The Benchmark Assessment System

Webinar #4 Informing Instruction and Measuring Growth

• Transfer the information gleaned from the BAS to focused literacy teaching and learning.

• Use the data gleaned and assessment strategies from the BAS to inform daily instruction.

• How to better utilize the Continuum of Literacy Learning.

For this webinar you will need:

The Continuum of Literacy Learning

The Benchmark Assessment System 1 or 2 Assessment Guide

The results of Benchmark Assessments can be used to plan for…• Individual Instruction• Small Group Instruction• Whole Class Instruction

Linking Assessment to Instruction

using

The Continuum of Literacy Learning

Scaffolding through teaching contexts

Teacher

Child

InteractiveReadAloud

Shared Reading

Guided Reading

LiteratureDiscussion Independent

Reading

Scaffolding through teaching contexts

Whole group

Interactive Read Aloud

Literature Discussion

Interactive Read Aloud and Literature Discussion

When children are actively listening to and discussing a text, all of the strategic actions for comprehending are in operation. In an interactive read aloud, the listener is freed from decoding and is supported by the oral reader’s fluency, phrasing, and stress – all elements of what we sometimes call expression. The scene is set for a high level of comprehending or thinking together through a text.

COLL, Pages 8-10

• Listen in

–Grade 1 group in their first literature discussion •Julius, Baby of the World

• Return to the webinar

Thinking within the text

Understand the problem of a story

Recognize characters and report important details after reading

Thinking beyond the textBring background knowledge to understanding characters and

their problems

Make connections between texts and their own life experiences

Use evidence from text to support predictions

Make connections between familiar texts and discuss similarities and differences

Thinking about the textNotice similarities and differences among texts that are by the

same author or are on the same topic

Have opinions about texts and state the basis for opinions (tell why)

Julius, Baby of the World

What did you think?

Why?

How is she feeling? …in the beginning?

Why?

Do you agree?

Share what you are thinking

Did that help you understand the story? Why?

Did Lily love Julius?

Ah, (restating) just not showing it

What changed?

Who said it?

Our ultimate goal as teachers is to help each student in our schools become a reader who loves books and all they have to offer. Reading is more than basic decoding competency. It has the potential to nourish the intellect, the emotions and the spirit. It feeds and replenishes the art and skill of writing. A child who lives a literate life in school and has pleasurable experiences with written language will make a place for reading and writing throughout life.

Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. p. 3.

Pause the webinar to view Ask Nicely

Work in partners while observing.

#1. Record the ways the teacher supports her students in thinking within, beyond and about text.

#2. Record the reading behaviors of the students. How do their behaviors demonstrate their thinking within, beyond and about text?

Return to the webinar

Ask Nicely

Thinking within the text– Notice and derive information from pictures– Bring background knowledge to understanding characters and

their problems– Talk about characters, problems and events in a story– Acquire new words from listening and use in discussion– Understand the meaning of words during reading

Thinking beyond the text– Infer characters feeling and intentions

Thinking about the text– Understand that an author wrote the book– Understand that an artist illustrated the book

Ask Nicely

Oral, Visual and Technological Communication

Listening and Speaking• Listen with attention and understanding to oral reading of

stories…• Compare personal knowledge with what is heard

Content• Begin to verbalize reasons for problems, events and actions• Offer solutions and explanations for story problems

The Structure of Interactive Read Aloud

Selection and PreparationOpeningReading Aloud Embedded Teaching Text TalkDiscussion and Self EvaluationRecord of Reading

Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. p. 222.

Opening Moves & Embedded Teaching

if you want to get the most instructional power from interactive read alouds, it is important to plan for teaching in a more precise way.

© Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S., (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. P 222.

Planning in a Precise Way:Opening Moves

• …set the tone for the reading

• …should vary

© Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S., (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. P 228.

What kind of expectations might one set for active listening?

Prompt children to anticipate a book by a favorite author. Ask children to make connections to a previously read text. Alert children to unusual features of the text, such as the

structure or narrator. Provide important background information Raise questions to spark curiosity Lay the groundwork for children’s understanding of diverse

settings and people. Raise questions in the readers’ mind.

© Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G. S. (2006). Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Pp. 226 - 227.

