Test Exam Tips & Suggestions
Take multiple choice first; If you read a strategy mentioned in the multiple-choice; write it down
and use it in your essay
Study DOMAIN 3 - REPEATED READING/FLUENCY
Read the National Reading Panel Report
Memorize a list of Instructional Strategies;
always identify the instructional strategy, not the instructional task
Email Melanie (Facebook Group) [email protected] or text at (559)772-22643
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Important reminders
Always follow prompt
1 hr to write the case study
15 mins: Leave time to re-read and add revisions/corrections
Practice multiple case studies; email Emily 1 Sample via Google Docs
About The Exam
50 % of the test is based on multiple-choice
50% of the test is based on the written case-study
The case-study uses a 4 point rubric. AIM FOR 3PTS
Look at Rubric****
Case-Study Steps
Analyze Data
Identify Teachable Need (refer to DATA)
Match the need to an instructional plan
Describe Instructional Plan
Provide Rationale
You Must Be Able To ...
Address the Prompt
Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant content
Apply that knowledge to the content when addressing
the prompt
Provide support in the response with evidence and
rationale
Show your understanding of all domains
What should I have prepared?
Memorize “Go-To” activities
Include “Buzz Words”
Writing Style: use sentence frames;
“The students lack in/of _____, suggests ______”
How To Make My Essay Stand Out
Focus on what interventions the teacher did
Provide clear/specific
Write to the 500 mark minimum
Re-read the response more than once
Mention specific assessments/buzzwords
My 5 Step Plan
1. Read the evidence correctly and find a pattern
2. Note Strengths, Weaknesses, and Strategies on
3 Column Graphic Organizer
3. Focus on students likes, dislikes, motivation,
and attitudes towards reading
4. Organize, use buzz words
5. Cite activities and strategies
Graphic Organizer for the Exam:
Write Strengths, Weaknesses, Strategies;
Create a 3-column graphic organizer
Use Data;
Pay attention to students likes, dislikes, motivation, attitude towards reading
Cite the evidence;
“.....according to the Isolated word inventory, …..according to the running record”
Possible Strategies;
If the student is weak in fluency? Repeated reading
If the student is weak in literal comprehension? The student should use graphic organizers
and identify the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why)
Where is the information I need that I can write on?
What strengths are supported with evidence?
What teaching points can we sustain?
CHOSE 2 TEACHING POINTS FROM 2 DIFFERENT DOMAINS
Which teaching points do you have a solid strategy for?
Notes: 3rd-grade student
BOY - Beginning of the Year
Issues with Fluency/Disruptive; constant self-correction, reading was not automatic;
*ALWAYS IDENTIFY GRADE/TIME OF YEAR (BOY/MOY/EOY)
*IDENTIFY READING RATE IN COMPARISON TO AVERAGE GRADE
Strengths: Weaknesses: Strategies:
The student is committed to Disfluent; student struggles Explicit instruction in
memory (use metacognitive with fluency and automaticity. decoding compound words
skills to read common sight The student has a low reading Word sorts; not a form of
words) rate of 57 words per minute, in instruction, its a form of
Based on the running record, comparison to XXX words per practice
the student is self-correcting to minute (XX grade lvl). Repeated reading;
monitor for meaning. As Student struggles with something that is validated
indicated by …… polysyllabic words by the NRP;
Student struggles with
*self-correction indicates the compound words
student has to monitor for
meaning
What domain is “compound words” in?
*Reference DOMAIN 2 if the student cannot decode the word (word analysis)
*Reference DOMAIN 4 if the student cannot define the word (comprehension)
How do we explain the ‘repeated reading’ strategy?
*Do not confuse this with re-reading
Re-reading: go back and re-read
Repeated reading: a systematic strategy that has student read the same text over time;
use this strategy to improve rate
ESSAY OUTLINE
Paragraph 1:
name grade, age; start with strengths;
you must focus on the strengths of the student first;
Clearly identify the need as evidence by data;
write in needs in order/by the ranking of importance;
Paragraph 2:
identify 2 prominent areas of weaknesses.
