Final Report

Baldwin Wallace University

Summer Intervention Program
Students Name Jeremy Primrose
Grade in Fall 2015 3rd
Teachers Name Bobby Graves
Date of Report July 16, 2015
I.

Background Information:
Jeremy Primrose will be a 3rd grader this fall who will continue attending
Grindstone Elementary in the Berea City School District. He was referred to the Baldwin
Wallace Summer Reading program by his mother Renee Primrose. On the first day of the
program, Mrs. Primrose shared Jeremys Individual Educational Plan (IEP) and after
review it was determined that he was retained in first grade and has some deficiencies in
comprehension, reading fluency, spelling and writing expression. During the initial
conference, his mom expressed that she wants him to feel more confident when reading,
to work on his writing skills and to continue in strengthening his comprehension skills
throughout the summer. Mrs. Primrose feels that Jeremy has a poor self-esteem since he
was retained in first grade. She also said that some of the comments that he says at home
regarding academics are negative and hopefully positive encouragement in the program
will help change his feelings. Mrs. Primrose has noticed that at night when he reads with
her, he makes her read. She assumes that he does not like to read because he struggles
with it.
When having a discussion with the instructor, Jeremy shared many interests,
including plants, animals, dinosaurs and camping. He has four dogs and three cats; one of
the dogs is a chocolate lab which he swims with from time to time. He likes playing
video games and likes to play outside. He has an older brother who is 12 years old and
they like to read to each other. When the instructor asked what subjects he found the most
interesting he mentioned art and music and said someday he would like to play the
trumpet. Jeremy participated in an Informal Reading Inventory the first week of the
program which helped determine his reading levels.
Jeremy was administered the Classroom Reading Inventory (CRI) during the first
two days of the program. He was tested using Form A: Pretest. The two assessments used
on the CRI have two sections including a subskills word recognition and comprehension
portion. He was presented with five word lists that contained twenty words each that he
read to the instructor. Below are the results from the graded word list assessment in Table
1:

Table 1 Graded Word Lists

Grade Level
Preprimer
Primer
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3

Percentage Words Correct

100%
100%
85%
80%
75%

Each word list contains 20 words and each level goes up by grade level. Jeremy
was at independent and instructional level until Level 3. Jeremy finally reached his
frustration level at Level 3 or third grade, missing five words total. In Level 3, he missed
multisyllabic words such as engage, passenger, decided, policy and vacation. For the
word engage he said English, for passenger he said passage, for decided he said
destiny, for policy he said police, and he did not know how to say vacation.
After that, Jeremy read paragraphs aloud and was then asked comprehension
questions including factual, inferential, and vocabulary about the paragraphs. After
Jeremy hit frustration level when reading the paragraphs on his own at Level 4, the
instructor read paragraphs aloud to Jeremy and then he answered questions to the best of
his ability. The results of the Classroom Reading Inventory assessment are presented in
Table 2 below:
Table 2 Graded Paragraphs
Grade Level

SG WR Error Level

Comprehension
Level

Preprimer
Primer
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 7
Level 8

Independent
Instructional
Independent
Independent
Instructional
Frustration
-

Independent
Independent
Independent
Independent
Independent
Independent
-

Listening
Comprehension
% correct

100%
80%
80%
60%

The results of the Classroom Reading Inventory put Jeremy at a third grade instructional
level. He hit frustration at a fourth grade level. He was able to get three out of five
questions correct when listening to the instructor read up to Level 8. An instructional
level is the level at which a student is successful with instructional support from the
teacher. An independent level is the level that a student can work independently. The
frustration level is beyond the students current ability. Listening comprehension is solely
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the students comprehension when listening to the instructor read a passage out of total
five questions. See Appendix A for the graded CRI. Other assessments were given
throughout the next week. Based on initial assessments, the following goals were
established for the program:
1. Literacy Component- Spelling:
Jeremy will be able to spell one syllable initial consonant or blended diagraphs (ph, ch,
etc) vowel consonant e (silent e) words.
2. Literacy Component- Vocabulary:
Jeremy will be able to define vocabulary target words selected from texts at the third
grade level with 80% accuracy.
3. Literacy Component- Writing:
After reading a story, Jeremy be able to identify the key points of a story with detail and
then write a summary. The summary should include sentences that include correct
capitalization, word usage, punctuation and spelling (CUPS) and 5-8 words.
4. Literacy Component- Comprehension:
After reading a third grade fiction passage, Jeremy will be able to retell a story by making
inferences, telling facts and by using vocabulary words from the stories.
II. Assessments and Results: Goal 1
A. Goal 1:
Spelling: Jeremy will be able to spell and read one syllable initial consonant or blended
diagraphs (ph, ch, etc) vowel consonant e (silent e) words that are covered in the Summer
Reading Program.
B. Instruction and Materials: Each day the instructor and the student practiced the
spelling of words individually and/or with a group. In the beginning an initial word wall
consisted of everyday words that were spelled incorrectly in Jeremys writing pieces.
There were up to five words added each day and he was responsible for correctly learning
the spelling, learning the meaning and writing the word in a sentence. Jeremy also wrote
the words on dry/erase boards and in shaving cream, so he could write the words multiple
times in a fun way. After a closer look, Jeremy needed to focus on words that had a vowel
consonant silent e structure. These words include take, make, note, and bite. The
instructor and Jeremy read stories that had an abundance of these type of words to look at
patterns. He and the instructor also worked with the SMART board to help group words
by sound and rhyming. Toward the end of the program, a word board was made so that
Jeremy could visually sort the words while reading with the different long vowel sounds
and the silent e. Jeremy would write words on square pieces of paper and add them to the
correct area on the board. A picture of the board is below.

