Why am I testing students so much? How to prepare for whole group and small groups using my Data

The school year is in full swing and things as usual are moving at a fast pace and comprised of lots of testing.  My first four weeks started with  Preassessments,  What about yours?  We do Map Testing, a Reading  level Test, Writings on Demand, Reading unit Preassessments for units of study and spelling test.  To add to this already chaotic two weeks,  we finally had cycled  around to going swimming at the beginning of the year. So here we are the third and fourth week of school  swimming at the beginning of the year.  To say the least we didn't start truly teaching until around the fourth week of school.  The first two weeks were routines and procedures, third and fourth week swimming.  We have a big team, so three teachers went one week and four went the next week, so we were able to do some instruction just with one of our rotations.  Then reestablishing routines and procedures  and catching our second rotations up was a daunting task.

So why do we test kids so much?  It is overwhelming to not only the student but the teacher.  That was my thoughts when I first started teaching.  However, as a seasoned teacher I realize just how important it is for  us to give student assessment.  It drives everything we do.

1.  It provides  you information about students as testers:  you can determine if students have strategies when attacking certain types of test, you can observer their stamina  during the test.

2.  It gives you information on the needs of your students:  you can use data to inform your small group and whole group instruction.

3.  If your school does portfolios for students that are passed from grade level to grade level you can use it as a comparison tool.

4.  Helps you to set goals for yourself as the teacher and the student.

The main thing I realize that analyzing all of this data takes time and if your a self contained teacher like I was left year it took at least a week to look at analyze results.  I would start assessments early to be able to have 4 to 5 days to analyze which would include the weekend. This year we were hit with an additional Map test that further sucked up instruction time and gave me more data to analyze.

I really understand that data is necessary, but doing it all at once can be overwhelming for a veteran teacher, so I feel for the new teachers.  How do you balance doing all of these assessments and keep up with the pacing of the lessons.  It is almost impossible. That's another topic for another day.

DATA

Where do I start?  How do I use it?  what do I teach whole group vs Small group? How do I organize it all?

How do I organize it all?   This is the first step. Here is what I have used  during the years.  A binder with dividers, a binder with dividers with pockets, and sometimes just a vanilla file folder that is organized in a basket.  I usually start off with a binder for all students,.  I just place data in the binder until all testing has ceased.  I then  go through and separated it. This year it is separated by AM class and PM class.   Each rotation has a notebook.  I placed students names on the tabs in Alphabetical order usually by first names,  I  know that is weird, but that is my way, most teachers probably do it by last
names.  After I analyze the data, I place it in the binder to have a central location for all the data.
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Once I have establish how I will organize things things I always analyze one set of  assessments at a time for both rotations.  I take the data and I separate it by assessments:  Fountas and Pinell Reading level assessments, Reading PreAssessments,  Writing on Demands, Spelling assessments.  Map assessments:  Reading  and Language ( new this year) and I also use previous years STAAR results.

This is where the process gets intense and may become overwhelming.  This is my method of analyzing data, think about what works best for you.  You might want to do one set of data a day.  I choose to do all of mine back to back.  I often start with the easiest tests.  The previous years STAAR results and Spelling.  I teach fourth grade so I only have to look at their Reading Results.  I write the names of the students whether they passed or failed and list the Standard that represents their lowest score.  I analyze the spelling assessments for stage of spelling  and then group the assessments accordingly.  I  using a  spiral to  record groupings and data results easier than   having to lug the binders around to meetings or during groups.

                                               

I then look at the Map assessments and look at their strengths and their weaknesses.   I group them according to the Weakness noted on the Goal sheets that I print out to put in their portfolios. I then sort students by Reading levels.  However withing Reading level goes a lot more analysis. Another post for another day.  These were the easy assessments to analyze and group now depending on what programs you use the Reading and Writing will take you the longest.

We are using Lucy Caulkins UOS for both Reading and Writing. The  Reading preassessment are based on writing about reading in regards to four skills.    I sort the  responses by questions because each question is based on a particular skill.  I then use the Progression to assess the quality of the responses.  If you are familiar with Lucy  she used  grade level expectations and criteria expected for each level of response.  Once I separate by  responses,  I began to analyze each question.  I usually do Reading one day and writing the next.  My eyes start to cross with all of the reading required.    I realize that within each question the responses vary from low, medium and high.   For example:  If  3 people are not quite a 3 they are different levels of a 2.  This usually takes me about 1 to 2 hours.  I do this on the weekends, yea  I know why not after school, or doing the week.  It is a personal choice.  I know the weekend I can focus more and get more accomplished.    Once I have sorted, and assessment I group kids by question and skill.  I record in my handy spiral.

