Workshop 4
Participant’s Workbook
(Activities, Journals and Resources)
Supporting Students’ Literacy Development (Reading)
Purpose:
 develop understandings of the reading process
 develop understandings of how readers gain meaning by using the semantic, syntactic
and grapho-phonic cueing systems
 consider text analysis
 use a range of before, during and after reading strategies with students
 use running records as an assessment tool.
Sessions:
1. reflection on tasks from Workshop 2 ... page 2
2. what is reading? ... page 2
3. planning for reading: Activities for before, during and after reading ... page 10
4. assessing reading ... page 20.
Homework tasks
1. Take a small group of students for a reading activity. Plan the before, during and after
activities you will do with the group. Make a resource to go with one or more of your
activities. Evaluate what you did. Page 19
2. Complete a running record assessment activity with a student. Page 27
Session 1: Reflection on Workshop 3 tasks
Use a PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) chart to record your reflections on implementing the oral
language activity or activities.
Plus
Minus
Interesting
How could I change or adapt what I did?
Session 2: What is reading?
1. Think about your previous day at work. Brainstorm: (Whole group)
What reading the children did
What reading you did
2. What is reading? (On your own)
What do you think reading is?
What do good readers do?
3. Group definition of reading (Groups of Three)
2|W orkshop 4: Participant’s W orkbook
Model of the Reading/Writing Process
The Cueing Systems
The knowledge that we bring to reading helps us to make sense of what is written. For all
people, but most particularly for students from different cultural and language backgrounds
there are two critical factors that influence their success as readers:
1. the extent to which their own experience matches what is written – semantic
knowledge (ie knowledge of the world, the topic, whether they have encountered
similar text types before etc)
2. their knowledge of how standard Australian English works – syntactic knowledge
(word order, language patterns and how words fit together to convey meaning.
Readers also bring graphophonic knowledge - their understanding of how the sounds of the
language are represented through written symbols.
Unless all three cueing systems are being used together, independent reading cannot occur.
If there is an over-emphasis on the graphophonic system without the semantic or syntactic,
students might successfully “decode” what is written but will not necessarily understand what
the text is about and whether it makes sense or not. The danger here is that reading
becomes an exercise in “barking at print”.
3|W orkshop 4: Participant’s W orkbook
Some definitions of the 3 cueing systems
GRAPHOPHONIC
KNOWLEDGE
1 Knowledge of what words
look like and how the sounds
of the language are
represented through written
symbols.
2 Knowledge of the

conventions of print,

way words look, and

relationship between
sounds and letters.
3 Knowledge that sounds are
represented by letters and
clusters of letters.
4 Knowledge of the
conventions of print, of the
way words look, and the
relationship between sounds
and letters.
SYNTACTIC KNOWLEDGE
SEMANTIC KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of how the
language works: word order,
language patterns, grammar,
what ‘sounds?
Background knowledge, life
experiences, understanding
of word.
Knowledge about the
system of language.
How words fit together to
convey meaning.
Background knowledge, life
experiences, understanding
of word and text meanings.
Knowledge about the
system of language e.g.
word order, nouns,
pronouns, tense.
Knowledge of the
conventions that determine
how words fit together to
convey meaning.
Knowledge of topic (field)
cultural understandings and
links to life experiences.
Knowledge of topic/field,
cultural understandings
& life experiences to make
out
what makes sense.
The meaning itself. Using
knowledge of the topic and
shared cultural knowledge to
work out what makes sense.
The meaning embodied in
the vocabulary of the text.
I do
you do
he does
Definitions often vary from different sources but basically these all define the cueing
systems.
Sometimes, in order to remember new information, it can be easier if you have a picture in
mind - like the ones above or you could use pictures that work for you.
Write your first prediction for the Lambra Goots text here.
4|W orkshop 4: Participant’s W orkbook
Some understandings about reading
 In reading, the goal is always comprehension of meaning.
 Reading is an active process using our:

knowledge of the world (non-visual information)

knowledge of language (visual information)
to construct meaning.
 The key to reading is prediction
 We use our knowledge of the world and of language to predict what will come
next. We test our predictions by reading some of the text and then checking if
what we are reading makes sense. If it makes sense we continue reading, if not
we go back and revise our predictions
 We read different things in different ways. The reading strategies we use depend
on what we are reading and our purpose for reading it.
 The more knowledge and experience we have on which to base our predictions,
the less we need to rely on print.
 If this is our understanding of the reading process then developing reading skills
is a continuing process that needs to be developed in context.
Taken from
S Hood and N Solomon
Focus on Reading: A handbook for teachers
National Curriculum Resource Centre, Adelaide, 1985
In ESL in The Mainstream Teacher Development Course, 1993
5|W orkshop 4: Participant’s W orkbook
4.
Analysing texts before using them with students
Before introducing a new text to students, it is important for the teacher or support worker to
read it first and to think about what the student needs to know in order to understand it. The
framework shown below shows one way of doing this.
Cat on the Roof
One day, the cat got on the roof. It sat and cried, ‘Me-ow, me-ow.’
Pippy got the ladder out, ‘It’s all right, Puss,’ she called. ‘I’m coming.’
But, as she climbed on to the roof, the ladder came tumbling down. So Pippy and the cat were
up there together. The ladder was flat on the ground. Pippy called to her father. Dad came out
of the house.
‘You silly goat,’ Dad said. ‘The legs of the ladder should go on hard ground. Like this. See?
Now it’ll stay still.’
Dad climbed up. When he was near the top, the ladder began to wobble. Over it went, and Dad
nearly went with it. He grabbed the roof just in time.
‘You said it wouldn’t tip over, Dad,’ laughed Pippy.
‘This is no time to be clever,’ cried Dad. ‘Help me, will you?’
Pippy helped Dad up. Now there were three of them on the roof – Pippy, Dad and the cat. And
there was no one in the house to help them. When Mum came home, she looked up at the roof
and laughed.
‘What are you doing up there?’ she asked.
Looking for Father Christmas,’ said Dad. What do you think we’re doing?’
Mum put up the ladder, and stayed by it so it couldn’t fall. Pippy climbed down. Then Dad
came down with the cat.
Mum said. ‘That cat gets on the roof nearly every day. It knows how to get down by itself.’
Dad didn’t look too pleased. ‘Thanks for telling us now,’ he said.
(taken from ‘The Story Box’ cited in ESL in the Mainstream Teacher Development Course,
Booklet 2, 1991, 6-7)
6|W orkshop 4: Participant’s W orkbook
Framework for analysing texts
What assumptions has the author made about the reader’s prior knowledge?
1. Title: Cat on the Roof
What is the book about? A cat got stuck on the roof, a little girl and her dad tried to
rescue it and then they got stuck too.
2. What ideas in the book might be unfamiliar to the students?
having a pet, nuclear family (mum dad, children), Father Christmas, humour and
sarcasm (“What are you doing up there?” she asked. “Looking for Father Christmas.”
said Dad)
3. What is the purpose of the book? Tick one.
 To entertain 
 To tell how to make or do something 
 To provide information 
4. What vocabulary in the book might be unfamiliar to the students?
legs (of the ladder), you silly goat, dad didn’t look too pleased (idiom), tumbling,
wobble, ladder
Lots of pronouns referring to people, things or places in the text (he, she, it, we etc.
Also “there” (referring to the roof)
Dad “cried” (meaning yelled or called not “sobbed”)
5. Are the sentences long or short? How many ideas are in the sentences?
Mostly short – one or two ideas eg But, as she climbed on to the roof, the ladder came
tumbling down.
6. Is the book written in the past, present or future tense?
Past tense: cried, climbed, were.
Other tenses when characters are talking. “I’m coming.”
7. Are there any words with interesting sound-letter combinations?
climbed (silent ‘b’); laugh;
8. Is the writing clear and easy to read? Yes/ No
9. Are there any headings or sub-headings?
Yes/ No
10. Are the pictures clear and do they relate to what is written? Yes/ No
Pictures match the text. Readers could use pictures to help them predict what is written
and/or confirm their attempts.
11. How would you rate this text? Tick one.
 Easy. Children will need little or no help to understand it. 
 Children will need some help to understand it. 
 Difficult. Children will need a lot of help to understand it. 
7|W orkshop 4: Participant’s W orkbook
Framework for analysing texts
Keep in mind the assumptions the author made about the reader’s prior knowledge.
1. Title:
What is the book about?
2. What ideas in the book might be unfamiliar to the students?
3. What is the purpose of the book? Tick one.
 To entertain?