Planning in a Precise Way:Embedded Teaching

Intentional Conversation (embedded teaching):

• ..the talk is intentional because you have in mind the reading process and the particular text you are sharing.

• …as the more expert other, you are guiding and shaping the conversation so that your students learn more about the kind of thinking (systems of strategic actions) readers use

© Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S., (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. P 228.

• Pause the webinar– Listen in to Loretta sharing Grandma’s Purple

Flowers with her 2nd graders– Have your copy of The Continuum of Literacy

Learning open to Interactive Read Aloud and Literature Discussion Grade 2

• After viewing– Using the Continuum, discuss the text selection.– Discuss the goals you observed.

• Return to the webinar

Grandma’s Purple Flowers

• How did the introduction/opening impact the experience for the children?

• When Loretta modeled her thinking, what kind of thinking was she modeling?

• When Loretta asked questions of the children, what was the kind of thinking she was hoping to elicit from their responses?

Read alouds“embedded teaching”

• Ask questions

• Make comments

• Model thinking

Balance these for a rich discussion

Texts for Interactive Read Aloud

Texts for Interactive Read Aloud• Are often displayed in the room for students to explore

during independent reading• Are often organized in text sets based around themes,

topics, authors, genre and are used as mentor texts in writer’s workshop

• Represent the diversity of our world• Contain topics and themes for rich discussion• Are often picture books, but can be short stories, chapter

books, poems, etc.

Reflection

Pause the webinar to reflect– How will you use the results of the Benchmark

Assessment System to plan for interactive read - aloud for your class?

– How will you use The Continuum of Literacy Learning both to plan for interactive read - aloud and to monitor the progress of your class?

Return to the webinar after sharing.

Assessment Guide p. 113

Components of a Guided Reading Lesson

• Introducing the Text• Reading the Text• Discussing and Revisiting the Text• Teaching for Processing Strategies• Working with Words (optional)• Extending the Understanding of the Text

(optional)

Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency pp. 375-376

Assessment Guide p. 110

Pause the webinar and read the steps for connecting assessment to guided reading lessons on p. 116 of your Assessment Guide.

Level G

Introducing the Text1. Pause the webinar and view the introduction to the text, Locked Out. Notice the behaviors Shannon (the teacher) attends to during the introduction. 2. Return to the webinar once you have

viewed this portion of the lesson.

Introducing the Text

Shannon provided opportunities for students to: • Make connections between the text and reader’s

personal experiences. (Making Connections)• Use and interpret information from pictures. (Inferring)• Search for and use all sources of information in the

text. (Searching for and Using Information)• Infer and interpret characters’ feelings, motives, and

attributes. (Inferring) • Infer causes for feelings, motives, or actions. (Inferring)• Remember information to help in understanding the

end of a story. (Summarizing)

Reading the Text1. View the students reading the text,

Locked Out. Notice the behaviors Shannon attends to as they read.

2. Return to the webinar once you have viewed this portion of the lesson.

Reading the TextShannon provided opportunities for students to: • Recognize most words quickly and easily. (Solving Words)• Reflect language syntax and meaning through phrasing and

expression. (Maintaining Fluency)• Demonstrate appropriate stress on words to reflect the meaning.

(Maintaining Fluency)• Use meaning to monitor and self-correct reading (Monitoring and

Correcting)• Search for and use all sources of information in the text.

(Searching for and Using Information)• Reflect punctuation through pausing and intonation while reading

orally. (Maintaining Fluency)

Discussing and Revisiting the Text1. View the video of the students

discussing and revisiting the text. Notice how Shannon helps them think and talk about what they read.

2. Return to the webinar once you have viewed this portion of the lesson.

Discussing and Revisiting the TextShannon provided opportunities for students

to: • Remember information to help in

understanding the end of a story. (Summarizing)

• Understand and talk about a simple sequence of events of a story. (Summarizing)

Teaching for Processing Strategies1. View the video of Shannon teaching for

processing strategies. Notice how she supports students with reading behaviors.

2. Return to the webinar once you have viewed this portion of the lesson.

Teaching for Processing Strategies • Demonstrate phrased, fluent oral reading

(Maintaining Fluency)• Reflect language syntax and meaning through

phrasing and expression. (Maintaining Fluency)

• Reflect punctuation through pausing and intonation. (Maintaining Fluency)

Working with Words1. View the working with words portion of

the lesson. Notice how Shannon supports students in understanding how words work.

