This project offers valuable information into various assessment tools and remedial methods that can be used with elementary students. This particular presentation was based on the needs of a third grade child who was classified as a struggling reader by his classroom teacher.

1. Classroom Literacy
Profile (CLP)
Ball State University
by BJ Zagorac, M.A., M.Ed.

2. Introduction and Background
 Problem: Frederick is 8-years-old and just
began third grade, but he is unable to read at
grade-level and is behind his peers in reading.
 No documentary evidence is available since
Frederick has been transferred in/out of many school
districts.
 Classroom teacher needs assistance in helping
Frederick to advance in reading.
 Frederick is a well-behaved child who exhibits a
positive attitude in the classroom.
 Frederick has no known vision or hearing problems.

3. Dr. Fry PhonemicAwarenessAssessment
 Phonemic Awareness Assessment by Dr. Fry
 Administered orally by the teacher
 Tests a child’s awareness in the following categories:
 Phoneme Isolation
 Phoneme Identity
 Phoneme Categorization
 Phoneme Blending
 Phoneme Segmentation
 Phoneme Deletion
 Phoneme Addition
 Phoneme Substitution
 Each category includes 5 items and a child is awarded 1
point for each correct response. Total score is out of 40.

5. Test of PhonemicAwareness
 Phonemic Awareness Tests by McKenna &
Stahl (2009)
 Contains 9 categories, including the 8 on Dr. Fry’s
test, but with the addition of rhyme.
 Different than Dr. Fry’s test as the teacher can
develop the words in each category, allowing for
more flexibility during administration.
 All items are administered orally, and scoring
guidelines are the same as Dr. Fry’s test.

7. Interventions following Phonemic
AwarenessAssessments
 1 –Word Play: students can manipulate the sounds of
words.
 Select books that have features of spoken words that can
be manipulated. For example, in the book The Hungry
Thing Goes to a Restaurant, students can listen for nonsense
words used by the monster and determine the real words
that the monster meant.
 2 – Rhyme Activities: students should develop awareness
of rhyming words.
 Point out rhyming words to students as books are read
aloud. For example, reading nursery rhymes is a great start
to help students hear words that rhyme. After rhyme, the
teacher can point out how each word has a unique set of
individual sounds (phonemes).

8. Gunning Phonics Inventory
 Phonics Inventory (Gunning, 2013)
 This inventory assesses the following elements of
phonics:
 Short-Vowel Patterns
 Short-Vowels with Consonant Clusters
 Long-Vowel Patterns
 R-Controlled Vowles
 Ambiguous/Other Vowels (mainly diphthongs)
 List contains 50 words, with 10 words for each
category.
 Student is asked to read the word list to the teacher.

10. Interventions following Phonics Inventory
 1 – Making Words with LetterTiles
 Students make different words following specific phonics
patterns.
 Smaller words are often made from 1 larger word.
 Students make the words with letter tiles and then are
requested to write each word they make.
 An example would be the use of Patricia Cunningham’s
Making Words lessons.
 2 –Word Sorts
 Teacher provides words that follow a specific phonics
pattern and ask students to sort them based on the phonics
patterns present.
 An example would be having students sort words with the
short vowel -an and -in rimes and contrasting them.

13. The Z-Test of Phonics Rimes
 The Z-Test (McKenna & Stahl, 2009):
 This test samples a student’s ability to identify and
read words from the 37 most common word
families.
 All the words (psuedo) begin with the letter “z,” so
this test focuses exclusively on the child’s
knowledge the rime in each word.
 This assessment does not include any formal
scoring guidelines, but it is highly useful to
determine which word families a child may need
additional help with to be successful in reading.

15. Interventions following Z-Test
 PersonalWord Bank
 Student is given a few of the most common rimes and is
must find and write down words that follow a specific rime.
 For example, the teacher could ask the student to find
words following the ack and ain word patterns during
independent reading time.
 Word Games
 Student is given between 3-4 word cards containing a
common rime along with word cards containing
consonants or consonant clusters.
 Student places the rime cards face down in one column and
the consonant cards face down in another column.
 Student selects one card from each column and determines
if an actual word is formed. If so, the students writes down
the word (which can be worth a point).
 This game may be played with the teacher or another
student.

