MAP, Fountas & Pinnell.....Oh My!

We are slowly getting through all our beginning of the year testing. All students have now taken both their Reading and Math MAP tests for the Fall. Our Resource teachers have finished administering the Easy CBM to all students and I have F & P tested about half the class.

The NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) describes MAP testing as:

Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) are K – 12 interim assessments that measure growth, project proficiency on high-stakes tests, and inform how educators differentiate instruction, evaluate programs, and structure curriculum.

Computer adaptive MAP assessments reveal precisely which academic skills and concepts the student has acquired and what they’re ready to learn. MAP assessments are grade independent and adapt to each student’s instructional level. Every item on a MAP assessment is anchored to a vertically aligned equal interval scale, called the RIT scale for Rasch UnIT—a stable measurement, like inches on a ruler, that covers all grades.

And because the measurement is reliable and accurate, RIT scores serve as an essential data point in a student’s learning plan; educators can see their precise learning level and respond accordingly.

As a classroom teacher I use this data to drive my daily instruction and to adapt that instruction to individual student needs. Students in grade 5 MAP test in the Fall, Winter and Spring.

The Easy CBM testing is designed to "give teachers insight into which of their students may need additional instructional supports as well as to provide a means by which they can measure the effectiveness of their teaching. System reports provide information that supports evidence-based decision making, and the Interventions interface streamlines the process of keeping track of students' instructional program, a feature that is particularly helpful for student study team meetings and parent conferences". These tests are administered by our school reading specialist in the Fall, Winter and Spring.

The Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System is used to get one-on-one assessments of each student's instructional and independent reading level. This information helps me:

• Determine reading placement levels and group students for reading instruction.
• Select texts that will be productive for student's instruction.
• Assess the outcomes of teaching.
• Assess a new student's reading level for independent reading and instruction.
• Identify students who need intervention.
• Document student progress across a school year.
• Inform parents of student progress.

I will administer these tests in the Fall and Spring. Students in need of intervention may also be tested in the Winter.

Although testing can be time consuming, the data helps me provide your child with individualized instruction. 

Close Reading

Hopefully your student has shared a little bit about how we do Close Reading in Room 19.

Essentially, Close Reading means reading to uncover layers of meaning that lead to deeper comprehension. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) defines Close Reading as:

• Close, analytic reading stresses engaging with a text of sufficient complexity directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, encouraging students to read and reread deliberately. Directing student attention on the text itself empowers students to understand the central ideas and key supporting details. It also enables students to reflect on the meanings of individual words and sentences; the order in which sentences unfold; and the development of ideas over the course of the text, which ultimately leads students to arrive at an understanding of the text as a whole. (PARCC, 2011, p. 7)

In our room, students do a "first read" independently to get a general understanding of the text.  Their "second read" is guided by questions that ask students to reread certain parts of the text for facts and details. The next step is having students interpret their observations. I want students to move from observations of particular facts and details to a conclusion, or interpretation, based on their observations. I often have students do the Close Read in partners or small groups so they can discuss their observations about the text and form conclusions together.

Last week we did our first Close Reading activity on the story The Day It Rained Cats from the Scholastic magazine Storyworks. I filmed students Close Reading and tweeted it out to Scholastic Teachers. The author of the article, Linda Sue Park, saw our class Tweet and responded back to us!

Today I looked over the student responses to the story and offered the students written feedback. Please notice I didn't say I graded the responses.  My main objective is to offer feedback so that responses improve over time. I am not grading reading and writing with this activity, I am trying to cultivate a mindset of being Readers and Writers in Room 19!

Book Recommendation

My favorite summer read was Masterminds by Gordon Korman! Here is what Scholastic.com had to say about it:

"The 30 kids who live in Serenity, New Mexico, never lie; they know it's a short leap from that to the awful problems of other, less fortunate places.

Eli has never left Serenity; why would he ever want to? Then one day, he bikes to the city limits and something happens that is so crazy and unexpected it changes everything. Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate further, and soon it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, connecting their ideal crime-free community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known. The kids realize they can trust no one, least of all their own parents."

First Assembly

We had our first assembly today! Mr. Prorok and Ms. Milligan gathered the students into the Multi-Purpose Room to Kick Off the New Year! This year's theme is Liberty Students Have Minions of Manners.  At the assembly all the staff members were introduced and the Liberty School expectations were covered. We concluded the day with a Kick Off Parade around the school!

Number Sense

This week during Math Block we have been playing with numbers! Number Sense is a vital foundational skill for 5th Grade Mathematics so I have been teaching the students some of my favorite number sense games. These games can be used throughout the year as practice at home or here at school after daily lessons are complete.

First Full Day

The First Full Day is in the books and we had a great time learning about our new classroom!

Today we went over schedules, routines and expectations. The students now know our classroom rules and Mr. Lyons' Personal Pet Peeves. We also covered expectations for the Hallways, Washrooms, Lunch room and Media Center.

We participated in several Ice Breaker activities and spent time getting to know our classmates.  

We will  be together for a 174 days so we might as well get to know a  little bit about each other.

We also set up our 5th Grade Binders. This will be a way for students to stay organized in all subjects this year. Each student has six pocket dividers for their papers. We labeled the folders: Homeroom, Math, Reading, Writing, Spelling and Science/Social Studies. 

Your Student should have received a "How To Survive 5th Grade" folder with way more information than you will be able to read through in one night. Take your time and return the necessary papers by Friday!