Picture 1 Silent e Board

He expressed that this was his favorite activity that he did in the program. From
the beginning, Jeremy has been very receptive to feedback on spelling. He is able to
remember many of the words that have been reviewed and he understands the patterns.
Jeremy now knows that if he can spell one word he can spell many words because there
is only the difference of a letter or two. Many times Jeremy self-corrects when he is able
to visually see that the word is spelled incorrectly on paper. He seems more positive when
reading words with the silent e and spelling them as well.
C. Initial and Final Assessment:
1.) Description of the Assessment Strategy or Strategies:
Jeremy participated in two informal Developmental Spelling Assessments (DSA)
(Ganske, 2000) which consisted of 25 words each for a total of 50 words. The DSA is a
spelling assessment used to identify a students developmental stage. The assessment
4

provides information on spelling features that a student may or may not have developed.
These words were read aloud by the instructor to Jeremy and he wrote the words to his
best ability without any instruction. The instructor grades the spelling by circling the
word parts and also checking the words that were spelled correctly. After he finished the
assessment, the instructor was able to score the work using an answer key. The words
given to him were letter name sounds and a mixture of vowel sounds within the words.
The assessment was completed in a twenty minute period. The words given are
appropriate for a second to third grader writing level.
After going through instructional strategies, the instructor also administered the
same Developmental Spelling Assessment, the Letter Name and Within Word, both using
Form B as a final assessment. Jeremy will also be given a spelling test with 40 words
total. The 40 words will include words with the vowel consonant e structure. Some of the
words will be words he practiced and learned during instruction. There will also be some
new words he has not seen during instruction that contain the same pattern in order for
Jeremy to apply his knowledge.
2.) Initial Assessment Data:
For the first assessment, which was the Letter Name assessment Form A, Jeremy
spelled 15 of the 25 words correct. He had difficulty spelling 10 of the words. At this
level, students spell one syllable words and are able to represent the initial and final
sounds correctly, but may substitute the vowels for other vowels, for example for train
they spell tran. The words come from the stages: initial and final single consonants,
initial consonant blends and diagraphs, short vowels, affricate sounds, and final
consonant blends and diagraphs. Even though Jeremy missed 10 of the words, he only
missed the affricate sound of jet and the short vowel sound of mud. The other words
misspelled did not have to do with the features tested (See Appendix B). The results are
organized in Table 3.
Table 3 Letter Name Assessment Pre-Assessment
Words Correct
ship, bet, got, cap, bump, much, with,
map, hop, plan, that, fast, dish, went, trip

Words Incorrect
jet, bet, drum, slid, mud, grab, win, fed,
rub, fit

For the second assessment, which was the Within Word assessment Form A,
Jeremy spelled 6 of the 25 words correct. He had difficulty spelling 19 of the words. This
is a higher level, more difficult test. At this level, students are able to spell most single
syllable short vowel words and they now attempt words that come from the stages: long
vowels V consonant e, r-controlled vowel patterns, other common long vowels, complex
consonant units (scr, qu, ok) and ambiguous vowels: diagraph /diphthongs. This is where
the goal of vowel consonant e words with initial diagraphs originated. This stage is the
first stage needed for development before the other stages (See Appendix C). The results
are organized in Table 4.