16. Multidimensional Fluency Scale
 The Multidimensional Fluency Scale is based
on NAEP criteria (McKenna & Stahl, 2009).
 Rubric for assessing fluency includes:
 Expression andVolume
 Phrasing
 Smoothness
 Pace of Reading
 Each section of the rubric listed above is rated on
a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the best.
 Total scores can range from 4 to 16.
 Scores > 8 indicate fluency is progressing while
scores < 8 indicate concern with fluency.

17. The Multidimensional Fluency Scale
EXPRESSION ANDVOLUME
1 Reads words as if simply to get them out. Little sense of trying to make text sound like natural language.Tends to read
in a quiet voice.
2 Begins to use voice to make text sound like natural language in some areas of the text but not in others. Focus remains
largely on pronouncing the word. Still reads in a quiet voice.
3 Make text sound like natural language throughout the better part of the passage. Occasionally slips into
expressionless reading. Voice volume is generally appropriate throughout the text.
4 Reads with good expression and enthusiasm throughout the text.Varies expression and volume to match his or her
interpretation of the passage.
PHRASING
1 Reads in a monotone with little sense of boundaries; frequently reads word-by-word.
2 Frequently reads in two- and three-word phrases, giving the impression of choppy reading; improper stress and
intonation fail to mark ends of sentences and clauses.
3 Reads with a mixture of run-ons, mid-sentence pauses for breath, and some choppiness, reasonable stress and
intonation.
4 Generally reads with good phrasing, mostly in clause and sentence units, with adequate attention to expression.
SMOOTHNESS
1 Makes frequent extended pauses, hesitations, false starts, sound-outs, repetitions, and/or multiple attempts.
2 Experiences several “rough spots” in text where extended pauses or hesitations are more frequent and disruptive.
3 Occasionally breaks smooth rhythm because of difficulties with specific words and/or structures.
4 Generally reads smoothly with some breaks, but resolves word and structure difficulties quickly, usually through self-
correction.
PACE
1 Reads slowly and laboriously.
2 Reads moderately slowly.
3 Reads with an uneven mixture of fast and slow pace.
4 Consistently reads at conversational pace; appropriate rate throughout reading.

18. Interventions following MFS
 Wide Fluency Oriented Oral Reading (Wide FOOR)
 Teacher selects 3 different books to be read over the course of 1
week.
 Teacher meets with student or small group 3 times during the
week, each time focusing on a different book for fluency gains.
 Lessons involve echo and choral reading.
 Fluency Development Lesson (FDL)
 Teacher selects a short text to read aloud to the students 2-3
times as each student follows along silently.
 Students then read the text chorally as a whole class.
 Students are divided into pairs and read the text to their partner
2-3 times each as their partner provides encouragement and
support for the reader.
 Students are given the option of performing the text for their
classmates or in small groups.
 Words from the text may be selected for word study.

19. Curriculum-Based Measure for Fluency
 Curriculum-Based Measures for Fluency
involve looking at the student’s reading rate.
 Short reading passage of about 100 words is
presented to the student.
 Teacher calculates the number of words per
minute that the student reads correctly (WCPM).
 Teacher compares theWCPM with norms
developed by Hasbrouck andTindal as provided in
the McKenna and Stahl (2009) textbook.
 Norms are given in percentiles at 90, 75, 50, 25,
and 10.

21. Interventions following Curriculum-Based
Fluency Measures
 Reader’sTheater
 Students are assigned texts that will eventually be performed for
the class and/or audience.
 Teacher can assign students to work independently, in pairs, or
small groups.
 Students read text repeatedly until they are prepared to read it
fluently to the class and/or audience.
 Read Naturally
 Teacher takes an initial reading of a passage, measuringWCPM.
 Goal is to increase theWCPM that student reads.
 Student listens to passage on audio CD and then practices the
same passage several times afterwards.
 Teacher chooses a time for student to read passage aloud to see
if goal has been achieved.

