SHORTWOOD TEACHERS’ COLLEGE
Language Arts Department
Advanced Reading
RESIT ASSIGNMENT TASK
July 2015
Assignment: Individual Project (40 marks) – Due date: Monday, August 31, 2015
Unit focus: Assessment in the literacy programme (Unit 8)
a) Present an overview of assessment and explain FOUR reasons why it is of critical importance to begin assessment at the early childhood level. Include sources to support your response
(9 marks)
b) Use the attached early literacy profile assessment instrument:
i) Assess a child 6 years old or younger (kindergarten) who has been identified as having a literacy problem
ii) Present a written report of the assessment. The report should begin with a description of the child, how you came to select the child, and a description of the assessment surrounding/context. Summarize the child’s performance in the different areas and ensure that you include the child’s strengths and weaknesses. Utilize the headings as outlined on the assessment instrument.
iii) Do a voice recording of the assessment session and submit same as an appendix on a CD. Ensure that the CD works!! (Create a pocket using card type paper to secure the CD)
iv) Include the completed assessment instrument with the results of the child’s responses and markings from the assessor (i.e. you the student-teacher) as an appendix to the assignment.
v) Write a one page evaluation of yourself as an assessor
Assessment (4 marks);, Report (6 marks) and reflection (2 marks) – 12 marks
c) Identify two areas of weaknesses from the assessment and prepare a 5-week intervention plan, with appropriate instructional strategies to address these two critical areas of literacy challenges that the child is displaying. The intervention plan should be outlined on a weekly basis using the table below (15 marks)
Objectives (write 2-3 objectives for each week) / Instructional focus and strategies (explain what you will do with the child to achieve the objectives and the kind of materials and resources you will use)Week 1:
Objectives / I will first …… then …….
d) Language use (2marks)
e) References – no less than five sources (2 marks)
Modified Emergent Literacy Assessment Profile
Adapted from S Valencia and UW Bothell
Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to help you cement your understandings of assessment by utilizing an instrument to assess a limited range of a young child's literacy abilities. You will work with a child below grade one to collect evidence of what this child can do in literacy.
About the Assignment
To complete this assignment:
1. You will spend 15-30 minutes with a child talking with him/her and collecting data based on the information explained below.
2. Collect a writing sample from the child, using the picture prompt (see picture at end of the assessment instrument below). This sample will provide evidence of what the child can do in writing.
3. Summarize your findings in a report format (as outlined on the assignment sheet).
4. The completed assessment instrument must be attached as an appendix at the end of the assignment.
About the Modified Emergent Literacy Profile
The assessment you conduct will focus on the following areas
A) Oral language
B) Concept of print
C) Phonological awareness (Words in sentences, Rhymes, syllables)
D) Phonemic Awareness
E) Letter Recognition
F) Phonics
G) Word recognition
H) Emergent Writing
Prepare Yourself to Conduct the Assessment
Spend time familiarizing yourself with the attached instrument and the directions for each part until you feel like you can talk your way through it seamlessly. Make sure you have the following items for the assessment
1) a working pen (complete the instrument using a pen)
2) a story book(this must be age appropriate preferably a hardcover story book with colourful pictures; it should not be a popular story book)
3) pictures for phonemic awareness task
4) letters for phonics task (see below)
5) list of words for word recognition (see below)
6) picture with ruled lines for writing task (see below)
NB: Items 3-6 must be on separate pages
Modified Emergent Literacy Profile
You will say the words that are in bold print, to the child you are assessing.
Hello, my name is ……………….. I am doing some homework for my school and I need your help to complete it. I am going to be asking you some questions about words and also about other things. Also, I have to write the things that you say and I also have to record what we will be doing.
A) ORAL LANGUAGE
In this section, you are attempting to assess how well the child uses oral language.
Okay, I am going to ask you some questions about you, what you like and what you do.
What is your name? ______
Can you spell your name for me? ______
How old are you? ______
What is your favourite food? ______
Do you know how to prepare your favourite food? ______
Can you tell me what you do when you are going to have a bath? Tell me the first thing that you do, then the second thing, until you are finished bathing (write the steps that the child gives).
B CONCEPT OF PRINT
I have a story book here. It is a story that I like to read (or it is one of my favourite books). Hand the book to the child turned wrong side up and showing the back cover, then ask the following questions
Question / Record your observations of what the child doesCan you show me the front of the book?
Look at the pictures in the book (allow the child to flip the pages). What do you think the story is about?
