Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sarah Acosta
EDEL 311-1001
Abstract
reading level. In order to do so, we read books at his instructional level—books that are too hard
for him to read and comprehend on his own—and utilized shared-reading as a scaffold. We
focused on different language arts skills during the sessions to improve his independent level. To
specify, we worked on phonics rules through word work to improve his decoding skills and
worked on retelling/summarizing a story and sequencing, signal words as clues, and inferring the
lesson of a story to exercise his comprehension skills. For each of the three lessons following, I
utilizing multiple strategies, in order to identify areas of struggle and provide intervention for the
aforementioned skills. Based on the CRI, Anthony’s instructional level is DRA level 20 to 28.
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Student Background
youngest of four and lives at home with his mom and dad. During the icebreaker activity at the
beginning of the semester, he asked me if I speak Spanish and then said that he is Guatemalan.
This led me to believe that his family might speak Spanish at home but did not indicate whether
or not his parents were fluent in English. Based on the results of the Interest Inventory, Anthony
has a generally positive attitude toward school. He likes all the subjects, but his favorites are
computers and science. Although no one really reads with him at home, he has a positive attitude
towards reading; he answered eleven out of fourteen questions on the Reading Attitude Survey
Session One
Standard RL.1.2. requires that first-grade students be able to “[r]etell stories, including
key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson” (Nevada
Department of Education, 2017). Standard W.1.3. requires students to able to “[w]rite narratives
in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details
regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of
closure” (Nevada Department of Education, 2017). My first tutoring session was a language arts
lesson which focused on summarizing. Its purpose was for Anthony to be able to retell a story,
recounting the sequence of main events using signal words. Thus, the goal was for Anthony to be
able to write a summary of Old MacDonald had a Dragon by Den Baker after shared-reading
using the story board sequence without teacher prompting or intervention; he would use at least
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three signal words to recount the main events in the appropriate sequence, including essential
Anthony had no difficulty answering the questions during reading and was able to
appropriately sequence the four main events from the story on the Story Board Sequence
worksheet without needing to look back in the text. However, he did not meet the desired goal.
Anthony did not use a minimum of three signal words appropriately; in fact, he neglected to use
signal words to indicate the order of main events. Anthony gave the appropriate sequence of
events but left out key details. He did not give readers essential background information—
namely that the farmer had a dragon. This would have given his summary a stronger beginning.
Anthony concluded with what the farmer learned, meeting the expectation for identifying the
central message, but could have provided support for his answer.
Initial Strategy
Read the title of the book to the student and ask if he thinks it is a good idea to have a
dragon on a farm. Then, read the book aloud to the student and have him chime in for the
E.I.E.I.O. tune and the words “dragon” and “drown.” These words repeat throughout the text and
start with the blends we had been working on. Old MacDonald had a Dragon by Den Baker
shared-reading will allow him to focus on comprehending the story rather than putting all his
efforts into decoding it. During and after reading, ask inferential (and literal) questions to ensure
that he understood the story. After reading, have the student complete the Story Board Sequence
of Main Events worksheet. This worksheet will serve as a scaffold for accomplishing the
aforementioned goals and expectations. Then, explain that signal words (such as first, in the
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beginning, and then, in the end), like numbering items, indicate order. Go over the directions for
his writing. Have the student refer to the sequence worksheet to write his summary.
New Strategies
There are several strategies to aid students in understanding the purpose of and recalling
to use signal words. One such strategy is to highlight the signal words within a book we are
reading (“Teaching,” 2013). Then, ask what those words told him and how they were helpful to
his understanding of the story. Another strategy is to ask, what if those words weren’t there?
Cover all the signal words in the book. Read the story aloud, excluding the signal words. Then,
ask the student questions pertaining to order. Read the book again, but this time with the signal
words. Ask the student how having the signal words made a difference in his comprehension of
the story. One could also provide a graphic organizer which asks for order or a sequencing
worksheet. This implicitly asks for order and naturally demands that signal words be used.