Table 4 Within Word

Words Correct
flock, least, grape, yawn, drive, ripe

Words Incorrect
patch, couch, steep, cute, bridge, glare,
scrap, might, girl, frown, smoke, stood,
short, quite, coast, hurt, point, fear, paint

3.) Final Assessment Data:

For the first assessment which was the Letter Names assessment, Form B, Jeremy
received a 21 out of 25 words. He had difficulty spelling 4 words. The words come from
the stages: initial and final single consonants, initial consonant blends and diagraphs,
short vowels, affricate sounds, and final consonant blends and diagraphs. Even though
Jeremy missed 4 words, he did not miss any features tested receiving a five out of five for
each stage (See Appendix D). The results are organized in Table 5 below.
Table 5 Letter Name Post Assessment
Words Correct
path, camp, lap, drop, top, rip, cut, shop,
wet, nest, dig, rich, tub, hunt, this, yes,
spot, trot, fish, crib, job

Words Incorrect
chin, van, glad, hat

For the second assessment which was the Letter Name assessment, Form B,
Jeremy received a 12/25. He had difficulty spelling 13 words. The words come the
stages: long vowels V consonant e, r-controlled vowel patterns, other common long
vowels, complex consonant units (scr, qu, ok) and ambiguous vowels: diagraph
/diphthongs. The goal came from this assessment and focused on the V consonant e stage.
Jeremy did not miss any features under this stage receiving a five out of five (Appendix
E). He mastered this stage and is able to move to the next. The results are organized in
Table 6 table below.
Table 6 Within Word Post Assessment
Words Correct
burn, broke, pine, scare, cube, slide, brick,
light, catch, mound, frame, clear

Words Incorrect
spoil, queen, scrub, storm, train, growl,
peach, dawn, ridge, dirt, roast, shook,
sheet,

Jeremy was also given a spelling test with 40 words in order to assess his skills in
spelling words with the V consonant e structure. These words were a mixture of long i,
long a, long o, long u and mixed vowels. Some of the words he was familiar with from
instruction and some words were new to him, but still had the same spelling patterns and
6

rhymes. He was able to spell 34 out of the 40 words correctly, receiving an 85%.
Jeremys assessments are included with the answer key as Appendix F. There were only
six words Jeremy missed and they are organized below in Table 7 with a notation of his
each mistake.
Table 7 Words Missed with Mistakes
Spelling Word

Mistake Made

joke
tune

Joke- word should not be

capitalized
ton- improper spelling

tub

tube- added an e

broke

brock- ck/ke improper spelling

flake

flack- ck/ke improper spelling

cube

Cude- confused b with a d

III. Assessments and Results: Goal 2

A. Goal 2:
Vocabulary: Jeremy will be able to define vocabulary target words selected from texts at
the third grade level with 80% accuracy.
B. Instruction and Materials:
In order to work on Goal 2 with Jeremy, the instructor chose 22 target words
based on the book Nate the Great and the Monster Mess. Before reading the
book, the instructor chose these words and administered the pre-assessment. The list of
words are organized below.
Table 5 Target Words
Target Words
sniffed
thumbed
crinkled
thud
thump
werewolves
wagged
rushed
jumbled
dozen
pest
eels
strange
shrugged
tingle
crumbled
stained
disgust
probably
supermarket
clutch
through
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After giving the assessment, the teacher began using different instructional
strategies. One strategy was vocabulary squares. Jeremy had to write out the definition,
a synonym, the vocabulary word used in a sentence, and a picture for the vocabulary
squares. An example of one of the vocabulary squares sheets Jeremy completed is
attached as Appendix G.
Another strategy used was a SMART exchange word sort program for Jeremy to
match the vocabulary term with the definition. The SMART exchange program is used as
an interface to make SMART board activities. Teachers can go on this program to create
activities for their students. It can be used to incorporate technology for any content area
subject. For example teachers, can use it to enhance spelling or vocabulary. The instructor
used the SMART board activity so Jeremy could use technology, yet still practice
mastering his vocabulary terms. He was able to interact with technology and responded
well to the activity overall.
Lastly, the instructor constructed a mini-quiz where he had to match the terms
with definitions, write a sentence, answer multiple choice questions or fill-in the blank.
Jeremys answers are attached as Appendix H. Jeremy did very well only missing one
question. He worked very hard understanding the terms and definitions.
C. Initial and Final Assessment:
1.) Description of the Assessment Strategy or Strategies:
One assessment strategy used was a pre-assessment, which is attached in
Appendix I. This pre-assessment is a 2, 1, 0 rubric where Jeremy was asked the definition
of a word and the instructor wrote down Jeremys responses accordingly. A 2 means he
knows the definition. A 1 means he knows part of the definition. A 0 means he does not
know the definition. These target words were chosen from the story Nate the Great
and the Monster Mess, which Jeremy read throughout the reading program.
Jeremys score was determined by his response. The 22 target words are as follows:
Table 5 Target Words
Target Words
sniffed
thumbed
crinkled
thud
thump
werewolves
wagged
rushed
jumbled
dozen
pest
eels
strange
shrugged
tingle
crumbled
stained
disgust
probably
supermarket
clutch
through

