TPRI Testing is Complete! Now What?

After testing is complete, the first item on your agenda should be to login to mClass to check to see if your data is complete.  If you are missing data, you should sync again.  If it is still not there, check with Shirley, Molly, or Linda to see what the next step should be.

Here is the link for class information on mClass:

www.mclasshome.com.

You will see the "Welcome to the TPRI" page.  Click on "Review TPRI Results."  Your class summary page will open.  The next step is to look at the data to see your class results.  Your whole class data will appear and you can look at the information to begin to see patterns for your class.  Here are some ideas to consider when looking at your class report:

• Look at your class summary results on the two bottom rows.  The first row will tell you the number of students who are SD (still developing), and the second row will tell you the percentage of your class who did not meet the standard.  Pay particular attention to the areas of the test where there are 50% or more of your students who did not master a specific skill as you will need to provide whole class intervention for those areas.  
• The labels for each area (example:  Phonemic Awareness, Graphophonemic Knowledge, etc.) can be found on the blue tabs at the top of the chart.  At this point it is important to take a look at the students who are SD on the screening and know that these will possibly be your students with the greatest need.  You will need to observe these students carefully in the next few weeks as TPRI sometimes over-identifies students who may be SD.
• Next go to the gold tab at the top of the page that says "Error Analysis."  Click on this box and a page will open with each student's name and the results and errors in Word Reading in First Grade and Graphophonemic Knowledge and Word Reading in the Second Grade.  Again, the bottom two rows will give you a summary of the number and percentage of students who have not mastered the skills.  Whole class instruction will be for the skills where 50% or more students are "Still Developing."  The other students will have small group instruction based on their specific needs.
• There is something you will really like that is found on the very last line of the report (First Grade) and reports (Second Grade) is a page number that will take you to a lesson that will be found in the "TPRI Intervention Activities Guide."  This is a lesson that will get you started intervening in either whole group or small group!

I hope you have found some helpful information in this blog concerning TPRI whole-group data.  Next week, I will blog about the information that will help you with the small groups and also how to group students and plan lessons for them.  Please let me know if you have any questions regarding any of the information I have provided for you!

Ten Reminders for TPRI

Here are 10 reminders as you begin to give TPRI:

• Remember to adhere to the 3-second rule when administering the word tests.  Do not provide the word for the student.
• Always present all practice items.  These items allow the student to understand what the task requires.
• Instructions may be repeated if needed.  Repeat PA items only in case of noisy interferences.  Other assessment items may be repeated at the request of the student.
• You may not provide corrective feedback on Task Items!
• When administering the assessment, do not provide hints, clues or other feedback about correct responses.
• Be equally positive and encouraging with both correct and incorrect responses.  Praise effort, not correct responses (example:  You are really working hard.).
• Students who are easily distracted may be tested in more than one session.
• When reading the story aloud, the following errors are marked:

Mispronunciations--The student pronounces the word incorrectly.  This includes leaving off -s, -ed and -ing endings.
Substitutions--The student replaces the correct word with a different word.
Omissions--The student skips a word.
Reversals--The student reads adjacent words in the wrong order.
Hesitations--The student pauses for longer than 3 seconds or takes longer than 3 seconds to sound out a word.  In these cases, provide the word and count it as an error.

Items not considered errors:

Insertions--The student adds a whole word that does not appear in the text.
Self-corrections--The student makes an error, but then corrects the error.
Repetitions--The student reads the same word or phrase multiple times.
Loss of place--The student skips a line or loses the place.  Redirect the student to the correct place in the story and allow the timer to continue to run.

A proper name is counted wrong each time it is read incorrectly as are all other words.

• Sync after you have tested each student.  It doesn't take long, and it may save extra time and effort if testing has to be repeated due to loss of data.  After the testing session is complete, go to www.mClasshome.com and check to make certain your data is there.
• Last, but not least, call or email me if you have any problems or issues that are hindering your testing session.

Happy Testing!!!

Updated Check-in for The Daily Five

Since all K-5 teachers will begin "Read to Self" this week, I wanted to let you know about "The Sisters" updated check-in procedures.  In the past students have placed their thumbs in either the up or sideways position in front of their hearts to let the teacher know how they thought they did after completing of the components of "The Daily Five."

The Sisters have now implemented a 1-4 point check-in system they learned in Carlene Bickford's classroom in Waterville, Maine.  According to the revised version of "The Daily Five," the standard is as follows:

"1.  Below Standard
 2.  Approaching Standard
 3.  Meeting Standard
 4.  Exceeding Standard."