Lastly, having a signal-word chart to refer to would remind him to use the words within his
There are also plenty of strategies to scaffold students’ retelling of a story. One such
strategy is the I Can Recount a Story graphic organizer. This organizer requires students to
identify the main events and aids in sequencing the events. A similar strategy is to use retelling
cards (Haag, 2017). This strategy segments the retelling process by breaking it up into different
components. Another strategy for retelling a story is a “Story Retelling Rope.” On the rope, there
are several symbols. Each symbol represents an essential element of retelling a story
(VandenBerge, 2012). The symbols are used to prompt students. Because comprehension is an
essential aspect of retelling a story, a third strategy is to ask questions throughout the story, both
Reteach
Begin the lesson by explaining what a summary is: a retelling of important parts of the
story. Show the student the teacher-created “I Can Recount A Story” graphic organizer example
for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin. Explain that even though he did not read
the story, he knows what happened in the story because the retelling named important characters
and told the main events. Inform the student that he will fill out a graphic organizer just like the
example but for Click, Clack, Peep by Doreen Cronin (DRA level 18); then, use it to write a
paragraph to retell the story. Tell the student to pretend he is telling a friend (who has not read it)
what happened. Read the book aloud to the student. Have the student share the reading by
reading the animal sounds. During reading, ask literal questions relating to the main events of the
story, inferential questions which lead to the next event, and connection questions. Write the
After reading, guide the student through the process of completing the graphic organizer.
If needed, he can refer to the book and question notes. For time purposes, write what he says.
Then, model how to use the graphic organizer to retell a story. Using the example graphic
organizer, verbally summarize Pete the Cat: I Love My New White Shoes. Then, instruct the
student to write his summary paragraph in his journal, explaining that he already figured out the
main events and characters. Before he begins, give him a list of signal words, reminding him of
what they are and their purpose—words used to tell the order of events so that readers know
what came first, what came after, and what happened in the end. Instruct him to use them in his
writing. If time is running short, have the student give an oral summary and scribe his response.
Afterwards, have the student identify his signal words for highlighting to ensure that he did
Reflection
For the initial teaching, in his summary, Anthony needed a stronger beginning. He did
not tell readers that the farmer had a dragon. Asking Anthony what the problem of the story was
would have supported his opening. It would have also been helpful if the sequencing worksheet
included, “The farmer had a dragon.” Anthony provides some elaborated details that could be
summarized with an overarching idea. For example, he tries to list the order in which the dragon
eats the farm animals instead of simply saying the dragon ate all the animals or the dragon ate the
animals one-by-one throughout the story. In his writing, he states what the farmer learned but
should have used more accurate language to clarify his thoughts. Although he did not provide
support for how he determined the moral, I concluded that Anthony understood the lesson of the
story; after reading, I had asked him if he thought it was a good idea to have a dragon on a farm
and he responded that it was not because the dragon eats the animals and the farmer needs them.
During the reteach, I decided to focus on the summary component—including key details
as well as identifying (and using) signal-words to sequence main events—but did not include
identifying the lesson of the story since he met that portion of the expectation. I decided to utilize
the I Can Recount a Story graphic organizer because it simultaneously prompts the student to
recall main events and naturally aids in sequencing and using transition words. Anthony did not
have issues answering the questions during reading or identifying the main events for the graphic
organizer. I also gave him a list of signal words to refer to during his writing since he neglected
to use them during the initial teaching session. I also had him highlight the signal-words in his
writing to ensure that he used them. Although Anthony met the expectations (he identified main
events in the appropriate sequence, using a minimum of three signal words to indicate order), he
missed the main idea of the story. He focused on mundane details within the main events. For
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example, he gave elaborate detail about the chick being born. Anthony needs practice
Session 2
Standard RF.1.3c. requires that first-grade students “[k]now final -e and common vowel
team conventions for representing long vowel sounds (Nevada Department of Education, 2017).
During the session, we did word work for vowel-team conventions—two vowels sitting next to
each other—representing long vowel sounds. The purpose was for Anthony to know and apply
grade-level phonics. He was expected to be able to identify which vowel would “do the talking”
and what it would say with moderate teacher guidance. Then, he would be able to correctly
Using the vowel list, Anthony was able to tell me which letters in the words were vowels.
However, when asked which vowel was first, he would name a vowel that was not in the word. I
reminded him that he had already identified the vowels in the word and needed to decipher
which would be silent and which would “talk.” I restated the rule for him, but he was still
confused. For other words, Anthony would answer correctly but when asked to explain his
answer would reply with an “I don’t know.” Anthony did not meet the desired goal. He required
maximum teacher prompting and still struggled with identifying which vowel would “do the
talking.”
