I am a Nationally Board Certified Teacher with a master's in reading and literacy and an Educational Specialist Degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development. This product a complete lesson plan bundle for the novel Sophia's War. It includes all the lessons, journal prompts, asse...
Assessment of ESL students does not have to be complicated. Here is a short overview of Bloom's taxonomy, what assessment is and ideas for ESL assessment.
Here are 7 handouts to reinforce the common core standard of "Describing Characters - 3.RL.3". These resources can be used for practically anything (guided instruction, literacy centers, seat work, homework, assessments). This resource is also included in some of my Harcourt reading units, so please do not purchase again if you have purchased many of my Harcourt units. Common Core Standards: Grade 3: RL.3 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.This license is the most restrictive of our six main licenses, only allowing others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.
It's almost that time of year again...no, not just Christmas (yay for that!), but RTI assessment time! I know many teachers can have a love/hate for RTI and all the assessments. A love (or at
Find out about a variety of informal quick checks to obtain information about your students' literacy skills and track their progress.
Whether they're completed on a piece of paper, a tablet, or a whiteboard, exit tickets are a powerful tool to use in your classroom. Exit tickets are formative assessments that provide a quick snapshot about your students' learning and understanding of a topic faster than any other tool in the classroom.
Elevate your literacy instruction with this UFLI-Aligned Literacy Assessment! Designed for students from preschool to 1st grade, this comprehensive tool aligns with the principles of the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI), ensuring evidence-based and effective literacy practices. Key Features: Comprehensive Coverage: Includes assessments for letter identification, sound identification, phonemic awareness, decoding, and reading comprehension. UFLI-Aligned: Adheres to UFLI principles for effective and evidence-based literacy instruction. Progress Monitoring: Tools and charts for tracking student progress and setting targeted literacy goals. Teacher and Parent Guidance: Detailed instructional recommendations for teachers and engaging activities for parents to support learning at home. Student Self-Assessment: Encourages student reflection and goal-setting to foster independent learning. Engaging and Interactive: Keeps students motivated with a variety of literacy activities. Why You’ll Love It: Versatile Use: Perfect for progress monitoring and goal setting. Data-Driven: Utilize assessment data to inform and adjust teaching strategies effectively. Parental Involvement: Facilitates collaboration with parents through detailed feedback and home activities. Easy to Use: Clear instructions and ready-to-use assessment templates make it easy to implement in your classroom. What's Included: Assessment Templates: Letter Identification Sound Identification Phonemic Awareness (Initial Sounds, Blending, Segmenting) Decoding (CVC Words) Reading Comprehension Progress Monitoring Charts Student Self-Assessment Forms Parent Communication Templates Teacher and Parent Instructional Recommendations Error Analysis and Instructional Adjustments Disclaimer: This product is not officially endorsed by or affiliated with the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI). It is independently created to align with UFLI's educational principles and support early literacy development. Boost your students' literacy skills with this all-in-one assessment tool designed to provide a structured and effective approach to early literacy development. Get Started Today!
Sometimes it feels crazy overwhelming to keep assessing students and know exactly what they do/don’t understand. That’s where these quick and easy formative assessment ideas comes in! M…
Learn how you can use the right reading assessments to help evaluate deficits in decoding and encoding to inform your reading instruction.
The first few weeks of school are all about setting the foundation. We're establishing routines and procedures, encouraging a growth mindset culture, building classroom community, etc. I also like to spend some time laying the foundation for what students will need to be successful writers throughout the year, especially since writing is a focus that threads through all subject areas. In second grade especially, sentence structure is a great place to start. We review the 4 parts that every sentence has to have in order to be a complete sentence:
Use this elementary level rubric to support, instruct, and assess your students as they prepare and make a presentation. This can be used for various subjects and is easy to read and understand.
Find out about an engaging story elements game that easily works with any fiction text that your students will beg you to play!
hold students accountable while they independently read with these easy to implement reading tips and tricks and strategies
A district-wide unit that affirms the experiences of ELLs while teaching content and developing their language skills. ELLs voices were highlighted through this multi-grade, multi-school unit.
Print this free kindergarten assessment pack to use as end of the year testing for your kindergarten students. This is a great way to see where your students are at, and find any areas for development.
