Brief Background and Reason for Project Focus
As a teacher of United States and World History one of my biggest frustrations as a teacher is when students don’t take the time to really process and think deeply about the events they read about. Recently I did an activity on the Treaty of Versailles and we read a high-level summary of the Treaty of Versailles and the impact it had on Germany. I asked students to consider how the Treaty of Versailles ultimately led to the aggression that Hitler engages Germany in and while they could touch on a few were able to touch on the surface level stuff many weren’t able to quite get there. I want to be able to help my students accomplish more as readers. As Mandel-Morrow and Gambrell (2014) point out, the “Common Core State Standards represent an attempt to bring balance to the curriculum by integrating arts with other disciplines” (pg. 48). I believe it is my responsibility to help my students fine tune the literacy skills they acquire in their English classes and help them apply them to the social studies discipline. That will be the focus of my study, figuring out how to help students take their reading to the next level.
Home and Family
For this project I have chosen Michael who is a Junior and is 16 years old. He is a caucasian male who speaks English and while he does not have any disability nor does he qualify for special education services he does receive support through a class known as Tools for Success. I have known Michael for a year and a half now as I taught him in US History last school year. While Michael is definitely reading at grade level he still has room for improvement when it comes to processing and retention. He also could improve on his deeper thinking abilities.
As a child his mother read to him often, beginning in the tummy and then at night. Michael enjoyed reading through elementary school but once he hit secondary school it became less fun for him. Reading has become a school function versus something he enjoys. When he reads at home it is mostly articles or information he finds on-line and of course his homework for English class. She believes that what he needs to the most work on is comprehension, understanding what the overall meaning of the story is. Then taking that information and relaying what he has read in an assigned essay. Mom takes a serious interest in Michael’s progress at school and urges him to achieve his highest potential.
Michael’s mother enjoys reading and always has a book “in flight”. She does not have a college degree but did take some classes at Grand Rapids Community College while she worked full time. She believes that her reading level is at a level of higher education. Michael’s father has an associates degree in civil engineering and does not have an avid interest in reading.
III. Emotional Climate
Currently I have Michael in a class known as Tools for Success where students get time to work on homework as well as seek additional help on something they might be struggling on. As the instructor for this class I focus on setting up an environment that allows for productivity, independence and communication. Students are expected to cooperate with the expectations I have provided for students. They must be responsible for their own education. They inform me on a daily basis of what it is they are going to work on that day and of any upcoming assignments they may have approaching, specifically projects, tests or quizzes. This way we are able to work together to accomplish their goals which tend to focus on organization, studying and do better in specific courses. Due to the small student count in this class (we currently have 14 students) I get to spend more one-on-one time with these students than I would if they were in one of my history classes. I can make suggestions that will benefit students while encouraging them at the same time. I provide some sort of balance between their parents and their teachers, showing them that I care about their grades and their accomplishments. Due to the unique setting of this class we get the chance to bond in a way that other teachers might not get a chance to do. One thing that I attempted towards the beginning of the school year was weekly presentations. It allowed students to practice their presentation skills while talk about something they are interested in and passionate about. It gives them a level of confidence they might not have in a typical classroom presentation. By creating a classroom environment that is comforting to students it gives them a safe place to take risks, of course to them, taking risks might be e-mailing their teacher or asking one of our interventionists for help or even accepting help from a fellow classmate.
When I taught Michael in US History last year and he was required to read he is often one of the first ones done, this leads me to believe that perhaps he isn’t completely processing everything that he is reading. In Tools for Success he often will spend his time reading the novels he is required to read for English class. Again, he is always done quickly and when I ask if he is done with his reading I always follow it up with a “Did you understand everything that you’ve read?” and he will claim yes however won’t perform his best on his reading quizzes. His mom also mentioned he tends to skim and so he doesn’t get that deeper understanding of what he has read. His personality is to rush, get things done quickly and so he doesn’t give himself time to really get out of his reading what he needs.