The final assessment will be the same assessment used as the pre-assessment.
The teacher will use the 2, 1, 0 rubric and use the same 22 target words Jeremy studied
throughout the program. After going through different instructional strategies, the
instructor will administer the final assessment to compare scores.
2.) Initial Assessment Data:
After administering the pre-assessment, Jeremy was able to score a 29 out of 44
total points, which is a 66%. There were 22 vocabulary terms and 2 points total for each
vocabulary term. The scoring for each questions was a 2, 1, 0 rubric. The terms that
Jeremy received 0 points for not knowing the definition were thumbed, thump, tingle,
stained, and clutch. The terms Jeremy received 1 point for knowing part of the definition
were crinkled, through, shrugged, crumpled, and eels. The vocabulary terms Jeremy
knew the definition to were sniffed, thud, werewolves, wagged, rushed, jumbled, dozen,
strange, disgust, probably, supermarket, and pest. The graded rubric is attached as
Appendix J.
When Jeremy knew the terms, he was able to give the definition, elaborate on the
information, and also give an example. For the words thumbed, thump, tingle and clutch
Jeremy said I dont know. For the word stained he gave the answer, stuck to
something.
From the assessment, the teacher was able to identify the words Jeremy did not
know based on the ones he received 0 points and the words he received 1 point on for
knowing part of the definition. These are the words Jeremy will need more instruction
and guidance. Below shows a graph (Graph 1) of the information from the rubric. Each
category shows the number of words Jeremy spelled correctly.
Graph 1 Vocabulary Terms Rubric Pre-Assessment

Vocabulary Terms Rubric:

Pre-Assessment
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Scored 2 points

Scored 1 point

Scored 0 points

Vocabulary terms

3.) Final Assessment Data:

After instructional strategies, the instructor graded Jeremy using a 2, 1, 0 rubric to
assess his knowledge of vocabulary terms. Jeremy scored 41 points out of 44, receiving a
93%. Based on the rubric from the pre to the post assessment, Jeremy improved by 12
points, or 27% higher. For the post assessment, Jeremy received 0 points for only one
word and that was thump. He received 1 point for when he answered for through, he said
in and out in a crowd. After completing his vocabulary squares for the word for thump,
the instructor was looking for him to say a dull sound, such as the sound a heart makes in
his definition. He will need further instruction and practice for the word thump in order to
master that word. For through, the instructor was looking for a few answers since it has
many meanings. The meanings were gone over during instruction and could have
included to finish, in and out, and to deal with. For all other words, Jeremy was very
confident in his responses. Many of the definitions and examples were exactly from the
vocabulary squares and SMART exchange activities. See Appendix J for results. Graph 2
represents his final assessment data. Graph 3 represents a comparison between Jeremys
initial and final assessments.
Graph 2 Vocabulary Terms Rubric Post Assessment

Vocabulary Terms Rubric:

Post Assessment
25
20
15
10
5
0

Scored 2 points

Scored 1 point

Scored 0 points

Vocabulary terms

10

Graph 3 Comparison between Pre and Post Assessment

Comparison between Pre and Post Assessment

45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Total Points (44)

Pre-Assessment Score

Post Assessment Score

IV. Assessments and Results: Goal 3

A. Goal 3:
Writing: After reading a story, Jeremy should be able to identify the key points of a story
with detail and then write a summary. The summary should include sentences that
include correct capitalization, word usage, punctuation and spelling (CUPS) and 5-8
words.
B. Instruction and Materials:
Based on the results from the assessment, the instructor began instructional
strategies in order for Jeremy to be able to identify important information from the text
and write a summary including a beginning, middle, and end. As a group, the instructor
and Jeremy continued to read Nate the Great and the Monster Mess. After
reading one or two chapters, the instructor would have Jeremy complete a few different
activities. One activity the instructor would have Jeremy to complete was a graphic
organizer in order to complete a summary of the chapter.This was used to organize
thoughts before transferring main ideas from the story into a summary format. An
example of a graphic organizer is attached as Appendix K. Jeremy enjoyed using the
graphic organizers because he could lay out all of the main ideas from the story in order
as he remembered them. He stated that he has used them in class before and he is familiar
with how to use them. Jeremy completed a graphic organizer for chapter six and chapter
nine.
After reading chapter three, Jeremy completed a response to text activity with
questions and then had to write a summary. This was another type of graphic organizer
that helped with the key points of the story. He had to answer four questions and also
11