 To tell how to make or do something? 
 To provide information? 
4. What vocabulary in the book might be unfamiliar to the students?
5. Are the sentences long or short? How many ideas are in the sentences?
6. Is the book written in the past, present or future tense?
7. Are there any words with interesting sound-letter combinations?
8. Is the writing clear and easy to read? Yes/ No
9. Are there any headings or sub-headings?
10. Are the pictures clear and do they relate to what is written?
11. How would you rate this text? Tick one.
 Easy. Children will need little or no help to understand it. 
 Children will need some help to understand it. 
 Difficult. Children will need a lot of help to understand it. 
8|W orkshop 4: Participant’s W orkbook
E.
What did I learn?
Community circle

What did you learn from this session?

What skills/help/understandings did you need to be able to participate in the activities?

How did you feel while doing and / after completing the session?

Have you ever used or seen similar frameworks being used in the classroom? If so
what do you think made the use of such a framework effective or not effective?

Could you use/adapt the analysis framework activity for choosing texts for the students
you work with?
Journal entry
Make notes (in writing or drawing below) about these questions. You can work with another
person or individually. (5 minutes)
JOURNAL
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9|W orkshop 4: Participant’s W orkbook
Session 3: Planning for reading: Activities for before, during and after reading
Planning for reading:
Reading activities have two major functions:

help readers understand the text they are reading

help readers develop good reading strategies for reading other texts.
A useful way for thinking about using a text with students is to divide your planning into three
sections:
1. what you will do with the students before the reading
2. what you and the students will do while the reading is going on
3. what you will do after the book has been read.
(Wallace in Gibbons, Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning, 2002, p84)
This three-step plan is a useful framework whether you are going to be reading a book to
students (shared reading) or working with a small group of students doing reading activities.
Before Reading
The purpose of before reading activities is to activate prior knowledge and to prepare
the students for any unfamiliar/difficult content, language use or concepts that are in
the text. Before reading activities should always aim to develop knowledge related to
the overall meaning of the text. They are not meant to deal with every potential
difficulty.
During Reading
The purpose of during reading activities is to model good reading strategies and to
examine how the text achieves its purpose.
After Reading
Before attempting after reading activities students need to be familiar with the text. In
these activities students will be required to apply new knowledge. The three main
purposes of these activities are to:

use the now-familiar text as a basis for language study

allow students to respond creatively to the text (through art, drama and/or
writing activities)

focus more deeply on information in the text by representing the information in
a different form (e.g. time line, diagram etc).
10 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.
One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and – pop! – out of the egg came a tiny and very
hungry caterpillar.
He started to look for some food.
On Monday he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry.
On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry.
On Wednesday he ate through three plums, but he was still hungry.
On Thursday he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.
On Friday he ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry.
On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one
slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage,
one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon.
That night he had a stomach ache!
The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after that
he felt much better.
Now he wasn’t hungry any more – and he wasn’t a little caterpillar any more. He was a big, fat
caterpillar.
He built a small house, called a cocoon, around himself. He stayed inside for more than two
weeks. Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his way out and ...
He was a beautiful butterfly!
Eric Carle, Puffin Books, 1987
11 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Developing Reading Activities for The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
1. What is the reading task you have been asked to do with the children?
2. What is the purpose of the task?
3. Read the book or text yourself. Think about it. What are some things that the children
may have difficulty with? (topic, content, language, the way the text/book is set out etc)
4. What skills could this text/book help the children to develop?
5. How will you set the task up?
Before the reading activity (focus on activating and building up prior knowledge)