IV. Literacy History
While Michael is overall a successful students, earning grades in the A & B range there is room for improvement. When I worked with Michael last year in US History it became clear to me that while he appears to be confident in his learning, the results didn’t always mirror that confidence. Part of this comes from rushing through everything. Rather than taking his time to process and understand while reading, Michael would prefer to just get the work done. This then carried over into assignments that required his own comprehension of the reading, which is the biggest weakness in Michael’s case. As his teacher whenever I checked in on him I usually had to ask him to go back and redo something, he was always the first one done. So rather than allowing him to sit and do nothing, knowing he had rushed through it, I’d ask him to go back and look it over.
Fortunately, he has a mother who is incredibly supportive who I would communicate, and still do communicate with regarding his progress in class. I truly believe that if Michael didn’t have his mother monitoring his grades and checking in with teachers Michael would have fallen further behind. His mother truly understands the importance of academics and wants her son to do well. Therefore she checks his grades frequently and if something is ever amiss, she immediately contacts the teacher, or myself as the Tools for Success teacher. He habits and expectations than flow into the attitudes they take towards literacy. This environment can provide support for Michael as he continues to work on his reading comprehension. He feels supported and knows where to go for help.
Tools for Success also provides this support, giving him time in his day within a school setting to focus on literacy specifically. If Michael doesn’t have the distractions he might face of home, it might be easier for him to comprehend as he reads in class.
V. Test Given and Summary of Test Results
For the pre-test I chose to give a reading assessment for independent reading books. Since Michael is currently reading 1984 I thought it would be best to give him some context for the pre-test. When I gave this pre-test I was really looking to focus on how Michael read, the fluency and the pace because I predict that perhaps Michael is reading so quickly that he doesn’t get a chance to process what he is reading which results in a lower comprehension of the material.
Michael’s accuracy was quite good, scoring a 96% according to the instructions. It was his fluency and intonation that I found to be where the issues came. While he will “respond to punctuation by changing his/her voice”, things such as reading the dialogue with phrasing and expression or changing his voice to mark shifts in mood or tone, or meaning and understanding were lacking or completely absent.
For the final area of testing, the comprehension aspect, the more obvious things were easier for him. For example, Michael was able to recall information such as the setting, things that were more descriptive and had been described for him in the reading. He could also recall a few details about what he had learned about the character so far. This part I was able to ask him before we even began the reading. However, when it came to things such as, why does is this part of the story significant, that he wasn’t as confident about. This I attribute to both the nature of the test, meaning the fact that I’m asking him to read one part of a novel, versus a short story that would be completely told as well as the pacing of his reading skills.
What the pre-test led me to conclude was that I needed to focus my instruction on reading fluency and comprehension, specifically slowing him down and helping him to focus on what he is reading versus finishing the reading. While he was able to phrase sentences I felt that focusing on the emotions being written would help Michael to better comprehend what is happening in the storyline.
VI. Lesson Plan Matrix
Learning Goal: Student will use relatable stories to see how focusing on the mood or tone of the story correlates to comprehension in class reading
Activities:
Begin by having him choose a book or sports article of his choice (Michael is incredibly passionate about lacrosse and football), this could be a narrative of someone’s life or just a novel.
Have him read it aloud to me then follow that up by asking him similar questions as the ones in the pre-test
When he has completed the reading focus on praising the fluency and intonation of his reading
3. Have Michael read another chapter from 1984 aloud, ask him similar questions as the ones in the pre-test
Have him circle, underline or make a list of cues that imply a particular mood or tone
4. Read the same chapter to Michael aloud, having him listen as I read, asking him to focus on the tone and mood of the story.
How did I change the tone of my voice at different points within the chapter? Did it make the story easier to follow?
Have him answer the same questions to see if he processed better
Homework: Read the next chapter aloud to himself, focusing on intonation, repeat several times
Have him circle, underline or make a list of cues that imply a particular mood or tone
Repeat this on chapters throughout the book, repetition is going to be key to get him to simply practice the skills of fluency and intonation. Continue to ask similar questions about what he has read to see if his comprehension improved.
