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Running Head: Analysis of Student Work1

Analysis of Student Work

Lauren Gibson

Arnow 323.1001

University of Nevada, Las Vegas


Analysis of Student Work

The student that I chose to focus on for this analysis was J.M. He is a kindergarten

student at Roundy Elementary School and will be turning six years old in the fall. My

mentor teacher recommended that I use J.M. because English is his second language

and he is below average in reading and writing. I was happy that she suggested him be-

cause he was one of the first students that I connected with and one that I had a true

desire to help grow academically.

For this analysis of J.M.’s work, I focused on three specific lesson plans through-

out the semester. Each of these lessons focused on a different subject; reading, writing,

and mathematics. After teaching each individual lesson whole group, I retaught the con-

tent to J.M. using a different teaching strategy that I felt would meet his learning style

and needs, based off of his previous performance. Before administering the reteach, I

researched a number of different teaching strategies and methods so that I would be

fully prepared and aware of all of my options in helping J.M. succeed.

Lesson Plan Number One

Title: The Three Little Pigs

Subject: Reading

Standards/ Objectives:

1. State standard: RI.K.9- With prompting and support, identify basic simi-

larities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., illustrations, de-

scriptions, or procedures)

2. Objective: Kindergarten students will be able to compare and contrast the simi-


larities and differences between the two texts with 90% accuracy given that students

have already mastered identifying the reasons an author gives to support points in a

text.

Initial Teaching Strategy: Content Organization: This teaching strategy is a form of in-

direct instruction. It is an organizational strategy that allows students to hang key points

and focus their learning in the most productive areas. Typically, activities using this

strategy are less teacher-centered. This encourages “the cognitive process required

both to form concepts and to combine them into larger patterns that promote inquiry and

problem-solving skills.” (Borich, pg. 294) For my grade-level, and specific group of stu-

dents, I knew that they would need more guidance using this strategy. I would ask them

detailed questions and allow them time to think before expecting an answer. We com-

pleted this strategy using a Venn Diagram. As a class, the students came up with simi-

larities and differences between the two texts that were read aloud during the lesson.

We completed this lesson whole group, sitting on the carpet area. I called on a number

of different children, including J.M., so that I would have a more authentic idea of how

well the class was truly understanding the material.

ASW Student Performance: Throughout the entire lesson, J.M. was very engaged. He

seemed to really enjoy both of the readings and was laughing the entire time. Once I

started explaining the venn diagram to the class, he looked a little concerned. This was

the first time that the students had been exposed to this type of organizational chart so I

was expecting some hesitant reactions. Consistency plays a huge role in this class-

room. Regardless of this, the majority of the students understood and enjoyed the les-

son. I kept a very close eye on J.M. and asked him many direct questions so that I


would have a better idea of whether he was understanding the material or not. Although

he was actively participating, he was often answering incorrectly or unable to answer at

all. I feel that he wasn’t fully grasping the definitions of similarities and differences. He

was continually confusing the two and was often just agreeing with other student’s re-

sponses, whether they were correct or not. J.M. is a very hard working student and one

who truly has a desire to learn. Although I feel that this attitude is one of the most impor-

tant things for a child’s success, I also think it may have some weaknesses in J.M.’s

case. I think this desire causes him to answer and participate before he has fully

thought about the question being asked, due to the fact that he just wants to show the

teacher that he is trying. Based on his performance and responses, it was clear the J.M.

was not fully understanding the material and therefore unable to meet the desired objec-

tives.

Alternative Teaching Strategies:

1. Ratio: “The proportion of the cognitive work students do in your classroom”

(Lemov, 92). When using this strategy, you will rarely complete a problem on the board

without help and input from your students. Having students repeat examples and add

onto their answers will help them to better comprehend the material, due to the fact that

they are practicing and applying all that they know while you teach at the same time.

2. Cold Call: This strategy makes engaged participation the expectation. When

using Cold Call, you simply “ask a question and then call the name of the student you

want to answer it.” (Lemov, pg. 112) Not only does this motivate students to stay en-

gaged, but it also allows you to check for understanding effectively and systematically.


“It is critical to be able to check what any student’s level of mastery is at any time.”