Students need to be trained to understand what is meant by each number as they are taught to reflect on their behaviors during the various parts of "The Daily Five."  Students are directed to put their hand in front of their heart with the appropriate number of fingers up as they consider how they did during a particular session.  The teacher poses a question about each expectation (example:  "How did you do with Stay in One Spot?") and the students put up the number of fingers that correspond with their success with that particular area.  Each expectation is treated in the same manner with the students taking time to reflect upon their progress and then put the correct number of fingers in front of their hearts.

The last step is what I consider to be a great improvement over the last system.  After they have scored themselves in all the questions the teacher has asked them to reflect, students think about a goal for the next round with someone who is sitting near them.  Sometimes "the students will share in the whole group, write their goals in a journal, or simply make an internal goal."  A goal might simply be saying that they will get started right away or read the whole time.  I hope you will like the new system as much as I do.  I think this procedure will really make students more accountable for the time they are spending reading, writing, or working on their words.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

As I continue to read the revised version of the book, I will share with you some of the ideas that "The Sisters" have changed.  I hope all of you will consider following my blog.  I will try to have something each week that will be helpful to you in your classrooms.  Have a great first-day!!

Shared Reading During the First Week of School

Shared Reading is a great strategy to use in PreK-2 classrooms during the first week of school.  It gives you a chance to share great books with your students and build a sense of community for your classroom.  Call the students to the carpet and choose a book you know the students will enjoy.  The teacher begins by reading from a big book, a story on the Smartboard, or sentence strips in a pocket chart.  As teachers read, they track the print with a pencil or a pointer.  This gives students an opportunity to follow the left-to-right-progression of words on the page.  Teachers can stop in strategic places and ask students to turn to their neighbor and tell them what they think will happen next.  When the story is finished, the teacher can question to see if students have understood the story.  Students can also pair up to retell the story to each other.

Follow-up activities can include rereading the story through Echo Reading, Choral Reading, or Fill in the Word.  Echo Reading begins with the teacher reading a word or a sentence and students echoing what the teacher has said as she points to the word.  During Choral Reading students read along with the teacher as she points to the word.  The teacher choose strategic words to leave out during Fill in the Word Reading.  This is a great strategy to use when teaching the concept of rhyming.

Some of my personal favorites for the first week of school include:  Clifford's First Day of School by Eric Bridwell; Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin; The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss; How I Spent my Summer Vacation by Mark Teague and Chrysanthemum by Keven Henkes.  Whether you read any of my favorites or have your own favorite book for the first day of school, Shared Reading is a great way to begin your new school year!  Happy Reading!!!

Great Day of Teaching and Learning

Just had the best day with K-2 teachers and Jessica Estillette discovering new ways to study words and explore more about The Daily Five.  It was so exciting to see new and veteran teachers sharing ideas for the new school year.  Teachers were so engaged in the activities and the conversation and ideas continued to flow even when it was time to share!  Jessica had some great ideas and modeled a lesson for us using alphabet and blends chart!  I can't wait to share the ideas with other teachers who were not able to be in the workshop.  It was obvious that teachers were ready to begin thinking about their classes for next year and were ready to get back in the classroom to do what they do best--teach children!  Thanks to all who participated so enthusiastically!  Can't wait for the new year myself!!!

What if....????

What if students in today's schools were given the opportunity to unleash their creativity and collaborate with others in their classes and students in classes who live in other countries?

What if students were given the opportunity for many ways to communicate with others through social networks  and use tools like Skype?

What if students were given chances to solve problems in innovative ways and find solutions that are unavailable to students in traditional classrooms?

What if students were given choices to include apps, games, websites, virtual worlds and videos to develop their entrepreneurial skills even as an elementary student?

What if students could connect to students across the world and begin to understand other cultures which are very different from the one in which they live?

What if students were taught with lessons that embed technology that prepare students for the real world?

What if students had the opportunity to use digital learning for the purpose of developing essential literacies?

What if students were in schools which routinely integrate technology and how to use it?

The answer to all these questions is we must give students the opportunities to use "real-world tools to solve real-world problems."  Education must provide today's students a teaching and learning culture that is centered on students and lets learners "construct their own meanings and understanding of concepts by non-traditional means."  This type of learning requires that we as leaders must give up a certain part of control and let teachers take risks in order to provide innovative practices that bring together digital tools with sound pedagogy.  We must provide the opportunity for digital learning combined with student-centered classrooms in order to give students the tools to be successful in tomorrow's classrooms and tomorrow's world.

Literacy for K-2 Teachers

I'm so excited to let you know about my new blog.  Let me tell you a little about myself.  I am a Literacy Coach for Castleberry ISD in Texas.  There are so many ideas that I want to share with you .  Literacy is my passion, and I love working with K-2 teachers!