23. VocabularyAssessment – Benchmark Tests
 This teacher-developed assessment
combines vocabulary questions from the end
of the year Benchmark Assessment for 2nd
grade and the beginning of the year
placement BenchmarkTest for 3rd grade.
 20 Multiple Choice Questions testing a student’s
knowledge of robust vocabulary words.
 Teacher reads assessment to student.
 Each question was developed by the authors of
Harcourt StoryTown.
 Scoring could be based on a total percentage.

24. Example Vocabulary Questions
 They _______ their boots across the snow.
a. stomped
b. journeyed
c. sipped
d. entertain
 Which word means the OPPOSITE of serious?
a. hungry
b. heavy
c. silly
d. sad
 What might you hear if your class is in chaos?
a. silence
b. loud noise
c. raindrops

25. Interventions following Benchmark Vocab
Test
 Concept of Definition Map
 This approach involves using a graphic organizer to help
students organize various concepts about a target word.
 Is appropriate for use with more challenging words that
students may have little familiarity with.
 Concepts maps can help extend vocabulary with specific
examples, descriptions, and similarities to other words.
 DirectTeaching ofVocabulary
 Teacher determines what words are appropriate to know
before the start of a text or topic of study.
 Teacher provides direct instruction relating to the word:
 Definition
 Information on Context
 Examples of Usage

27. Bader Word/Vocab ListAssessment
 The Bader Reading and Language Inventory
(2009) provides graded word lists that can be
used to determine a student’s reading level
based on knowledge of the vocabulary words
in each list.
 Lists range from preprimer to high school.
 10 vocab words on each list.
 Determines instructional level, which is the grade
level at which no more than 2 words are missed on
that list.
 Testing should continue until the student misses 4
or more words on any given list.

29. Interventions following Bader Word/Vocab
Test
 Teaching Syllabic Analysis with Pattern Approach
 Teacher presents several words to students based on a high
frequency syllable.
 Teacher should always provide direct instruction of the
syllable at the start of the lesson.
 Example might include teaching the /it/ syllable pattern and
explaining how knowing this syllable can help students
pronounce polysyllabic words such as mitten, kitchen, rabbit,
written, and other large words that follow that syllable
pattern.
 Many extension activities can help solidify student’s
knowledge of the syllable pattern. Examples include finding
words in text that fit the pattern, combining word parts to
make polysyllabic words, and asking students to come up
with real words themselves that fit the pattern.

30. Interventions following Bader Word/Vocab
Test - continued
 Teaching Morphemic Analysis
 In this approach, the teacher focuses on teaching students
prefixes, suffixes, and root words.
 Most important prefixes for 3rd grade include un, under, dis,
and re. Most important suffixes are able, ible, ful, ness, tion,
y, al, ance, and ence (Gunning, 2013).
 A specific example of an activity might involve giving
students word cards to sort by meaning of the prefixes un
and re. After sorting, teacher can ask the student to
pronounce each word and then help the student draw a
generalization of what the prefixes un and re often mean
when seen in words.
 Follow-up activity could include having students locate
words with those prefixes and provide a brief definition of
the word based on knowledge of that prefix.

31. IRI to Test Reading Comprehension
 Bader Reading Inventory (2009)
 Many reading passages to choose from.
 Assist in identifying a student’s instructional,
independent, and frustration reading levels.
 First passage to student should be one level below
his/her instructional level based on word list
results from vocabulary assessment.
 Student is asked to retell the passage after
reading it.
 In addition to retelling, the teacher can use
comprehension questions as a guide.

33. Interventions following IRI
 Teach Key Components of Retelling for Fiction &
Nonfiction
 Teacher modeling of both fiction and nonfiction retells is
important.
 For fiction, the teacher should model retelling with a focus on
problem, solution, characters, and setting.
 For nonfiction, the teacher should model retelling with a focus on
main ideas and supporting details in the text.
 Teach the Strategy ofWriting Gist Statements
 Works well with nonfiction texts but can be used with fiction texts
as well.
 Teacher models writing a Gist Statement of the main idea of a
text on chart paper.
 Teacher requests that students help provide details from the text
that support the Gist Statement.
 Teacher writes a concluding statement with help from the class.