(Lemov, pg. 112)

3. Feedback and Correcting Errors: This set of strategies is used to handle

correct and incorrect answers given by students. Borich states that there are four differ-

ent categories of student reposes and that it is important that you are aware how to cor-

rectly handle them. These categories are: “(1) correct, quick, and firm; (2) correct but

hesitant; (3) incorrect due to carelessness; and (4) incorrect due to lack of knowledge.”

(Borich, pg. 272) Each category has different strategies in responding and reacting to

student responses appropriately. The category that I feel is most prominent in my class-

room is category (4) incorrect due to lack of knowledge. The majority of the time that I

am presenting a lesson, it is the first time students are being exposed to this type of ma-

terial or content. The text states that when dealing with these types of responses, it is

best to provide hints, probe, or change the question to a simpler one that engages the

student in finding the correct response. “Your most important goal at this stage of the

lesson or unit is to engage the learner in the process by which the right answer can be

found.” (Borich, pg. 273)

Chosen Strategy: Ratio: The strategy that I chose to use to reteach the material to

J.M. was Ratio. I completed this reteach with J.M. one-on-one because I felt that having

that undivided attention would be most effective and beneficial to him. Previous to the

lesson, I made a large venn diagram on poster paper and printed out a number of differ-

ent pictures to use as our similarities and differences. I felt that having those images

might help J.M. understand the material better. We sat in the hallway and reread the

two pieces of literature presented in Lesson One. Once finished reading, I explained the


details of the venn diagram to J.M. once more, as well as the different pictures that we

would be using to complete it. As we began placing the similarities and differences be-

tween the two texts on the venn diagram, I started implementing the Ratio teaching

strategy. Instead of just directing and telling J.M. where to place the similarities and dif-

ferences, I would ask “So what side would this angry wolf go on?” or “What should I do

next?” This gave me the opportunity to watch him solve problems with the new pictures

and to give him enough practice in doing so.

Results: Overall, I feel that the reteach went pretty well. J.M.’s responses and answers

to questions were much more accurate than in the original lesson. Although he did still

answer a couple of questions incorrectly, he seemed to better understand the format of

the venn diagram and the differences between the two stories. I really feel that using

pictures instead of words for the venn diagram was an amazing help to him. J.M. is be-

low average in reading so I feel that maybe the original venn diagram lesson was just a

little overwhelming to him, due to the fact that I used only words. This realization was

very beneficial to me as a teacher because it made me realize how truly important and

vital pictures really are, especially at this grade level. Aside from this, I do think that I will

be using a small group to reteach content to J.M. in future lessons, instead of one-on-

one instruction. There were a couple of times where I had a hard time getting J.M. to

speak up. I’m not sure if he was just nervous or scared but I had never seen that side of

him before. He is usually a very involved and talkative student in the classroom setting. I

honestly think he was intimidated working with me one-on-one and I can completely un-

derstand that. I will definitely take this learned knowledge and apply it when planning fu-

ture lessons for J.M.


Lesson Plan Number Two

Title: Multiple Meaning Words

Subject: Writing

Standards/Objectives:

1. State standard: LK.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multi-

ple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading content.

2. Objective: Kindergarten students will be able to determine or clarify the mean-

ing of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases with 90% accuracy given that

students have already mastered the exploration of word relationships and nuances in

word meanings.

Initial Teaching Strategy: Right Is Right- This strategy allows you to “set and defend a

high standard of correctness in your classroom.” (Lemov, pg. 35) It is extremely impor-

tant that the students are fully understanding the questions that I am asking throughout

the lesson, as well as how important their answers are. I used this strategy throughout

my entire lesson and I feel that it really had a positive impact on the student’s learning.

When a student would only partially answer my question, instead of just saying “right”

and adding the detail I was looking for on my own, I would urge them to answer in more

detail. For example, I would reply “Okay, but, there’s a bit more to it than that” instead. I

was consciously making sure that I was being positive and approving throughout dis-

cussion, while still encouraging and prodding students to find the complete answer.

Student Performance: When my mentor teacher gave me the standard for this lesson,

she said “This is a really hard standard to teach so, I’ll let you do it.” I was definitely in-


timidated. When planning, I thought about my previous lesson and the things that I felt

my students most easily connected with; pictures. I realized quickly during the previous

lesson that simply using words isn’t enough for them. They are so young and they need

pictures to reinforce information. My main focus in this lesson was using pictures to help

students see the many differences between the multiple meaning words given. Due to

the difficulty of this lesson, I felt that J.M. did relatively well overall. He tried very hard to

stay engaged and to participate. Unfortunately, he was unable to answer or would ran-

domly guess when I would ask questions such as “So what did the dad really mean

when he said…?” Although J.M. wasn’t alone, I could tell that he was very lost through-

out this lesson and would definitely need some reinforcement.


