3-5 Assessment Guide 09 - 10

Guide to
Reading and Writing

Instruction and
Assessment in
Grades 3 - 5

English Office

Revised August 2009

September, 2009

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Dr. Stephen C. J ones, Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Christine Harris, Chief Academic Officer
Academic Affairs

TBA, Senior Director
Leadership and Capacity Development

Althea W. J oyner, Senior Coordinator
English

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3

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Table of Contents

Reading in Norfolk Public Schools.. 5
Balanced Literacy Instruction. 6
Required Daily Segments 8
The Building Blocks of Literacy Development 10
Phonological Awareness. 10
Phonics/Word Study... 11
Word Recognition (DOLCH) 16
Vocabulary....................... 16
Fluency.. 19
Comprehension. 20
An Introduction to Assessment and Evaluation. 26
Literacy Portfolios 27
E-Sembler.............. 28
Contents of Literacy Portfolios.. 29
Reading Assessments.. 31
DOLCH.. 31
DRA2. 39
Developmental Spelling Assessment (DSA) 41
NPS Vocabulary Assessment. 53
DIBELS (DORF).. 54
NPS Comprehension Assessment .................................................................... 56
Writing in Norfolk Public Schools 57
Components of Writing Instruction.. 58
Daily Focus Lessons. 58
Independent Writing Time. 59
The Writing Process. 60
Writing Conferences 61
Stages of Writing Development. 62
Writing Genres. 67
Writing Assessment.. 69
The Literacy Portfolio.. 69
Baseline Writing Sample. 69
Composition Evaluations. 72
End of the year literacy Portfolio Contents.. 76
E-Portfolio for Students with an IEP.. 77
3-5 Literacy Assessments (At a Glance) 78
Suggested Pacing Guide (Grade 3). 79
Suggested Pacing Guide (Grades 4 & 5)... 80
Reading Log. 81
Creating Your E-Portfolio Account.. 82
Lesson Plan Requirements.............................................................................. 86
Small Group Lesson Plan Format.. 87
Progress Report Considerations.. 88
References 89

READING IN NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Balanced Literacy Instruction

Balanced literacy instruction respects and addresses the needs of all learners, views
teachers as informed decision makers, is flexible, and is researched based. A balanced
literacy approach to instruction provides students with daily opportunities to engage in a
variety of reading and writing instructional approaches that help them communicate more
effectively.

In a balanced literacy framework, students receive daily instruction that integrates:
phonemic awareness
phonics and word study
fluency
vocabulary
text comprehension
writing

In Norfolk Public Schools, students receive 2 hours of daily Balanced Literacy
Instruction in oral language development, reading, word study, and writing. This
instruction is provided through direct whole group instruction, small group
guided practice, and independent application of skills and strategies. This
quality instruction integrates direct teaching and opportunities for practice within the
context of quality literature, both fiction and nonfiction, and authentic reading and writing
activities.

All reading instruction is guided by the Virginia English Standards of Learning as reflected
in the Norfolk Public Schools Elementary English Curriculum Guide. However, the
development of childrens interest and pleasure in reading and writing is just as important
as student achievement.

This guide serves as a resource for defining each of the critical building blocks of literacy
development and the assessments required to track student progress.

The following is a chart that summarizes Balanced Literacy Instruction by providing the
definition, purpose, and role of the teacher for each major component. Many of the
components provide opportunities for student assessment. Norfolk Public Schools believes
in using assessment to drive instruction. Teachers must accurately administer all required
NPS assessments in a timely fashion to maximize opportunities for student achievement.

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A Review of Balanced Literacy Instruction (3-5)
Component Purpose Role of the Teacher
Read-Aloud: The teacher reads aloud
materials that are at students listening level,
but above their reading level.
To model fluent , expressive reading

To model comprehension strategy
instruction, i.e. making connections,
imagery, etc.

To build vocabulary

To improve listening skills

To analyze authors craft in writing

To provide extension activities for
writing instruction
To establish a literacy rich
environment
To select interesting and engaging
fiction and nonfiction texts that lend
themselves to meaningful discussion
To model appropriate reading
behaviors
To read a variety of genres, authors,
illustrators, styles of writing, and
content
Assessment Opportunity: Oral and
written retellings, graphic organizers,
and comprehension questions
Shared Reading: A blend of modeled,
shared, and interactive reading that is
appropriate for all elementary grades.