34. Nonfiction Retell Rubric
(Target Score 10 or Better)
 Main idea statements - 2 points each
 Supporting details - 1 point each
 Use of core academic vocabulary
from selection - Maximum 4 points
 Evaluative statement about quality of
writing, a craft element, text features,
or author point of view - 2 points
A minimum score of 8 needed to
move to the next level of text

35. Fiction Retell Rubric
(Target Score 10 or Better)
 Characters - 1 point
 Setting - 1 point
 Problem - 1 point
 Solution - 1 point
 Main idea statement - 1 point
 Significant events in order - 3 points
(Can earn 1 of 3 or 2 of 3 if events are incomplete or out of
order)
 Evaluative statement about quality of
writing, craft element, story attribute,
or character - 2 points
A minimum score of 8 needed to
move to the next level of text

37. Metacomprehension Strategy Index (MSI)
 MSI Assessment
 This assessment comes in the form of a survey
that the teacher can read to the student.
 Survey assesses comprehension strategies that
students use before, during, and after reading.
 25 Questions – Multiple choice format
 No definite right answer, but there are strategies
that good readers use contained in each question.
 Teacher compares student’s responses to the ideal
responses that good readers use.

38. Breakdown of Strategies Measured on MSI
Predicting
and
Verifying
Previewing Purpose
Setting
Self
Questioning
Using
Background
Knowledge
Summarizing
& Fix-Up
Strategies
#s 1, 4, 13,
15, 16, 18,
23
#s 2, 3 #s 5, 6, 21 #s 6, 14, 17 #s 8, 9, 10, 19,
24, 25
#s 11, 12, 20,
22

39. Samples Questions from MSI
Before Reading
Before I begin reading, it’s a good idea to
A. See how many pages are in the story
B. Look up all of the big words in the dictionary
C. Make some guesses about what I think will happen in the story
D.Think about what has happened so far in the story
During Reading
While I am reading, it’s a good idea to
A. Read the story very slowly so that I will not miss any important parts
B. Read the title to see what the story is about
C. Check to see if the pictures have anything missing
D. Check to see if the story is making sense by seeing if I can tell what’s
happened so far

40. Interventions following MSI
 ExplicitlyTeach Students Comprehension Strategies
 Teachers should explicitly teach and model several
comprehension strategies for students.
 Strategies include activating background knowledge,
setting a purpose, making predictions, summarizing,
creating mental images, identifying text structure, etc.
 Teachers should gradually release responsibility to students
after sufficient modeling and explicit instruction.
 Teach Reciprocal Questioning (ReQuest)
 Promotes deeper reading and the development of well-
thought-out questions.
 Encourages open-ended questions that are asked by the
student.
 This teaching strategy requires a sufficient amount of
modeling from the teacher in order to be successfully used
with students.

42. Steps in ReQuest
Step 1
Teacher models how to ask good questions
Step 2
Teacher introduces/orients students to the text
Step 3
Stop point in text so student can ask teacher questions
Step 4
Teacher asks student follow-up questions
Step 5
Process repeats with another student (if in groups)

43. WritingAssessment – Elementary Spelling
Inventory (ESI)
 Elementary Spelling Inventory
 Contains 25 words that students are requested to
spell.
 Each word is reviewed for specific features to
determine if student has mastered that feature of
spelling.
 Teacher reviews the number of spelling features
the student missed to determine which phase of
spelling the student is presently in.
 There are 5 spelling phases that a student could be
classified in.

45. Interventions following ESI
 Use ofWord Study Notebook
 Students should write down the words they sorted from the
phonics lesson.
 Writing allows students to practice the spelling patterns they are
learning and helps them remember for future use.
 Students should also write about what they learned from sorting
the pattern words during the week. This will allow not only for
writing practice, but careful reflection on what has been learned
about the spelling/phonics pattern sorts.
 Specific Example
Students can be asked to sort words such as spine, shine, bite, sky,
my, and try. Students would write out these words from the sort
provided by the teacher. During the writing reflection, the
students would explain how they discovered that an e on the end
of a word following a consonant often means the first vowel (the
i) is long and that the y can make the long / i / sound when at the
end of a word.