Are you looking for some new ideas or ways to use informal assessments in your classroom? This is a complete A to Z list of assessment ideas for you!
A blog about reading and writing, and sharing ideas about literacy and RTI for your classroom/ reading, writing, & RTI resources
Use Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull to strengthen your student's comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work. The resources included in this bundle have been designed with Balanced Literacy in mind. The resources are flexible and can be used for whole gro...
This easy-to-use rubric will help you assess your students in guided reading. Use this form to give feedback to students and their families. Like what you see? Follow my store for updates. Thanks for looking! Angie http://thefirstgradescoop.blogspot.com/ Graphics by Scrappin' Doodles and Jen Jones. Fonts by Kevin and Amanda.
When trying to differentiate instruction for our students, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are 6 Easy Ways to Differentiate Instruction
I've been reading the book, Mindsets in the Classroom by Mary Cay Ricci, and just finished chapter 3. It was a real eye-opener. Through all of my years of teaching, I thought I was differentiating by planning and implementing reteaching and enrichment lessons and activities as my class worked through a unit. But in this chapter, I learned how important it is to start the differentiation before the unit even begins! This process begins with the preassessment. So much valuable information can be gathered before you begin teaching a unit. The purpose of the preassessment is to find how much students understand the content before you plan and teach the unit. Do they have a complete understanding of the content? Then they will need enrichment and/or accelerated activities. Do they have a partial understanding of the content? Then you need to make note of the gaps in their learning so you can plan accordingly. Checklists are a great way to keep track of the objectives and student mastery. From this checklist, you will also see students that need to be grouped for instruction. Keep in mind that this grouping will change as students master the objectives. Another insight I gained from this chapter is the different types of assessments used in a classroom. I put together this graphic to sum up the three types of assessment you should be using in your classroom. Click on the image to download the pdf version. You can also download this free packet with three quick and easy formative assessments you can use
Educators trust Renaissance software solutions for K12 assessment, reading and math practice to increase student growth and mastery.
Wondering how to sequence grammar instruction? You'll want this list that scaffolds grammar lessons so that one skill builds upon the next.
Oral language often takes a backseat to other subjects in the curriculum. We do curriculum mapping to make sure we cover all of the reading, writing, and math standards for our students, but how often do we map out a plan for addressing oral language skills? In my state, Illinois, we use the Common Core Standards, and I have to admit that I almost always look at the other literacy standards and only infrequently glance at the “Speaking and Listening” standards. But guess what? THIS IS NOT GOOD!! Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in some professional development and learn more about students’ oral language and literacy development. I want to share what I’ve learned so far with you, because oral language development is definitely something worth paying attention to – whether you teach ELLs or students whose first language is English. Read on for some of the facts that I’ve learned about how students’ oral language affects their literacy development, as well as some tips to help develop your students’ oral language. 1. Oral language is one of the most powerful tools young children have to help them learn about the world. As babies and toddlers learn to understand and produce language, their knowledge about the world around them grows exponentially. For example, they may first call all small pets “dogs,” only later learning about the categories of “dog” and “cat.” When students begin school at the age of 5, their oral language development is far from finished. If we don’t allow our students opportunities to grow their oral language, we are impeding their learning. Which leads me to… 2. Oral language develops through use. We can talk all day until we are blue in the face, but students’ oral language will only develop when they have opportunities to use it. That means we gotta let ’em talk! 3. There are ways we can assess students’ oral language development. One 3-minute assessment I was recently introduced to is an Oral Language Assessment by Mondo. Click {here} to download the assessment for free (scroll down to where it says “Let’s Talk About It! Oral Language Assessment”). In this assessment, you say aloud sentences of varying lengths, and students have to repeat back the sentences to you (one at a time). Students are supposed to be able to correctly repeat back at least 14 of the 15 sentences by the middle of first grade. But… 4. Many struggling readers also struggle with oral language. If you give the assessment that I linked to above to struggling readers (even those in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade), they will likely not achieve the score that a 1st grader is supposed to have achieved. Eek! If you transcribe what a child has repeated back to you during the assessment, you can look for patterns. Is the child missing verb phrases? Subjects? Pronouns? Prepositions? These gaps will also show up in the child’s reading and writing. 5. Listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension. If a student can’t repeat back what you said during the assessment, then they will likely not comprehend the same sentence in text, EVEN if they can decode it. Let’s take a look at this sentence from the assessment: The car and the truck were carrying some large boxes. This sentence might seem pretty simple at first glance. But it contains all of the following ideas: – There was a car – There was also a truck – The car and the truck were carrying some boxes – The boxes that they were carrying were large If a child cannot repeat back the sentence exactly as it is spoken, he/she likely does not grasp all of those individual ideas that make up the sentence. Missing many small details like this adds up to poor reading comprehension and inferential thinking. 6. Oral language ability impacts students’ writing. Do you have any students whose writing consists of one big run-on sentence, a bunch of thoughts connected by “and,” “and,” “and?” They likely sound the same way when they talk. I feel like I’m sharing lots of bad news here!! And, honestly, poor oral language development can be really bad news for students when it comes to their literacy development. However, there ARE things that we can do to support students’ oral language development. Here are a few ideas: – Simplify directions given orally. Students who struggle with listening comprehension / oral language likely will not be able to understand or follow directions that are include lots of clauses, prepositional phrases, etc. You can’t stop giving multi-step directions just because you have students who struggle with their oral language. You can, however, give those directions in simple language, one step at a time, with pauses in between. – Have students engage in “turn and talks” (think-pair-shares) every 4-5 minutes. This sounded like a lot to me, but again, oral language develops through use – kids need to talk about what they are learning! – Provide low-risk opportunities for kids to practice talking. Kids need to feel comfortable talking about non-academic topics before they will take risks when talking about their learning. Low-risk activities can take the form of having students share about their activities over the weekend or asking them to talk to each other about what they see in a funny/strange picture. During these “practice sessions,” act as a participant or observer in the conversation, rather than bombarding kids with questions. Encourage kids to use specific vocabulary words during the discussion. – Help students extend their oral language with prompting. Here’s a sample conversation between a child (C) and teacher (T): T: Where did you go this weekend? C: The park. T: Oh, you went to the park? What did you do there? C: Played on the swings. T: Ah, you played on the swings. Who did you play with? C: My brother! T: Great! You could say, I went to the park and played on the swings with my brother. Can you say that with me? C & T: I went to the park
Tips for using task cards in your classroom! Download free editable task card templates to create professional looking task cards in minutes.
Wondering how to sequence grammar instruction? You'll want this list that scaffolds grammar lessons so that one skill builds upon the next.
Star assessments provide reliable data to deliver the right instruction, at the right time, for the right reason. Click here to learn more.
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Do you want to know the secondary classroom procedure I can't live without??
Do your students struggle to show that they are able to comprehend what they have read? Being able to demonstrate comprehension is a vital life skill. Here is how we target reading comprehension in my self-contained special education classroom. Many of my students have language based disabilities. The more words (spoken or written), the more ... Read More about Functional Reading Comprehension Instruction In Special Ed.
What if you are being constantly interrupted during guided reading? Here are 5 different strategies to try when your students are struggling to work independently!
Are you tired of the same extension projects for independent novel studies or literature circles? Then look no further! This 3D Pop-Up Picture Book Report comes with everything your students will need to create this foldable project. Even the not-so crafty teacher will love making this project! You will only need plain white paper, scissors, glue and coloring tools to create this engaging project. That’s all! Included in this resource: Step by step instructions that will be easy enough for your students to understand on their own. Detailed pictures are included for easy assembly just in case. A template that can be printed for students. (The template tells students were to cut and fold too!) Two different sets of directions are included in this resource to differentiate instruction for readers of different levels and abilities. (Students will either create their own picture book version of the novel they read OR students will create a summary of their novel.) A story map is also included so students can identify the plot of their story, theme, characters and setting. Two Rubrics are included. One is already created for you and another is EDITABLE to best meet your needs. Visit my blog for a step by step video tutorial to create this project with your students. https://lessonsovercoffee.com/research-projects-for-students-easy-to-create-foldable/ Here's what other teachers have said: "Such a fun project idea. My students loved being creative while showing the elements in their stories!" "My students were so excited when I shared this project with them. I can't wait to see their final products. Thank you!" "I can't wait to use this year! I am having my kids do this for their first independent novel study. :-)" Looking for more easy and exciting projects! Then visit my store for more!