2. Return to the webinar once you have viewed this portion of the lesson.

Working with WordsShannon provided opportunities for students to: • Understand how to change beginning, middle,

and ending letters- single consonants and vowels as well as blends and digraphs to make new words.

• Use known words and word parts to solve unknown words. (Solving Words)

Pause and Reflect What big ideas are you

taking away about noticing, teaching, and supporting behaviors and understandings in guided reading?

Level O

Introducing the Text1. Pause the webinar and view the introduction to the text, Lake Critter Journal. Notice the behaviors Angie (the teacher) attends to during the introduction. 2. Return to the webinar once you have

viewed this portion of the lesson.

Introducing the Text• Bring background knowledge to a text before reading.

(Making Connections)• Specify the nature of connections. (Making Connections) • Demonstrate the ability to identify how a text is organized.

(Analyzing)• Notice variety in layout. (Analyzing)• Notice how the author/illustrator has used illustrations

and other graphics to convey meaning. (Analyzing)• Understand when a writer has used underlying

organizational structures. (Analyzing)• Use the context of a sentence, paragraph, or whole text to

determine the meaning of a word. (Solving Words)

Reading the Text1. View the students reading the text.

Notice the behaviors Angie attends to as they read.

2. Return to the webinar once you have viewed this portion of the lesson.

Reading the Text• Solve words of two or three syllables.

(Solving Words)• Continue to monitor accuracy and

understanding, self-correcting when errors detract from meaning. (Monitoring and Correcting)

Discussing and Revisiting the Text and Teaching for Processing Strategies

1. View the video of the students discussing and revisiting the text. Notice how Angie helps them think and talk about what they read. Also, notice how she supports students with taking on reading behaviors through her teaching point.

2. Return to the webinar once you have viewed this portion of the lesson.

Discussing and Revisiting the Text and Teaching for Processing Strategies

• Bring background knowledge to the understanding of a text before, during, and after reading. (Making Connections)

• Understand when a writer has used underlying organizational structures. (Analyzing)

• Evaluate aspects of a text that add to enjoyment. (Critiquing)• Notice specific writing techniques. (Analyzing)• State opinions about a text and show evidence to support them.

(Critiquing)• Identify important ideas in a text and report them in an organized

way. (Summarizing)• Search for information in graphics. (Searching for and Using

Information)• Notice variety in layout. (Analyzing)

Pause and Reflect What big ideas are you

taking away about noticing, teaching, and supporting behaviors and understandings in guided reading?

• Provide efficiency strategies to enhance the planning. Administration and use of data for the BAS conferences

Making the Assessment Conference Efficient Starting Point

Use reading records from the previous year Use running records taken during small group

reading – start at the highest independent reading level

Use the Where to Start Word Test

Making the Assessment Conference Efficient Organized Materials

All materials for the conference organized and

available (3 texts, 3 reading record forms, pencils,

timer/calculator)

Making the Assessment Conference Efficient Fluency

Teach for all dimensions of fluency throughout the year for all students at all levels (level C and beyond).

Pausing, Phrasing, Stress, Intonation, Rate,

Integration

Making the Assessment Conference Efficient Hard Text

Discontinue the reading record as soon as the number of errors indicate the text is hard

Making the Assessment Conference Efficient Comprehension Conversation

Do not include the comprehension conversation if the text is hard

Engage in comprehension conversations during whole group reading, small group reading and individual conferring

• “ Children learn not only from your instruction but from the environment in which they live and work every day. They spend about six hours a day, 180 days a year, in a classroom – approximately 1,080 hours a year. During the nine years it takes children to progress from kindergarten and eighth grade, our children spent 9,720 hours in school or combining elementary and secondary school – 14,040 hours!

• That’s a lot of time to be in a room with twenty or thirty other people. Students learn best in a variety of social settings that take full advantage of the community learning power of collaboration and shared ideas. As they approach the challenge of reading, they benefit from many social contexts that are possible within a classroom community- whole group, small group and individual instruction. TCF xxvi

THANK YOUFOR YOUR ATTENTION AND EFFORTS AS WE ALL

WORK TO ENSURE OUR CHILDREN DEVELOP HIGH LEVELS OF READING EXPERTISE