write what happened in the beginning, middle, and end based on the chapter. An example
of the response to text activity sheet is included in Appendix L.
After reading chapter seven and eight, Jeremy put sentence strips in
chronological order including what happened in the beginning of the chapter, the end, and
details in between. An example of both of the sentence strips he had to put in order are
attached in Appendix M. Jeremy responded well with using the sentence strips because
she liked getting to read the information and then checking himself against the answer
key. He also did well reading through the sentences altogether and then rearranged any
of the sentences if the order did not make sense to him.
C. Initial and Final Assessment:
1.) Description of the Assessment Strategy or Strategies:
Jeremy was given a writing assignment as his initial assessment. He was
instructed to write a summary with no guidance or help after reading a chapter in the
book Nate the Great and the Monster Mess. Jeremy read one chapter and was
given time after to complete a summary. As a group, the instructor and Jeremy read
chapter one together as a readers theatre. He was then able to write his summary without
using the book or the instructors help.
In his summary, the teacher looked for different components addressed in the
rubric. The components the teacher looked for included format, sentences, paragraph,
grammar, spelling, and capitalization. After implementing instructional strategies, Jeremy
was given the same final assessment. He read the final chapter in the book Nate the Great
and the Monster Mess and wrote a summary. He first wrote his summary on a graphic
organizer to help him brainstorm and organize his thoughts and ideas. After he completed
her graphic organizer, and edited his work he transferred it to his final copy. The
instructor used the same rubric to grade his work. A copy of the rubric is attached in
Appendix N.
2.) Initial Assessment Data:
After Jeremy was given the initial assessment, the instructor compared his work
with the instructors work sample. The instructors work sample was used as an answer
key to compare Jeremys completed work. The work sample was completed to
demonstrate to Jeremy what a well written summary looks like for the chapter. The work
sample is included as Appendix O. The instructor and Jeremy worked together and
compared the work sample and Jeremys work in order to see how he did. One of
Jeremys strengths is he was able to come up with the ideas for the beginning, three out of
the four details, and the end. Jeremy needs to work on rereading what he writes. For
example, Jeremys begins Nate the Great had saw a peace of paper under his door it
was his mom. The ideas are understood, but he does not have proper grammar, he uses
the wrong tense of see and he use the wrong peace.
The instructor would like Jeremy to elaborate more on his sentences as well.
Toward the end of his summary he wrote, It was one big mess. This a short sentence
with no explanation of it. Jeremy also needed to not include the minor details and just
include the general idea of what happened in the beginning, middle, or end. An example
Jeremy gave for one of the details was Nate received a letter from his mom about losing
the recipe to the Monster Cookies. Jeremy wrote down exactly what the note stated,
12

instead of generally stating Nate received a note. An example of Jeremys summary is

attached in Appendix P.
After going over the summaries together, the instructor completed a rubric to
assess Jeremys initial assessment and discussed the results with Jeremy. He received a 21
out of 28 on his rubric. The graded rubric is attached in Appendix Q. The instructor went
over the seven different components on the rubric with Jeremy. The components include
format, sentences, paragraphs, grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation, and
each area was worth a total of four points. To receive full points for the format category,
the student must have a beginning, middle and end. For the sentences category, the
student must have at least six words in each sentence. In the paragraph category, there
must be at least five sentences. For the grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation
categories there can be no more than two errors each. The table below shows the
components and the total points that Jeremy received on the initial assessment below.
Table 6 Writing Rubric Components and Score Pre-Assessment
Category
Format
Sentences
Paragraph
Grammar
Spelling
Capitalization
Punctuation

Total Points
4/4
3/4
4/4
3/4
1/4
3/4
3/4
Total: 21/28

3.) Final Assessment Data:

Jeremy wrote a summary that included a beginning, middle, and end based on
information from the last chapter in the book Nate the Great and the Monster
Mess for his final assessment. The instructor graded his final summary using the same
rubric as the initial assessment. After grading his work, he received 27 total points out
of 28, receiving a 96% on his final summary. Jeremy was able to score a total of four
points in each category including: format, sentences, paragraph, spelling, capitalization,
and punctuation. He received a three in the category of grammar. He was able to write
information for the beginning, middle, and end. He also self-corrected the spelling
some of the words on the graphic organizer before he transferred it to his final copy.
The biggest improvement was in his spelling. Jeremy was confident in his summary
and thought the graphic organizer helped him write his ideas down before the final
draft. His graphic organizer is attached in Appendix R, his final draft is attached in
Appendix S, and his graded rubric is attached in Appendix T. Below is a table to show
Jeremys rubric and the total points he received for each category.

