Kristina Faudree

EDUC 301

Dr. Eastman

December 9, 2011

Phase I

A. Background Information

On a study done between a college student and an elementary level student, the college

student was able to take the place of a researcher to learn more about the elementary student. The

researcher will student teach at a rural elementary school with a third grade class in the spring.

She focused on a male student and was able to collect information about him through various

forms of communication and assessments. Because the child is on free and reduced lunch, this

means that he is most likely of middle/lower economic status because the school provides his

lunches. The child lives in a family with both parents who are married, and is the third born

child. One of his sisters is in college while the other is in high school. His younger brother is in

preschool. When the child is not in school, he enjoys playing baseball with his free time. His

reading skills are lower than the average third grade student because his Lexile is 275 and third

grade students should be around a 500-800 Lexile. When reading with the teacher, he does not

utilize any decoding skills. He also puts the wrong vowel sounds for certain words and does not

correct himself.

B. Assessments

After speaking with the child’s classroom teacher, the researcher concluded that the

student will need to focus mainly on phonics to help re-teach vowels and help build the student’s

knowledge of how to correctly decode. The researcher will use three different assessments

during the case study.

For the screening stage of the assessments, the researcher will be doing a running record.

The screening stage is meant to give the researcher a chance to figure out what level the reader is

reading. A running record will help the researcher with this because in a running record the

student is given a book to read and the teacher writes down which words he/she gets incorrect.

Depending on the number of words in the book, the score will be determined using those

numbers. By choosing to do the running record first, the researcher will be able to figure out

what words he does and does not know, which is important to phonic lesson interventions.

The second stage of assessment is the progress monitoring stage. Progress monitoring is

used as an ongoing type of assessment in which the researcher can figure out what progress still

needs to be done and what has already been accomplished. The researcher can adjust the

intervention lesson done with the student if no improvement is occurring. One type of informal

reading inventory assessment that the researcher will use is a phoneme blending assessment. This

assessment blends each sound and helps the student hear how the word is put together. The

second type of assessment focusing on phonemic awareness is the Yopp-Singer test of Phonemic

Segmentation. In this assessment the student will separate each phoneme for every word. The

student’s score reflects the number of correctly segmented items. They must say the word

correctly segmented with no partial credit given. This type of assessment is important because it

allows the teacher to see how the child hears words. It will help the researcher learn which

vowels the student hears within the words and sounds.

The researcher will be using a running record again for the outcome-based assessment.

Outcome-based assessments are at the end of the year or instructional time that are state or

district type assessments. By using the running record at the end of the instruction time with the

student, the researcher can see the changes made from the start of the intervention time and the

end. The researcher will do the second running record last. Running records are scored based on

error and accuracy rates. Error rates are found by dividing the total words by the total errors the

student makes. Accuracy rates are found by first subtracting the total words and errors. Then

divide the total words by this number and multiply by 100.

C. Assessment Database

Name Grade How to Use When to Use It Information Provided

Reference Information

Scholastic Reading Inventory

K-12 Students choose a topic to test on and then test is administered through the computer

To identify student’s comprehension level and to monitor progress

ComprehensionReading level http://teacher.scholastic

.com/products/sri_reading_assessment/index.htm

Northwest Evaluation Assessment

3, 6, 7, 8, 9

These tests are broken down into sections for mathematics, language usage, reading, and science

Beginning in the fall school year

The four different subjects leveled out for each grade

http://www.maranacook.org/NWEA

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

K-6 Short one minute fluency measures to monitor early literacy

To identify students who are having difficulty with early literacy skills

Phonemic awareness and fluency

http://dibels.org/dibels.html

Qualitative Reading Inventory

K-12 Oral and written questions to

To identify a student’s instructional

Comprehension http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780137019236/

retell story and questions

level downloads/9780137019236ch3.pdf

Abecedarian

Reading

Assessment

K-3 This test is

divided into six

sections that

focus on

phonemes

within the

words and put

into letter

clusters

Beginning of

the school year

Phonemes

Phonemic

awareness

Letter

recognition

http://www.balan

cedreading.com

/assessment/abec

edarian.pdf

Phase II

D. Administration of Screening Assessment

The reader being studied in this case study is a third grade male student who is identified

as an English as a second language student. The researcher administered a running record with

this student to determine the student’s reading ability and phonemic skills as the first screening

assessment. The test was given at 11:30 a.m. in a computer lab.

