This document provides information about gathering data on students' reading levels through formal assessments. It analyzes data from three students using Fountas and Pinnell Running Records, Scholastic Reading Inventory, and Reading Plus. The data shows the students struggle with comprehension. The document discusses selecting texts using the Literacy Matrix and designing lessons to target vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension using various instructional perspectives and texts.

1. Literate Environment Analysis
Darby Boardman

2. Getting to Know My Students
Gathering data about students will helps teachers understand where
their students are academically and verify that they are meeting
state and district standards (Tompkins, 2010).
Formal assessments I used to gather my data:
Fountas and Pinnell Reading Running Records
Scholastic Reading Inventory
Reading Plus

3. Formal Assessments
Fountas and Pinnell Reading Running Records:
Students read either a fiction or a non-fiction book aloud while their teacher marks
whether the child is reading fluently, any miscues the child says, how the student decodes,
etc. Then after reading the teacher then asks the child various questions to gage their level
of comprehension. This formal assessment allows the teacher to determine where the child
is reading independently and instructionally.
Scholastic Reading Inventory:
This assessment is computer based and reports students’ reading levels using Lexile scores
(Tompkins, 2010).
Reading Plus:
Reading Plus picks up where phonics and oral reading instruction leave off, providing rapid
and sustainable comprehension and silent reading fluency gains (Our System, 2011).

4. Student Data
Student Name Reading Running Record Reading Plus
M. K. Instructional: L Avg. Comprehension: 68%
Independent: K Reading Level: 2
K. R. Instructional: L Avg. Comprehension: 69%
Independent: K Reading Level: 1.5
A.A. Instructional: L Avg. Comprehension: 86%
Independent: K Reading Level: 1.5
Reading Level on Reading Plus is the highest level where the student received an 80%
comprehension accuracy score.

5. What the Data Shows
I noticed that when it came time to the comprehension questions in the Reading
Running Records, these three students lacked comprehension skills. They could
not remember what they just read to me.
After reviewing the data from my students I was able to see that in regards to the
five pillars of Reading: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency,
Comprehension, and Writing (Laureate Education, 2012); that I was going to be
working mainly with the last 4 pillars.
Student Name Reading Running Record Reading Plus
M. K. Instructional: L Avg. Comprehension: 68%
Independent: K Reading Level: 2
K. R. Instructional: L Avg. Comprehension: 69%
Independent: K Reading Level: 1.5
A.A. Instructional: L Avg. Comprehension: 86%
Independent: K Reading Level: 1.5

6. Pillars of Reading
Vocabulary: My students are currently working with vocabulary through the use of
their Literature Circle book. They are choosing words they are unfamiliar with in
their book to study in order to become familiar with them .
Fluency: Part of the reason why my students’ comprehension is lacking is due to
the fact that their reading is labored. They are spending more time focusing on
the words themselves then the story as a whole. A way to work on this with these
students is to work on Reader’s Theatre or reading chorally.
Comprehension: A way to monitor comprehension with my students is to have
them separate their reading passages into sections and taking the time to stop
when they are reading and make a note of what that passage was about.
Writing: Writing can be used through the use of responding to the reading. It can
be as simple as a drawing to as rigorous as a report on what they are reading and
how they feel about it.

7. Selecting Texts
A great resource to use when selecting texts for students would be
the Literacy Matrix (Laureate Education, 2009).
It is broken into three different axes. The first, running similar to the
x-axis in a coordinate grid in mathematics, being the type of text:
Narrative to Informational text. The next axis (y-axis) would be
Linguistic to Semiotic; does the text have more words in it or does it
consist of more pictures than words. The last axis would be the
dimension of difficulty, is the text easy or hard to read.

8. Framework for Literacy Instruction
Learners Texts Instructional Practices
Affective and cognitive aspects Text structures, types, genres, and Developmentally appropriate
of literacy learning difficulty levels matched to literacy research-based practices used with
learners and literacy goals and appropriate texts to facilitate
objectives affective and cognitive aspects of
literacy development in all learners
Interactive Perspective Use a variety of informal and Determine texts of the appropriate Use instructional methods that
Reading and writing formal assessments to types and levels of difficulty to meet address the cognitive and affective
accurately, fluently, and with determine areas of strength and literacy goals and objectives for needs of students and the demands
comprehension need in literacy development. students. of the particular text.
Being strategic and Promote students’ independent use
metacognitive readers and of reading strategies and skills.
writers
Critical Perspective Find out about ideas, issues, and Select texts that provide Foster a critical stance by teaching
Judging, evaluating, and problems that matter to opportunities for students to judge, students how to judge, evaluate,
thinking critically about text students. evaluate, and think critically. and think critically about texts.
Understand the learner as a
unique individual.
Response Perspective Find out about students’ Select texts that connect to students’ Provide opportunities for students
Reading, reacting, and interests and identities. identities and/or interests and that to read, react, and formulate a
responding to text in a Understand what matters to have the potential to evoke an personal response to text.
variety of meaningful ways students and who they are as emotional or personal response.
individuals.
Laureate Education, 2009

9. Narrative Text
Nancy Drew and the Zoo Crew
This mystery book is a story about a few children who help out at
the zoo and find out that one of the toys goes missing. When it
comes to the Literacy Matrix, Nancy Drew: The Zoo Crew falls in the
Narrative Linguistic category. It is not easy but it is not a hard read as
well, its text length is average for this group, there are few visual
supports, and the size of print is at the average size for these
learners.
-Comprehension skills
-Summarize

