ERM journal question 14.

14. In what ways (formal as well as informal) does the teacher evaluate student progress in reading?

            Each day there is time for reading workshop. Three things happen during this time. There is independent reading, book clubs (a group time with the teacher to read and discuss the same text), and groups who go to a reading specialist. Mrs. Afeld observes students every week at carpet time. During her time with each reading group she can listen for phonemic awareness, decoding skills, fluency, and comprehension. Many of her readers are at different levels, and by spending this time with them in small groups allows her to see what areas students are progressing, and in what areas she needs to work with them to improve.

            Another way to she evaluates student’s reading progress is through daily conversations and observations. By talking about what they have been reading the teacher can see if the children truly comprehend what they are reading. These are the ways that I saw the teacher evaluate her students in reading. She might also have some sort of written assessment as well, but I did not observe this during my time spent in this classroom.
           The children in this class are categorized using letters to distinguish which reading level they are. These are measured by a formal evaluation of some sort perhaps a type of standardized test or taking Accelerated Reading tests. The children are placed in these categories at the beginning of the year, but if the teacher notices improvement the child can be advanced into a higher reading level. The text that each child reads is matched to their reading skill level.