VII. Reflections on Your Differentiated Literacy Lesson
Overall, I believe that the instruction that I gave Michael made a meaningful contribution to his overall reading progress. While I didn’t see a huge jump in his reading accuracy (his post-test revealed a 97% reading accuracy), I believe that with more time and more practice I would see a bigger improvement. That being said, I don’t expect to see him at 100% reading accuracy, and I’m okay with that. Everyone is going to stumble a bit as a reader. I think what is more important in Michael’s case is him staying at a consistent reading accuracy. In the post-test, I heard him read with much more emphasis on emotion and expression.
For Michael, I know that his confidence is a huge factor in his academic performance. This meant that the way I could support him throughout the lesson was be encouraging and positive, being sure to verbally recognize his success. When Michael doubts himself, he isn’t going to well, he gets too inside his head when his confidence is shot. I saw this as being beneficial because I could tell that he was much more open to the lesson itself when I praised his performance. That’s kind of the “catch-22” with this project. In a way you are making it obvious to this student that you think they need help. Sometimes that can have a negative effect on the relationship you have with the student. That’s one of the reasons I chose Michael instead of someone one else, because of the nature of our relationship as well as the nature of the class I have him in.
Other ways I supported Michael was through my use of modeling, allowing him to listen to me read the same passages he was looking at helped he see the difference between how he was reading, and how I was reading. Even just having conversations with him about what he was reading helped him comprehend better by having to repeat back to me what he had just read, or at least his thoughts about what he had just read.
A critical moment in my instruction during this lesson was in the very first activity, when he chose something he was interested in reading. Giving him an example of his own work and success was so critical to his confidence as we moved forward. When he read the book (he chose an biography about an athlete) to me he did such a good job showing some expression as he read. Then when he answered the questions like “Why is this part important” he was able to not just answer it, but answer it with this excitement that I see when he is talking to me about lacrosse. I praised him on how wonderful it was to hear him talk about a book the way he was. When I switched to having him read the chapter from 1984 it was like his excitement level dropped 5 levels. If I had been using that as my pre-test I think his accuracy level would have been even lower than it was in the pre-test. But what was so great was being able to refer back to his first read aloud and say “Mitch, you can do this, you just do it for me 5 minutes ago, so how can we get that same level of reading out of you when you read 1984?” It allowed him to see his capability as a reader.
Every time that Michael read in Tools for Success I reminded him of the skills we had used during that lesson. I even put some sticky notes on his desk that read “Expression”, “Mood”, Slow Down” for visual reminders. When I gave him a post-test to see if he had improved overall, I was happy to see that his accuracy had improved but even better, I felt was that I saw an improvement in his fluency and intonation and his comprehension. His accuracy had improved to 97%, because he had learned to slow down. He was able to answer several more questions on the comprehension part of the post-test. He was able to talk to me about what the character might be thinking or feeling and why they might be thinking/feeling that way; He was able to tell me what themes he thought might be in the book. I think if we had focused on a larger chunk of the book he would have been able to tell me why that particular part was important to the story but only reading a small chunk still made it hard for him to see the big picture. I also saw improvement in his grades on the reading quizzes. Before the lesson he was scoring C’s and C+ on his reading quizzes. After going through the lesson with him I saw his reading quiz scores slowing increase, the last he received an A- on. I expect to see much more consistent scores during 4th quarter.
If I were to re-teach this lesson to Michael, I think the only thing I would do differently is try to focus a bit on the data I collected. I know that where he struggles the most is comprehension, so I think I could find different ways for me to expand on helping him develop his comprehension further. While I do believe focusing on fluency and intonation can help aid in comprehension, there are other things I could include.
For Mitch, reading instruction could be more appropriate developmentally by just slowing down in class and chunking the reading into smaller bits. Rather than having students read three to four chapters at a time and quizzing them over those chapters, it would be better for Mitch to read only one or two chapters at a time, get those straight in his head and then move on to the next couple chapters. This would help give Michael the time he really needs to grasp the storyline and it’s importance to the book overall before moving through the rest of the book.
