1. Trial Teaching Strategies: Linking Testing to Teaching
Mary Beth Curtis
Center for Special Education
March 31, 2009

2. Some Background Diagnostic Assessments of Reading (DAR)
Criterion-referenced test
Provides detailed snapshot of a student’s reading processes & products
Using results from the DAR:
Requires instructional strategies
Requires resources to implement strategies

3. Trial Teaching Strategies (TTS)
TTS provide a link between reading testing and reading instruction
Web-based resource offering brief lessons
Teachers and students get direction about the kinds of instruction and materials that may work best for improving students’ reading ability

4. Using the TTS
Access a strategy either by entering a student’s scores or selecting an area of concern
Discuss purpose of TTS with student
Try out strategy and record results
Reflect on results with student

5. An Example of a TTS Word Analysis: Polysyllabic words
Analyzing Word Parts
Recognizing Affixes

6. TTS are a Form of Dynamic Assessment
An Interactive Process Using an
Assess-Intervene-Reassess Format

7. Foundations for TTS 1930’s: Vygotsky’s ZPD
Late 1940’s: Sample lessons/Trial lessons used in reading clinics
Late 1970’s: Feuerstein’s Mediated learning/Assessment of learning potential
Present: Response to Intervention

8. Kinds of TTS on Website Print and Phonological Awareness
Letters and Sounds
Word Analysis and Recognition
Oral Reading Accuracy and Fluency
Reading Comprehension
Spelling
Word Meaning

9. Print Awareness TTS How a Book Begins
The Difference between Letters and Words
Knowing Where a Sentence Ends
Relationships between Printed and Spoken Words

10. Phonological Awareness TTS
Hearing and Making Rhymes
Using Pictures in Hearing Rhymes
Identifying and Counting Word Parts
Recognizing Initial Consonant Sounds
Recognizing Final Consonant Sounds
Blending

11. Letters and Sounds TTS Using Key Words Tracing and Writing Letters
Letter Matching
Word Matching
Word Family Approach

12. Word Recognition TTS
Visual Approach
Repeated Reading of Words

13. Word Analysis TTS Learning Sounds with Key Words and Pictures
Using Consonants with Word Families
Using Consonant Blends
Phonic Blending
Writing Words and Sentences
Using Rule of Silent E
Reading Words with Vowel Digraphs, Diphthongs, Vowel + R

14. Word Analysis TTS, Cont’d.
Recognizing Syllable Types
Using Rules for Syllabication
Analyzing Word Parts
Recognizing Affixes
Reading Compound Words
Dividing Words Into Parts

15. Oral Reading Accuracy TTS
Teacher Identification of Difficult Words
Student Identification of Difficult Words

16. Oral Reading Fluency
Modeling
Repeated Reading

17. Reading Comprehension TTS
Listening Comprehension
Active Engagement with Text
Generating Main Idea Questions
Comprehension Monitoring
Summarizing

18. Spelling TTS
Visualizing Words
Copying Words
Error Analysis

19. Word Meaning TTS Picture Cues Story Context Word Meaning Instruction
Word Parts Instruction
Semantic Clues
Ways to Learn Word Meanings

20. What Makes TTS Helpful Builds relationship between teacher and student
Emphasizes process as well as product
Provides teacher with methods and materials
Demonstrates capacity to learn

21. Concerns About TTS
Absence of standardization and demonstration of technical adequacy
Must be used in conjunction with more traditional measures
Labor intensive administration and scoring

22. Some Recent References
Caffrey, E., Fuchs, D., & Fuchs, L.S. (2008). The predictive validity of dynamic
assessment. The Journal of Special Education, 41,
Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L.S., Compton, D.L., Bouton, B., Caffrey, E., & Hill, L. (2007).
Dynamic assessment as responsiveness to intervention. Teaching
Exceptional Children, 39,
Grigorenko, E.L. (2009).Dynamic assessment and response to intervention.
Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42,
Macrine, S.L., & Sabbatino, E.D. (2008). Dynamic assessment and remediation
approach. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 24,
Roswell, F.G., Chall, J.S., Curtis, M.E., & Kearns, G. Trial Teaching Strategies