Each child has an individual copy of the text
or is able to independently view the text on
a chart, overhead or Smartboard.
To directly and explicitly teach
students how to read by modeling
effective reading skills, strategies,
and behaviors while making
meaning the goal

To provide students with a model of
fluent reading.
To model reading by reading and
thinking aloud using an enlarged text,
text on an overhead, Smartboard, or
each student having a copy of the text
To discuss and practice the use of
comprehension strategies to make
and extend meaning
To model how to approach different
genres and text types
To demonstrate and reinforce skills
for vocabulary and word study
Assessment Opportunity: Oral and
written retellings, graphic organizers,
and comprehension questions
Small Group Reading Instruction
Includes:
Word Recognition
Word Study
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Strategy Development

In Guided Reading, books are at the childs
instructional level (90-94% accuracy) and
the children do the reading independently.
To support, prompt, and scaffold the
development of strategies for
independent reading

To develop and monitor the
students use of before, during, and
after reading strategies

To provide the students with
opportunities to engage with text at
their instructional level

To provide appropriate levels of
support in the development of word
study

To assist in vocabulary development
To help students talk, think, and
question their way through the
reading process
To model strategies and provide
practice for meaning of text
To read and discuss a range of genre
and text types
To support the development of
students vocabularies
To listen to students read orally and
analyze miscues
To provide developmentally
appropriate sorts for word study
Assessment Opportunity: Anecdotal
notes, running records, and
comprehension questions
Independent Reading: Students read texts
with 95-100% accuracy, choose their own
books, and take responsibility for working
through the challenges of the text.
To provide opportunities for students
to apply reading strategies, develop
fluency, and build their own
confidence as readers
To observe, acknowledge, respond,
and hold conferences
To match text to students
independent level
To model reading for enjoyment
Assessment Opportunity: Written
responses, anecdotal notes

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A Review of Balanced Literacy Instruction (3-5) continued
Literature Circles: Small, usually
heterogeneous, groups of students who are
interested in certain topics, genre, or
specific books talking in depth about what
they have read.

To provide opportunities for
expanding meaning, such as
inferring, summarizing, analyzing,
and critiquing through discussion
To select books that will provoke
discussion
To observe as the students take turns
facilitating the discussions
To demonstrate routines that make
for good group discussions
To summarize major points from the
students interactions
To introduce structures for
responding to literature
Assessment Opportunity: Anecdotal
notes, written responses
Literacy Work Stations (Centers):
A literacy work station is an area within the
classroom where students work alone or
interact with one another, using instructional
materials to explore and expand their
literacy.
To reinforce and/or extend student
learning through a variety of
activities
To plan open-ended extension
activities that support instruction
from the other components of
balanced literacy instruction
To provide scaffolded activities to
meet individual needs
To monitor student progress
Assessment Opportunity: Samples
of student products such as written
retellings, graphic organizers, and
comprehension questions
Systematic Word Study :
Word study is the systematic developmental
study of words that provides students with
opportunities to investigate and understand
the patterns in words
To help students achieve the
automatic word recognition and
decoding skills necessary for fluency
and proficient comprehension
To help students develop knowledge
of the phonetic principles necessary
for proficient spelling
To monitor progress of students
consistently
To provide early intervention for
those at risk of failing to learn to read
and spell proficiently
To use activities such as word walls,
word sorts, and making words to
promote students word recognition
and spelling
Assessment Opportunity: Word
sorts, dictated sentences, anecdotal
notes, and DSA
Writers Workshop: Instruction that
supports student development through all
stages of the writing process including
planning, drafting, revising, editing and
publishing.
To provide structured opportunities
for students to write and receive
feedback in order to learn about the
writing process

To scaffold and support student
writing with structured mini-lessons
on written expression, organization,
and mechanics and usage
To use mini-lessons to teach students
different aspects of the writing
process
To use literature to model and
stimulate students to think creatively
about the authors craft
To circulate and assist students in
their writing efforts
To model the entire writing process
To hold conferences with students
about their writing
To provide students with vehicles to
share their writing
Assessment Opportunity: Writing
samples, student-teacher conferences,
and peer conferences
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A Review of Balanced Literacy Instruction (3-5) continued
Guided Writing: The teacher works with
individual students or small groups of
students who have similar needs and
coaches them as they write a composition.
To provide focused writing
instruction to students in order to
lead them to independent writing.
To observe and assess students
writing
To meet with individuals or small
groups who have similar needs
To encourage and prompt students to
use resources
To extend students thinking in the
process of composing
Assessment Opportunity: Writing
samples, student-teacher conferences,
and peer conferences
Independent Writing: During this time,
students work as writers (which may include
time to write and time to investigate what
they will write).