Show me where I would start reading this story
Pretend that you are reading this story, use your fingers to show me how you would be reading the story
C PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS
i) Words in sentences
Now I want you to do some listening and counting for me. Can you count to 10? (Allow child to count to 10). Listen to this sentence that I will read. Afterwards, say the sentence to yourself and tell me how many words are in the sentence. Here is a practice item: She is nice (Demonstrate how you count the words in the sentence. Read the sentence twice; also if the child asks to repeat)
Sentence Number of words identified by child
- John saw a big dog ______
- The school is on a mountain ______
- We like to eat mangoes and bananas ______
ii) Rhymes
We are going to listen to rhyming words. When words rhyme they sound the same at the end. For example sun and fun rhyme because they sound the same at the end. Also, kite and bite rhyme. I am going to say a word and I want you to give me a word that rhymes with my word. So let us practice.
Tell me a word that rhymes with “dig” (wait for the child to respond; you can give examples such as big, pig, fig, wig). Here is another one to try – tell me a word that rhymes with “dark” (park, bark etc)
I want you to try these on your own (Do not provide help with the items or tell the child whether the response is correct or not. Write the child’s responses on the table below. Write all words that the child gives. If the child does not give an answer, leave the space blank).
Tell me a word that rhymes with … / Child’s responses …red
sat
Feet
bell
name
pair
iii) Syllables in words
Do you know that words have parts? When we say them slowly we can count the number of parts in a word. For example listen to this word: computer. If I say is slowly like this com-pu-ter then I get three parts (flick a finger for each part of the word that you say. Do this for the other examples). You try this one: melon (me-lon); here is another one: potato (po-ta-to). Listen to these words and tell me how many parts each has:
Elephant ______
Banana ______
Conversation ______
NB: YOU CAN GIVE THE CHILD A 5-7 MINUTES BREAK AT THIS PERIOD IF THE CHILD SEEMS RESTLSS OR NOT FOCUSSED (In fact, you need to note if the child is restless at any point and give the child a break. Remember the assessment can be done in more than one segment)
D PHONEMIC AWARENESS
We are going to be listening for sounds in words. Look at this picture (point on the first picture on the student page entitled “pictures for phonemic awareness task). I want you to say the name of the picture. (Allow child to say the name of the picture). Tell me what sound you hear at the beginning of the name of the picture. (Do this for the remaining pictures. Write the letter that represents the sound that the child gives).
______
______
E) LETTER RECOGNITION
This section of the profile will let you know about the child’s knowledge of letter-sound relationships.
Bo you know the letters of the alphabet, your ABC? Say it for me.
Okay, now look at these letters (show the child the printed sheet below entitled “letters”). I want you to touch each letter and tell me its name. (Observe the child and circle on your instrument any letter that the child says incorrectly; write the letter that the called)
l w a o b
n e j p
d f u x
C G H I
Z K M Y R
S T V Q
- Show me a letter written in upper case (capital letter) (write the letter that the child touched)
- Show me the letter T. What sound does the letter T makes?
- Show me the letter n. What sound does the letter n makes?
- Show me the letter e. What sound does the letter e makes?
F WORD RECOGNITION
Here are some words that I want you to look at and to try to call. If you see a word that you do not know, just skip over it. (Do not help the child with any of the words. On your instrument, place a tick on the line if the child gets it correct. Place an X if it is incorrect and write the incorrect word on the line. If the child does not know the word, leave the line blank). Use the word list below entitled “word list”.
- Boy - and
- School - bag
- Man - little
- Book - children
- Girl - mango
G) EMERGENT WRITING
Show the picture prompt to the child (use the student version.
I want you to look at this picture and write a short story about the picture. If you don’t know how to spell a word, just write it how you think it should be written. As the child is writing, you need to observe what he/she is doing and complete the table below. After the child completes the story, ask him/her to read it. Write what the child reads, on your instrument.
Analyze / ObservationsDraws or writes to convey meaning
Writes about the picture
Uses letters to represent writing
Uses consonant sounds when writing.
Uses words to convey meaning
Uses sentences to convey meaning
Uses spaces and punctuation when writing
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTS
Pictures for phonemic awareness task
LETTERS
l w a o b
n e j p
d f u x
C G H I
Z K M Y R
S T V Q
Word list
boy
school
man
book
girl
and
bag
little
children
mango
Here is a picture. Write something about the picture.
______
______
______
______
______
______