better with wordless, picture storytelling -- which merely reinforces her difficulty with comprehension and fluency. Her word knowledge is indicative of this fact, although she can write most of her letters with proficiency.

Recommendations: (to be completed for Client Report: Final Submission)

Based on this assessment, make recommendations for future instruction. Identify the areas that need additional instruction and list specific instructional strategies and/or letter, picture or object manipulatives that you would recommend. Address your recommendations to the following groups:

0. Classroom teachers

0. Parents

(Note: Recommendations based on practice test administration should be made with caution)

The most important recommendations to be made to Kayla's parents are to get her tested for learning differences -- specifically Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Such formal assessments are the first step to getting her the type of accommodations that are needed to help her with both regular classwork as well as conditions for testing. The latter accommodations may ameliorate what currently seems like a mild form of testing anxiety. Additionally, Kaya would benefit from nightly reading at home in addition to whatever homework she has. Sheer repetition could help her to improve her fluency.

Classroom teachers should focus on assisting Chelsea with decoding. Increased proficiency in this aspect of reading should improve her comprehension -- the combination of gains both of these areas can also better her reading fluency. Strategies such as modeling the reading of passages (on the part of teachers) and engaging in intensive or repeated reading of passages can help Kayla in all three of these areas.
The student would likely benefit from phonemic and phoneme awareness activities on the internet or via computers -- which could possibly maintain her attention more than conventional methods. The results of learning difference testing can verify these facts. However, Kayla has demonstrated that she works well in situations in which she can gauge her own progress which is what these supplemental materials can provide.

Parent Permission Form

I am a graduate student at Liberty University Online. As part of my requirements to complete the course I am currently enrolled in, I am required to complete a practice assessment of a child with a known learning weakness. All information gathered for this practice assessment will be reported anonymously (using a fictitious name and school, but using actual age, grade, and birthdate). No other identifying information will be used in the Final Report. I will be happy to share the Final Report with you; however it cannot be used as an official document in your child's school program.

If you agree to allow me to work with your child, I am seeking your permission for the following:

I would like to meet with you and/or your child's classroom teacher to discuss basic information regarding his/her educational background that might give insight as to what interventions, if any, have already been provided.

I would like your permission to observe your child in a class at his/her school in the next couple weeks, as it is convenient with your child's teacher. I will record my observations on a Classroom Observation Form that will become part of the assessment.

I would like your permission to complete a practice assessment of your child that will include an Informal Writing Sample and Inventory, to be completed at the convenience of your child's classroom teacher or may be completed outside of school hours, if you prefer.

Thank you for allowing me to work with your family as I complete this important practice assessment to fulfill my graduate degree at Liberty University.

___ (Liberty University Student's Signature)

I give my permission for the above named graduate student from Liberty University to work with my child in order to complete the assignment described above.

I understand and agree to:

Allow my child's educational background to be shared in brief detail.

Allow the above named Liberty University student to talk with my child's teacher to:

Request a Teacher Referral Form.

Schedule an observation in my child's reading or math class for one period.

Plan an appropriate time to complete the assessments identified above.

Allow the above named Liberty University student to complete the following:

An Informal Writing Sample

An Early Literacy Inventory

A final written report that is to be submitted to Liberty University without any identifying information about my child

___(On File)

(Parent or Legal Guardian Signature)

Teacher Referral Form -- Early Literacy

Student's Fictitious First Name: ___Kayla___ Grade: ___1st

Teacher's Title: ___General Education Teacher___ Date: ___9/15/15

Please check any items in which the student has difficulty:

Moderate Severe

Page 1 of 9

__X_ Sight word recognition

__X__ Recognizes upper case letters

__X__ Recognizes lower case letters

__X__ Listening skills

___ Tells story from pictures

___ Knows how to correctly hold book

___ Hyperactivity

___ Day dreaming

___X_ Distractibility

___ Explosive behavior

___ Withdrawal

___ Relationships with peers

___ Tracking with eyes when listening to story read aloud

__X__ Spelling name correctly

___X_ Writes letters correctly

__X__ Fine motor coordination

___ Large muscle coordination

___ Following directions

___ Neatness

___ Frequent crying

_X__ Erratic effort

___ Demanding attention

___ Uncontrolled behavior

__X__ Stubbornness

Comments (please list general observations and any interventions that have or haven't been successful):

In addition to difficulties with reading skills, Kayla has difficulties with fine motor skills, and dynamic and static balance. She benefits from teacher readings of class material, computer-based books and programs for decoding and comprehension, repeated readings, and intensive reading instruction. Kayla benefits from frequent reminders about tasks; she prefers routines that allow her to track her own progress such as the computer reading programs.

Observation Checklist: Early Literacy Behavior

Add comments to explain checked items.

Student's Fictitious Name ___Kayla___ Age: __6___ Grade _1st___ Date:_9/15/15

Directions: Observe your client in a group reading instructional period for a minimum of 20 minutes and in an independent activity for a minimum of 10 minutes. Check all that apply from your observation only. You should not ask the classroom teacher for additional information. Add further insight.....

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https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/assessing-early-literacy-students-2155181