E. Interpretations of Assessments

After administering the screening test, the researcher discovered that the initial running

record completed was too easy. The researcher then did a higher level running record, and even

though this was still fairly easy, the student still had a few noticeable challenges to focus on for

the researcher. The student had difficulty with the “I” vowel, which means that phonics will be

the main focus.

F. Plan of Action

The researcher has designed a specific plan for the reader to implement on days when the

researcher is there and when the researcher is not there. The researcher is given 30 minutes of

time with the reader to carry out the plan at 11:30 a.m. in the computer lab. When the researcher

is not there, the teacher and a student at Flyer Time will help the reader by practicing the same

skills and assessments as the researcher implemented. In specific, the researcher will focus on

multiple syllables within the lesson of phonics.

Intervention Lessons

Syllable Introduction- Prefixes

The first lesson is on prefixes, which will introduce the topic of multiple syllables for the

rest of the week. The researcher and student first will find five books they will read together

during their intervention time. The first book the student will read is Junie B. Jones by Barbara

Park. After reading this book the researcher will ask the student any words the student is unsure

about. The researcher and student will have a discussion about the words that are most difficult.

This then will lead into the introduction that during the intervention time the researcher and

student will work with syllables. The researcher will bring in a list of important prefixes the

student should know. The researcher and student will work together to discuss these prefixes and

how they are used in a sentence and their definitions. Using the book read by the student, the

researcher will be able to not only use examples they come up with together, but examples from

a book the student is familiar with. Next, to practice the use of prefixes, the student will do a

worksheet where the student has to put in the correct prefix that matches the word. The

researcher will give some guidance but allow the student to figure out the words on their own.

After this is completed, the student will write two sentences using one prefix they have learned

from the lesson and the worksheet. To end the first lesson, the student will read Panic in

Pompeii. After reading a chapter of this book, the researcher will have the student point out any

prefixes read. The student’s homework is to finish reading the rest of the book and to come

prepared to share any prefixes found.

Lesson 2: Suffixes

The second lesson focuses on suffixes. The student will begin by reading another chapter

from Panic in Pompeii. The researcher and student will work together to review prefixes by

pointing out any words found in the section read. They will discuss the definitions of the words

and how the prefix helps determine the word. Suffixes will then be introduced to the student as a

part of a word that is at the end of a sentence to make it a new word. The researcher will bring in

a sheet for the student to look at that includes the definition and examples of suffixes with their

meanings. These suffixes are a variety of important examples the researcher feels are important

for the student to know. On the back of this sheet is a practice for the student to do to help

provide instruction and practice. The first part of the practice involves the student reading a

sentence with a base word that needs a suffix added to make the sentence clear. The second

section involves the student’s word wall words for third grade. The student is given a word bank

to add to the base word. Next, the student will be given a writing prompt that will test their

ability to use suffixes. This writing assignment asks the student to write a short story with five

sentences about what it would be like to be a suffix. The student is required to include at least

two suffixes in the story. The researcher will give the student time to do this activity. They will

then end the lesson by reading Good Morning Gorillas. During the reading time, the researcher

will have the student point out prefixes and suffixes. The student’s homework will be to find all

of the prefixes and suffixes in the book to discuss the next day.

Lesson 3: Prefix and Suffix Review

The third lesson will be a review of prefixes and suffixes for the student. The student will

first read Good Morning Gorillas and will tell the researcher which words are prefixes and

suffixes. The student will be asked what the words mean based on what the prefixes and suffixes

do to the base word. Next, the researcher will prepare a practice that combines both of the

lessons to help provide more assistance on the lessons. The sheet will be a matching assessment.

The student will be given prefixes and suffixes and have to match them with the definitions. The

teacher will have an answer sheet in order to help assist the student when they are unsure about

the definitions. The student will then do a graphic organizer based on Good Morning Gorillas.

The word the student will focus on will be from this book that incorporates both a prefix and

suffix. The student will write the definition, point out the prefix, suffix, and base word, find the

antonym of the word, and write a sentence using the word. The researcher and student will then

discuss this word and make sure that the student understands the concepts of prefixes and

suffixes. To end the lesson the student will read Henry and Mudge: The Tall Tree House. The

student will be asked to again focus on the prefixes and suffixes within the book.