The next assessment is the Writing On Demand.  We are looking at three areas,  Development of ideas, Use of Language and Organization.  I group kids accordingly.  Again this can become tedious because kids will  most likely be weak in more than one area.  I write the areas down in my spiral along with students name.

Once I get all my data sorted, analyze and recorded. I will  go back and look at all the data and determine  groups and set up a calendar of when I will meet with each group.  My goal is to meet with low level learners every day,  bubble groups at least 3 days a week if not 4 and above level groups 2 days a week.  The next step is  deciding what skills will be taught whole class vs small groups.  Small groups are further divided into Strategy and Guided.  I then  find the materials to use for  both my small groups and my whole group instruction.  This is another part of Data collection that can take a minute, You have to make sure to pick quality material that will meet the learning targets you deem needed for students according to groupings.

Remember to always have data handy you want to make the most of your time and you want the instruction to meet the needs of the students.

Possible materials to Gather for Reading and Writing

Mentor text to teach skills
Books for Guided Reading
dry erase boards, markers and erasers
highlighters
comprehension and decoding book marks
ABC  and Blend charts
Chart tablets
Exemplar text
sticky notes
sentence strips
pocket charts
timer
Blank copies of various graphic organizers
Activities/lessons for the rest of the students to be working on while you pull small groups

   

                                     

For me,  students who are not being pulled will engage in independent reading and responding to text, or generating writing entries in their writing journals.  The only way kids get better at reading or writing is to be reading and writing.   I try to avoid giving them fluff or worksheets to work on during this time. It is amazing what you can glean from students journals at the end of the week.  I usually look at journals every Friday and just jot down some notes, it informs my next week teaching, small groups and conferences.All of the assessments are then placed inside of my Data binders according to AM and PM classes once I have established my groups.

Looking for more information on how to use your data in Reading, or how to analyze Reading Fountas and Pinell assessments to plan and implement small groups,  Check out my next blog post.

Reading Workshop: Reading and More Reading.

What is a teacher to do?

       Teachers have to make time for kids to be able to Read in class. So what is a teacher to do to make sure students are doing more Independent Reading than sitting and listing to the teacher talk?  What needs to happen?  What do I need?  Where do I start?

      I have learned  come to learn that a Mini lesson is just that a Mini lesson only meant to be 10 minutes.  I had and still have a hard time sticking to  ten minutes.  I have had timers over the years not to use them, or reset them because I felt I needed to get my point across.  Yet,  after many Professional Development  classes.  I realize that most of a teachers teaching should be through Small Group Instruction or through Conferring.

     I have come to realize this  is a hard task.  I have to make a conscious effort daily do to this.  Our team is doing a different type of switching this year, where we all have to be ready to switch at the designated time or your throwing someones instructional time off.  So with three rotations, I have to be strategic with my planning and implementation of those plans.   So the pro side of this, I have to stick to my schedule.  The con side of this, I have to stick to my schedule. Therefore,  I have to be very conscious of my time this year.

How do I do this you ask?

      I look at the Learning Targets of my Reading and Writing curriculum and think about how best to insure that the target is introduced, modeled and practice during the mini lesson.

      I make sure that I practice the lesson and actually time myself.  If necessary I prune somethings.  I may even video tape it and watch it to see how I am presenting the material.  My daughter thinks I am crazy.  Every weekend this is my routine,  she enters my area because she hears me talking and wonders what I am doing.  She ask questions and throw me off, so I tend to draft her for the student body.  She now ignores me when she hears me talking to myself.  However, as she is older now she is able to time me and tell me if I sound like I am rambling or being specific.  I tell her what my point is and she tells me if I relayed it.  I still watch the video though.  So if you need to practice your presentations these are a few ways to do so.

