ASSIGNMENTS
1. INTRODUCTION (50 points)
You will share information about yourself with your instructor and classmates to help us
get to know you. Questions you should answer include: Why did you choose to go into
teaching? What kinds of experiences have you had in teaching? (ex. public school
classroom teaching, private school classroom teaching, tutoring, teaching swimming,
doing workshops for the Girl Scouts, etc.) Feel free to share anything else with us that
would help us get to know you. Your answer should be approximately 250 -300 words.
Due: August 28, 2021
2. JOURNAL ARTICLE – REVIEW & CRITIQUE (100 points)
You will locate articles from professional journals listed at the end of the syllabus. The
articles should be related to the following topics:
a. Causes and Correlates of Reading Disabilities
b. Assessing Students with Reading
c. Instruction for Students with Reading Problems
Write a paper on the article under ONE of the topics. Your paper should be at least 4
pages and should include (in this order):
Full bibliographic citation of the article.
I.
Review
1. Statement of major issue being addressed
2. Theoretical perspective and assumptions
3. Brief summary of major points and conclusion
NOTE: In some cases, the author will not make explicit mention of one or more of these
points. In which case, you are to make inferences about them.
II.
Critique (evaluation of the article)
III.
References (if any used)
The following criteria will be used for grading the assignments:
Review (40 points): completeness; accuracy of interpretation; depth of understanding
Critique (60 points): relevance to topic; insight; logic/coherence
Due: September 11, 2021
3. GROUP ACTIVITY (100 points)
You will work in a group, divide up responsibilities, complete tasks and report to the
class.
Directions: Form a group of three, and read the three assessment reports – Esperanza,
Diane, Olson – representing three different levels (elementary, middle, high school) in
the resource packet. Each group will be given a different report. Read the assigned report.
After the first individual reading, discuss the report in your group and collectively
complete the tasks listed below. Each member of the group should assume one of three
specific roles.
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Facilitator: This person is responsible for stimulating the group discussions and
completion of group tasks.
Recorder: This person is responsible for keeping a written record of the group’s work.
The recorder also has the task of organizing, editing, and preparing the final product og
the group’s work to be turned in for credit. All final products must include the names and
roles of the three group members.
Presenter: This person is responsible for orally presenting the group’s work to the class
in a clear and organized manner.
Tasks:
1. Map out the student’s strengths and weaknesses, home and school factors, and
how they relate to each other, and the student’s performance.
2. List the needs that you establish for the student based on the information that is
available to you.
3. List your recommendations for referral, instruction, and additional assessment
based upon the above findings.
4. Identify addition information you would like to have about the student and
suggest ways to get that information.
Due: September 25, 2021
4. FIELD EXPERIENCES: (500 points)
Student Assessment: You will assess one student using a battery of instruments and
procedures. The tests and procedures must include the following:
1. An attitude survey (Garfield)
2. An interest interview
3. A reading and writing interview (Burke Reading Interview)
4. An informal reading inventory
You will turn in all instruments administered in the order of which they were
administered together with your assessment report.
Assessment Report: You will write a report based on your assessment. Follow the guide
to writing a report using the assessment report worksheet in your resource packet. This is
an important assignment because it constitutes a culminating activity for much of the
assessment work done in this course.
NOTE: There are sample reports in the resource packet with findings, needs and
recommendations. It is highly unlikely that any child you assess will have the same test
results or findings as provided in the examples. Therefore, it is unlikely that any of your
students will have the same set of strengths or will need the same suggested methods. The
sample reports are provided to allow you to see how they are done. PLEASE DO NOT
COPY THE SAME REPORTS FOR USE IN YOUR REPORT. SUCH REPORTS
WILL RECEIVE A ZERO.
Sections of Each Literacy Report
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
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The thorough and detailed description of the student’s background includes how you know the
student, how the student was selected, student’s age, grade just completed if it is summer, the
grade currently in if this is taking place during the school year. The student’s literacy background
is important. You will want to include information from the parent survey and the interest
inventory.
ASSESSMENTS AND RESULTS
If there is not an example provided in your textbook of a certain assessment you administered,
then follow the other examples as closely as possible. Keep in mind that you may be writing this
document for the parent as well as other educational professionals. Each assessment should be
explained. Do not assume that the parents know what the assessment is, what it assesses or how
the results will be used.
Your ability to administer, score and interpret the results of each assessment in a descriptive
manner is what will be assessed in this section. For each of the assessments you should provide a
detailed purpose of the assessment. The skills assessed should be provided. The outcomes of the
assessments should be presented in the form of levels, or percentiles when applicable, and very
thorough descriptions when not. A thorough interpretation of the student’s proficiencies and
difficulties on each assessment should be stated.
DISCUSSION OF INTERRELATED EFFECTS
Discuss the results of the assessments. A detailed discussion should be made of possible effects
on the student’s literacy with an emphasis on classroom performance. It addresses each
assessment either individually or collectively depending on types of assessments and skills
covered. All opinions must be supported by assessment data. The discussion must clearly
communicate an understanding of assessment outcomes and interrelated effects.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations are to be written for each report based on the outcomes of the assessments
included in that report. They should address the student’s specific literacy needs.
Recommendations should be detailed and easy to follow by non-educators.
Cautions:
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Do not skimp on detail in any section. Skeletal literacy reports will not receive maximum
points.
Watch your grammar and misspelled words. Points will be deducted for both.
Do not include the full text of parent interviews, interest surveys, etc.
Do not scan any assessments and insert them into this document. Summarize! No credit
will be given for scanned assessments or surveys. .
Writing Conventions of the Assessment Report
 There must be no misspelled words
 Sentences must be complete
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Grammar must be correct
Correct punctuation must be used
Assessment Report Appearance
 Word processed on the computer, 12 point font, 1.5 spacing
 Standard margins of 1 inch all the way around (1.25 is acceptable for the left margin)
 Section headers of report bold and easy to identify
 Assessment names underlined
 Italics used when appropriate (such as words student answered correctly or missed)
Cover Page
 Use it! It will give your report a professional look.
 Information should include:
o Your name
o School Name
o Semester/Date
o Student’s first name
o Grade level
o Age
Due: October 9, 2021
PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS
Academic Therapy
Elementary Education
Reading Research Quarterly
Reading Teacher
Reading-Writing Quarterly
Reading World
Review of Education Research
TESOL Quarterly
Reading Improvemnent
Reading Horizon
Language Arts
Journal of Reading
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Discussion Board
Share information about your case student with a small group of students via group discussion
board. Always use a pseudonym when referring to your case student. You must create one thread
in which you discuss what you know thus far about the student’s strengths and needs regarding
the student’s home and school life, interests, and literacy strategies. This information should be
based on the data you obtained from your student interviews. You are required to respond to
three other peers’ case student descriptions by providing suggestions for remediation, asking
further probing questions about the student, illustrating how your case student is similar to or
different from others’ case students (20 pts).
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