To provide time for students to apply
the writing process independently.

Through independent writing, the
students develop their own voice in
writing and apply their
understanding of the crafting lessons
taught by their teacher.
To create opportunities for students
to engage in authentic, purposeful
writing
To respond to the content of the
students writing
To assist students with the revision
and editing process.
To praise student efforts
Assessment Opportunity: students
finished piece is assessed using the
NPS composition evaluation form
Other important components of a Balanced Literacy Classroom include:
Quick Writes Paired/ Partner Reading
Modeled Writing Choral Reading
Repeated Reading

Adapted from the Principals Flip Chart in Reading in the NPS Guide, Best Practices in Balanced Literacy Instruction, 2002.

REQUIRED DAILY SEGMENTS
Grades 3-5

WHOLE GROUP SHARED READING & READ ALOUD (30 minutes)

Shared reading and Read alouds include teacher led instruction in the following
components:
Building background knowledge
Narrative elements
Comprehension Strategy Instruction/Modeling
Fluency
Vocabulary Development
Varied expository text structures (social studies & science)
Genre description and exploration

THREE FLEXIBLE SMALL GROUPS (60 minutes)

During small groups of 20 minutes each, all students receive explicit reading
instruction using materials at their instructional reading level with each person
holding a copy of the text. These groups are based on NPS assessments.

Small group instruction in which the teacher facilitates the students usage of the
following components:
Comprehension strategy development
Vocabulary development (i.e. prefixes, root words, suffixes)
Word study/word attack strategies
Varied expository text structures (social studies & science)/genres

While the teacher is working with small groups the remainder of the class is
working on:
Independent or collaborative reading & writing extension activities
Cooperative groups, work station activities, and/or peer conferences

WRITING INSTRUCTION (60 minutes)

Daily writing instruction includes the following components:
Daily focused mini-lessons by the teacher in the three domains: composing,
written expression, and mechanics and usage
Independent time for writing and conducting research
Conferences with teacher or peers
Sharing opportunities

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The Building Blocks of Literacy Development
DRA
Stage of
Spelling
Development
Derivational
Constancy
Vocabulary and Comprehension
24 +
Syllable
J uncture
Syllable
J uncture
Fluency and Comprehension
14-24
Within Word
Pattern
Within Word
Pattern
Phonics, Word Recognition, and Fluency
3-12
Letter Name
Letter Name
Phonemic Awareness, Concepts about Print, and Word
Recognition
A-2
Emergent
Adapted from Walpole,S. & McKenna, J .
DEFINING THE BUILDING BLOCKS

PHONEMIC AWARENESS:

Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify, hear, and manipulate the individual
phonemes or sounds in spoken words. Manipulating the sounds in words includes
blending, stretching, or otherwise changing words.
Before children learn to read print, they need to become aware of how the sounds in
words work. They must understand that words are made up of speech sounds, or
phonemes.
Phonemes are the smallest parts of sound in spoken words that make a difference in the
word's meaning. For example, changing the first phoneme in the word hat from /h/ to /p/
changes the word from hat to pat, and so changes the meaning. (A letter between slash
marks shows the phoneme, or sound, that the letter represents, and not the name of the
letter. For example, the letter h represents the sound /h/.)

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isolate individual sounds in words
(The first sound in van is /v/.)
identify which words in a set of words begin with the same sound
("Bell, bike, and boy all have /b/ at the beginning.")
categorize words with the same sounds
(Rug doesnt belong with bun and bus.)
Children can show us that they have phonemic awareness in several ways:
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PHONICS (WORD STUDY):

Word Study is an active and developmental way to teach phonics, vocabulary, and
spelling (Ganske,2000). Through word sorting activities, children use a process of
comparing and contrasting categories of word features to independently discover
the similarities and differences within and between each category. Word study
provides instruction that is explicit, systematic, and repetitive. It is a conceptual
process that goes beyond simple rote drill and memorization relationships.