1. Wait Time: “Delaying a few strategic seconds after you finish asking a ques-

tion and before you ask a student to begin answering it” (Lemov, 134). This ensures

that more time is spent on higher-quality answers because it allows students to take

their time before responding and to better organize their knowledge.

2. Guided Student Practice- Prompting: This strategy is “teacher guided, pro-

viding students with guided practice that you organize and direct.” (Borich, pg. 269)

There are a number of different guided practice strategies but I feel that prompting will

be most effective in J.M.’s learning. With this strategy, you provide “prompts, hints, and

other types of supplementary instructional stimuli to help learners make the correct re-

sponse.” (Borich, pg. 269)

3. No Opt Out: “A sequence that begins with a student unable to answer a ques-

tion should end with the student answering that question as often as possible.” (Lemov,


pg. 28) If a student answers a question incorrectly, call on another student. When the

student answers the question correctly, go back to the original student who answered

incorrectly, re-ask the question, and have them answer correctly. This reassures that

the student comprehends the material and gives them ownership on their learning.

Chosen Strategy: Guided Student Practice- Prompting: I chose to use this strategy be-

cause of the difficulty of this lesson and objective. Guided practice allows for the pre-

sentation of material to be followed by practice of the desired behavior. Having a

teacher there to provide prompts, hints, and other types of supplementary instructional

stimuli, helps students to make the correct responses. I felt that this strategy would be

extremely beneficial and effective during the reteach, especially for J.M.

Results: As mentioned previously, I felt that one-on-one instruction was too intimidating

for J.M.. Because of this, I chose to conduct this reteach as a small group. There was a

total of five students in the group, all of which had a very hard time understanding this

concept. I started this lesson by introducing multiple meaning words and asking who re-

membered what I meant by that. I wanted to see what students had absorbed from Les-

son Two, if anything at all. After reviewing, I showed them two images. Each image rep-

resented the two different meanings of one word. For example, “bat.” One picture was

of the animal and the other was of the tool used for baseball. I showed the students ten

different sets of pictures, having them repeat the word back to me in unison. I also

asked questions and prompted discussion about each individual word. J.M. did abso-

lutely amazing during this section of the lesson. He was so enthusiastic and thought it

was very cool how they both “sound the same but are different!” I was so happy to see

his eyes light up and to recognize that the concept was really registering for J.M. I also


saw a huge difference in his performance, compared to the previous one-on-one in-

struction. It was clear to me that small group settings are much more comfortable for

J.M.. At the end of the lesson, I had the students each choose a word and illustrate both

of its meanings. J.M. chose the word “fly.” He did an amazing illustration which I have

attached to Lesson #2. I was very proud of J.M. after the completion of the reattach and

felt assured that he had mastered the objective.

Lesson Plan Number Three

Title: Concept of an Hour

Subject: Mathematics

Standards/Objectives:

1. Standards: SMP 4: Model with mathematics, SMP 5: Use appropriate tools

strategically, SMP 6: Attend to precision, K.MD.3: Classify objects into given categories,

count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count

2. Objective: Kindergarten students will be able to understand the concept of an

hour, as well as determine and recognize the “o’clock” times on an analog clock with

90% accuracy given that students have already mastered the idea of making sense of

problems and how to preserver in solving them.

Initial Teaching Strategy: Presenting and structuring: This teaching strategy is a form

of the direct instruction model. “One of the primary ingredients of the direct instruction

model is presenting material in small steps. Lessons must be served in small portions

that are consistent with the previous knowledge, ability level, and experience of your

students.” (Borich, pg. 265) This strategy is one of my favorites that I have learned thus


far and one that I feel is truly effective. I completed this entire lesson whole group, on

the reading carpet. As I mentioned previously, consistency plays a huge role in this

classroom and this is where the majority of new content is taught. The key of this spe-

cific strategy is to focus the material on one idea at a time, as well as presenting it in a

way that students fully master one point before being introduced to another.