Lesson 4: Compound Words

The fourth lesson will focus on compound words. The student will begin the lesson by

reading a small section from Henry and Mudge: The Tall Tree House. After reading and

reviewing any prefixes and suffixes found in the book, the researcher will ask the student if they

know what a compound word is. A compound word is a word made up of two smaller words that

are joined together. The researcher will ask the student if they found any of these words in the

book they just read. They will discuss this together and see if they can find any connections.

Next, the researcher will point out examples of compound words from the student’s word wall

words. The researcher will help the student define these words by breaking apart the words and

modeling which words can be broken down into two words and which words cannot. The student

will then do a practice provided by the researcher. The first section of the practice asks the

student to circle the word that is the compound word in the sentence. The second section is to

again circle the compound word when given four words to choose from. The last section is to fill

in the given sentence using a compound word. The next activity the student will do is a more

interactive way for the student to picture how the compound words can be broken down. The

student will have to cut out base words and put them together to create the compound word. The

researcher will give assistance, if needed, but will only give assistance if the student has a lot of

difficulty. To end the lesson, the student will read Big Apple Barn: Happy’s Big Plan. The

student will be asked to look for compound words while reading.

Lesson 5: Review Prefixes, Suffixes, and Compound Words

The fifth lesson will be a review session for the student. The student will begin by

reading another section of Big Apple Barn: Happy’s Big Plan. The researcher will ask the

student what compound words they found and what the words mean by taking apart both words.

The researcher will then spend time verbally asking review questions on what had been learned

that week. The researcher will ask what prefixes are and to give a specific example of one. Then

the researcher will ask what suffixes are and to give an example of a suffix, as well. The student

will be asked to give an example of a word that uses both a prefix and a suffix to review the

lesson done in after those two lessons. Because the student will have just completed the lesson

on compound words, the researcher will discuss compound words again briefly. As an

assessment, the teacher will have the student write one example of a prefix, suffix, and a

compound word. These words need to be from the word wall sheet provided by the researcher.

The student will end the lesson by reading Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventures: The Flying

Chinese Wonders. The researcher will ask the student to point out and describe all of the

syllables found in the book.

Lesson 6: Final Assessment

The sixth lesson will include the last assessment with the student. The researcher will ask

the student to read the word wall words that have prefixes, suffixes, and compound words in

them. The researcher will assess if they can say the word correctly and at a fast pace. Before the

assessment, the researcher will review with the student all of the lessons taught. The researcher

will administer the assessment and record the scores. The student and researcher will then

discuss which words were difficult for the student and why they think it is a difficult word. They

will also discuss words that were easier for the student. Whether or not the word contains a

prefix, suffix, or compound word will also be mentioned and stressed that while reading, the

student must look for these syllables in order to read efficiently. The student will end the lesson

by reading a book they choose for fun.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Over the past few weeks, I have been working with Johnny on a one-on-one basis to

develop his reading skills. Johnny is an intelligent student who works hard and is enjoyable to

work with. I am very appreciative that I have been able to work with him and not only help

develop his reading skills, but also help develop my skills as a future educator. His teacher, Janet

Morgan and I decided that we would focus on vowel sounds, inferences, and comprehension

skills. His test scores show that he still needs to work on his vowels because he skips over words

that he does not know. This means focusing on phonics for Johnny. By practicing phonics and

making sure that he is able to fully understand this concept, we are able to get him reading third

grade level books. After focusing on phonics, we can then move to comprehension skills that

will help Johnny understand what he is reading. Our main focus is metacognition and having him

be aware of what he is thinking about when reading.

Mrs. Morgan and I encourage you to read with Johnny at home. The more he reads, the

more familiar he will become with words. If he is able to add more words to his vocabulary, he

will become a more proficient reader who can easily read words he does not know at first. It is

up to parents and guardians to focus on their child inside and outside of school.

I would like to thank you again for the opportunity to work with Johnny. I look forward

to seeing his progression through our time together and hope to have results that will be shown to

you at the end.

Sincerely,

Miss Kristina Faudree

Information Page for Kidspiration Web

Title of Book: Good Morning Gorillas

Author: Mary Pope Osborne

Copyright 2003

Summary of the book:

This story is a continuation of the Magic Tree House series. The tree house takes Jack

and Annie to the mountains of Africa. When they are there, they run into a big gorilla. Because

they are unfamiliar with dealing with large gorillas, they are not sure how to handle him.

