Designing Instruction
for Catch-Up Growth
Robyn Varga, M.Ed
rmvarga@wsfcs.k12.nc.us
LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE
LANGUAGE STRUCTURES
VERBAL REASONING
SKILLED READING:
fluent execution and
coordination of word
recognition and text
comprehension.
LITERACY KNOWLEDGE
WORD RECOGNITION
PHON. AWARENESS
DECODING (and SPELLING)
SIGHT RECOGNITION
Reading is a multifaceted skill, gradually acquired over years of
instruction and practice.
Literacy Developmental Sequence
K
1st
2nd
3rd
Vocabulary
P.A.
Decoding (Phonics)
Fluency
Comprehension
4th
5th – 12th
Literacy Development

Many fundamental skills develop in stages.

The stages cannot be skipped – regardless of
the age of the learner.

Intervention must match the developmental level
and proceed from there.
How Students Learn to Read
Intensive
Targeted
Universal
20% -Reading is
One of the Most
Difficult Tasks to
Be Mastered
Few
Some
40% -Reading is
A Formidable
Challenge
35% -Reading is
Relatively Easy
All
5% -Reading is
Easy
Adapted from NCSIP Foundations of Reading
Targeted Accelerated Growth
Diagnostic Assessments to determine
deficient sub-skills
 Targeted interventions to teach to the
deficient skill
 Set goal based on norms and catch-up
growth
 Progress Monitor to assure catch-up
growth is occurring

Educators as Physicians
Adapted from 3/25/14 Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D. Presentation
Treatment without Diagnosis
is Malpractice
Educators as Physicians
Screening/Benchmark Testing:
“universal screening”
“So, how are you doing?”
Educators as Physicians
Diagnostic Assessments:
“Let’s see what’s going on…”
Educators as Physicians
Provide effective INSTRUCTION!
“This is what we’ve found…and here’s
what we can do.”
Educators as Physicians
Progress
Monitoring:
“How are things going?”
“Are you feeling better?”
General Model of Assessment
• Beginning
of the year
Benchmark
Screening
Informal
Diagnostics
Throughout
the year
• Benchmark
Screening
• Progress
Assessments
• End of the
year,
course, or
treatment
Benchmark
Screening
Outcome
Measures
Formative (to plan instruction) and summative tests (to document
intervention effectiveness) can be given anytime during the year.
Targeted Accelerated Growth
Diagnostic Assessments to determine
deficient sub-skills
 Targeted interventions to teach to the
deficient skill
 Set goals based on norms and catch-up
growth
 Progress Monitor to assure catch-up
growth occurred

Model of Reading Assessment:
Grades K-2
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Grades 3 and Above
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Name: Bailey
Maze/Daze
Reading
Below
Grade Level
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
1) CORE Fluency
2) Graded HF Word
Below Grade Level
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
CORE Phonics Survey
Results:
Below Grade Level
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
PAST
Phonological
Awareness Screen
Results:
Not Proficient
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Name: Katie
Comprehension
Reading
Assessment
Comprehension
Results:
Below Grade Level
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
1) CORE Fluency
2) Graded HF Word
Below Grade Level
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
Name::Katie
and SightPhonics
Survey
Results:
Word
Proficient
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Name: Buddy
Comprehension
Reading
Assessment
Comprehension
Results:
Below Grade Level
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
1) CORE Fluency
2) Graded HF Word
Proficient
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes for
Reading
Language
Comprehension
Reading
Comprehension
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes for
Reading
Knowledge
of Strategies
for Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
Phonological
Awareness
Print Concepts
Decoding
and SightWord
Knowledge
Fluency in
Context
Automatic
Word
Recognition
Vocabulary
Background
Knowledge
Language
Comprehension
Knowledge of
Text and
Sentence
Structures
General
Purposes
for Reading
Name: Buddy
Reading
Comprehension
Comprehension
Assessment
Results:
Below Grade Level
Strategic
Knowledge
Specific
Purposes
for Reading
Knowledge of
Strategies for
Reading
McKenna & Stahl 2009
WPM & Accuracy
Fluency and Comprehension
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Fluency
Comprehension
Sept Sept Oct
A
B
A
Oct
B
Nov
A
Nov Dec
B
A
Assessment Date
Jan
A
Jan
B
CORE Focused Assessments

