Jared is a 3-year old boy whose reading, writing, oral language, and phonological skills are being assessed. He understands basic concepts like holding a book correctly and that stories have pictures, but does not recognize that words have meaning. In writing, he uses pictures but not letters to convey meaning. Orally, he has good syntax but needs work on some pronunciation. Overall assessments show he is at an early pre-reading/writing stage with strengths in comprehension and motor skills, and needs practice with letter-sound connections, conventions of print, and phonological awareness.

1. Jared: Three year old
Writing Samples
Reading Sample

2. Writing Samples

5. Reading Sample

9. At first glance…
• What do you notice as you reflect on
Jared’s reading sample?

10. Preliminary Reading Analysis
Patterns Strengths Needs
holds book draws meaning letter/sound
correctly from pictures recognition
huge vocabulary
turns pages on his base more concepts of
own print
beginning stages of
tells the story using concepts of print
the picture

11. What must learners understand about concepts of prinT as
they begin to read & write?
• Print carries meaning; it conveys a message.
• Spoken words can be written & preserved.
• Written words can be spoken (read aloud).
• In English, words are read from left to right, top to
bottom.
• In English & other alphabetic languages, speech stream
can be divided into sounds & these sounds are
represented by letters or groups of letters (alphabetic
principle).
• Speech has a linear sequence in time that tends to
correspond to the linear sequence of written language
• Sound/symbol correspondences are consistent, but in
English there are many exceptions.

12. Additional Preliminary Findings
Conventions of print: Jared understands how to hold
book, recognizes book cover, knows to start on first page
to read story, turned pages on his own, understands that
pages link the story together.
Understands that book carries meaning:Jared
understands that the book tells a story with pictures
Print carries meaning: Jared does not yet understand
that the words on the page carry meaning, did not follow
or point to words while “reading” – did not acknowledge
that words were there.

13. What must learners understand about
story elements?
• Beginning middle end;
• Control of punctuation, lower/upper case letters;
• Punctuation to define units (e.g., like periods after a
sentence, but not after every word);
• Conflict or problem (in story);
• Detailed descriptions;
• Character development;
• Setting, setting development & its influence re:
characters & story.

14. Use of Language Systems in Reading
Semantics (meaning): expects book/story to make
sense, uses pictures to support meaning
Syntax (structure): Not at point of reading a sentence
and figuring out unknown word based on sentence
structure
Grapho-phonetic (visual): Not at point of recognizing
letters or understanding that letters carry meaning. When
shown letters [letter identification], Jared could not
identify any letters – upper or lower case.
Pragmatics: Not at a point of understanding types of
texts, genre, purpose for reading, etc. (other than
enjoyment). When Jared was done “reading” the book,
he asked if he could read some more.

15. Developmental Stages of Reading
Stage 0: Pre-reading (birth to age 6)
Stage 1: Initial reading or decoding stage (grades 1-
2, ages 6-7)
Stage 2: Confirmation, Fluency, Ungluing from Print
(Grades 2-3, ages 7-8)
Stage 3: Reading for Learning New Information
(grades vary, ages vary)
Stage 4: Reading for Multiple view points (high
school, ages 14-18)
Stage 5: Reading to construct and reconstruct – a
world view (college, age 18 and above)
(Chall, 1996 as cited in Harp & Brewer)

16. At first glance…
• What do you notice as you reflect on
Jared’s writing sample?

17. Preliminary Writing Analysis
Patterns Strengths Needs
uses pictures to draws pictures to Letter formation
convey meaning show meaning
copies with some
accuracy symbols pencil grip is close
and lines to what is needed
to form letters
correctly

18. Additional Preliminary Findings
No concept of writing yet: After reviewing the written samples given by
Jared, it is noted that Jared has no concept of written language yet. Much of
this analysis comes from observations made while Jared was writing and
drawing.
Pictures convey meaning: He understands that pictures can convey a
meaning, as when he was prompted to describe his favorite people he drew
pictures instead of trying to write words. See link to reading – later – this is also
evident in his reading.
Copying letters (random letter stage of writing/spelling): When asked
to copy symbols and lines, Jared was able to copy the lines quite easily; however
the symbols gave him difficulty.
Fine motor skills – holding pencil in hand: Jared holds pen with an extended
fingers grasp, which is a simplistic handwriting grasp.
Awareness of writing with letters: Jared is aware that adults do not only
draw pictures to convey meaning, but they also write down letters. He has
stated that he is excited to go to school to learn what “Sissy does at school”.

19. Preliminary Oral Language
Analysis

20. Patterns Strengths Needs Strategies used
- Understands - use of basic Pronunciation: -humor
that language English syntax - acquire “ed”
is for morpheme
communicating - confident pronunciation
and sharing speaker for simple past
ideas tense
- has a sense of
English syntax
(subject, verb,
object;
adjective-verb
[cholat pudding,
orange wing,
little bite]
- uses his
imagination

21. Patterns Strengths Needs Strategies
- Understands that - use of basic English Pronunciation: -humor
language is for syntax - acquire “ed” -enthusiasm
communicating and morpheme
sharing ideas - confident speaker pronunciation for
- simple past tense
- has a sense of English - loves conveying -
syntax (subject, verb, thoughts and ideas - acquire /θ/ and /ð/
object; adjective-verb phonemes, and the
[cholat pudding, orange - able to answer
wing] questions that focus - acquire the /s/
- on current phoneme related to
- uses his imagination conversation & “to be” verb, 3rd
- referents person singular,
- pronounces “ed” as contractions
“ded” for simple past - uses imagination -
tense (playded,
watchded) - understands
- pragmatics related to
- reduces pronunciation social-contextual
of “ing” as “in” (bein, expectation for
pudding) saying “thank you”

22. Language Patterns of Strengths Errors (# and/or type) Strategies
System (# &/or type) evident
Phonology - Able to pronounce most - Uses “d” for “th” (word
(pronunciation) phonemes in -English initial, middle & word final)
when he communicates? ( 16 errors out of 16 times
- understands rising used)
intonation for questions
(See? A Debra? I done?) - Reduces “ing” phoneme to
“in” (pudding, pretend,
being) ( 5 out of 5 times)
Syntax - Has an understanding of - deletes “to be” verb when
(grammar) basic English syntax it is needed (telegraphic
- Can use simple language) (I done, It orange)
attributive adjectives to (6 errors out of 9 times)
describe nouns
Lexicon - Uses simple vocabulary
(vocabulary) for daily activities (play,
watch TV or movie, eat,
dinner, dessert, bath,
stories)
- Uses simple vocabulary
for child play (home
animals, zoo animals,
trucks, colors, pretending,
dragon, animal sounds)