However, the gorilla turns out to be nice. Each time Jack and Annie are taken somewhere by the

tree house, they are given a task in order to learn magic by Morgan. They receive a new task

from her and the gorilla helps them to learn new magic.

Kidspiration Graphic Organizer

The graphic organizer will be a useful tool to use to help engage the text with the reader.

It will also help the student organize their thoughts and practice using prefixes and suffixes from

texts. This graphic organizer will be used on the review day for prefixes and suffixes. It will help

the students review these two concepts and also connect them. The organizer will have a word

that contains both a prefix and suffix. It will require the student to break down the prefix and

suffix and the meaning of the word when combined. This will help the student see how these

concepts work in a way that connects to the text they are reading. The student will then be

required to use the given word in a sentence in order to apply what they have learned.

Phase III

As stated earlier, the target focus for the interventions is phonics with a specific

focus on multiple syllables. The

researcher will teach the parts of syllables

and how the student can use syllables to

Prefix Base Word Suffix

Unhappiness

Sentence

Antonym

break down words. In order to teach syllables to the student, the researcher will use interactive

methods and verbal discussion. The student will be given a chance to practice using the skills

taught while reading a variety of texts chosen at the beginning of the interventions. Throughout

the lessons, the researcher will allow the student to review and practice the new skill learned and

connect it to the text. This will allow the student to build upon each lesson in order to fully

understand and develop the concepts.

Lesson One: Introduction to Prefixes

Researcher will administer running record as initial screening assessment

Researcher will then have the student read Junie B. Jones

Researcher will introduce prefixes and examples. Researcher will focus on prefixes from

third grade wall list to discus with student. Researcher will also define the prefixes

discussed with the student

Student will then fill out a prefix worksheet using the prefixes the researcher and student

learned about. The worksheet will ask the student to match what prefix matches the base

word. Researcher will assist student when struggling.

Student will next write two sentences using one prefix discussed during lesson

Researcher will then tell student to look for and define prefixes while reading Panic in

Pompeii to practice at home

Today the researcher administered the diagnostic assessment as well as the initial lesson to

begin the interventions. The first lesson focused on phonics and more specifically, multiple

syllables because it breaks apart the word wall words the student should know. The researcher

decided to focus on syllables because if the student knows the meaning of a prefix, then they will

be able to use that knowledge to figure out the definition of the base word and prefix put

together. Many of the required third grade word wall words contain prefixes in them so the

researcher will also focus on the knowledge and practice of these words. The researcher began

the lesson by having the student read a level J reading level passage for the student. The student

was given two minutes to read the passage. After administering the screening, the researcher

found out the student had a 97% accuracy rate, which meant that the level was not challenging

enough for the student. The screening test helped the researcher determine what lessons they

needed to focus on during intervention time. Many words the student had difficulty with applied

to the lesson of syllables so this became the focus. The student read the first book together to

begin the lesson and struggled with the same problem. After introducing the topic of prefixes, the

student still struggled to fully grasp the concept. The researcher had to adapt the questions asked

during the review time after the lesson and the homework for the student. During practice time of

the lesson, the student had difficulty putting the correct prefixes on the correct base words. The

student usually had an idea of what the word meant, but still struggled to put the correct prefix

with the word. This helped the researcher have a better idea how to prepare the student for the

next lesson and what instruction was needed in order to continue teaching and practicing the new

concept.

This document is the worksheet given to the student to practice prefixes.

Lesson 2: Introduction to Suffixes

Student will reread a small section from Panic in Pompeii

Researcher will review prefixes at the beginning of the lesson and ask student if they

found any in the text they read while practicing at home

Researcher will then describe a suffix and allow the student to see the definition

Together, the student and researcher will look at the suffix terms and figure out the

meanings of them

The student will then be given a practice material sheet to fill out with assistance from

the researcher

This practice will use suffixes in sentences so the student will have examples to look at.

The practice will also include practice with word wall words so the student becomes

familiar with the terms

The student will then practice using suffixes in a short story to show their knowledge of

the terms

The researcher will send Good Morning Gorillas home with the student to become

familiar with the text and to look for prefixes and suffixes.