CORE Maze / DIBELS Daze / TRC

CORE Fluency / DIBELS DORF

CORE High Frequency Word / Vocabulary

CORE Phonics Survey

PAST Phonological Awareness Assessment
CORE Focused Assessments

CORE Maze / DIBELS Daze / TRC

CORE Fluency / DIBELS DORF

CORE High Frequency Word / Vocabulary

CORE Phonics Survey

PAST Phonological Awareness Assessment
Reading Maze Comprehension Test: What



Measures how well students understand text they read
silently.
It is based completely on the text.
Every seventh word in the passage has three words to
pick the correct word.
Reading Maze Comprehension Test: Why


Students with reading difficulties can’t use semantics
and syntax to choose correct words.
A reading maze can identify these students and
measure changes.
Reading Maze Comprehension Test/How

Materials:
 Timer
 Student passages (Use the student’s
independent level on the San Diego Quick
Assessment to determine the level of passage to
begin the MASI-R Oral Fluency Assessment)

Timed ~ 3 minutes

The student reads silently and circles the word in
the parentheses that they think correctly completes
the sentence.
13
0
CORE Focused Assessments

CORE Maze / DIBELS Daze / TRC

CORE Fluency / DIBELS DORF

CORE High Frequency Word / Vocabulary

CORE Phonics Survey

PAST Phonological Awareness Assessment
MASI-R Oral Reading Fluency/What

Measures oral reading fluency

Three passages per level/grade one to six

Can be given three times a year
An error is….





A skipped word.
A word is mispronounced within 3 seconds.
A word is mispronounced.
A word is repeatedly mispronounced later in
text, each instance.
A word is self corrected.
An error is not….


A word mispronounced due to dialect.
Insertion of words.
2nd Grade
Passage
92% accurate
114 wcpm
_____________________________
Where do you go
from here?
2nd Grade Passage
92% accurate & 114 wcpm
CORE Focused Assessments

CORE Maze / DIBELS Daze / TRC

CORE Fluency / DIBELS DORF

CORE High Frequency Word / Vocabulary

CORE Phonics Survey

PAST Phonological Awareness Assessment
High Frequency Word List: What

Can be administered in 10 minutes or less

High Frequency word recognition
High Frequency Word List: Why

Weak readers over rely on context

Can be used as a temporary quick
screening to place a new student into a
reading group
Scoring High Frequency Word Lists

One error on a list ~ INDEPENDENT level

Two errors on a list ~ INSTRUCTIONAL level

Three errors on a list ~ FRUSTRATION level
CORE Focused Assessments

CORE Maze / DIBELS Daze / TRC

CORE Fluency / DIBELS DORF

CORE High Frequency Word / Vocabulary

CORE Phonics Survey

PAST Phonological Awareness Assessment
Phonics Survey :What

Measures a students ability to decode
letters/sounds and ultimately words.

Can be used for screening, outcome, or
diagnostic.

Provides a baseline to determine most
appropriate placement to begin instruction
or remediation.
Phonics Survey: Why

Knowledge of individual phonemes is the
foundation of automatic decoding

A student must possess the ability to
automatically decode words in order to
comprehend material read

Pseudoword reading gives insight into
student understanding of phonology
Phonics Survey: How

Materials:
 CORE
Phonics Survey-Record Form pp.44-48
 CORE
Phonics Survey-Student Material pp.49-52

Instructions for administering each part of the
survey are included on the Record Form.

A piece of paper may be used to cover the parts of
the test that the student is not reading.

The Alphabet Skills and Letter Sounds assessment
is a mastery test.
Automaticity
Phonics Survey – Scoring

See page 43
CORE Focused Assessments

CORE Maze / DIBELS Daze / TRC

CORE Fluency / DIBELS DORF

CORE High Frequency Word / Vocabulary

CORE Phonics Survey

PAST Phonological Awareness Assessment
Phonological Awareness Skills
Test (PAST)
Scoring the PAST

One error on a skill ~ INDEPENDENT level

Two errors on a skill ~ INSTRUCTIONAL level

Three errors on a skill ~ FRUSTRATION level
Additional Assessments in CORE
Phoneme Deletion (English & Spanish)
 Phonological Segmentation (English &
Spanish)
 Phoneme Segmentation (English & Spanish)
 Phonemic Awareness (English & Spanish)
 High Frequency Word Survey
 Spanish Spelling Inventory
 Vocabulary Screening

Now what?
Targeted Accelerated Growth
Diagnostic Assessments to determine
deficient sub-skills
 Targeted interventions to teach to the
deficient skill
 Set goals based on norms and catch-up
growth
 Progress Monitor to assure catch-up
growth occurred.