A child's reading development is dependent on his/her understanding of the alphabetic
principle the idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken
language. Learning that there are predictable relationships between sounds and letters
allows children to apply these relationships to both familiar and unfamiliar words, and to
begin to read with fluency. The goal of word study instruction is to help children to learn
and be able to use the alphabetic principle in both reading and writing (Bear, 2004).

The Principles of Word Study
1. Look for what students use but confuse. To group students for instruction use a feature score of
4.
2. A step backward is a step forward. In order to form groups, move students to the previous
known feature rather than forward to an unknown feature.
3. Use words that students can read and understand. Use words that students can read immediately.
4. Compare words that do with words that dont. Define what something is by also defining what it
is not. Understanding contrasts are essential to students as they sort.
5. Begin with obvious contrasts. Do not use two syllable words for students in Letter Name and Within
Word stages, even when picture cards are used.
6. Do not teach students the phonics rules. Allow them to discover patterns and make generalizations
for themselves. Teach students to form the habit of looking at words and asking questions.
7. Dont hide exceptions.
8. Sort by sight and sound. Encourage students to tell what they notice with their eyes and with their
ears. Have students tell what patterns they see and what generalizations they can make. Have
students read aloud either the anchor word (or picture) and the new word (or picture) each time a
new example is categorized. If pictures are included in the sorting sequence prior to the word sorts,
dont skip them. The pictures are provided to help students learn the sounds before studying the
visual word patterns.
9. Work for automaticity. Work to help students acquire fluency in sorting and examining patterns.
This fluency should extend to decoding and encoding. Engage students in daily games and activities
to increase repeated practice.
10. Return to meaningful text to read and write in context. Record all related independent and buddy
practice activities in the word study notebook. Refer to the chart of weekly word study practice for examples.

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How is word study taught?
Word study is based on the notion that where a student is in his or her spelling
development can serve as a guide for instruction. At the start of a word study
program, teachers use a spelling inventory to determine which stage of spelling
development each student is in and then groups students for instruction (Bear, et
al., 2000). Once groups are created, teachers develop "differentiated instruction"
based on the stage of development each group of students has achieved.
Instruction has to be deliberately sequenced by the teacher so students will get
instruction that will propel their development. Teachers select a group of words that
demonstrate a particular spelling pattern and sequence these patterns to match
children's development. Because the pace of children's progression through the
stages varies, rarely would all the students in a class be studying the same list of
words.
To implement word study effectively, teachers and students alike must become
word detectives, engaged in an ongoing attempt to make sense of word patterns
and their relationships to one another. Spelling "rules" are not dictated by the
teacher for students to memorize. Rather, spelling patterns and generalizations are
discovered by students.

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Observations and informal assessments such as the Developmental Spelling
Assessment (DSA) enable teachers to identify which students are in which stage of
spelling development. Using this data, the teachers are able to identify word
features that children already understand; and those that they are ready to learn
(Ganske, 2006). To determine where to begin instruction, a teacher should
consider the students spelling stage as identified by their use of individual features
such as:

Layer Spelling
Stage
Features within each
Stage
Characteristics Examples in
Writing
Emergent
Beginning and ending
sounds
Initial blends and
digraphs
Short vowels
No concept of word
Use of random marks
Representation prominent sounds in
words
Learning the alphabet
MKB9 = dog
S = house
Alphabet
Letter Name
A. Beginning and ending
sounds
B. Initial blends and
digraphs
C. Short vowels
D. Affricates
E. Final blends and
digraphs
Rudimentary concept of word
Representation of initial and final
consonants
Use of medial vowels inconsistently
Acquisition of basic letter-sound
relationships (word families, blends,
digraphs, short vowels)

dg = dog
jriv = drive
brach = branch
flat
swing
Within Word
Pattern
F. Long vowels CVCe
G. R-Controlled vowels
H. Other common long
vowels
I. Complex Consonants
J . Abstract Vowels
Mastery of basic letter-sound
relationships
Attention to pattern features of
spelling (long vowel patterns,
dipthongs, complex consonant
clusters)
feat = feet
strayt = straight
burd = bird
chain
couch