During the reading activity (focus on modelling good reading strategies)



After the reading activity (focus on applying new knowledge and using the text as a
basis for language study)



..
12 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Developing Reading Activities
1. What is the reading task you have been asked to do with the children?
2. What is the purpose of the task?
3. Read the book or text yourself. Think about it. What are some things that the children
may have difficulty with? (topic, content, language, the way the text/book is set out etc)
4. What skills could this text/book help the children to develop?
5. How will you set the task up?
a. Before the reading activity (focus on activating and building up prior knowledge)
b. During the reading activity (focus on modelling good reading strategies)
c. After the reading activity (focus on applying new knowledge and using the text
as a basis for language study)
13 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES
Purpose: to prepare for linguistic, cultural and conceptual difficulties and to activate prior
knowledge. Aim to develop knowledge in relation to overall meaning of the text, not areas of
difficulties.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Talk about the topic of the book
Discuss the topic of the text with students – adult shares their own experience of the topic of the text. If
possible use the same tense as the text uses. eg for Cat on the Roof:
Does anyone have a cat? My friend had a cat and it was a very naughty cat. One day it climbed
up a tree and my friend thought it was stuck. What do you think she did?
Predict from an illustration
Talk about the illustration on the front cover, or a key illustration from the book
Ask the children to work in pairs or groups to think about what the story might be about
Use some of the vocabulary of the book that children might find difficult
Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Sequencing illustrations Give groups/ pairs of children a set of pictures from the book and ask them to
sequence them, prior to reading
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Predict from a word
Read the title of the book
Ask what the children think the story is going to be about
Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Ask questions about the topic of the book
Ask questions about the topic of the book, but relating to the children’s own experiences.
E.g. Possum Magic What do you like to eat? What do you eat at home?
Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Brainstorm what the children already know about the topic
Develop word banks and display vocabulary about the topics you are studying
Use a semantic web to display these words
Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Reader Questions
Ask the children to pose some questions they would like answered by reading the text
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Story Telling
Tell the story, using the illustrations or diagrams you draw, before you read the book
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Before and After Chart Piece of paper with 2 columns, brainstorm all you know about the topic, list in
before column, what I know about ...
After reading add to second column What we have learnt. Can be completed over time.
Picture Flick Before reading, skim through the illustrations and get a sense of contents, characters or
setting.
Look at the front cover, skim through text browsing at pictures, predict the story, read the text, discuss
the difference between the prediction and what happened.
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Graphic Overlay Teaches students about text organisation for nonfiction. Create a visual representation
of the layout or organisation of the page, label boxes e.g. heading, title, subtitle, picture, text information
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
14 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
DURING READING ACTIVITIES
Purpose: to model good reading strategies, make explicit some of the unconscious processes
used by fluent readers, and the interactive nature of reading
Modelled reading - Read the text aloud and try to bring the book alive, use expression, and pausing to
add interest. Read the book more than once.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Skimming and scanning - Model skimming and talk about how this is used to predict the content of the
text
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Reread for detail - Reread the text for detail, to make sure the reading is understood.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Pause and predict - Stop reading the book and ask the children what they think will happen next? What
a character might be thinking? Feeling?
Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Oral Cloze- Leave out words while reading the book to the children and they fill in the gap, good way of
gauging comprehension
Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Model reading strategies - Use hard words, and difficult phrases to talk about/ show the children how
you read the text.
Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Matching words - Use word cards around the room, and ask the children to find the words you read
from the text Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Shadow Reading - Record yourself reading the text, allow small groups of children to read, with the
text.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Echo Reading - Read text sentence by sentence, students read the same sentence after the teacher
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Buddy Reading - Reading to younger buddies provides opportunities for older readers to model fluent
reading. It gives weaker older readers opportunities to practise on easier books
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Children can draw diagrams flow charts or story maps to show structure of the book Learning to
Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Word Masking - Mask words in big book, (both content and functional words) and children predict the