As I began to think about what Michael’s biggest issues were when it came to his reading comprehension it helped me to understand WHY it was he struggled with comprehending. Steven A. Stahl’s article “Vocabulary and Readability: How Knowing Word Meanings Affects Comprehension” shed further light on how big of an impact a low vocabulary set can have on comprehension. However, I knew that this was certainly not the only characteristic that could have an impact on one’s comprehension and considering Michael’s reading level and the level of books he was reading in classes, I knew this wouldn’t be the only issue.
The chart “From Assessment to Conferring: Sample Needs and Strategies” allowed me to focus on what other things might be going on with Michael. I knew he was reading too quickly, I saw that in the pre-assessment right away. So I knew that focusing on his fluency was the right thing to do. A chapter from Best Practices in Literacy Instruction helped me figure out what else I could focus on in my lessons. I knew I needed to find ways to help Michael focus on the key ideas and details of the story rather than focusing on the big picture first. If I continue to work with Michael it would be a great idea for me to continue to increase the level of text complexity that we worked with so that I could help him deal with other forms of reading, whether it be scholarly articles, or just more novels. Michael isn’t far from being in college and so he needs to be able to take what we have worked on and apply them to other readings.
VIII. Recommendations to Teachers and Parents
Keeping in mind what is best for Michael as he continues in to his senior year of high school there are things I would like to suggest to those who will be working with him. With Michael, the more confident he is, the better he is going to perform academically. The trick is that Michael is very good at feigning his confidence, you can probably sense this “overcompensation” once you get to know Michael. Don’t let him get away with the attitude of “Yeah, I got this, I don’t need any help, I’m gonna get 100% on this assessment”. However, he is sensitive to not wanting to be the kid who doesn’t get it, so you have to approach him the correct way. Calling him out in front of his peers will not be successful. It would be best, once you’ve developed a relationship with Michael, to talk to him one-on-one regarding his comfort level with the material. This applies to all subject levels, not just reading. It won’t be enough to say “So, Michael do you understand ______________”, you need to push him, you need to ask him clarifying questions to get down to the real answer. If it is discovered that he is in fact not where he needs to be, then offer him your support, give him suggestions on what he should focus on to grasp a better understanding and offer to work with him one-on-one after school. Michael really is a bright kid but there is also an element of low motivation to be the best academically which results in some sloppy prep work.
Dear Parent,
After working with Michael one-on-one to learn more about his abilities as a literacy learner I have compiled some suggestions and recommendations for Michael. I’ve spoken with you enough times regarding Michael’s grades and progress to know how much you want to Michael to do well, and specifically, what your frustrations you have when it comes to his lack of motivation and effort. Keeping those ideas in mind, here is what I can suggest to Michael for the future.
We both agree that Michael is a good reader, he reads at grade level. However sometimes that doesn’t
translate well when he takes assessments over the reading. Obviously, that tells us that his comprehension is low. I believe what is happening is he is so anxious to just be done with the reading that he rushes through it, not focusing on the details of the novel. However, I know when he reads something of interest to him, he has no problem comprehending. So what it comes down to is helping him use the skills he naturally uses while he reads something he enjoys when he is reading something required, like a novel for English.
With all this being said I think it would be beneficial for Michael to continue to use the strategies that I have tried to focus on while working with him. Michael needs to repetition, he needs to slow down and he needs to read aloud, whether its to someone or by himself. To encourage repetition have him read a chapter at a time, reading each at least two times before moving on to the next. When he has read through it twice, then ask him to tell you about what he has read, this will help him recall the information and make sense of it. Hopefully it will be at this time when he realizes whether or not he understands what he has read. Reading aloud will help him slow down as he reads because he will hear how quickly he is reading. This will also help him with intonation. If he reads with emotion and expression, this will help him recognize the changes in mood of the story. To do this he needs to focus on key words that might cue him in on the mood of the story.
I believe that continuing to apply these skills as Michael reads it will become a natural way to read, thus helping his comprehension.
Please let me know if there is anything further I can help Michael with.