Pattern
Syllables &
Affixes
(Syllable
J uncture)
K. Doubling & e-drop with
ed & ing
L. Other syllable juncture
doubling
M. Long vowel patterns with
a stress syllable
N. R-Controlled with a
stressed syllable
O. Unstressed syllable
vowel patterns
Mastery of phonics in single syllable
words
Attention to patterns in multisyllabic
words (stressed and unstressed
syllables, consonant doubling, and
e-dropping)
snaping =
snapping
smileing = smiling
double = double
believe
S
T
A
G
E
S

O
F

S
P
E
L
L
I
N
G

D
E
V
E
L
O
P
M
E
N
T

Meaning
Derivational
Relations
P. Silent and sounded
consonants
Q. Consonant changes
R. Vowel changes
S. Latin-Derived suffixes
T. Assimilated prefixes
Attention to meaning based
changes in spelling (prefixes,
suffixes, vowel changes, Greek and
Latin roots.)
dependant =
dependent
incredible =
incredible
inquisition

A Week of a Word Study Instructional Model Includes:
After reviewing the DSA results, each class will be divided into three groups. All students
may not fit neatly into these groupings. However, maintaining more than three groups
per teacher becomes very difficult. It may be necessary to provide supplemental support
to students who do not fit into one of these groups. When forming groups, it is
better to move a student to a previous feature than force the student forward
as suggested in the second principle of Word Study,.
A teacher directed introductory lesson is recommended for each of three small groups
on Mondays. Students need to be explicitly taught to make generalizations about their
sorts. Teachers should encourage students to make these generalizations during their
guided, independent, and buddy practice.
The rationale for the following sequence of weekly practice activities is to allow students
enough time to become familiar with the features before requiring them to complete the
most challenging activities for independent practice.

Recommended Weekly Routine:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Guided Sorting
Practice in
small group
Independent
Sorting
Practice &
Recording sort
in the Word
Study
Notebook
Blind Sorting
with a Study
Buddy
Reading
Feature Related
Texts
Partner Word
Building
Games
Buddy Speed
Sorting Practice
Word Hunt &
Record in Word
Study Notebook
Partner Word
Study
Games for
repeated
practice
Buddy Blind
Written Sorting
Practice in WS
Notebook
Feature Writing
Activities
completed in
the Word
Study
Notebook
Partner Word
Study
Games for
repeated
practice
Small Group
Sorting Test
Teacher
evaluates
students
ability to move
to the next
feature.
Teacher
Identifies
students next
lesson
sequence
Teachers should introduce the word study games before expecting students to use them
for independent practice.

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Recommended Weekly Word Study Assessment Procedures
The assessment should include no more than five words or pictures per feature being
studied. One or more of the words in each feature can be novel (not practiced during
the week). The assessment is scored just as it would be for the DSA. For example, one
point is given for accurate use of the spelling feature and one point for correct
spelling. In addition, the assessment will include a dictated sentence that is inclusive of
some features previously studied and the features currently being studied.
Students provide proof of feature mastery through their consistent, accurate use of the
features in their independent writing. Mastery can also be demonstrated through their
ability to decode novel words when reading.

The Different Types of Word Sorts

1. Open Sort categorizing words or pictures according to a students according to a
students own judgment.

2. Closed Sort word sorts or picture sorts that rely on predetermined categories for
classifying words.

3. Blind Sort A word sort that is completed blindly namely without looking at
the words. Words are placed in front of the student as key words. As someone
calls out the words to be sorted, the student points to the appropriate category.
Blind sorts encourage students to use sound clues and their memory for particular
spelling patterns.

4. Concept Sort Categorizing words or pictures by meaning rather than by spelling
feature (such as farm animals, zoo animals, ocean animals)

5. Writing Sort words are written down under appropriate categories, headed by
key words. (sometimes combined with a blind sort) could be used as an
assessment procedure.

6. Speed Sort After students are able to accurately categorize their words, the
added focus on speed allows students work towards automaticity with the features
being studied. (Varied version: Beat the Teacher.)