In this lesson, the researcher introduced the new concept of suffixes. Suffixes are groups of

letters that go at the end of a word. These syllables in a word are essential to learning words

because it adds a different meaning to words. After the researcher had the student reread Panic in

Pompeii the researcher had the student review prefixes and point out any prefixes in the text.

Then after introducing suffixes to the student, the researcher had the student point out any

suffixes. The student had difficulty doing this task without having specific examples so the

researcher then verbally discussed the examples and used the sheet for support. The researcher

then allowed the student to work on the suffix practice sheet on their own. However, the student

needed assistance with this task for clarification on their answers. The student was able to do the

first part of the practice correctly but the second section with the third grade wall words he

struggled with. The researcher decided that more practice would need to be put in for the student

to be able to accurately and efficiently say the words. The student then did a writing activity

where they wrote a short story about what it would be like to be a suffix. The student was

required to include two suffixes in the short story. Even though the student included two suffixes

in the story, it did not follow the prompt given. The researcher then realized that the student

would need more instruction if they did a writing assignment that required them to write a story.

The student’s skills have not fully developed enough to be able to do this task. The last part of

the lesson was to read the next book, Good Morning Gorilla. While reading a section allowed to

the teacher, the student had to find prefixes and suffixes. The student was able to accurately find

suffixes but still struggled finding prefixes within the text. The researcher then decided to make

the next lesson a review on both prefixes and suffixes.

Lesson 3: Review Prefix and Suffix

Student will reread Good Morning Gorillas

Researcher will ask student to review and search for prefixes and suffixes in the text

Researcher will verbally have the student repeat the definitions of the two concepts

Researcher will then give the student the prefix and suffix assessment practice. This

practice has the student match the prefix or suffix with its definition. If student needs

assistance, researcher will provide guidance

Researcher will then discuss with the student how prefixes and suffixes can both be

added to a base word. Researcher will take out the graphic organizer created with the

word unhappiness in the middle of it. The researcher will allow the student to fill it

out. After filling out the graphic organizer, the student and researcher will discuss the

answers the student came up with and check their accuracy.

Student will read Henry and Mudge and will repeat practicing prefixes and suffixes

In this lesson, the student was able to grasp more of the idea of prefixes and suffixes.

Because the lesson focused fully on review, the student had a chance to understand these

concepts. Having the student use the repetition technique to continuously stress and practice the

ideas taught, benefitted the learner and the researcher. Not only did the student have the

opportunity to search for these concepts in the text they were familiar with, but the student also

was able to use the text as a connection to apply these terms in real-life situations. After reading

the Good Morning Gorillas, the student participated in a prefix and suffix practice assessment.

This had the student match the prefix or suffix with its definition in order to check their

understanding. The student still struggled with this activity. The researcher picked familiar prefix

and suffix terms that had been taught in previous lessons, but the student still did not do all of the

problems correctly. After reviewing the answers together, the researcher stressed the issue that

many prefixes and suffixes can be put into one base word. The graphic organizer was given to

the student to fill out as an example of this. The student filled out most parts of this organizer

correctly, except for writing a sentence that included the term. The student did not even attempt

to write the sentence. This made the researcher believe that even though the student knew the

term, they were not able to apply the term to something they could use. The student then read

Henry and Mudge to apply and complete the review session. After the review session, the

student was able to point out more prefixes and suffixes during the reading. This book was to be

taken home to practice and brought in the next day.

Lesson 4: Introduction to Compound Words

Researcher will have student reread Henry and Mudge and will ask student to

point out not only prefixes and suffixes, but also any words that have both a prefix

and a suffix

Researcher will introduce compound words to the student. Will ask if the student

came across any in the section read in Henry and Mudge.

The researcher will then connect compound words to the word wall list and define

these words together by breaking them apart and forming two words. The

researcher will ask that while learning and reading texts that the student look for

these word wall words.

The student will then fill out the compound practice given by the researcher.