Sincerely,
Sara Irwin
As a teacher of United States and World History one of my biggest frustrations as a teacher is when students don’t take the time to really process and think deeply about the events they read about. Recently I did an activity on the Treaty of Versailles and we read a high-level summary of the Treaty of Versailles and the impact it had on Germany. I asked students to consider how the Treaty of Versailles ultimately led to the aggression that Hitler engages Germany in and while they could touch on a few were able to touch on the surface level stuff many weren’t able to quite get there. I want to be able to help my students accomplish more as readers. As Mandel-Morrow and Gambrell (2014) point out, the “Common Core State Standards represent an attempt to bring balance to the curriculum by integrating arts with other disciplines” (pg. 48). I believe it is my responsibility to help my students fine tune the literacy skills they acquire in their English classes and help them apply them to the social studies discipline. That will be the focus of my study, figuring out how to help students take their reading to the next level.
Home and Family
For this project I have chosen Michael who is a Junior and is 16 years old. He is a caucasian male who speaks English and while he does not have any disability nor does he qualify for special education services he does receive support through a class known as Tools for Success. I have known Michael for a year and a half now as I taught him in US History last school year. While Michael is definitely reading at grade level he still has room for improvement when it comes to processing and retention. He also could improve on his deeper thinking abilities.
As a child his mother read to him often, beginning in the tummy and then at night. Michael enjoyed reading through elementary school but once he hit secondary school it became less fun for him. Reading has become a school function versus something he enjoys. When he reads at home it is mostly articles or information he finds on-line and of course his homework for English class. She believes that what he needs to the most work on is comprehension, understanding what the overall meaning of the story is. Then taking that information and relaying what he has read in an assigned essay. Mom takes a serious interest in Michael’s progress at school and urges him to achieve his highest potential.
Michael’s mother enjoys reading and always has a book “in flight”. She does not have a college degree but did take some classes at Grand Rapids Community College while she worked full time. She believes that her reading level is at a level of higher education. Michael’s father has an associates degree in civil engineering and does not have an avid interest in reading.
III. Emotional Climate
Currently I have Michael in a class known as Tools for Success where students get time to work on homework as well as seek additional help on something they might be struggling on. As the instructor for this class I focus on setting up an environment that allows for productivity, independence and communication. Students are expected to cooperate with the expectations I have provided for students. They must be responsible for their own education. They inform me on a daily basis of what it is they are going to work on that day and of any upcoming assignments they may have approaching, specifically projects, tests or quizzes. This way we are able to work together to accomplish their goals which tend to focus on organization, studying and do better in specific courses. Due to the small student count in this class (we currently have 14 students) I get to spend more one-on-one time with these students than I would if they were in one of my history classes. I can make suggestions that will benefit students while encouraging them at the same time. I provide some sort of balance between their parents and their teachers, showing them that I care about their grades and their accomplishments. Due to the unique setting of this class we get the chance to bond in a way that other teachers might not get a chance to do. One thing that I attempted towards the beginning of the school year was weekly presentations. It allowed students to practice their presentation skills while talk about something they are interested in and passionate about. It gives them a level of confidence they might not have in a typical classroom presentation. By creating a classroom environment that is comforting to students it gives them a safe place to take risks, of course to them, taking risks might be e-mailing their teacher or asking one of our interventionists for help or even accepting help from a fellow classmate.
When I taught Michael in US History last year and he was required to read he is often one of the first ones done, this leads me to believe that perhaps he isn’t completely processing everything that he is reading. In Tools for Success he often will spend his time reading the novels he is required to read for English class. Again, he is always done quickly and when I ask if he is done with his reading I always follow it up with a “Did you understand everything that you’ve read?” and he will claim yes however won’t perform his best on his reading quizzes. His mom also mentioned he tends to skim and so he doesn’t get that deeper understanding of what he has read. His personality is to rush, get things done quickly and so he doesn’t give himself time to really get out of his reading what he needs.
