Reading From a

First Grade Perspective

Lauren Saito
ITE 313

Demographic Information
16 students took the survey (18 students in
the class, but 2 students were absent)
8 girls
10 boys

Four SPED students

Four ELL students

 1st grade reading level class is dividing into four ability

groups for reading instruction
Student Proficient or Higher (SPH)
Student Close to Proficiency (SCP)
Student Far to Go (SFG)
Intervention Student (IS)
Based on how they did on their first grade level reading
test
Regularly regrouped through daily tests
Students reading levels range from Kindergarten to 2nd
grade
Basal reading program Harcourt reading textbook
Assessment tools include:
Vocabulary Homework (create sentences)
Daily reading responses to books theyre reading
Comprehension tests

Process of
Administering the Survey
Before administering the handout to students, I started by
explaining what a survey is. Then, I lead cross the line activity
where students were directed to stand on the green happy face
side, orange so-so face side, or red unhappy face depending
on their feeling about the answer. I started the survey by asking
random questions that was fun and relatable such as, Did you
brush your teeth today? Eventually, I asked one question from
each category of attitude, interest, learning style, and work habits.
After the activity, I administered a handout as another form of
assessment.

Cross the Line activity

Reading Survey Handout

The Student Survey

Attitude / Interest / Learning Style / Work Habit

1. Do you like to read?

Yes, I like to read!

I dont know if I like to read.

No, I do not like to read.

Do you like to read?

Attitudes
About Reading
One student does not like to
read, but rather do something
else (child did not say).
Another student does not know
if he/she likes to read because
student is not exposed to
reading enough to make a
decision. Fourteen of the
sixteen students enjoy reading.

2. How do you feel about reading

books in your classroom?

I like to read books in my classroom!

Sometimes I like to read books in my classroom.
I do not like to read books in my classroom.

Attitudes
About Reading
Two students doe not like to read
books in the classroom because
they prefer to read books from
their own library at home. Two
students like to read books from
the classroom, sometimes. When
new books come into the
classroom library, students look
forward to reading the new
books. Twelve students out of
sixteen like to read books from
their classroom library.

How do you feel about

reading books in your
classroom?

3. I like books with lots of

words in it.

I like to read books with lots of words in it.

Sometimes I like to read books with lots of words in it.

I do not like to read books with lots of words in it.

Students Reading
Interests
Majority of the class is reading at
grade level or above, therefore, I
felt this question was
appropriate. Ten students out of
sixteen (more than half the
class!) like to read books with
lots of words in it such as chapter
books. One student sometimes
like to read books with lots of
words in it if he has the time to.
The last four students do not like
to read books with lots of words it
in; they prefer words books with
lots of pictures.

I like books with lots of

words in it.

4. I like to read fiction books.

I like to read fiction books.

Sometimes I like to read fiction books.
I do not like to read fiction books.

I like to read fiction books.

Students Reading
Interest
Eleven students like to read
fiction books because many
fiction books are related to
movies such as Cinderella and
Toy Story. Five students do not
like to read fiction books and
rather read books about bugs,
lizards, and so on. Nobody said
they sometimes like to read
fiction books. Everyone had their
own opinion and if they did not
read fiction books, they enjoyed
reading nonfiction books.

5. How do you feel when you

read out loud in class?

I like to read out loud in class.

Sometimes I like to read out loud in class.
I do not like to read out loud in class.

Students
Learning Style
Ten students out of sixteen
sometimes like to read out loud
in class. When asked why,
students replied saying that
they only like to read out loud
when they are reading their
own writing pieces. Three
students like to read out loud in
class, and three student do not
like reading out loud in class.

How do you feel when

you read out loud in
class?

6. I like to read for fun.

I like to read for fun.

Sometimes I like to read for fun.

I do not like to read for fun.

I like to read for fun.

Students
Learning Style
Nine students like to read for
fun not only at school, but at
home and when theyre bored.
Three students sometimes
read for fun when they are not
busy with extracurricular
activities. The other four
students do not like to read for
fun at all.

7. I place my finger beneath the

words being read.

I place my finger beneath the words being read.

Sometimes I place my finger beneath words being read.

I do not place my finger beneath words being read.

Students
Reading Habits
This question was a bit difficult to
understand, therefore, I made
sure to explain statement
thoroughly. In class, students are
told to place their finger under
words being read. When
students are not being told to do
so, ten students sometimes
place their finger beneath the
words being read. Four students
do not place their finger beneath
the words being read (high
learners). Two students place
their finger beneath the words
being read because theyre used
to doing it all the time in class.

I place my finger beneath

the words being read.

8. I take the time to sound

difficult new words out.

I take the time to sound difficult new words out.

Sometimes I take the time to sound difficult new words out.
I do not take the time to sound difficult new words out.

Students
Reading Habits
Nine out of sixteen students
take the time to sound difficult
new words out such as
clapping out syllables. Six
students sometimes sounds
difficult new words out. One
student does not take the time
to sound difficult new words
out.

I take the time to

sound difficult new
words out.

Implementation
In the first grade classroom, students love to read! This excites me because I
am able to expose students to many different stories that I know will definitely spark
interest. Students love to read books in their classroom because of the wide variety they
can choose from. Although, my MT and I agreed to encourage to leisurely read at home
so that students do not feel like they should only read at school. Because their
homework is to read level books with their parents/guardians, it would be great to assign
homework once a week to read any book at home that they own and draw a picture with
a short description about their favorite part of the story. When asked if they like to read
out loud in class, more than half of the class said sometimes. Students are asked to
read in front of the class rather than voluntarily. My MT and I thought that we should
encourage reading out loud in front of the class by praising students more often so they
will feel joy when reading out loud. Eventually, we want students to like to read out loud
in class. Seven out of sixteen students do not like to read for fun. I think this is because
in school, students are expected to read and answer many comprehension questions.
My MT and I think that in order to make reading fun, we need to create engaging
conversations that will boost our percentage of students wanting to read for fun. As for
placing fingers beneath the words being read, many students sometimes or do not do
so. This is because they tend to forget. In class, my MT and I are reminding students to
place their finger beneath the words being read and having students remind each other
by silently tapping each other. Eight students out of sixteen do not take the time to
sound out difficult new words out. Therefore, when we read as a class, we take extra
time to clap out the word. By helping students out each day through the many
implementations, we hope to create healthy and happy readers!