word. Discuss alternatives. Can be used to build vocabulary.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Beat the Buzzer Quiz - Practise scanning to locate specific details to answer quiz questions
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Hunt the Text Challenge - quiz to scan the text to locate specific information. Create challenge cards to
encourage scanning of the text
Jigsaw reading - Have 3 or 4 different readings at different levels to cater for different abilities in the
class, about the same topics. In groups children read one reading, and become experts about that
reading. They share the information with members of other groups. This provides a real purpose for
reading, and authentic context for summarising, as the experts decide what information they share.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Reading aloud - Listening to a good reader helps children recognise that good readers make meaning,
for both young and older readers. Read aloud both fiction and non-fiction books.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Interesting word chart - An activity to clarify new or unknown vocabulary, as you are reading, add
interesting words and the page number, use contextual clues to gain meaning
15 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
AFTER READING ACTIVITIES
Purpose: These activities assume the children know the text and have no comprehension
difficulties and uses the text as a springboard and may fulfil any of these three purposes
1. Use the familiar text as basis for language study
2. Allow students to respond creatively to what they have read.
3. Focus students more deeply on the information of the text
Story map- As a group draw the story, on a wall chart, sequence the main actions and record with
illustrations Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Retell the story- children use the pictures to retell the story (Gives information about their
understanding of the story) Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Innovate on the text- change the story, but keep the same story line e.g. different characters, main
events, Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Innovate the ending
Write a new ending, in groups or as a whole class.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Jumbled text/sentence exercises
Cut up paragraph into sentence strips and mix them up, reorder into paragraph, cut up sentences into
words and mix them up, reorder into sentences Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline
Gibbons
Ask children true/false questions OR fact/ opinion statements related to the text,
Ask the children to make up their own statements, true/false Learning to Learn in a Second Language
Pauline Gibbons
Cloze activities in groups or pairs, children can justify why they have chosen their answer
Traditional – every 7th word,
syntactic- structure words,
semantic- content words
oral cloze –children fill in the missing words, while they read along with the teacher
Learning to Learn in a Second Language Pauline Gibbons
Monster cloze – This consists of only the title, and gaps. Students guess words which are written in and
as more words are added it becomes easier to complete the cloze.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Vanishing cloze – Choose a part of the text, or a summary. Write it all on the board, read together, then
rub out one word, reread, putting in the missing word, then erase another word and repeat the process.
Continue until all the words are removed and the students are “Reading” from memory.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Cartoon strip
In groups or individually, Turn the story into a cartoon strip, using the dialogue as words in speech
bubbles
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Readers theatre
Children each have a copy of the book, and choose a child for each character’s dialogue, while other
children read narration. Practise the reading for the performance. Children could script their own based
on the story.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Wanted posters
Design a wanted poster for a character in the book, incorporating as much as the information from the
story as possible.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Timelines
Texts that incorporate passage of time lend themselves to a timeline.. Children can illustrate time lines
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Hot seat
Children sit in a circle and one child is chosen as a character from the book. Other students ask
questions to find out more about the character’s life. Should be consistent with the story. Move back, or
forwards in time Its seventy years ago and the old woman is now only a child.... and continue to ask
questions of the person in the hot seat. This gives children lots of ideas for stories of their own.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Freeze frames
Are drama activities that show a tableaux of key stages of the story. The audience close their eyes and
the group prepares the tableaux, using their bodies and simple props, after 10 seconds, the audience
close their eyes again and the group arrange for the next tableaux and so on until the story is told. The
16 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
group needs to decide the main events, and then how they will be shown, and then how to move quickly
from one to the next. No talking is required. Preparation of the tableaux allows discussion of the main
elements characters and events of the story
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Text reconstruction
Cut an excerpt of text into paragraphs or sentences, students to put into order and explain their answer
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Consonant groups
Sort objects, or pictures of objects into groups using the beginning sound (Pencil, pen, paper, box, ball,
lid, leaf)
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Phonic families
Build word lists using words in the book, that contain the same sounds, spelt the same way
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Picture sentence matching
Take about 6 pictures and 6 matching sentences, children to match up.
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Questioning the text