46. Interventions following ESI - continued
 Direct Modeling through Shared Writing
 This method involves the teacher working
collaboratively with students to compose texts.
 A variety of purposes are served with SharedWriting,
and the teacher has the chance to model such things
as:
 Talking about different word patterns
 Prompt students to engage in strategies like using the word
wall and other classroom resources (books, dictionaries,
etc.).
 Paying attention to word families and the relationships
between words.
 SharedWriting creates a trusting environment for
learning about spelling and writing.

47. WritingAssessment: Rubric
 Rubric forWriting (Bromley, 2011)
 7 areas of writing are reviewed and rated on a
scale from 1 to 4, with 1 being the lowest score
and 4 being the highest score.
 Content of Ideas
 Order of Ideas
 Sentence Structure
 Spelling
 Punctuation
 Capitals
 Handwriting

49. Interventions following Writing Rubric
 TeachThe 6 + 1WritingTraits
 The traits provide specific guidelines on what excellent
writing should include.
 Traits:
 Ideas
 Organization
 Voice
 Word Choice
 Sentence Fluency
 Conventions
 Presentation
 These traits can provide teachers with a focus point for
helping students develop as writers.
 Student and teacher scoring guides are included in book.

52. Interventions following Writing Rubric -
continued
 Teach Expository Writing Strategies
 Teacher selects a specific type of expository writing
structure to show students.
 Teacher locates books with that text structure and
reads/discusses them with students.
 Students are given the opportunity to compose a piece of
writing based on the text structure being taught.
 Text Structures:
 Description
 Sequence
 Comparison
 Cause/Effect
 Problem/Solution

54. Concluding Remarks
 The primary purpose of assessment is to guide
instruction for students.
 With the prudent use of assessments, all
students, including struggling readers like
Frederick, can experience success in literacy.
 While assessments provide valuable information,
teachers must realize all assessments have their
limitations.
 Teachers should consider the resources that are
available for struggling readers in their school
(RTI, Reading Recovery, lessons with a reading
specialist, help from a literacy coach, …).

55. References
Almasi, J. F., & Fullerton, S. K. (2012). Teaching strategic processes in
reading. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Bader, L. A., & Pearce, D. L. (2009). Bader reading and language inventory.
Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2012). Words their
way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Blachowicz, C. L., & Fisher, P. J. (2011). Best practices in vocabulary
instruction. In L. M. Morrow & L. B. Gambrell (Eds.), Best practices in
literacy instruction (pp. 224-249). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Bromley, K. (2011). Best practices in teaching writing. In L. M. Morrow & L.
B. Gambrell (Eds.), Best practices in literacy instruction (pp. 295-318).
New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Cunningham, P. M., & Hall, D. P. (2009). Making words: 2nd grade. Boston,
MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Dow, R. S., & Baer, G. T. (2013). Self-paced phonics: A text for educators.
Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

56. References - continued
Gunning, T. G. (2013). Creating literacy instruction for all students. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Hoyt, L., Davis, K., Olson, J. & Boswell, K. (2011). Solutions for reading
comprehension: Strategic interventions for striving learners. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann.
Kuhn, M. R., & Rasinski, T. (2011). Best practices in fluency instruction. In
L. M. Morrow & L. B. Gambrell (Eds.), Best practices in literacy
instruction (pp. 276-294). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
McAndrews, S. L. (2008). Diagnostic literacy assessments and instructional
strategies. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
McKenna, M. C., & Dougherty Stahl, K. A. (2009). Assessment for reading
instruction. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Read Naturally, Inc. (2007). Placement Packet: Read Naturally Master’s
Edition ME.
Schmitt, M.C. (1990). A questionnaire to measure children’s awareness of
strategic reading processes. The Reading Teacher, 43, 454-461.