10. Informational Text
Time for Kids articles
Time for Kids is a weekly classroom news magazine that motivates
kids to read and issues cover a wide range of real-world topics kids
love to learn about (Time for kids, 2011). This text is Informational,
but when you look at the axis of Linguistic to Semiotic I feel that
Time for Kids falls right in the middle. This text is word oriented but
it also has pictures and icons to help the students understand the
content (Laureate Education, 2009).
-Comprehension skills
-Summarize

11. Online Text
Tumblebooks
Tumblebooks is a website where stories are animated and narrated.
It is a great way for struggling readers to understand what they are
reading and listen to fluent reading. This story will fall in the Literacy
Matrix as Narrative Semiotic, it is a story with more pictures than
words. With the dimensions of difficulty I feel that this text, again
like the first narrative is right on the students’ level, this time their
independent level.
-Comprehension skills
-Writing prompt

12. Interactive Perspective Lesson
Objective: Students will be able to answer questions about the story
showing their understanding of the text. Students will be able to
read the text with 80% accuracy and fluency
Perspectives: In this lesson the perspective that is addressed is the
interactive perspective. I will be touching the critical perspective
briefly but for this exact lesson it will be more with interactive,
promoting students’ independent use of reading strategies and skills
(Walden University, 2010). They will be thinking critically but it will
be more guided; the further we dive into the book the more critical
the students will become on the text.

13. Interactive Perspective Lesson Continued
Text: Nancy Drew: The Zoo Crew by Carolyn Keene
Lesson Overview: For this lesson and all lessons pertaining to this
book I will be working with my students on the QVCIDS model:
Questioning, Visualizing, Connecting, Inferring, Determining
Importance, and Synthesizing.
First: Picture walk, Ask predicting questions, Vocabulary
Second: Here I will be observing my students and their reading behaviors
(Guided Reading, 2012). As the students read, we will stop to discuss
words, why the author changed the font in the story for certain words
(italics), along with comprehension strategies.
Last: After reading the section, I will ask the students questions to assess
their comprehension (Guided Reading, 2012). They will then return to
their seats and write a paragraph summarizing what they read today in
their journal.

14. Critical and Response Perspective Lesson
Objective: Students will be able to answer questions about the
article showing their understanding of the text. Students will be able
to read the text with 80% accuracy and fluency
Perspectives: This lesson addresses the critical and response
perspectives. It allows for the students to think critically about the
text and respond as well. They can share their viewpoints and
attitudes toward the subjects being discussed. They can evaluate the
text and features, as to why the author incorporated them and what
they mean.

15. Critical and Response Perspective Lesson Continued
Text: Time for Kids collection
Lesson Overview:
First: To introduce this lesson to my students we will begin with reviewing
various texts features. Picture walk, Ask predicting questions,
Vocabulary
Second: Here I will be observing my students and their reading behaviors
(Guided Reading, 2012). As the students read, we will stop to discuss
words, why the author changed the font in the story for certain words
(italics), along with comprehension strategies. Also, I will be working
with my students on a strategy called Search and Destroy.
Last: After reading the section, I will ask the students questions to assess
their comprehension (Guided Reading, 2012).

16. Assessment
This will be done through the use of observation. I will observe my
students in the small group setting on various comprehension skills
making note as we move along. This is a great way for me to be able
to track their progress and see what areas I might need to address
again.
Not every child is the same and they need to be taught and assessed
at their level. Assessment for this lesson can be modified to meet
the child as well, taking data from observation and changing
assessment based on what the child has done so far in the
classroom. Data and Differentiation go hand in hand.

17. Enrichment
Enrichment: “Enrichment and differentiation must be integrated
with the academic curriculum” (Beecher, 2008). One way to enrich
my students in this group, even if they are struggling readers, is to
give them the option of choice
• Time for Kids: An extension for this lesson, and any lessons pertaining to comprehension
and text features would be for the students to research any online Time For Kids article
that interests them. Using what they have learned on text features have the students
present their articles, either through PowerPoint or poster, discussing their features and
how they enhance the article. They will also have to explain what the article was about.
• Nancy Drew: To wrap up this “literature circle”, students will be asked to complete a
book report, but they will be given the option of choice. The report will be in the form of
a menu where they can pick from a total of 9 activities varying in points from 2 points to
8 points. With these activities, they have to choose whichever one that interests them as
long as it equals a total of 10 points. I have used Blooms Taxonomy to vary the levels of
difficulty of the activities along with choosing activities for the various types of learners
in my group.

18. Analysis of Lessons
These lessons are still ongoing with my students. Since starting the Literature
Circles and Time for Kids I have seen my students grow in their literacy
development. They are using the appropriate strategies to help them
understand/ remember the text they are reading.
Without the knowledge of the Literacy Matrix I feel that I would have not had a
true grasp on selecting appropriate books for my students. The Literacy Matrix
was able to put the concept of selecting books into an easy format where I could
classify what type of book I picked up. I feel that these books fit in with the goals I
have set with my students on comprehension skills and I am happy with the
growth I have seen.

19. •
References
Beecher, M., & Sweeny, S. M. (2008). Closing the Achievement Gap with
Curriculum Enrichment and Differentiation: One School's Story. Journal of
Advanced Academics, 19(3), 502-530. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
• Fountas, I.C., & Pinnell, G.S. (2007). The Fountas and Pinnell benchmark
assessment system. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Guided Reading. (2012). eWorkshop. Retrieved from Queen's Printer website:
http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/edu/
• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Analyzing and selecting text
[Webcast].
The beginning reader, PreK–3. Baltimore, MD: Author.
• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Week 1: Changes in Literacy
Education [Webcast]. The Beginning Reader. Baltimore: Author.
• Time for kids. (2011). Retrieved from Time Inc website:
http://www.timeforkids.com/info/about
• Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th
ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
• Our System. (2011). Reading Plus. Retrieved from Taylor Associates website:
http://www.readingplus.com/our-system