Nicola-Similkameen School District #58
Learning Intentions I will understand the differences,
similarities and the purposes of the Common and Leveled kits
I will be familiar with both processes. I will look for ways to make this useful
in my teaching environmentI will remember many useful concepts,
including running records, reading levels, correlation charts, observable reading behaviour & open-ended thinking
EPRA/DARTYou decide when the information will serve you
bestYou decide who will participate, and you can
adapt/modify for any student in your class, as long as you have a plan (not an IEP, but an iep)
You understand why: AFLEveryone uses the same how – the routine is
consistent, so that colleagues can collaborate and interpret information
Non fiction with text features, photographsOral reading, conferencing and showing
knowledgeOptional in this district
Correlation ChartColourDRA NumberPM Benchmarks NumberGrade EquivalentLetter
EPRA: Common TextSeptemberAssessment for Learning
JuneAssessment of Learning
Kindergarten
1 3
Grade 1 3 10-12
Grade 2 12 16ProtocolOral reading running recordConference questions and strategy observationThinking pagePerformance Standard QS or Kindergarten
continuum
EPRA Common TextWhole class at onceSchool team to help (principal, SET,
LAT)45-60 minutesQuick introduction, criteriaIndividual reading meetings as
students move on to the thinking page (5 minutes max)
PM Benchmarks/DRA/Jerry Johns/Alberta Diagnostic/Gates/CTBS
Time consuming (20-45 minutes each)Comprehension components do not correlate to the
curriculum PLOsCan be misused for quantitative data collectionMandatory in some districts twice or thrice each year
for data collectionCommon misassumption that reading levels are exactEmphasis is on the decoding, not on deep
comprehensionStandardized tests are poorly constructed (research
and curriculum), do not measure group comprehension and are skewed against rural and aboriginal children
Running Records
SO
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tim SC R
went
5 Minutes more on Common Text
Go ahead, touch your kit. Look through it. Get familiar with it. Write your questions on a post-it note.
Official EPRA video #1EPRA Grade 2.movUse the chartMake notes about what you learn that
is important to you.
Any final questions about the Common Text?
Good. Now we are moving on.
Leveled TextEach school has a kitYou can use it any time you have questionsYou can use any kit with any
grade/combined grade classThis works best with guided reading sized
groupsThis gives you information about what
reading behaviours/strengths your students have, and gives you an approximate reading level
Leveled TextNon fiction text4 levels for Kindergarten (1, 2, 3, 4)
6 levels for Grade 1 (2, 3, 8, 12, 16, 16+)
6 levels for Grade 2 (8, 12, 16, 17, 21, 23)
DRA!!!
Leveled Text: Kindergarten
Leveled Text: Grade 1
Leveled Text: Grade 2
Leveled Text Introduce all the texts to the group –
title, a few pages, a little bit of discussion
Review how to select a ‘just right’ text (Daily Five, BookMatch, or the language you use in class)
Decide if you will have them complete the thinking page (optional)
Leveled Text: Helpful hintsMixed level groupsNo more than 6 at a timeHave students read to you before doing the
thinking pageBe comfortable asking, “Did you look at
____? It might be a better fit.”Do a bit, do it wellSkip the thinking page to start with – keep
the time to a minimumDo not use these books for teaching!
(CLEAN)
Leveled TextHave the other students working on their ownGive the group 40 minutes, but allow extra
time for students who need time to finishTeach the students strategies to determine
independent/instructional/frustration levelsTell them: this helps me help you find the right
fit booksRunning record page can be used several
times throughout the year
Leveled TextTime to get your hands on it15 minutes to read the materials,
especially the protocolWrite your questions on the post-it notes
Each of you be ready to BE a student that you are imaging this NOT working with
Leveled Text: My turn Modeling conferencesI am relaxed and only do as much as I
need to, in order to get the information I need to be a better teacher for you
Bring it on!
Leveled Text: Scoring/Coding/Marking or whatever euphemism you want to use…
Highlighter pen/Quick Scale/ContinuumWorksheet from PS Reading for InformationHighlight key wordsWrite a few goals for the class or a group
when you see trendsMake some individual notes somewhere,
with whatever you use, or right on the conference page (I call it my report card talk)
If you are doing your entire class, there will, this time only, be release time (1/2 day) to work with me on coding and developing a class profile (please contact me)
How to Use a Literacy TeacherI will model, demonstrate, team teach any of this
with the intention of teaching you to do it yourselfI will sit with you after you have done a group and
have a professional What’s Next conversationI will offer suggestions (if asked) on strategies to
support item x in your worldI will meet with you, upon invitation, to go over
how to do the Common (May/June) Text Assessment in your class and then schedule ½ day for everyone to code together here at the SBO (no in lieu of time)
Why Are We Doing This – Research!My hero, Richard Allington, who compiles all
the best literacy research across the world says…
In studying the nation’s best first and fourth grade classrooms, the practice of using multi-text and multi-level instruction and curriculum design was paramount. Every student was reading with text at their own level, not at ‘grade-level’.
Struggling readers need more teacher time, more intensive reading lessons, and more teacher-directed reading lessons targeted to their specific instructional needs.
Do 8 things, do them well and do them now:Begin an intervention planMatch reader and text levelDramatically expand reading activitiesUse very small groups or tutoringCoordinate intervention with the core
classroom (in addition, not instead) Deliver intervention by expert teachersFocus instruction on meta-cognition and
meaningUse texts that are interesting to students
Do not think ‘one size fits all’ with intervention or classroom instruction; using a class set of the same reading materials will ensure that students will continue to fall behind. Multi-level texts for the content areas are essential.
Effective classrooms have a distribution of whole-group, small group and side-by-side instruction.
The proportion of the school day allotted to whole-class assessment is a predictor of a school’s academic success/achievement. The more whole-class teaching offered, the lower the academic achievement in that school.
There is significantly greater growth
in schools where teachers have been
trained to do running records (and
their subsequent analysis, diagnosis
and intervention – assessment for
learning) and student reading
development is monitored over time.
A Bit More Video…EPRA Grade 2.mov
Learning Intentions I will understand the differences,
similarities and the purposes of the Common and Leveled kits
I will be familiar with both processes. I will look for ways to make this useful
in my teaching environmentI will remember many useful concepts,
including running records, reading levels, correlation charts, observable reading behaviour and open-ended thinking
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