Use buzz words (“...as indicated by the evidence…”)
(“she has this need … as indicated by…”)
*Paragraph 3:
identify 1st weakness, 1st strategy, 1 rationale (reference National Reading Panel Reprt)
“to improve this skill, the teacher will …..”;
follow a guided practice plan to allow gradual release of responsibility;
“I DO/WE DO/YOU DO”;
Instruction should have an explicit and direct system of progression;
Rationale: “ If the student continues with this instructional plan, she is sure to go on to be
a grade level reader” “Based on the NRPR, if the student continues with this instructional
strategy, she will demonstrate improvement in becoming an independent reader”
*The bulk of my essay
*Paragraph 4:
identify 2nd weakness, 2nd strategy, 1 rationale (reference NRPR)
“to improve this skill, the teacher will …..”;
follow a guided practice plan to allow gradual release of responsibility;
“I DO/WE DO/YOU DO”;
Instruction should have an explicit and direct system of progression;
Rationale: “ If the student continues with this instructional plan, she is sure to go on to be
a grade level reader” “Based on the NRPR, if the student continues with this instructional
strategy, she will demonstrate improvement in becoming an independent reader”
*The bulk of my essay
Paragraph 5:
CLIFFNOTES
P. 265 - CASE STUDY PRACTICE
TARA
Read prompt; identify the name, age, grade;
Assessment - Reference domain 1
My essay must include three parts
Identify 3 strengths and/or weakness; 1 strength, 2 needs
*Address 2 needs and build on each strategy
Rationale: Reading Proficiency
Identity quantifiable needs: can we assess the student’s needs (assessment)?
Level of frustration: 4th grade
Low Accuracy Level: 92%
Struggles with reading multisyllabic words that are visually similar
MSV- Meaning, Semantic, Visual
Lacks phonics knowledge to decode words; she needs to be taught syllables types, vowel
patterns, multisyllabic words, to improve her accuracy and reading proficiency
Slow reading fluency should indicate word-level instruction; Best supported on the data
provided by the running record, Tara (6th grade) benefits from direct instruction of learning
multisyllabic words, with intervention on vowel digraphs. The teacher should follow up with
repeated reading to improve fluency. The teacher should allow the student to read decodable
text or text with controlled vocabulary as a way to transfer the skill and allow the student to
work independently.
ASSIGNMENT A PRACTICE:
Notes:
2nd grade
Below benchmark
Reads controlled vocabulary text (nearly all words are HFW or sight words)
Teacher does read aloud over days as teacher monitors reading
Accuracy, Rate or Prosody? Which is most likely linked to and explain how the strategy
promotes the development of ________.
ASSIGNMENT B PRACTICE:
Grade: 5th grade
Pre-Lesson: Reads chapter books on tree classification
Small groups: (Tree Classification: Each group is given a set of labeled photos and diagrams of
type of tree)
Task: Students will use photos, diagrams, and will write down characteristics and present
findings
Data Collection: As students share, teacher writes down key words/terminology and phrases on
visual board
Conclusion: Teacher conducts a final whole-class discussion where students identify
commonalities of more than one type of tree and sort trees by such characteristics.
Differentiation of instruction: use sentence frames, oral response frames, use of realia and visuals
for EL Students,
“What’s the difference between the reciprocal teaching strategy and the jigsaw activity?”
Jig-saw; breaking down of content, every student is doing a piece of the lesson and come back
to teach the class; in this type of learning the student will facilitate their own learning; this
includes group roles (e.g. note taker, time keeper, presenter, editor) which allows ownership of
learning
Reciprocal; students can participate in different learning environment but have the same
content
“What is the difference between Practice and Strategy?”
Practice: What you want to learn; what will you do?
Strategy: the means by which you do it; how will you do it?