Plot assessment for whole class instruction using Pixar Shorts DVD. Also includes an eight-page teaching guide for teaching Plot and Narrative Elements-- includes all terms used within the assessment piece. Multiple choice structured answers focusing on conflict, climax and resolution. Best used fo...
15 exit ticket ideas for any subject or grade level!
Goza Middle School Principal Angela Garner explains the arrangement of color coded cards on "The Wall" as they relate to student test scores during September's instructional leadership team meeting. What happens after the test ends, the pencils are down and the students breathe a sigh of relief? For students in Arkadelphia Public Schools, the end of a TLI test marks the beginning of a comprehensive examination of every test question and every test answer. Do you ever wonder where test result data goes after it is delivered to schools? How is that data used? Does it impact the way teachers teach and classrooms are operated? Or does it sit on a shelf or in a closet? In Arkadelphia Public Schools, that data becomes the driving force behind almost every instructional decision, guiding teachers to adjust their classrooms to fit the needs of every student. Every year for The Learning Institute tests’, the district invests a lot of resources, the staff spends a lot of time organizing, and teachers spend a lot of time preparing the students, who spend a lot of time testing. This produces a lot of valuable information that teachers can use to determine what is working and what is not. TLI testing dates average twice a month from September to April, so a school with more than 450 students, such as Goza Middle School, is analyzing about 7,200 individual test results in a school year. How does a school manage so much information? Enter “The Wall.” “The Wall” is the instructional facilitator’s war room. This is where test data becomes a visual aid and the results are tracked test-to-test and year-to-year for every single student in both math and literacy. Trends in individual student, and overall school, performance are easily appreciated once the color coded cards, which show a combination of scores and demographic information, are arranged on white boards on the walls of the instructional facilitator’s room. TLI test are administered multiple times a month throughout the school year and the trends in progress can be seen just days after the test is given. A room is set aside on each campus in the district to house the assessment wall. Access to the room is restricted to faculty and staff since the information on display is confidential. “The cards are placed to show the most current round of scores,” GMS’s instructional facilitator Joan Crowder said. “Every time the students test and the results come back, the cards are rearranged.” The APSD September Instructional Leadership Team meeting was held on GMS’s campus and led by school Principal Angela Garner. School principals and instructional facilitators were joined by members of the administration at the meeting to share ideas about increasing student achievement and utilizing test data to provide unique student guidance. Garner and Crowder’s presentation explained the ways their TLI data becomes a critical role in GMS’s classrooms. “This (the assessment wall) shows the facts, the numbers,” Garner said. “There’s not any getting around it. The teachers meet in here and look at where their students are and they are able to see the results for themselves. This allows us to translate test data into individual student success. We see where we might need to push a student harder or provide an intervention to get one on the right track. The teachers that buy-in see positive results.” District-wide, TLI data keeps students, as well as faculty, on track to reach their greatest potential. “The information we get from TLI interim assessments and the data walls being used on each campus allow our teachers and principals to make very specific, targeted instructional decisions based on the needs of individual students,” APSD Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jeanette Turner said. “We strongly believe in the power of data-driven decision making.” Because of the focus on student-specific results, school faculty can tell what kind of misconceptions a student may have based on the wrong answer choices they make on a TLI test. For example, if a student adds “47 + 15” and incorrectly selects “52” as the answer and that student is consistently making the same mistake, then it can be assumed the student understands the concept of addition, but he or she is forgetting to “carry” or regroup. The teacher would then work with that student individually to correct that specific misconception instead of unnecessarily spending valuable class time re-teaching multi-digit addition to the entire class. The end goal is student success. TLI tests and “The Wall” are another set of tools in the educator’s quiver. “With these tests, practice is harder than the game,” Garner said. “Often students will take the state (Benchmark) test, after testing with TLI throughout the year, and say that the state test was easy.” By Sean Ruggles, APSD Director of Communications [email protected]