IV. Literacy History
While Michael is overall a successful students, earning grades in the A & B range there is room for improvement. When I worked with Michael last year in US History it became clear to me that while he appears to be confident in his learning, the results didn’t always mirror that confidence. Part of this comes from rushing through everything. Rather than taking his time to process and understand while reading, Michael would prefer to just get the work done. This then carried over into assignments that required his own comprehension of the reading, which is the biggest weakness in Michael’s case. As his teacher whenever I checked in on him I usually had to ask him to go back and redo something, he was always the first one done. So rather than allowing him to sit and do nothing, knowing he had rushed through it, I’d ask him to go back and look it over.
Fortunately, he has a mother who is incredibly supportive who I would communicate, and still do communicate with regarding his progress in class. I truly believe that if Michael didn’t have his mother monitoring his grades and checking in with teachers Michael would have fallen further behind. His mother truly understands the importance of academics and wants her son to do well. Therefore she checks his grades frequently and if something is ever amiss, she immediately contacts the teacher, or myself as the Tools for Success teacher. He habits and expectations than flow into the attitudes they take towards literacy. This environment can provide support for Michael as he continues to work on his reading comprehension. He feels supported and knows where to go for help.
Tools for Success also provides this support, giving him time in his day within a school setting to focus on literacy specifically. If Michael doesn’t have the distractions he might face of home, it might be easier for him to comprehend as he reads in class.
V. Test Given and Summary of Test Results
For the pre-test I chose to give a reading assessment for independent reading books. Since Michael is currently reading 1984 I thought it would be best to give him some context for the pre-test. When I gave this pre-test I was really looking to focus on how Michael read, the fluency and the pace because I predict that perhaps Michael is reading so quickly that he doesn’t get a chance to process what he is reading which results in a lower comprehension of the material.
Michael’s accuracy was quite good, scoring a 96% according to the instructions. It was his fluency and intonation that I found to be where the issues came. While he will “respond to punctuation by changing his/her voice”, things such as reading the dialogue with phrasing and expression or changing his voice to mark shifts in mood or tone, or meaning and understanding were lacking or completely absent.
For the final area of testing, the comprehension aspect, the more obvious things were easier for him. For example, Michael was able to recall information such as the setting, things that were more descriptive and had been described for him in the reading. He could also recall a few details about what he had learned about the character so far. This part I was able to ask him before we even began the reading. However, when it came to things such as, why does is this part of the story significant, that he wasn’t as confident about. This I attribute to both the nature of the test, meaning the fact that I’m asking him to read one part of a novel, versus a short story that would be completely told as well as the pacing of his reading skills.
What the pre-test led me to conclude was that I needed to focus my instruction on reading fluency and comprehension, specifically slowing him down and helping him to focus on what he is reading versus finishing the reading. While he was able to phrase sentences I felt that focusing on the emotions being written would help Michael to better comprehend what is happening in the storyline.
VI. Lesson Plan Matrix
Learning Goal: Student will use relatable stories to see how focusing on the mood or tone of the story correlates to comprehension in class reading
Activities:
Begin by having him choose a book or sports article of his choice (Michael is incredibly passionate about lacrosse and football), this could be a narrative of someone’s life or just a novel.
Have him read it aloud to me then follow that up by asking him similar questions as the ones in the pre-test
When he has completed the reading focus on praising the fluency and intonation of his reading
3. Have Michael read another chapter from 1984 aloud, ask him similar questions as the ones in the pre-test
Have him circle, underline or make a list of cues that imply a particular mood or tone
4. Read the same chapter to Michael aloud, having him listen as I read, asking him to focus on the tone and mood of the story.
How did I change the tone of my voice at different points within the chapter? Did it make the story easier to follow?
Have him answer the same questions to see if he processed better
Homework: Read the next chapter aloud to himself, focusing on intonation, repeat several times
Have him circle, underline or make a list of cues that imply a particular mood or tone
Repeat this on chapters throughout the book, repetition is going to be key to get him to simply practice the skills of fluency and intonation. Continue to ask similar questions about what he has read to see if his comprehension improved.