Comprehension
Continue Tier 1 Instruction
 Use Think Alouds/Graphic Organizers
 Reciprocal Teaching
 Comprehension Strategies
 Vocabulary Activities
 FCRR Activities

Fluency

Repeated Reads on Independent/
Instructional Level
 90-98
% Accuracy
 Echo Reading
 Paired/ Partner Reads
HELPS
 FCRR Activities

High Frequency
Sight Word Practice
 Fry Phrases
 FCRR Activities

Phonics / Decoding
Recipe for Reading Lessons
 Words Their Way Activities
 DIBELS Next Activities
 FCRR activities

Phonological Awareness
DIBELS Next Activities
 Sounds in Action activities
 FCRR Activities

Florida Center for Reading Research
Targeted Accelerated Growth
Diagnostic Assessments to determine
deficient sub-skills
 Targeted interventions to teach to the
deficient skill
 Set goals based on norms and catch-up
growth
 Progress Monitor to assure catch-up
growth occurred.

Considerations for Setting Goals
Norms
 Catch-up growth

Norm Charts

Norm charts exist
across all domains.

The 50th percentile
is considered
“average”.
7
6
5
4
4
3
2
2
1
Progress
per year
6 mo.
Adapted from NCSIP Foundations of Reading
7
2
6
5
4
4
3
2
2
1
Progress
per year
6 mo.
12 mo.
Adapted from NCSIP Foundations of Reading
7
2
6
5
4
4
3
2
2
2
12 mo.
18 mo.
1
Progress
per year
6 mo.
Adapted from NCSIP Foundations of Reading
Catch Up Growth
All students need to make a year of
academic growth each year.
Students who are 1 to 3 years behind
in reading need to make an additional
year of growth until they catch-up.
Lynn Fielding, March 2011
What Happens Early, Matters…
“…the level of academic achievement
that students attain by eighth grade
has a larger impact on their college
and career readiness than anything
that happens academically in high
school.”
~Lynn Fielding
Achievement
The Expanding Achievement Gap
K
1
2
Grade in School
3
4
Fall and Winter DIBELS:
Fall
5
Winter
Benchmark
10 Benchmark
9
7
Strategic
7
Strategic
4
Intensive
Intensive
Adapted from NCSIP Foundations of Reading
Targeted Accelerated Growth
Diagnostic Assessments to determine
deficient sub-skills
 Targeted interventions to teach to the
deficient skill
 Set goals based on norms and catch-up
growth
 Progress Monitor to assure catch-up
growth occurred.

Progress Monitoring: Why

To determine if students are making adequate
progress or need more intervention to achieve
grade-level reading outcomes.
Progress Monitoring: Who

Students who are at risk for academic failure
Progress Monitoring: When

Daily, weekly, bi-monthly, monthly
Progress Monitoring Tools
At Risk
Progress Monitoring:
Kindergarten PSF Example
Strategic
Benchmark
AAGL
Student Jan
24
Feb
7
Feb
21
March
March
7
21
April April May
4
18
2
Julie
0
3
5
4
7
8
8
11
Anthony 5
Dakota 9
7
12
8
9
19
8
17
9
18
10
45
12
Sarah
11
14
16
17
19
21
24
10
Adapted from NCSIP Foundations of Reading
Resources

Florida Center for Reading Research:
fcrr.org

What Works Clearinghouse (US Dept of
Education): ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc

Intervention Central:
www.interventioncentral.org

Easy CBM: easyCBM.com

North Carolina School Improvement Project (NC
SIP): ncsip.org
Contact Information
Robyn Varga
rmvarga@wsfcs.k12.nc.us
(336) 255-6951