Entry #7
I did a running record on two of my 2nd graders
this week (for their privacy I am only including their first initial). T is a 2nd grader originally from
Romania. S is a 2nd grader
originally from Mexico. I pulled a grade
level passage from easycbm.com to use for this assignment. (This is a GREAT website for progress
monitoring if any of you are looking for one and it's FREE!!)
T was able to read 66 correct words per minute (cwpm) with
93% accuracy. After analyzing his
miscues I realized that the majority of his mistakes were visually similar (by initial
letter), but the words he used did not make sense in the text. The errors in syntax he made were due to an
incorrect subject and verb agreement (was/were), which is common not only for
his grade level, but also for an English language learner. There were two words he got stuck on and were
provided for him (TT = teacher told) and only one word he self-corrected
(SC). His reading rate was close to the
grade level benchmark of 72 cwpm.
Using this information, I saw two major areas to focus
instruction. 1) teach how to SC for errors – using CAFE strategies
(from The CAFE Book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) – check your
understanding and cross checking (does
it look right, does it sound right, and does it make sense) 2) teach
word attach strategies to use with unfamiliar words – chunking letters and
sounds, flipping the vowel sound, stretch and blend, identify familiar word
parts, and using the beginning and ending sound.
My other student, S, was able to read 102 cwpm with 98%
accuracy. While on paper, this looks
really good, I know that this student can read just about anything you put in
front of him, but he has absolutely no comprehension. The words just go in one ear and out the
other. He did make a couple of visual
miscues while reading, but he knew how to back up and reread because the word
didn’t sound right (he corrects for correct sounds not for meaning).
For this student, my focus for instruction would include
teaching how to check for understanding (using lots of story retells and
questioning about story elements). I
would model and teach how to stop while reading to check for understanding and
summarize what was just read. I would
also focus on metacognition strategies (becoming aware of your own thinking
while reading). This student needs to
see that reading is for meaning, not just decoding and saying words. I also know this student needs help building
his vocabulary (both in his native language as well as English). I realize many of these teaching points are
not coming from his running record, but of an understanding of the student and
looking at other assessments.
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check out the website you used for your running records! I also found with my two ELL students that vocabulary impacted the way they read fluently. It can also impact their comprehension. I use CAFE in my classroom as well, and I think the suggested strategies are great! Right now, I'm helping my students build comprehension during my reading groups, since the reading levels are increasing. I like using the SWBS (Somebody wanted, but so) strategy when I introduce comprehension. I think you did a nice job using your data to determine next teaching steps!
-Christa
Hi Megan, Finding a site with reliable timed passages is a challenge, I will try this site next time, thanks! I appreciate your comment at the end of your entry that your instructional choices for that student were made based on the running record, and also on your overall picture of this student. Sometimes it is a challenge for me to translate a WCPM score in to meaningful instruction. It makes sense to use this data as only a part of the BOE for each student. What resource do you use to find the grade level benchmark? I have been a TA in classrooms that use Gail Boushey and Joan Moser's Daily 5 strategies, I would be interested to read about CAFE!
ReplyDeleteI also have one student who can pretty much read anything that is put in front of him but struggles with comprehension. You have great strategies that focus on checking for understanding and helping him understand that reading is more than just sounding out words or reading fast.
ReplyDeleteNice work Megan! You give great suggestions for teaching points. In a conversation with a colleague today we were talking about flipping the vowel sound. It is common that the vowel may be the opposite of what the child reads (short vs. long). I think it is also important to include the "flexed" sound or schwa sound. Many vowels flex and this can be confusing, so I think it is important to include that piece in instruction as well.
ReplyDeleteAnother strategy I use that I got from a Best Practices class was using an illustration or picture from the story and before reading have the students generate "I wonder" statements. This helps builds a purpose for reading, as we later discuss if any of their I wonder statements have been answered. It makes it more personal for them. This simple step has really helped with comprehension.
I too use CAFE from the "Sisters" - I attended their conference this past fall. Well worth it if you ever get the chance! Great ideas!
Great analysis! I also have students who can read with super fluency and have almost no retell. These students struggle academically as they can "read" their texts and not be able to answer the comprehension questions/participating in class discussion. I teach 6th grade, so a lot of our work in class is based on student reading and then class discussion.
ReplyDeleteYou list great strategies for that. Thanks!
- Jan