Focus on the pictures and on the characters; ask questions that show children that what is in the
book is not necessarily the whole truth. What is the mother doing? What is the father doing? Do
all mothers and fathers do this?

Discuss what the characters are like

Make lists of words or ideas that are associated with key people in the text

Rewrite a well known tale, changing the characteristics of characters

Talk about stereotyping
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Book discussion groups
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Summarising and paraphrasing the text

Oral summaries, in groups students read, and collectively summarise

Students to write a summary, limit the number of sentences.

Suggest a title for each paragraph

Write 2 or 3 sentences under each paragraph heading’

With narrative, ask children to retell shorter and shorter, until as short as possible, write on the
board and discuss

Explain key points in less than 1 minute

Groups work together to compose a sentence that summarises the text
Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning Pauline Gibbons
Venn Diagrams Use two or more overlapping circles to compare topics, characters, plots, or facts
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Sensory chart Allows children to see, feel and hear characters, settings or events. Children read text,
or passage and add information about what it might look like, sound like or feel like
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Retrieval chart This is a chart to record information about a number of categories or topics to allow
comparisons.
What’s your story? Teaches students about the structure of a text. Give students a recording sheet
with headings linked to the text e.g. setting, characters, events, text type and theme. After several of
these activities, students can compare texts
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Famous five key word search
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Very Important points
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
Main idea pyramid
Reading Resource Book, First Steps
17 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
What did I learn?
Community Circle

Have you ever used or seen similar frameworks being used for planning activities? If so
what do you think made the use of such a framework effective or not effective?

What did you learn from this session?

What skills/help/understandings did you need to be able to participate in the activities?

How did you feel while doing and after completing the session?