VII. Reflections on Your Differentiated Literacy Lesson
Overall, I believe that the instruction that I gave Michael made a meaningful contribution to his overall reading progress. While I didn’t see a huge jump in his reading accuracy (his post-test revealed a 97% reading accuracy), I believe that with more time and more practice I would see a bigger improvement. That being said, I don’t expect to see him at 100% reading accuracy, and I’m okay with that. Everyone is going to stumble a bit as a reader. I think what is more important in Michael’s case is him staying at a consistent reading accuracy. In the post-test, I heard him read with much more emphasis on emotion and expression.
For Michael, I know that his confidence is a huge factor in his academic performance. This meant that the way I could support him throughout the lesson was be encouraging and positive, being sure to verbally recognize his success. When Michael doubts himself, he isn’t going to well, he gets too inside his head when his confidence is shot. I saw this as being beneficial because I could tell that he was much more open to the lesson itself when I praised his performance. That’s kind of the “catch-22” with this project. In a way you are making it obvious to this student that you think they need help. Sometimes that can have a negative effect on the relationship you have with the student. That’s one of the reasons I chose Michael instead of someone one else, because of the nature of our relationship as well as the nature of the class I have him in.
Other ways I supported Michael was through my use of modeling, allowing him to listen to me read the same passages he was looking at helped he see the difference between how he was reading, and how I was reading. Even just having conversations with him about what he was reading helped him comprehend better by having to repeat back to me what he had just read, or at least his thoughts about what he had just read.
A critical moment in my instruction during this lesson was in the very first activity, when he chose something he was interested in reading. Giving him an example of his own work and success was so critical to his confidence as we moved forward. When he read the book (he chose an biography about an athlete) to me he did such a good job showing some expression as he read. Then when he answered the questions like “Why is this part important” he was able to not just answer it, but answer it with this excitement that I see when he is talking to me about lacrosse. I praised him on how wonderful it was to hear him talk about a book the way he was. When I switched to having him read the chapter from 1984 it was like his excitement level dropped 5 levels. If I had been using that as my pre-test I think his accuracy level would have been even lower than it was in the pre-test. But what was so great was being able to refer back to his first read aloud and say “Mitch, you can do this, you just do it for me 5 minutes ago, so how can we get that same level of reading out of you when you read 1984?” It allowed him to see his capability as a reader.
Every time that Michael read in Tools for Success I reminded him of the skills we had used during that lesson. I even put some sticky notes on his desk that read “Expression”, “Mood”, Slow Down” for visual reminders. When I gave him a post-test to see if he had improved overall, I was happy to see that his accuracy had improved but even better, I felt was that I saw an improvement in his fluency and intonation and his comprehension. His accuracy had improved to 97%, because he had learned to slow down. He was able to answer several more questions on the comprehension part of the post-test. He was able to talk to me about what the character might be thinking or feeling and why they might be thinking/feeling that way; He was able to tell me what themes he thought might be in the book. I think if we had focused on a larger chunk of the book he would have been able to tell me why that particular part was important to the story but only reading a small chunk still made it hard for him to see the big picture. I also saw improvement in his grades on the reading quizzes. Before the lesson he was scoring C’s and C+ on his reading quizzes. After going through the lesson with him I saw his reading quiz scores slowing increase, the last he received an A- on. I expect to see much more consistent scores during 4th quarter.
If I were to re-teach this lesson to Michael, I think the only thing I would do differently is try to focus a bit on the data I collected. I know that where he struggles the most is comprehension, so I think I could find different ways for me to expand on helping him develop his comprehension further. While I do believe focusing on fluency and intonation can help aid in comprehension, there are other things I could include.
For Mitch, reading instruction could be more appropriate developmentally by just slowing down in class and chunking the reading into smaller bits. Rather than having students read three to four chapters at a time and quizzing them over those chapters, it would be better for Mitch to read only one or two chapters at a time, get those straight in his head and then move on to the next couple chapters. This would help give Michael the time he really needs to grasp the storyline and it’s importance to the book overall before moving through the rest of the book.
