Evidence of Learning Project

Purpose To identify causes and enlist strategies to improve reading skills in struggling readers. My school has been a Literacy Demonstration Site for several years with a strong ARI trained faculty. In the past, the majority of children who had come through our program came to the fourth grade with a love of literature. Because we have recently incorporated another school into our population and our transient population has been high, I have a new class this year that includes many children who are new to Central and seem new to the emphasis of reading across the curriculum. This year, I have had a large percentage of struggling readers from which to choose to target for improvement. I chose “Bobby”.

Bobby did not want to read!

Bobby came to the fourth grade… from another school system in Tuscaloosa with a negative attitude and emotional outbursts with immediate evidence of behavior problems (but with a well adjusted twin sister in another class) evidence of writing difficulty weak academic skills low test scores (SAT – 2-3 Stanines) unaccustomed to making reading choices unwilling to participate in class work with a fixation on drawing Dragon Ball Z pictures

Pre ~ Data In my class… Instead of a BELL curve I had a WELL Curve

Bobby needed… Immersion in Reading Activity Motivation Instruction Bobby needed… Immersion in Reading Activity Motivation Samples of Success Volumes of reading Comprehension Strategies

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly

Using Bobby’s Talents to illustrate Social Studies Text

Guided Reading This form is adaptable to flexible grouping and flexible lessons. All areas need not be covered in every lesson.

Technology Motivates

The Best Thing In The World Once upon a time, there were four brothers who lived in a far away land. Their father was an old king. One day he said, “I will not live long now. Today you must start out into the world. In a year, bring back the best thing you have found. The one who can pick the best thing shall be the new king.” The Dolch Story

Small group lessons during Drama Periods

Post ~ Data

ConcLusion

December 13, 2002 AT THE BEGINNING OF THEYEAR I WAS GETING THE WRONG BOOKS WHEN THE TEACHER TOLD ME TO GET BOOKS ON MY LEVEL BUT I DIDN’T LISTEN SO I GOT BOOKS THAT WHER NOT ON MY LEVEL AND I MAD ZEROS ON THE TEST AND I KEP DOING IT UNTIL I GOT THE BOOKS ON MY LEVEL AND A CUPEL OF NOTS HOME AND MY MOM HAD COMFINSIS WITH THE TEACHER NOW I MACK HUNDREDS AND NINDIS YESTER DAY I MADAHUNDRED ON MY TEST TODAY I MAD A SEVENDY ON MANIAC MAGE I MAD MY LEVELALMOST FOR THE 9 WEEKS AND THAT IS MY READING STORY

…and the boy read happily ever after.