Screening Assessment of Entry Skills for 100 Easy Lessons
Students use certain skills to participate competently in reading instruction. These skills include:
1. Using and responding appropriately (a) to certain words in the “language of instruction”---“Your
turn.” “Get ready.” “Say it with me.” “Again.) and in (b) communication forms---question-answer;
request-cooperation; model-imitation).
2. Ceasing certain behaviors (such as talking), orienting (turning towards) to the teacher, and focusing
on materials (e.g., letters on the lesson page), the teacher’s mouth or voice, and the teacher’s finger
(for example, as the teacher tracks under a word).
3. Visually tracking; that is, the student moves her finger along a line under the words.
4. Cooperating. Student responds quickly and agreeably to requests; takes turns.
5. Memory (short term)
6. Saying Sounds
Most of the above can be assessed as elements that are part of a larger task, as shown in # 2 below.
Test students individually.
1. Assess tracking
Visually tracking; that is, the student moves her finger along a line under the words. Assess this as
follows.
a. Show student the letter-sound format.
r
b. Say, “Do this,” and model tracking by looping from the first ball to under the sound. Then say,
“Your turn.” If student does not respond or seems not to know how, physically prompt the
student by moving her finger.
c. Score as follows:
(1) Student quickly responded to the request/model.
(a) Yes. Needs no work.
(b) Student responded after 4 seconds or needed a second request/model or needed a
physical prompt. But student then did it.
(c) Student responded quickly but did not track accurately; that is, went off of the line or
tracked only part way.
(d) Student did not respond, or responded inappropriately.
[Model-lead-test this with students who scores b-d at the start of lessons, and before doing tasks
that require this skill element.]
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2. Say the sounds. This task contains skill elements that can be assessed.
Sample a list of speech sounds and present the sounds to the child.
mmm, sssss, aaaa, eeee, t, rrrr, fff, th (unvoiced, as in thnk, g (voiced)
Teacher says a sound, and tells student to say that sound.
“Listen. Say mmmmmmmm”
Score as follows
1
2
Say the sound
mmm
sssss
aaaa
eee,
t
rrrr
fff
th (unvoiced)
g
Said it Well
Close
Attended,
focused, quiet
Cooperated/took
turns, responded
agreeably
Yes, consistently.
Some lapses.
Yes, consistently.
Used or
responded
appropriately to
language of
instruction: “Say,”
“Your turn.”
Yes, consistently,
as indicated by
saying sounds and
cooperation.
Sometimes had to
regain attention
and restate the
request.
Sometimes had to
regain attention
and restate the
request or model
what I meant.
3
Wrong Sound
Many lapses;
often off task
Often had to
regain attention
and restate the
request.
Often had to
regain attention
and restate the
request or model
what I meant.
4
No Response
Off task most of
the time.
Uncooperative
most of the time.
Student seemed to
have no idea what
certain words
meant.
Students with many scores of 3 or 4 may need pre-instruction for a few weeks or more in a language
program that teaches these skills. Language for learning.
https://www.mheonline.com/programMHID/view/0076181758
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3. Assess Memory (short term)
Teach the student the sounds that go with m and s.
Then do something else with the student for 30 seconds---for example, show the student pictures and
name the objects.
Return to the letter-sounds, and test.
Here’s the teach part.
m
“Here’s sound. When I touch under the sound, I’ll say the sound. mmmm
Your turn. [Touch under the sound.] What sound?”
Did the student repeat the sound? If not, try again? Did the student now say it?
s
“Here’s another sound. When I touch under the sound, I’ll say the sound. sssssss
Your turn. [Touch under the sound.] What sound?”
Did the student repeat the sound? If not, try again? Did the student now say it?
Now do another task for 30 seconds. Come back and retest.
Here’s the retest part.
[Point to the sound.] “What sound?”
Do not reteach the sound if the student errs. This is a test. Did the student repeat the correct
sounds?
If not, the student will benefit from a few weeks or more in a language program that teaches this
skill. Language for learning. https://www.mheonline.com/programMHID/view/0076181758
You should NOT start a reading program until students are firm on these pre-skills. Otherwise, you
risk having to spend too much time trying to teach to the unprepared students; besides, given the
lack of pre-skills, they won’t learn much, anyway.
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