Literacy assessments are important classroom tools for ensuring effective learning. The assessments help teachers to analyze and use data on the performance of students to improve their teaching strategies. Proper development and implementation of literacy assessments can significantly help in identifying and addressing student needs. The paper will summarize the interview and discussion with a grade K-3 certified general education classroom teacher conducted in the school. The interview and discussion focused on literacy assessment and the strategies that can be applied in developing a successful literacy framework.
The interview kicked off with a discussion about the literacy assessments that have proven to be successful in identifying student needs. I inquired from the mentor teacher about the literacy assessments that he had found to be successful in identifying student needs. According to the teacher, formative assessments, summative assessments, and literacy screenings have proven to be effective in identifying student needs. The formative assessments help teachers to develop a plan to improve learning in the classroom. An example of a formative literacy assessment may involve an educator checking how many letters and sounds his students know as he plans to start decoding lessons. Thereafter, the students who know only a few letter sounds will be given texts that do not contain letters that they do not know. This way, the teacher is able to identify students that need more attention. Summative assessments help teachers to summarize the extent to which students surpass a given level of proficiency. The assessment is effective for improving learning. Literacy screenings are quick and are given to all students in order to identify potential issues that may not be realized during day to day classroom interactions. The assessments were chosen based on the learning objectives identified.
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The data collection methods that were utilized to monitor student progress include curriculum –based measurements, daily behavior report cards, and behavior frequency counts. According to the teacher, the assessment data collected is used to develop an assessment framework that is flexible enough to accommodate the needs of every group of learners. The teacher mention several steps taken in developing an effective literacy framework that cater for the needs if all students. The steps include examining the current condition, seeking agreement among stakeholders, evaluating the level of expertise of the teachers, assessing the status of the school, and designing a comprehensive literacy framework.
The components of an effective literacy framework, as discussed, include shared reading, reading aloud, independent reading, guided reading, writing aloud, shared writing, and interactive writing. Several technological tools used to focus on continuous and effective data include teaching analytics and learning analytics. School blogs, emails, face to face interactions can be used to share data information with students and their families. The teacher further mentioned that a typical literacy block of instructions include oral language, vocabulary, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension. It emerged from the discussion that the cognitive, emotional, developmental, and social needs of students can be factored into instructional choices by paying particular attention to the early emotional experiences, promoting consistent structure with play, and building relational capacity. Videos, audios, and educational apps are some of the popular technological tools used to reinforce and develop literacy curricular concepts outlined in the literacy framework.
The interview and discussion with the teacher was not only insightful, but also reassuring. I have learnt that the individual needs of students differ and the teacher has the primary responsibility of identifying and meeting those needs. In order to identify the learning needs of each student, I will employ formative, summative, and screening literacy assessments to identify the strengths and weaknesses of learners. Additionally, developing a comprehensive literacy framework is an effective strategy for ensuring that the emotional, developmental, social, and cognitive needs of learners are effectively meet. Most importantly, I have realized that developing a successful literacy framework is a rigorous process that requires the input of all stakeholders.