Initial Strategy
Begin the session by reviewing which letters are vowels and the long vowel sounds.
Then, explain to the student that when a word has two vowels side-by-side, the second vowel is
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silent and the first vowel says its name. Give an example: write the word “wait” on a piece of
paper. Then, write small a ‘v’ over the ‘a’ and the ‘i’ to indicate that they are vowels. Draw an x
over the ‘i,’ explaining that it is going to be silent since it is the second vowel. The first vowel,
the ‘a,’ says its name. Then, stretch the word: /w/a/t/ (wait). Work on this phonics rule with the
student through the literacy activity Stretch It. Leave the list of vowels up for the student to refer
to during the activity. Using the letter-cards, create the words paint, goal, jeep, float, always, and
seed. For each word, instruct the student to identify which vowel will be silent by flipping the
card over so that it is blank. Have him identify which vowel will speak and tell you what it will
say. Then, have him stretch out the word by sounding out each letter according to the vowel
New Strategies
There are several strategies for teaching and applying the double vowel long pattern. One
way to introduce this concept is to read books to the student that have words with the double
vowel long pattern. When reading such words, point out the way the word is said and its spelling.
Another strategy is “Spin and Spell.” Have the student spill a paper on the wheel. The wheel
contains symbols which indicate from which column on the picture board the student will spell.
The student will then spell the item in the picture (Becky, 2015). Another strategy is to use a
word study. Read through a list of words with the student. Ask the student if he notices
something all the words have in common regarding how they are said and how they are spelled.
Then, go over the long vowel rule for double vowels. Go over the long vowel rule by using word
cards in which the student is asked to identify the vowels and which vowel would speak.
Reteach
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Begin the reteach by reviewing the vowels and their long sounds as well as the rule for
when there are two vowels sitting next to each other. Give an example. Again, provide the
student with the list of vowels; but, this time, also write down the rule for him with an example
underneath. For the reteach, utilize word-cards instead of letters-cards. For each card, underline
the two vowels siting side-by-side after the student identifies them. Then, have the student
identify which vowel comes first and put an arrow above it. After that, explain that he has
figured out which vowel is first and which is second; so, ask him to refer to the rule and tell you
which vowel in the word will be silent. Put an ‘x’ over the vowel he identifies as the silent
vowel. Then, ask him which vowel will speak and what it will say. After that, have him read the
word aloud.
Reflection
For my initial strategy, I should have done my example in the same manner as the
activity, using letter-cards, to keep it consistent and model the directions. I wanted Anthony to
have more practice with the rule before applying it in spelling activities; so, I decided to use the
word-card activity. Initially, I thought that the letter-card activity would be beneficial because it
allowed more freedom for manipulation. But, because I was not sure why Anthony was naming
letters not in the words, I thought that it would be less confusing to use word-cards for the
reteach since there would be less pieces to manipulate with. After I discovered Anthony’s
misunderstanding, it was easy to fix the problem. When I asked him which vowel came first,
Anthony had thought that I meant first from the list of vowels instead of first from the two within
the word. After the clarification, Anthony had no difficulty identify which vowel would be silent
and which one would speak. For the last card, I had Anthony read the word before telling which
to cross out. He read the word “soap.” When I asked him why he read it as soap instead of /s/o/p/
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or /s/a/p, he responded by recalling the long vowel rule for double vowels. Anthony met the
Session 3
Standard RL.1.2. requires that first-grade students be able to “[r]etell stories, including
key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson” (Nevada
Department of Education, 2017). The purpose of my third session was for Anthony to be able to
determine the moral of a fable. Using the input chart, Anthony will be able determine the lesson
Anthony was able to answer most of the questions without guidance and even made some
unsolicited predictions. He had difficulty answering why the lion had apologized though it was
stated directly in the book. Anthony struggled with some of the vocabulary (prideful and
apology) even after a definition/explanation was given and would ask for reminders. He did not
grasp the lesson of the story. When asked what the lesson was learned, Anthony said “He, [the
lion], is not going to be famous.” Anthony was prompted to reconsider his answer with a
reminder that the lesson of a fable can often be found at the end of the story and was asked to
recall/look at input-chart for what the lion apologized for. But, he was pleased with his answer. I,
then, explained that the lion apologized for being prideful, or being so proud that you are mean
to others because you think you are better than them. The lion learned that being prideful is bad
because it causes bad things to happen. The lion’s pride led him to go with the man; the man was
mean to him.