Researcher will assist in any way, if needed

The student will then do an activity where they cut out two words and have to

connect and glue them on another sheet to form compound words

The student will be given the book Big Apple’s Barn: Happy’s Big Plan and will

look for compound words to practice

In this lesson the student was introduced to compound words. The researcher began the

lesson by having the student reread Henry and Mudge. The student and researcher again

reviewed the lesson before. Because of the constant repetition, the student was getting better at

remembering the definitions and examples, which told the researcher to continue this type of

verbal assessment. To introduce compound words, the researcher told the student the definition

and provided an example using a sentence. The researcher then asked the student to find a

compound word in the text that they just read together. Then, the researcher connected

compound words to the words that the student should be learning in class and on their own. They

pointed out the compound words on the word wall list. The researcher broke down a few words

into two parts in order to show the student the appropriate way to do this. The researcher then

had the student practice on their own by filling in the compound worksheet. The student was able

to do this activity without any help, which helped the reader see that compound words were not a

difficult task for the student so little guidance was needed. Next, the student did an activity

where they cut out two words and found their matching word that combined to make a

compound word and glued them on the given sheet. The student, again, was able to do this

activity easily so the researcher allowed the student to have more reading time. The student read

Big Apple Barn: Happy’s Big Plan to the researcher and was asked to point out the compound

words.

Lesson 5: Review Prefix, Suffix, and Compound Words

Researcher will have student reread Big Apple’s Barn: Happy’s Big Plan. Researcher will

ask student to point out prefixes, suffixes and compound words

Researcher will review all terms and ask student to provide definitions of each term

Researcher will ask student to give examples of each term from the word wall list

Student will be assessed on if they can write a prefix, suffix, and compound word in a

sentence

Researcher and student will discuss the student’s sentences together

Student will be given Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventures: The Flying Chinese Wonders

to read for the next lesson

The last lesson includes a review for all three terms that were introduced. The student first

began by rereading Big Apple’s Barn: Happy’s Big Plan and telling the researcher any

compound words they found in the book. Because the researcher found out in the lesson the day

before that the student knew compound words, the researcher did not review compound words.

However, the researcher did ask the student to provide definitions for a suffix, prefix, and a

compound word. The student then had to give an example of each from their word wall list. The

student tried thinking of their word wall list without looking at it, but the researcher had to allow

the student to search for a word that was a prefix on the list. As an assessment, the teacher had

the student write one example of a prefix, suffix, and a compound word. These words needed to

be from the word wall sheet provided by the researcher. The student was able to accurately use

all terms correctly and create sentences that made sense with the given term. The student will

end the lesson by reading Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventures: The Flying Chinese Wonders. The

researcher will ask the student to point out and describe all of the syllables found in the book.

Lesson 6: Outcome-Based Assessment

The researcher will review the phonics lessons on syllables concerning prefixes, suffixes,

and compound words. The student will be required to give a definition of each and an

example

The researcher will administer the outcome based assessment based on the word wall list

The researcher will put together a list of all the terms discussed during interventions

based on the third grade word wall list

The student will say all of the given words correctly in a fast pace with expression

This lesson included the researcher administering the outcome-based assessment to the

student. The researcher reviewed prefixes, suffixes, and compound words and asked for an

example of each before administering the assessment. The student still did not fully answer the

definition of a prefix but accurately answered the other two definitions. The researcher provided

assistance and guidance on what a prefix is in order to help the student come up with an example

that would help the student remember the term. The researcher then gave the student a sheet to

read the terms off of while the researcher had another sheet to record the student’s score. The

student had an accuracy of around 82%. This means that the student still struggled with these

words. Assistance will still be needed in the classroom in order to help the student grasp these

words and say them correctly. The researcher also noticed that the student did not use expression

while saying these words. Even though these words were not in a text, it was still important for

the student not to read the words in a monotone or quiet voice. If the researcher had more time

with the student, the researcher would work on expression within the words and also continue to

work on breaking down the words into smaller parts and categories.

Phase IV

Before beginning the lessons and interventions, the researcher had to discuss with the

student’s classroom teacher what the student needed help in while reading. After this discussion,

the researcher concluded that focusing on phonics for the student would be beneficial. The

student would need specific help with syllables in their reading so the researcher decided to

focus on multiple syllables like prefixes, suffixes, and compound words. The researcher used the

third grade word wall list to base many of the interventions on in order to help the student learn

these words. In order to see what level of reading the student was, the researcher used a running

record as the initial screening assessment. The researcher’s job in a running record was to record

which words the student got correct and incorrect. The points would then be added and combined

with the number of words in the running record to come up with a score and accuracy rate that

would help determine the level of the reader. The level of the running record was level J but the

student finished the running record with 97% accuracy. This means that the running record was

fairly easy for the student so the researcher needed to do a higher level running record to see if

the student fit into that level instead.