As I began to think about what Michael’s biggest issues were when it came to his reading comprehension it helped me to understand WHY it was he struggled with comprehending. Steven A. Stahl’s article “Vocabulary and Readability: How Knowing Word Meanings Affects Comprehension” shed further light on how big of an impact a low vocabulary set can have on comprehension. However, I knew that this was certainly not the only characteristic that could have an impact on one’s comprehension and considering Michael’s reading level and the level of books he was reading in classes, I knew this wouldn’t be the only issue.
The chart “From Assessment to Conferring: Sample Needs and Strategies” allowed me to focus on what other things might be going on with Michael. I knew he was reading too quickly, I saw that in the pre-assessment right away. So I knew that focusing on his fluency was the right thing to do. A chapter from Best Practices in Literacy Instruction helped me figure out what else I could focus on in my lessons. I knew I needed to find ways to help Michael focus on the key ideas and details of the story rather than focusing on the big picture first. If I continue to work with Michael it would be a great idea for me to continue to increase the level of text complexity that we worked with so that I could help him deal with other forms of reading, whether it be scholarly articles, or just more novels. Michael isn’t far from being in college and so he needs to be able to take what we have worked on and apply them to other readings.
VIII. Recommendations to Teachers and Parents
Keeping in mind what is best for Michael as he continues in to his senior year of high school there are things I would like to suggest to those who will be working with him. With Michael, the more confident he is, the better he is going to perform academically. The trick is that Michael is very good at feigning his confidence, you can probably sense this “overcompensation” once you get to know Michael. Don’t let him get away with the attitude of “Yeah, I got this, I don’t need any help, I’m gonna get 100% on this assessment”. However, he is sensitive to not wanting to be the kid who doesn’t get it, so you have to approach him the correct way. Calling him out in front of his peers will not be successful. It would be best, once you’ve developed a relationship with Michael, to talk to him one-on-one regarding his comfort level with the material. This applies to all subject levels, not just reading. It won’t be enough to say “So, Michael do you understand ______________”, you need to push him, you need to ask him clarifying questions to get down to the real answer. If it is discovered that he is in fact not where he needs to be, then offer him your support, give him suggestions on what he should focus on to grasp a better understanding and offer to work with him one-on-one after school. Michael really is a bright kid but there is also an element of low motivation to be the best academically which results in some sloppy prep work.
Dear Parent,
After working with Michael one-on-one to learn more about his abilities as a literacy learner I have compiled some suggestions and recommendations for Michael. I’ve spoken with you enough times regarding Michael’s grades and progress to know how much you want to Michael to do well, and specifically, what your frustrations you have when it comes to his lack of motivation and effort. Keeping those ideas in mind, here is what I can suggest to Michael for the future.
We both agree that Michael is a good reader, he reads at grade level. However sometimes that doesn’t
translate well when he takes assessments over the reading. Obviously, that tells us that his comprehension is low. I believe what is happening is he is so anxious to just be done with the reading that he rushes through it, not focusing on the details of the novel. However, I know when he reads something of interest to him, he has no problem comprehending. So what it comes down to is helping him use the skills he naturally uses while he reads something he enjoys when he is reading something required, like a novel for English.
With all this being said I think it would be beneficial for Michael to continue to use the strategies that I have tried to focus on while working with him. Michael needs to repetition, he needs to slow down and he needs to read aloud, whether its to someone or by himself. To encourage repetition have him read a chapter at a time, reading each at least two times before moving on to the next. When he has read through it twice, then ask him to tell you about what he has read, this will help him recall the information and make sense of it. Hopefully it will be at this time when he realizes whether or not he understands what he has read. Reading aloud will help him slow down as he reads because he will hear how quickly he is reading. This will also help him with intonation. If he reads with emotion and expression, this will help him recognize the changes in mood of the story. To do this he needs to focus on key words that might cue him in on the mood of the story.
I believe that continuing to apply these skills as Michael reads it will become a natural way to read, thus helping his comprehension.
Please let me know if there is anything further I can help Michael with.
Sincerely,
Sara Irwin