Web Resources to Support Word Study

http://jc-schools.net/PPTs-la.html
Game boards and game playing pieces
http://www.rcs.k12.va.us/pfes/third%20grade/reading%20home/reading%201.htm
Vocabulary by story Grade Trophies
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy_stations/wordwork.htm
Activity ideas
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/wordfamily/
(IRA) Interactive game for word family sorting
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/construct/
(IRA) Construct a wordcreate other word family lists
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/fpoem.shtml
Online phonics poetry activities & print-outs
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WORD RECOGNITION:

Automaticity is the fast, effortless word recognition that comes with a great deal of word
practice. In the early stages of learning to read, readers may be accurate but slow and
inefficient at recognizing words. Continued reading practice helps word recognition
become more automatic, rapid, and effortless. Once the students attention is freed from
word recognition and decoding, they are able to focus on the comprehension of the text.
Automaticity leads to increased fluency which in turn improves comprehension.

The reading process involves two separate but highly interrelated areas - word recognition
and comprehension. It is well established that difficulties in automatic word recognition
significantly affect a reader's ability to effectively comprehend what they are reading.
Even mild difficulties in word identification can pull attention away from the underlying
meaning, reduce the speed of reading, and create the need to reread selections to grasp
the meaning. Many students who struggle to learn to read are able, with appropriate
instruction, to compensate for initial reading problems by becoming accurate decoders but
fail to reach a level of sufficient fluency to become fast and efficient readers. Thus, the
development of techniques for improving automaticity and fluency is critical.

Mastery of the 220 basic Dolch words greatly improves students reading performance.
NPS has divided the Dolch word lists into preprimer, primer, first grade, second grade, and
third grade lists. The mastery of these lists is encouraged regardless of the
students grade level. Teachers in grade three should review their students second
grade portfolios to identify students who need additional instruction in word recognition.
In addition, third grade teachers should introduce and assess those words on the third
grade Dolch word list quarterly until mastery has been obtained.

Teachers in grades 4 and 5 should seek assistance from their Communication Skills
Specialist if they have noted that a particular student is struggling with basic word
recognition.

VOCABULARY:

Vocabulary refers to the words we must understand to communicate effectively.
Vocabulary plays an essential role in the reading process, and contributes greatly to
a reader's comprehension. NPS teachers must consider the four types of
vocabulary: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

A reader cannot understand a text without knowing what most of the words mean.
Students learn the meanings of most words indirectly, through everyday
experiences with oral and written language.

Children learn word meanings indirectly in three ways:

engaging daily in oral language
listening to adults read to them
reading extensively on their own

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Direct instruction helps students learn difficult words and concepts that are not part
of their everyday experiences. Direct instruction of vocabulary relevant to a given
text leads to better reading comprehension.

Children learn word meanings directly by:

learning specific words before reading.
repeated exposure to new words in different contexts.
acquiring word learning strategies such as:
1. how to use dictionaries and other reference materials.
2. how to use information about word parts (common prefixes and
suffixes) to figure out the meaning of words in texts.
3. how to use context clues to determine word meanings.
Another way you can help students develop vocabulary is to foster word consciousness-
an awareness of and interest in words, their meanings, and their power. Word- conscious
students know many words and use them well.

appreciating how authors use words to convey particular meanings.
exploring words by engaging in word play.
searching for examples of a words usage in their everyday lives.
reading rich literature.
Students develop word consciousness by:

In Norfolk Public Schools, many of our students are inherently at a disadvantage in
vocabulary development. Continuous and repeated exposure to enriched literature and
great conversation will increase student achievement and foster a love of words.
In grades 3-5, students are assessed on vocabulary and phonics using a variety of
measures that include but not limited to the NPS Quarterly Vocabulary Assessment,
the NPS Reading Quarterly Assessment, and the Virginia SOL English
Assessment.

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Virginia English SOL Assessment

In the SOL test blueprints provided by the Virginia Department of Education for Grades 3,
4, and 5, the reporting category of uses word analysis strategies and information
resources outlines the specific phonics and vocabulary standards that are assessed. The
following is a listing of the phonics and vocabulary SOL that are assessed:

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Grade 3
SOL Use language structure to expand vocabulary.
2.4c Decode irregular multisyllabic words.
2.6a Use knowledge of prefixes and suffixes.
2.6b Use knowledge of contractions and singular possessives.
2.6c Use knowledge of simple abbreviations.
2.6d Use knowledge of antonyms and synonyms.
3.3b Use knowledge of homophones.
3.4c Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies.
3.4d Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.

