Re: Advice on Assessment and Differentiation

On 6/13/09, TucsonTeacher wrote:
> I am teaching remedial reading to middle school. I would
> like to see more progress this year. Class size is 15-22.
> Any ideas on best assessments to use and how I can
> differentiate for kids who have different reading needs?
> Thanks!

I've come to believe it has little to do with the 'program' and
a lot to do with the spin you give it. Someone else is
recommending www.studiesinmeaning.com - but I'd recommend a
general air of excitement though I know its hard. To me - it's
like Dorothy and her red shoes - she was wearing them all the
time but didn't realize their power.
I acknowledge to my kids that reading can be hard - and that's
not fair. It's not fair that Nature makes reading harder for
some of us than others. And I acknowledge that they often don't
like to read. Many teachers act like kids stomped on a kitten
when the kids say they don't like to read.

But I tell them there's some Wonderful things out there in
literature - and I spend some time showing them those wonderful
things. I read outloud once a week - I like Thursdays or
Fridays for that and there's a ton of research that shows
reading outloud can't hurt and can help. (but you have to be a
comfortable aloud reader or get books on tape)

These kids don't know how to be excited by literature because
they can't read it. I also tell them to read every night in an
EASY book - easy is key. That's really the only way to build
fluency. I cringed when I read someone times their reading and
tries to 'make them' read faster. Reading faster comes from
reading practice - a flow can build but you can't force the
flow especially with weak readers.

I don't think assessments play any role in real progress.
Oozing confidence that will some practice their reading skills
will build and improve does have a positive impact on their
confidence and confidence has a positive impact on their reading.

I admire your interest in differentiating but with 15-22 kids,
I just can't. They could each have a slightly different glitch
but it basically comes to do the fact that they don't decode
well. These kids will likely be sight readers all their lives -
we weren't all meant to read fast and why do we have to?

Good luck.