Initial Strategy
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Use shared-reading to determine the moral of Deep in the Jungle by Dan Yaccarino
(DRA level 29). Before reading the book aloud to the student, explain that it is a fable. A fable is
a story that often has animal characters that talk and act like people and teaches a lesson. The
lesson is usually found at the end of the story and is supported by key details. Use the fable about
the dog (title not listed) to model how to identify the lesson of a story. Pre-teach the following
words for the student to read during shared-reading: slumber, blissful, and slunk. During the
reading, explain words that the student might not know such as incidentally, capacity, encore.
Ask the student questions to help him determine the lesson and record his responses on the input-
chart. After reading, tell the student to use the input-chart to tell you what he thinks the lesson of
New Strategies
There are several strategies to assist students in identifying the moral of a story/fable.
Firstly, teachers could teach a series of mini lessons modeling how to determine the moral of the
sequential order? How does the reader determine the moral of a fable? What key
evidence does the author give to help the reader determine the story's moral, or
lesson? Does the moral make sense based on the events in the story? How does
Providing sentence stems will further help students to support their answers. Another strategy is
a sequencing-chart. A sequencing-chart aids students’ recall of important events so that they can
then determine the moral of the story. Another scaffold is to provide choices from which students
can choose from (Seltzer, 2017). Lastly, utilizing simpler or shorter text as a scaffold would
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lessen the cognitive demand of students and allow them to focus on acquiring the new skill of
Reteach
Use shared-reading to determine the moral of The Boy Who Cried Wolf (DRA level 20).
Before reading the short fable aloud to the student, review what a fable is: a story that often has
talking animal characters that act like people and teaches a lesson (which is usually found at the
end of the story and is supported by key details). Then, go over the four vocabulary words—
prank, tended, shepherd, and startled—which are essential for understanding. Use the words in a
sentence. Given the context clues, ask the student what he thinks the words means. Give the
student the correct definitions before reading. During reading, the student will be in charge of
reading the vocabulary words which will be highlighted. After reading, ask the student literal and
inferential questions. Write his answers on the input-chart so that he can refer to them when
Reflection
In the initial lesson, Anthony struggled to identify the lesson of the book. In some books,
the lesson is implied and, in others, the lesson is directly stated. In Deep in the Jungle by Dan
Yaccarino the lesson was implied. When considering how to go about the reteach, I asked myself
whether Anthony knows how to infer. After looking at past lesson responses, I concluded that he
does know how to infer since he successfully answered inferential questions on multiple
occasions throughout previous sessions. Looking back on my notes for the initial lesson, I
noticed that Anthony struggled with key vocabulary words. Because Anthony struggled with the
vocabulary, I decided use a lower level text for the reteach. Based on the CRI results, I knew that
his instructional level was between 20 and 29. Deep in the Juggle (DRA level 29) was at the
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higher end of his range. Going toward the lower end of his range would be helpful since we were
working on developing a new skill and using a new type of genre. To ensure that Anthony first
understood the story, I introduced a few level-appropriate vocabulary words and asked questions
after reading to aid his comprehension so that he could then infer the lesson.
Anthony did not meet the desired goal but was headed in that direction. When asked what
the boy learned, Anthony stated that the boy should not do pranks so that he could protect the
animals. Although he identified that it was the boy’s pranks that inhibited him from protecting
the sheep, his response was not “all the way there.” He did not make the connection that the
boy’s pranks made him unreliable, untrustworthy. Due to time, I was unable to provide
prompting to see if Anthony would cross the bridge and make the connection.
Application
I will apply the Analysis of Student Work (ASW) process to my future teaching in order
to better my practice. After giving my initial lesson, I will evaluate student learning through
formative and summative methods of assessment. Through my analysis, I will be able to identify
students who need more support and possibly identify the root for the child’s lack of
understanding. Using what I know about the student (his/her background, interests, and learning
profile) and reflection of my own teaching, I will use a new strategy to explain the concept/skill
in a way that is more meaningful and purposeful for that particular student. To ensure that the
student learned the lesson after the reteach, I will assess once again for learning through
Using the ASW process will better my practice because it keeps teachers accountable for
this process ensures that teachers are aligning their lessons to the standards. It also ensures that
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teachers have an expectation, or desired goal, from which to evaluate whether a student is
Another way in which the ASW process will better my practice is its accountability
process for student learning. Assessment is an essential aspect of teaching because it enables
teachers to identify whether students are learning. The ASW process takes assessment a step
further by requiring teachers to analyze student shortfalls and to then provide intervention.