       I often find I am too wordy or doing to much talking and need to involve the kids more especially during writing and I am able to re plan.  Now, do I do this all the time?  No.  I can't say that I do. Another way that I try to tell if  I am within my time frame is I think about the concept.  If it is concepts such as Main Idea, Inferring  and Summarizing.  I have to know that this will not be masted in one day. For that matter, as teachers we have to realize that none of our content is mastered in one setting.  Some are not master in a week.  It is like a cycle with no beginning or ending.  You will always come back to the topic.  I say this to give you comfort and let you know it is okay to move on to the next skill or strategy before everyone is able to master one. I say all this to tell you that I a had to re adjust my teaching style to make more time for what is important, providing time for kids to read in class independently.

      The goal of Reading and Writing workshop is for students to spend the bulk of the time Reading or Writing.  So once teachers have present the mini lesson, sent the students to try what they have taught. That  is when the real teaching begins.  You observe, you intervene and model, you pull small groups and you teach the student not the content.

       So to build a students Reading life you have to expose them to books and your own reading life.  The classroom library is the most important tool in your classroom.  You need to have a variety of books for students to choose from and read.  Make sure to give students opportunities to explore the library as well as let them help label some of the book baskets. There are a lot of things I teach, model, practice and discuss in order to get Independent Reading started.

Such as
1.     The difference between Fake Reading vs
         Real Reading
2.      How to choose books?
3.      How to use the library?
4.      How to build Stamina and endurance?
5.      How to read with accuracy and fluency?
6.      How to Read with intensity?
7.      How to monitor their understanding of
         what they read?
8.      What to do at point of confusing?
9.      How to figure out confusing words?
10.     Making book recommendations
11.     Share my own Reading life
12.     Setting Reading Goals with plan of
         actions
13.     Doing weekly reflections using Reading
          goals and logs
14.     What does Independent Reading look like
          and sound like?
15.      Purpose and use of Reading Nooks

          My first goal though is to make sure that students are  independently reading daily for at least 20 minutes a day.  Which is what it usually ends up being at the beginning of the year,  I say this because at the beginning you are setting up routines and procedures, organizing supplies and trying to get to know your students.  It is important to get to know them if you want to  be able to help them become strong readers.  I do a lot of Read Alouds where I model expected reading behaviors of students.  I have the kids discuss what they notice I do as a Reader and we create an anchor chart of their responses.  We do eventually build from 20 minutes to 25 then 30.  We stay at 30 for a while because we began to get further into the curriculum and sometimes the Mini lesson goes 15 minutes.  I want to make an effort to pull 2 or 3 groups a day regardless of the length of the lesson.

So why small groups?

        Small groups allow you to gear your teaching toward the student and not the curriculum.  It is more focused and individualized.  I Base my groups on Formal and Informal assessments, student journals, reading logs and anecdotal notes you have a clear understanding of what each child needs, so your able to create specific lessons to meet those needs. Your small groups can be Guided or Strategy depending on the needs of the student and the grade level.  Most research says that Guided Reading ends at third grade.  However, I don't know about you but I have kids that  come to me on varying Reading levels.  I have found myself having readers on a Second grade level in the Fourth grade.

       As a new teacher,  I didn't know how to handle this, school didn't prepare you for this straight out of college.  However over the years,  I've learned that you go pull materials from those grade levels.  I literally go look at the Reading curriculum of the grade level I need.  I meet them where they are currently and scaffold to get them where they need to be or at work to ensure one years growth.  Don't be scared to go down to the lover grade levels and ask for resources.  Our curriculum is on line, so if I need material for my below level students I have access to it.  These students I meet with daily. However, don't forget they need to read independently as well.  The rest of the students I meet with are strategy groups, based on data or even mini lessons I notice they fail to grasp.

     Another thing teachers need to make sure they do daily is  confer with readers. Make sure to reach at least every student every week.  I shoot for 5-7 conferences and 2  groups most times.   I  allow them to discuss and share books because they can learn and grow as readers with each other.  This is the perfect time to provide a teaching point with students, listen in for oral reading, ask questions about books their are reading, assess where they are in regards to monitoring of their reading goals.

      As they get ready to independently read, I teach them that readers always have a stack of books close by to waiting to be read. I demonstrate this by showing kids my own reading life basket.  In my  display area I have baskets of books  I am reading, want to read, want to read again.   I talk about my stacks that are around my house. I let them explore how I monitor my understanding of what I read.  They are able to see how I write  and underline in my books.  We discuss why I do this and then set expectations that they will do this in journals or sticky notes not directly in the books.