During lesson three, the researcher administered a diagnostic assessment to see how the

student was progressing after two days of interventions. The assessment was an informal

assessment that allowed the researcher to check the progress and not score how well the student

did on it. The researcher was able to use this assessment as a way to base the next lessons to see

what other guidance was needed for the rest of the intervention. Because the researcher did not

actually score the assessment, the researcher was able to help the student with the assessment.

After allowing the student to try each problem on their own, the student needed assistance in

order to figure out the definitions of each prefix or suffix. The researcher noticed that the student

needed assistance for many of the prefixes and suffixes, which let the researcher know that the

student still needed help with these two concepts.

The final outcome based assessment was an oral sight word test based on the word wall

words. This measured the student’s ability to read the words fluently and with expression. This

lesson was administered after lesson five. The researcher took fifty word wall words that the

student and researcher had learned and used that week from the word wall list. The student had

to read orally the words to the researcher correctly. The student was able to say 41 out of 50

words correctly without stuttering or pausing and starting again. This means that the student

knew only 82% of the words. The researcher was not able to meet all the reader’s instructional

needs that were required. However, after reviewing with the student the score on the assessment,

the student was able to accurately define and pick out two examples of a prefix, suffix, and

compound word. Knowing this, the researcher was able to realize that with more practice from

the classroom teacher and other assistance, the student will be able to use the knowledge gained

and apply it to other readings.

Accuracy Rate (%)

The curriculum design was designed to help the student improve their fluency in their

sight words. However, according to the post-test completed with the outcome-based assessment,

this does not show an improvement. It is difficult to accurately assess if the student improved

within the assessments because the first assessment was too easy for the student. The running

record completed was done at a level that the student found fairly easy. If a different running

record was done at a higher level, the scores might have been different. The researcher did see

improvement throughout the week, no matter how small. The student was able to learn to break

words down into parts depending on the multiple syllables within the word. He learned that

beginnings or endings to a word can change the word’s definition to mean something. He also

learned that combining two words that do not mean the same thing when separate mean

something very different when put together. By doing learning these lessons, the student was

able to learn to break apart words while reading to determine how to say and understand the

word. If the student knows the root or ending of the word, they will be able to put the complete

word together to make the correct word. Each of the concepts learned were reviewed and

practiced multiple times for the student in order to make sure the student understand the

concepts. The student learned the definitions and specific examples. The researcher made sure

the student used examples of each from their sight word list. This allowed the researcher to

assess their fluency with the words as well as understanding of the concepts. Syllables are an

important lesson for students to learn in order to learn how to read words they do not know. The

student will continue to use this method for reading as he grows as a reader. By developing the

base for this skill, the student should have a prior knowledge to use when encountering words he

does not know. With more practice, the student will be able to fluently say all of the sight words

and eventually be able to say them under a time limit with fluency and expression.

Being able to analyze the student’s work is beneficial to document the impact on the student

learning. At the beginning of the intervention, the student was noticeably struggling with

prefixes. The researcher would constantly have to provide guidance and help led the student in

the right direction on which part of the word a prefix was. However, after working through the

practice sheets and verbally reviewing with the student before and after every lesson, by the end

of the lessons, the student could fully define the term without assistance.

Even though the student progressed by learning the terms of multiple syllables, the student

still needs to work on being able to apply this knowledge when reading and orally saying sight

words or texts. The student had gained knowledge from the interventions, but did not apply this

knowledge. This was clear from the outcome-based assessment the researcher implemented with

the sight words. Another weakness the researcher saw during the lessons was his inability to

correctly write out his thoughts. This correlates to his fluency in reading because if the student

cannot read a text fluently, they will not be able to accurately write their thoughts out on paper. If

the researcher had more time, the student and researcher would continue to work on multiple

syllables and do lessons that required the student to practice writing instead of just focusing on

learning the concept. They would have to apply the concept and use what they know from prior

knowledge.

The researcher shared instructional goals with the reader after every lesson. The researcher

explained that it was important that the student practiced at home after every lesson the concept

that was taught. This would allow the student to see the terms and concept applied in daily

reading. For the diagnostic assessment in the middle of the week, the researcher explained that

with that assessment, the student was to apply what they had learned in the two days before and

combine that knowledge. On the last day of the interventions, the researcher again explained that

the student would do an assessment that would assess the learning from the entire week. The

goal of that assessment was to make sure that the student learned what was needed throughout

the week and was able to apply this new knowledge in their learning in the regular classroom.

