Introduction to Course and Framework to Assess Reading
- Review the purpose of the course emphasizing the importance of establishing an ongoing systematic problem solving process that involves implementing and analyzing assessments and using data to inform instruction.
- Introduce the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope Theory to explain the importance of assessing component reading skills to effectively plan instruction.
- Review the course syllabus and requirements
Materials
- Simple View of Reading
- The Reading Rope
- PowerPoint Slides for Session 1: Introduction
- Course Syllabus
- Culminating Project Overview
Define Session Goals
- Using the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope, define the essential components.
- Explain the importance of assessing the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope component skills to effectively plan and individualize instruction.
- Explain the purpose of the course and course requirements.
Framework for Assessing Reading
- Explain that the Simple View of Reading defines reading comprehension as the product of two distinct skills: word recognition and language comprehension.
- Share the video of the Simple View of Reading Explained.
- Discuss the implications of the Simple View of Reading on Assessment.
- Assessment and instruction must emphasize both skills from the earliest grades.
- Share the usefulness of the Simple View of Reading when attempting to identify reading difficulties.
- Children with dyslexia typically score poorly on word recognition measures but average or better on language comprehension measures.
- Children described as having specific comprehension deficits or as poor comprehenders often score in the average or higher range on word identification measures, but poorly on measures of language comprehension.
- Other children may score poorly on both word recognition and language comprehension measures.
- Discuss the need to identify any difficulties in skills related to word recognition and language comprehension early and continually measure over time.
- Share Scarborough’s Reading Rope Video.
- Discuss the component skills associated with Word Recognition and Language Comprehension.
- Explain that the Simple View of Reading is not so simple when we consider all of the component skills associated with word recognition and language comprehension.
- Ask what specifically we need to make sure we are assessing when children present reading difficulties?
- Discuss all of the component skills related to word recognition and listening comprehension.
Introductions & Syllabus Review
- Have participants introduce themselves and...
- What they currently teach.
- Years of teaching.
- Burning questions related to reading assessment.
- Review the syllabus and culminating activity.
- Check for understanding.
- Establish roles and ground rules for upcoming sessions.
- Review the schedule for upcoming sessions.