Student Performance: This lesson was also a bit challenging. Teaching the concept of

an hour to children who have no idea how to read a clock or understand time in general,

was very difficult. However, telling time is a very interesting subject to these young stu-

dents so it was very easy to spark engagement. I presented this material in very small

steps. I started with an introduction, followed by adding bits of information over the span

of two hours. Although I felt that this strategy was very effective for the majority of the

class, I got the impression that I lost J.M. along the way. He was not participating as

normal and rarely offered to give his input or response.


1. Board=Paper: This strategy helps students to learn how to accurately “take

notes and retain a record of one’s knowledge.” (Lemov, pg. 82) As students grow and

develop they can begin to learn to make intention decisions about what to include in

their notes and how to take them. However, teachers need to realize how important it is

to wait until they’re completely reliable and automatic about getting what matters down

right. Board=Paper is the first step in students accomplishing this goal. Students create

a mirror image of what is presented on the board. As you fill out the projected worksheet

on the board, students make their papers look just like yours.


2. Three Minute Review: With this strategy, teachers stop any time during a lec-

ture or discussion and give teams three minutes to review what has been said, ask clari-

fying questions, or answer questions. This strategy helps to make sure that students are

understanding the material and aren’t getting left behind or confused.

3. Call and Response: “The basic element of Call and Response is that you ask

a question and the whole class (small group) calls out the answer in unison.” (Lemov,

pg. 125) This strategy can be an exceptional tool to engage students, as well as helping

them to achieve. To be effective, however, Call and Response needs to be universal,

having all students respond.

Chosen Strategy: Board=Paper: This strategy helps guide students by having them

create a mirror image of the paper or assignment presented on the board. It helps them

to retain the learned knowledge in a different way. I chose this strategy because of the

difficulty of the objective. I feel that modeling what is expected from the students and

guiding them on what to include on their papers will help them to produce the desired

response. We completed this reteach as a small group, just as in lesson two. This is

where J.M. is most comfortable and where he seems to excel the most. I used a fake

clock to show them the time represented by the small and large hands, focusing on the

hours in particular. We reviewed the chart that we made previously that included all of

the activities our class completed in one hour. After discussing, I presented a number of

different activities to the group and had the students tell me whether they thought these

activities would take one hour or one minute. I felt that this activity really helped them to

put our completed activities into perspective. Once finished with his exercise, I had the

students use the Board=Paper strategy and copy my list of activities word for word in


their journals. This list included all of the activities that our class completed over the

span of one hour.

Results: Overall, I feel that J.M. did very well throughout this lesson. In the very begin-

ning, he was showing signs of confusion on the concept of an hour and was having a

hard time distinguishing between an hour and a minute. For example, I asked “How long

would it take for me to brush my teeth? One hour or one minute?” J.M. responded “One

hour!” As usual, he was enthusiastic about his answer even though it was incorrect.

Once I explained further and presented a few more examples, he finally got the hang of

it. Towards the end he commented that “an hour is really long!” This comment made me

laugh for more than one reason. I was so happy to see that J.M. finally understood the

concept of an hour. He modeled my poster almost perfectly in his journal, only leaving

out a couple of items due to time constraints. (attached to lesson) He did very well and I

was very pleased with his growth and performance.

After reflecting on all of my lesson plans presented throughout this study and the

progress that J.M. made academically because of reteaching, I am extremely pleased

with the ASW process. I was very nervous and intimidated going into this assignment

because I felt that I was unexperienced and underprepared to reteach my students. Es-

pecially at such a young age, these students minds are so impressionable and I didn’t

want to teach anything incorrectly. I definitely felt a feeling of relief after the second

reteach. Seeing J.M. light up and understand the material in a different way made me

so happy! I feel that setting aside time to really cater to your students, making sure that

they are understanding the material and not getting left behind, is one of the most im-


portant parts of being a great teacher. Now that I actually have experience in teaching,

checking, re-teaching, and rechecking, and have seen the effectiveness of it; I will abso-

lutely be implementing this strategy in my future K-6 teaching. Although I do think that

the way that I will implement it will change depending on the specific class and group of

students, I will definitely be using it in one way or another.


References

Lemov, D. (2010). Teach like a Champion: 49 Techniques that Put Students on thePath to College. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Metric Mania Handouts (Trimpe, 2000)

Borich, Gary D. (2014) Effective Teaching Methods (8th. Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

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