The motivation for the student changed throughout the week, but not in the motivation for

reading. The student was unsure about the intervention plan at the beginning of the week and

was timid while working with the researcher. The student enjoys reading, which made the

reading portion of the lessons easier, but the assessments and action plan did not interest the

student. In the middle of the week when the researcher changed the action plan to more

interactive work, the student became more engaged and interested. The student also opened up

more to the researcher during this time.

The reader’s attention span was fairly consistent throughout the intervention. The student

realized that after working with the researcher for a half an hour, they would be able to go to

recess. It helped the student be motivated to do all that was asked from the researcher in order to

make the process go smoothly. However, at times, the student had difficulty paying attention

when the researcher tried to explain topics to him. The researcher would wait until the student

was actively listening in order to proceed so the student would not miss out on an important part

of the instruction or verbal lesson.

The student used a one-on-one tutoring session provided by the school to do the required

reading assigned by the researcher. This helped remind the student and also receive extra help

and feedback on his reading. However, one day during the week, the student forgot to take a

book home to read. The researcher and student then had to pick a different book for the student

to read at the beginning of the lesson. The researcher made sure the student realized the

importance of making sure to bring the book assigned to practice at home. After that day, the

student did not forget to read.

The student has been taught very well by the classroom teacher to self-discipline themselves

while working on their assignments inside of class and outside of class. This helped the

researcher when working with the student because the student did not need to be reminded to

stay on task or do what was told. The student enjoyed the one-on-one time and used it to benefit

his learning by paying attention and listening to the researcher.

By doing an intervention with a student, the researcher also was able to go through a growth

period to apply to their future teaching on reading. The researcher struggled coming up with

assessments and instruction for this specific student. Talking with the classroom teacher about all

of the areas in reading the student needed help with confused and overwhelmed the researcher.

This made it difficult to only focus on one aspect of reading during the intervention. After the

researcher had figured out that phonics and syllables needed to be the focus of the instruction,

the researcher had to then think of the type of assessment they wanted to implement. Being able

to figure out the correct assessment to drive instruction, is still an issue for the researcher, but the

researcher will continue to work on this aspect of teaching.

The researcher realizes the important relationship between assessment and instruction after

being able to work with this specific student. This skill was developed after creating the

intervention because in order to come up with work or instruction to do with the student, the

researcher had to have an assessment that would result from doing the instruction. The researcher

could not have instruction with the student that was not assessed because then the student’s

knowledge would not be tested. Instruction and assessment correlate with each other because

when there is one in an intervention, there has to be another. Students cannot be assessed without

being instructed or taught a lesson but also students cannot be taught a lesson without clarifying

that they knew the material.

The researcher has had very little experience with analyzing and interpreting data in Excel

before this intervention. This lesson was important for the researcher and the student because of

this aspect. It allowed the researcher to learn how to appropriately show change over time. It also

allowed the researcher to see the impact that the lessons had on the student. Without putting this

information on an Excel chart and graph, the information could be lost and not fully interpreted

because it would not be put together for the researcher to see. The researcher, however, is still

developing the skill how to utilize assessment data in instruction. After learning more effective

teaching methods to assess instruction and how to teach the instruction, the researcher will be

able to effectively use the data from a student’s assessment. This will come with more

experience and more time with students. The researcher also will continue to improve on

analyzing and interpreting student work samples. This type of technique is important for

instruction and assessment because the researcher must give instruction and assess the

knowledge taught but then also be able to interpret what the students came up with on that

lesson. The researcher will need to continue practicing utilizing and analyzing students work at

the same time in order to become fully efficient at understanding the responses given.

Designing effective reading instruction is essential to a classroom and intervention plan. The

instruction needs to be effective for the student. The researcher realized after the intervention

that the student might not have had a fully effective instruction taught to them. The student did

not improve like they should have, which reflects the reading instruction given by the researcher.

The researcher continues to develop effective reading instruction based on the needs of their

classroom readers and on assessments. By practicing the skills of implementing assessments,

driving instruction, and analyzing data, the researcher will continue to develop these skills with

their readers. This will allow the researcher to focus on the individual student’s needs in order to

prepare assessments that will test the student’s knowledge and instruction that will develop the

student’s education and reading skills.