Will using such a framework be helpful to you in your work? Why/why not?
Journal entry
Make notes (in writing or drawing below) about these questions. You can work with another
person or individually. (5 minutes)
JOURNAL
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18 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Homework task
Take a small group of students for a reading activity. Plan the before, during and after
activities you will do with the group using the framework below. Make a resource to go with
one or more of your activities. Evaluate what you did.
You may use the framework we used for The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, or a
lesson plan we have used in previous workshops, or one of your own choosing or, if you are
working towards a certificate, one provided by your registered training organisation.
19 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Session 4: Assessing reading
Watching a Modelled Assessment from PM Benchmarks Kit 2 “Playing in the Rain”
Three important things
1
2
3
Did the teacher?
1
Introduce the book
2
Give the student time to look at it/read it and to attempt a retelling
3
Decide whether the text is appropriate
4
Complete a running record as the student reads
5
Check the student understands what he/she has read
6
Calculate accuracy level, self-correction rate and reading level of the student
7
Analyse the student’s reading behaviours
8
Make recommendations for further work with the student
You can watch other people completing running records by searching for ‘running records’ at
http://www.teachertube.com
A useful PowerPoint about running records by Mr Ray Newton is available on the internet at
the following link.
www.reading.ccsu.edu/Kurkjian/RDG315WED2003/RunningRecords.pps
20 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
There are various notations to use in running records but some common notations are listed
below.
Reading Running Record Symbols and Marking Conventions
Reading Behaviour
Marking
Example
Convention
Accurate word reading
√ check mark above each
correctly read word
√
√ √
The brown dog…
Substitutions (one error if
not self-corrected; record
one error regardless of the
number of incorrect
substitutions)
Write each word attempted
above the actual word
√ brave √
The brown dog…
Omission (one error)
─── long dash
√
────
√
The brown dog…
Insertion (one error)
Λ caret in the extra word
√ Λlittle √
The brown dog…
Repetition of one word
(no error)
R (one repetition)
R2 (two repetitions)
R3 (three repetitions)
√
R
√
The brown dog…
———— R
The brown dog…
Repetition of phrase
(no error)
R with line and arrow to the
point where the reader
returned to repeat
Self- correction
(no error)
SC after the error to
indicate corrected error
√ brave/SC √
The brown dog…
Intervention / unable to
read word – word told
(one error)
Write T above the word if
you tell the student the
word (after 1 5-10 second
wait)
T
The brown dog…
Beginning Sound (no error)
(Optional)
Mark the sound above and
a √ check if s/he follows
with a correct word
√ b/ √ √
The brown dog…
Appeal to teacher for help
(no error if student reads
word correctly) (optional)
Reversal of words
Mark A above word
√
A
√
The brown dog…
Mark with a wavy line
The brown dog.
Source: www.nlsd113.com/.../RunningRecordSymbolsandMarkingConventions.doc
21 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Examples of Running Record Frameworks for Different Contexts
Individual Reading Assessment for use with children just beginning reading. To be used
by paraprofessionals who are asked to ‘listen to the students read’ on a regular basis.
Tracks books read to an adult and provides a record. Not designed to replace a formal
running record. Tick one box for each word read correctly or cross one box for each word
read incorrectly or omitted.
Name of student: ………………………………………………
Year Level: ……………
Date: ……………
Text: …………………………
Accuracy rate: ……………
(out of 25 words)
Comprehension Tasks/Questions
1. Retell the story.
2. Tell me about one of the characters.
Comprehension
Excellent Satisfactory Limited
Date: …………… Text: …………………………
Accuracy rate: ……………
(out of 25 words)
Comprehension Tasks/Questions
1. Retell the story.
2. Tell me about one of the characters.
Comprehension
Excellent Satisfactory Limited
Date: …………… Text: …………………………
Accuracy rate: ……………
(out of 25 words)
Comprehension Tasks/Questions
1. Retell the story.
2. Tell me about one of the characters.
Comprehension
Excellent Satisfactory Limited
Lynley Baker - Adapted from Robyn Ferguson’s Reading Assessment on Unfamiliar Text proforma 2000 (Version
1) for Top End Group School Assessment Guidelines (TAG)
22 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Individual Reading Assessment for use with children beginning to read longer texts. To be
used by paraprofessionals who are asked to ‘listen to the students read’ on a regular basis.
Tracks books read to an adult and provides a record. Not designed to replace a formal
running record. Tick one box for each word read correctly or cross one box for each word
read incorrectly or omitted.
Name of student: ………………………………………………
Year Level: ……………
Date: ……………
Text: …………………………
Accuracy rate: ……………
(out of 100 words)
Comprehension Tasks/Questions
1. Retell the story.
2. Tell me about one of the characters.
Comprehension
Excellent Satisfactory Limited
Date: …………… Text: …………………………
Accuracy rate: ……………
(out of 100 words)
Comprehension Tasks/Questions
1. Retell the story.
2. Tell me about one of the characters.
Comprehension
Excellent Satisfactory Limited
Date: …………… Text: …………………………
Accuracy rate: ……………
(out of 100 words)
Comprehension Tasks/Questions
1. Retell the story.
2. Tell me about one of the characters.
Comprehension
Excellent Satisfactory Limited
Lynley Baker - Adapted from Robyn Ferguson’s Reading Assessment on Unfamiliar Text proforma 2000 (Version
2) for Top End Group School Assessment Guidelines (TAG)
23 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Individual Reading Assessment
Name:
……………………………….........................................................................………………
Key:
T = Told
P = Prompted
SC = Self Corrected
R = Repeated
- = omitted word
 = Correct
Year Level: ………...................... Date: ………............……
Text: ………............................................................................…………………
Insert Text here, including title (Either paste in a hard copy or use
an electronic copy and type directly into this space.)
Word Recognition:
Child reads from the book.
Double space to allow room for your records.
Retell of Story:
It is more effective and accurate if you tape the child and doublecheck your notes after the session.
Remove above information to insert your text.
Main Idea:
Strategies:
Questions related to this text:
Comments:
…………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………
…………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………
…………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………
…………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………
…………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………
Lynley Baker - Running Records proforma 2004 for Top End Group School Assessment Guidelines (TAG)
24 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Individual Reading Assessment
Name:
……………………………….........................................................................………………
Key:
T = Told
P = Prompted
SC = Self Corrected R = Repeated
- = omitted word
 = Correct
Year Level: ………...................... Date: ………............……
Text: ………............................................................................…………………
Insert Title of text here
M
S
V
Insert Text here (Either paste in a hard copy or use an electronic copy and type
directly into this space.)
Child reads from the book.
Double space to allow room for your records.
It is more effective and accurate if you record the child and double check your notes
after the session.
Remove above information to insert your text.
Comments:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
* Key
M = meaning
(Does it
make sense?)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
S = structure
(Does it
sound right?)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
V = visual
(Does it look
similar?)
Lynley Baker - Running Records proforma 2004 for Top End Group School Assessment Guidelines (TAG)
25 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
What did I learn?
Community Circle