Teachers are required to identify learning issues, articulate questions, and select possible
solutions for a reteach based on what they know about the student (interest, learning style,
content misunderstandings, and otherwise). By requiring teachers to evaluate why students are
not learning, the ASW process provides opportunities for goal-setting. By requiring teachers to
select possible solutions based on what they know about the student, the ASW process naturally
makes way for differentiation. Another way in which the ASW process fosters differentiation is
through its emphasis of formative assessment. Formative assessment provides teachers with the
ongoing information they need to make decisions regarding student needs. Its innate disposition
for differentiation makes for more purposeful and meaningful teaching and leads to student
achievement/improvement.
The ASW process is not only useful for teachers because it provides needed information
for remediation, but also because it provides teachers with evidence for discussing student
growth with parents and providing evidence for possible referrals of exceptionality.
Philosophy
of the ASW approach keeps teachers accountable for student learning. It ensures that teachers do
not just check off a skill or content topic as taught simply because they did a lesson on it.
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Teaching is accomplished when students learn. The ASW approach requires teachers to check
for learning and, if it did not occur, to differentiate and to then check again for learning. Its
requirement of issue identification and solution selection and, thus, its innate disposition for
The requirement of the ASW process to identify learning issues and to select possible
solutions based on what they know about the student makes way for differentiation, ultimately
giving way for more purposeful and meaningful instruction and, thus, leading student
achievement. In contrast to the “one size fits all” approach, differentiation takes into account
varied teaching strategies and student differences. It plays a significant role in student success
because students do not all learn in the same manner. In the words of Linda Darling Hammond,
education researcher, “Ensuring that students get the specific help they need requires rich
information about what they know and can do as well as how they learn” (McCown &
Snowman, 2015, pp. 238). Differentiation is the use of a variety of teaching techniques and
adaptations to content, process, and/or product in response to student needs and differences with
regard to readiness, interest, cultural backgrounds, prior knowledge, and learning profiles (Great
Schools Partnership, 2014 & Koeze, 2007). Considering these student differences plays a
significant role in student achievement because each is a lens through which students filter
information.
misconstrued understandings of the student’s learning. After identifying the issue, a solution can
References
ME.D. Becky. [26 July 2015]. “Tips for Teaching Vowels.” This Reading Mama. Retrieved from
https://thisreadingmama.com/teaching-vowel-sounds/
Haag, K., [2017]. “Strategy Lessons: Retell.” Like to Read. Retrieved from
http://www.liketoread.com/retell.html
http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=theses
McCown, R., Snowman, J. (2015). Psychology Applied to Teaching (14ed). pp. 238.
Pearson.
Nevada Department of Education. [2017]. “English Language Arts.” Nevada Academic Content
http://www.doe.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/nde.doe.nv.gov/content/Standards_Instructional_S
upport/Nevada_Academic_Standards/K-12_ELA_Standards_ADA_Accessible.pdf
Seltzer, J., [2017]. “Moral of the Story.” CPALMS: Where Educators Go for Bright Ideas.
www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/54947
“Teaching Text Structure: Help Students Identify Signal Words.” Effective Integration of Science
https://seedsofsciencerootsofreading.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/teaching-text-structure-
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help-students-identify-signal-words/
VandenBerge, N., [27 March 2012]. “Retelling Stories.” First Grade WOW: Window of Wonder.
Supplemental Materials
Cooter, JR. R. B., Cooter, K. S., Flynt, S. E. [2014]. The Flynt/Cooter Comprehensive Reading
Inventory 2: Assessment of K-12 Reading Skills in English and Spanish. (2nd ed. pp. 31-
Core Knowledge Foundation. [2013]. “Fables and Stories Tell It Again: Read-Aloud Anthology
Listening & Learning Strand GRADE 1.” New York State Common Core ELA & Literacy
https://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/downloadable-
resources/ckla_g1_d1_anth.pdf
https://macmillanmh.com/ccssreading/imagineit/grade3/ccslh_g3_rl_1_1c_l1.html