13

Table 7 Writing Rubric Components and Score

Category
Format
Sentences
Paragraph
Grammar
Spelling
Capitalization
Punctuation

Total Points
4/4
4/4
4/4
3/4
4/4
4/4
4/4
Total: 27/28

V. Assessments and Results: Goal 4

A. Goal 4:
Comprehension:
After reading a third grade fiction passage, Jeremy will be able to retell a story by making
inferences, telling facts and by using vocabulary words from the stories.
B. Instruction and Materials:
To help build on Jeremys goal, the teacher used a variety of instructional
strategies. The instructor and group have worked on passages once a week for a readers
theatre activity. After reading the passage, the instructor asked Jeremy comprehension
questions using a cube. The cube included different questions such as who, what, where,
when, and why. Another cube asks questions such as making predictions, making
connections, making inferences, or what is important. The materials used during this
instructional strategy are the reading passages and the cubes to ask questions.
Jeremy enjoyed doing this because the group went outside and there was interaction with
other classmates and instructors.
Another activity the instructor used with Jeremy is reading a passage or chapter in
the book Nate the Great and then asking questions about the reading. One
comprehension check the instructor used is shown in Appendix U. There are questions
such as who, what, where, and how questions, along with writing about the beginning,
middle, and end. Another comprehension check is shown in Appendix V, which asks
questions about the folktale How the Princess Learned to Laugh. Jeremy
thorough enjoyed getting to talk about the story and he was able to make real life
connections, make inferences and verbally talk about the purpose of the folktale.
The instructor also used a website called edcite.com for expository texts. Jeremy
read two fable passages; one 3rd grade level and one 4th grade level. After he read the
short passage, he answered questions. These questions were multiple choice and short
answer. Jeremy liked doing this activity because he was able to use to use technology.
For the first passage, the instructor guided Jeremy through the activity. For the second
passage, he was able to independently navigate himself to read and answer the questions.
Lastly, the teacher used sentence strips for Jeremy to put in chronological order.
To practice putting events in order, he was given the topic of the paragraph and he had to
read the sentences and put them in order to the best of his knowledge. Later, he read a
14

chapter in the book Nate the Great, and then had to put the sentences in chronological
order based on the information from the text. Based on observations, Jeremy enjoyed
manipulating the sentences around to identify the topic sentence, details that follow, and a
concluding sentence. He was able to read through the paragraph and self-correct some of
the sentences by rearranging them after reading through it. When Jeremy thought his
answer was correct, he was given answer keys to compare his work.
C. Initial and Final Assessment:
1.) Description of the Assessment Strategy or Strategies:
Jeremy was administered the CRI as his initial assessment for comprehension.
Jeremy first was instructed to read passages on his own and then answer questions about
the passages he just read. These questions were factual, inferential, and vocabulary type
questions. Jeremy was able to reach Level 4 and this is where he hit his frustration level.
But, he was still able to answer comprehension questions at the independent level. After
that, the instructor continued to read passages and then Jeremy answered questions up to
Level 8. This is known as listening comprehension.
As a final assessment, the instructor had Jeremy read a fictional passage at a third
grade level and retell the story. Since this was at his instructional level after reading a third
grade passage on the CRI, the instructor wanted to assess Jeremy on how well he is able to
pull important information from a text independently. First, the instructor gave Jeremy a
fiction passage to read and had him retell the story independently. After he retold the
information, the instructor determined if probing was needed to prompt him for more
information. The instructor used a Fiction Retelling Rubric (Hill, Ruptic, and Norwick,
1998) to assess the information. There were six different sections the rubric assessed:
introduction, setting, characters, plot, theme, and story conclusion. The grading scale had
a total of five points for each section; five points if he was able to talk about the important
concepts and include important details needed, three points if he was able to tell some of
the information with some details, and one point if he was not able to explain any
information or has difficulty. An example of the rubric is attached in Appendix W.
2.) Initial Assessment Data:
As the initial assessment, the instructor administered the CRI. Jeremy started
reading the passages at the preprimer level. He answered four of the five questions
correct, with 80% accuracy. The next passage, primer, he got all of the questions correct.
For the Level 1 passage, Jeremy received a four and half out of five or 90%. He was only
able to remember one of the two girls names in the story. For Level 2, Jeremy missed
one question, getting a four out of five or 80%. The instructor and Jeremy then continued
to Level 3 he again received a four out of five or 80%. For Level 4, Jeremy received a
five out of five or100% in answer comprehension question, but this is where he hit
frustration level in word recognition while reading the passage. The instructor then
continued reading at Level 5 and Jeremy continued answering the questions after he
listened. Jeremy again, received a five out of five or100%. For Level 6 Jeremy received a
four out of five or 80%. Again, for Level 7 a four out of five or 80%. Lastly for Level 8,
Jeremy received a three out of five or 60%. For both of the questions, he could not
remember the answers. Even at Level 8, Jeremy was at the instructional level for listening
15