Have you ever used running records before?

What did you learn from this session?

What skills/help/understandings did you need to be able to participate in the activity?

How did you feel while doing and / after completing the session?

What do you think makes the use of running records an effective or not effective
assessment strategy?

Could you use/adapt the running records assessment activity to use with the students
you work with?
Journal entry
Make notes (in writing or drawing below) about these questions. You can work with another
person or individually. (5 minutes)
JOURNAL
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26 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Homework task
1. Complete a running record assessment activity with one of your students. Make sure you:

introduce the book to the student

allow the student to read or look through the book then ask her/him to retell it

decide if the book is at an appropriate level. If not select another one.

complete a running record

check student’s understanding of what he/she has read

calculate accuracy level, self-correction rate and reading level of the student

analyse the running record

make recommendations for future action with the students

evaluate the usefulness of the task
2. Bring copies of students’ independent writing attempts to the next workshop.
27 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k
Glossary – Educational Words and their meanings
(Add unfamiliar words to this list, and find the meanings which can also be added)
Some words you may have encountered in this workshop have been included for you below.







A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Pronouns can be in one of three
cases: Subject, Object, or Possessive
A Verb is a word that shows action (runs, hits, slides) or state of being (is, are, was,
were, am)
The Subject is the noun or pronoun in a sentence e.g.

She is playing outside.

They are playing outside.

The boys run on the football team.
An object is part of a sentence. It refers to somebody or something involved in the
subject's "doing" of the verb.

Susan threw the ball.

Jenny caught the ball.

Nathan sat on the fence.
Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They may come before the word
they describe (That is a cute puppy.) or they may follow the word they describe (That
puppy is cute.).
Adverbs are words that modify everything but nouns and pronouns. They modify
adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. A word is an adverb if it answers how, when, or
where. An adverb adds meaning to a verb. E.g. He snored loudly. Snored is the verb and
loudly is the adverb.
A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence e.g. "of",
"to", "in", "for", "with" and "on
It introduces the object of the sentence. e.g.

The book is on the table.

The book is beneath the table.

The book is leaning against the table.

The book is beside the table.

She held the book over the table.

She read the book during class.
Note: If grammar is something you missed out on at school there are usually grammar
books available in schools for students. See if you can find one to help you understand how
grammar works. You can also use the internet to find out more.
28 | W o r k s h o p 4 : P a r t i c i p a n t ’ s W o r k b o o k