        Reading, Reading and More Reading

       I connect how important Reading is to their lives.  I demonstrate my passion for books using my own Reading life,  through Read Alouds, book trailers and asking others to come share their reading lives.  We created a Reading Record board and talked about monitoring the number of books we read monthly.  Although I want them to read for the love of reading, we have a competition between rotations now to see who can read the most books or recommend the most books in class.  I hope to involve parents  as well.  I will be starting Scholastic Book orders soon so kids can buy books this year.
My goal is to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to access books, I even hit up my daughter's library in her bedroom with her approval and added books to the treasure box.

How do you plan to engage students in Independent Reading daily so that they will want to always be Reading?

What do Teachers of Readers and Writers do? What do Readers and Writers Do?

As a teacher, we model expectations, we create anchor charts  as reminders to students of the expectations during this time of  how things should look and sound, and what the teacher job is versus the students jobs at this time.  Once those are established I am able to began thinking about instruction. I create my small group meeting area and my whole group meeting area.  My whole group meeting area is usually near if not in the Library and my small group area is positioned so that I can see out into the classroom.  This way I can still monitor students during  the independent parts of the workshop.

As the school year gets started,  I am starting to choose Read Alouds to teach content daily.   I look at my learning targets and  start reading picture books and determine which ones best fit the strategy or skill that I am trying to introduce or reinforce.   I use the book over for both Reading and Writing and I may also use the book over a number of days.  Your book choice matters, so take your time and be sure to read the text. 

As I am reading,  I  prepare questions, think about tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary and I develop lesson plans around the book that will address my learning target.  I  love the fact that  I get a chance to spread my love of Reading by reading some of my favorite books.  I usually create book recommendations.   We use our newly decorated journals to start making list of books we would like to read, or that are recommended.  We also start generating writing entries from the Read Alouds.

 My first book choice is optimal for both Reading and Writing workshop.  I am able to use Eve Buntings, "The Memory String" to introduce topics for writing Narratives, while exploring Character development  for Reading.

I model Predicting and asking questions about the why  behind a characters actions, words,  and feelings.  I model how to respond on sticky notes using text evidence to support responses as well as how to make connections and come up with story ideas for Narratives.  Students generate topic list, they list traits of the character and then we use these as jumping points to generate writing entries  in our Writing journals  for the UOS, The Arc of Writing Fiction and the traits as a way to  introduce our UOS on Interpreting Characters.

Another great book to use for both Reading and writing is Jacquelin Woodson's,  "Each Kindness." This books allows for teachers to dig deeper into the why of characters actions, dialogue and feelings.  I am able to teach Inferring,  Cause and Effect, Perspective, Tone and Mood as well as Compare and Contrast.

Both of these books are Great Read Alouds and I create activities to go with the books.  It is usually a different activity each day.  I start with Comprehension questions,  We do Word study activities,  I always pick a day and do a writing prompt of some sort, and then if the book lends itself to it.  I incorporate a Social Studies activities like  Geography, cultural differences, and famous people located from the setting of the text.  I placed those activities on my TPT site.  Hit the link on the side bar to check out more of my books and activities,

Here are two more great books for Reading and Writing workshop.  Fox is excellent for Character development.  I have students to create time lines that represent characters change over time and the events that cause them to change.   Here are some  of the writing prompts I have used:

Essay: Which character do you like and why?

Narrative:  Write about a time you had to make a decision?

Narrative:  Write about a strong emotion you had.

Essay:  What is your favorite animal and why?

The following  text can be used to have students practice Making Connections, Draw Conclusions and Compare and Contrast.  It is a great text for analyzing characters as well.  It provides students with ideas for writing topics and it is an easy quick read.  I was able to come up with some Math activities with the text when I was self contained.  As a teacher, I always try to use my book in multiple ways. " Work smarter not Harder."  All of the activities for these books are easy to use and replicate.  They check comprehension, they improve Writing about Reading skills and the kids enjoy the topics because they can relate to them.

In order for my workshops to works smoothly, we have to set expectations.  The students work collaboratively and come up with what the workshops should look like and sound like. We discuss them and agree on them. Then we  practice. They practice coming to the meeting area with materials,  they practice going to their reading spots, they practice all of the expectations we came up with.  It is important to practice these, and to revisit them if students fall out of routine in order to get the most out of your already limited instructional time.  

If your looking for more resources, ideas, tips and suggestion check out my sights on my sidebar.