and then answering comprehension questions. The break-down of factual, vocabulary and
inferential questions is below in the graphs. Refer back to Appendix A for details on his
results. Graph 2 below represents Jeremys results for the comprehension reading
passages. Graph 3 below represents Jeremys results for the listening comprehension for
the reading passages.
Graph 2 Comprehension Reading Passage

Comprehension Reading Passage

4.5
4

4
3.5

3.5

3
2.5
Factual
# of Questions
2
1.5
1

3
Vocabulary
2

Inferential
2
1 1

0.5
0

1
0

Preprimer
0

Primer

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level

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Graph 3 Listening Comprehension Reading Passage

Listening Comprehension Reading Passage

2.5
2

1.5
Factual
# of Questions
1

Vocabulary

1 1

Inferential

1 1 1

0.5
0

Level 5

1Level
1 7

Level 6

Level 8

Level

3.) Final Assessment Data:

As a final assessment, Jeremy read a third grade fictional passage called The
Crow and the Peacock. He read the passage and then retold the key points in the
story. The instructor wrote down what he said when he retold the story. The instructor had
to prompt Jeremy to give a little more detail about the theme and characters. Jeremys
final answer for the theme was treat people the way you would like to be treated. This
was a sufficient answer. Jeremy did not give all of the details about the characters, so a
few probing questions helped him give the rest of the information. Jeremys retell and
graded rubric is attached as Appendix X and Jeremys final copy of retelling is attached
as Appendix Y. A copy of the story is provided as reference as Appendix Z. Below is a
table to represent his rubric.
Category
Introduction
Setting
Characters
Plot
Theme
Story Conclusion

Total Points
5/5
5/5
3/5
5/5
3/5
5/5
Total: 26/30
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Based on the retell, the instructor was able to see that Jeremy can include
important information and details for the introduction, setting, plot and conclusion of the
story. Overall, he needs more help with remembering characters along with details for
each one and also the theme of the stories. The instructor would like to see how he retells
other texts such as non-fiction, expository, or narratives.
VI. Instructional Recommendations and Next Steps:
A. Summary of Strengths and Needs:
Jeremy has been a very hardworking, determined and optimistic student that has
made great progress. Through the assessments given in detail above, the instructor found
that Jeremy is able to comprehend and retell, spell when given a focus, write a detailed
summary, and understand new vocabulary within a text at a third grade level. Jeremy
knows how to retell key points or main ideas of a text with details. When given a specific
feature in words such as the vowel consonant e, he is able to understand patterns and
rhyming schemes. He has improved greatly in self-correcting and double checking his
work when writing as well. He knows that the edit is important and to focus on CUPS
before deciding to be finished. Lastly, he can learn vocabulary words and definitions that
pertain to a text and use them correctly in a sentence. The assessments above show the
dedication he has to learn and succeed.
The instructor suggests that Jeremy continues to focus on reading aloud and with
prosody (the ability to read aloud with appropriate expression, rate, fluency, and
intonation), as this would help with his comprehension skills. When he is not sure of the
spelling or meaning of a word, he should look it up on an online or hardcover dictionary.
This would help with future writing and understanding of texts. When a word is already
referenced on a page, he should be able to refer back to it for correct spelling. Writing is
very important for Jeremy to continuously practice so he improves his editing processes
(CUPS).
B. Instructional Recommendations for Teachers:

Jeremy excelled in many of the strategies that were used in the program. One of
the activity that Jeremy can do is a word wall. There can be different groups on a
board where he organizes words according to a pattern or sound. He enjoys this
because it helps him see the pattern of words and how they are similar/different.

Another activity, which also incorporates technology, is to use Linoit. It is

application on an iPad that allows him to sort words that the instructor already has
put together for him.

Writing sentences so Jeremy can use the words in real life circumstances helps
him understand the spelling as well. If the sentences have more than word than he
can then see patterns better.

Jeremy would benefit from review of target vocabulary words that he reads. It
helps build his vocabulary skills and understand the text more. He can do this by
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using a SMART exchange interactive activity on the SMART board. This allows
him to match vocabulary words with sentences and definitions.

Another strategy for him to use is vocabulary squares. This allows him to visually
see the word, definition, synonym, the word used in a sentence and a picture of
the word. It would also help him to use an online dictionary as well so he can
learn to look up information.

Jeremy should continue organizing his thoughts by writing in a graphic organizer.

This helps him before writing a final summary. He can expand using many
different types of graphic such as concept webs, KWL charts, connection webs,
main idea and detail charts, discussion webs, timelines, problem/solution charts,
story maps, and word maps. These will help in all content areas.

It would be useful for Jeremy to read texts and reading passages aloud to himself.
This will allow him to practice prosody and give additional time to comprehend
main ideas.

If reading aloud in class, give Jeremy time to read to himself before having to
read in from of everyone. This will help with his self-esteem and confidence when
reading.

C. Instructional Recommendations for Parents:

As a parent, continue to read aloud with Jeremy whenever possible. Taking turns
would benefit him so he can improve his prosody (the ability to read aloud with
appropriate expression, rate, fluency, and intonation). Expanding his text to
articles from newspapers or magazines, current events on the internet, chapter
books, and books about plants, animals, and dinosaurs would all be helpful so he
can get exposed.
Technology is becoming more and more important for students to use in schools.
Having Jeremy read narrative texts on edcite.com and then answer multiple
choice and short answer questions will help with his comprehension skills. This
cite allows you to choose any grade level and to pick a story for him to read on a
computer or iPad.
From time to time, getting books that are on CD or tape for Jeremy to listen to and
follow along can be helpful for him to hear how a text should be read. After, make
sure to then reread with him aloud.
Positive feedback on academic work is important for Jeremys self-esteem and
confidence levels. Give small rewards for accomplishments.

19

 When reading together ask Jeremy to make inferences, predictions, give detail
from the story in who, what, where, when, why and how format. You can do this
verbally or have him write one to two sentences for each area.

20

VII. Appendices
A. Class Reading Inventory (CRI)
B. Letter Name Form A Pre-Assessment, Jeremys Answers and Answer Key
C. Within Word Form A Pre-Assessment, Jeremys Answers and Answer Key
D. Letter Name Form B Post Assessment, Jeremys Answers and Answer Key
E. Within Word Form B Post Assessment, Jeremys Answers and Answer Key
F. Post Spelling Assessment of 40 Words, Jeremys Answers and Answer Key
G. Sample of Vocabulary Squares
H. Vocabulary Mini-Quiz
I. Vocabulary Rubric Pre-Assessment
J. Vocabulary Rubric Post Assessment
K. Sample Graphic Organizer
L. Sample Response to Text Activity Sheet
M. Nate the Great Chapter 7 and 8 Sentence Strips
N. Sample Summary Writing Rubric
O. Graphic Organizer Work Sample
P. Pre-assessment Graded Summary
Q. Pre-Assessment Graded Summary Writing Rubric
R. Post Assessment Graphic Organizer
S. Post Assessment Graded Summary
T. Post Assessment Graded Summary Writing Rubric
U. Sample Comprehension Check
V. How the Princess Learned to Laugh Comprehension Check with Jeremys
Answers
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W. Sample Retelling Rubric

X. Graded Retelling Rubric with Jeremys Retelling
Y. Jeremys Final Copy of Retelling
Z. The Crow and The Peacock Folktale

22

VIII. Bibliography:
Books Jeremy read
Plant Parts- Leaves
By Melanie Waldron
Wonderful World of Animals
By Thea Feldman
The Extinction of the Dinosaurs
By Don Nardo
Books read to Jeremy
Twenty-Odd Ducks
By Lynne Truss
Pictures by Bonnie Timmons
If you were a Noun
By Michael Dahl
Illustrated by Sara Gray
It was Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective?
By Brian Cleary
By Jenya Prosmitsky
Books read with Jeremy
Nate the Great and the Monster Mess
By Marjorie Weinman-Sharwat
Illustrated by Martha Weston
The Rabbit that Ran Away
A Fable from India
The Tortoise and the Eagle
An African Fable
How the Princess Learned to Laugh
A Folktale from Poland
My Hotdog
The Reading Road
Silent e

23

The Hater
The Reading Road
Silent e
IX. References
Ganske, K. (2000). Word Journeys. The Spelling Development Assessment.
New York: Guilford Press.
Hill, B. C., Ruptic, C., & Norwick, L. (1998). Classroom based assessment. Norwood,
Mass: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.

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