SOL Demonstrate comprehension of information in reference materials.
2.9a Use a table of contents.
2.9b Use pictures and charts.
2.9c Use dictionaries and indices.
3.7a Use dictionary, glossary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and other reference books, including online
reference materials.

Grade 4
SOL
Use word analysis strategies and information resources.
4.3a Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.
4.3b Explain words with multiple meanings.
4.3c Use knowledge of word origins; synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms; and multiple meanings of
words.
4.3d Use word-reference materials, including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
4.6b Collect information, using the resources of the media center, including online, print, and media
resources.

Grade 5
SOL Read fiction and nonfiction with fluency and accuracy.
5.4a Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.
5.4b Use knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes.
5.4c Use dictionary, glossary, thesaurus, and other word-reference materials.

SOL Demonstrate comprehension of information from a variety of print resources.
5.7b Organize information on charts, maps, and graphs.

FLUENCY:

Fluency entails word recognition that is, except in rare instances, unconscious and
automatic. Until a reader achieves fluency, comprehension is apt to suffer because too
much conscious attention must be directed at word identification and too little attention
can be paid to comprehending what is read (Walpole and McKenna, 2004).
Fluency develops as a result of direct and explicit instruction. Fluency instruction should
occur during shared and guided reading. Teachers can help students develop reading
fluency through modeling, demonstrations, think-alouds and discussions about what
makes a reader fluent (J ohns and Berglund, 2002).

Students who read and reread passages orally as they receive guidance and/or feedback
become better readers. Repeated oral reading substantially improves word recognition,
speed, and accuracy as well as fluency. Researchers have found several effective
techniques related to repeated oral reading:

Students read and reread a text a certain number of times or until a certain level of
fluency is reached. Four rereads are sufficient for most students.
Oral reading practice is increased through the use of audiotapes, tutors, peer
guidance, or other means.

1. develop a high level of accuracy in word recognition.
2. maintain a rate of reading brisk enough to facilitate comprehension.
3. use phrasing and expression so that oral reading sounds like speech.
4. transform deliberate strategies for word recognition and comprehension into
automatic skills.
Students develop fluency through activities for repeated oral reading
practice:
1. Student-adult reading--reading one-on-one with an adult, who
provides a model of fluent reading, helps with word recognition, and
provides feedback.
2. Choral reading--reading aloud simultaneously in a group.
3. Tape-assisted reading--reading aloud simultaneously or as an echo
with an audio-taped model.
4. Partner reading--reading aloud with a more fluent partner (or with a
partner of equal ability) who provides a model of fluent reading, helps
with word recognition, and provides feedback.
5. Readers' theatre--the rehearsing and performing before an audience
of a dialogue-rich script derived from a book.
To develop fluency, children need to:

19
20
In addition, students need many opportunities to practice reading with a high degree of
success. Students should practice orally reading texts at their independent levels.
Feedback and guidance at students instructional reading levels can also lead students to
greater expertise (National Reading Panel, 2000). Text at the independent level will be
reasonably easy for them to read and contain words that they know or can decode easily.

Monitoring student progress in reading fluency is useful in evaluating instruction, setting
instructional goals, and it is motivating to students. Teachers in grades 3 5 will assess
students fluency at the end of the first, second, and third quarters using the DIBELS Oral
Reading fluency Assessment.

COMPREHENSION:

Comprehension is the reason for reading. If readers can read the words but do not
understand what they are reading, they are not really reading. Beginning readers, as
well as more advanced readers, must understand that the ultimate goal of reading is
comprehension.

Good readers are active. Good readers think actively as they read. They know when
they have problems with understanding and how to resolve these problems as they
occur. Comprehension strategies are conscious plans or sets of steps that good readers
use to make sense of text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become
purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading comprehension.
The following strategies have a firm scientific basis for improving text comprehension:
1. Using Schema / Making Connections
2. Visualizing
3. Wondering and Questioning
4. Drawing Conclusions
5. Determining Important Ideas
6. Understanding Text Structure
7. Summarizing
8. Synthesizing

The steps of explicit instruction are
Direct explanation. The teacher explains to students why the strategy helps
comprehension and when to apply the strategy.
Modeling. The teacher models, or demonstrates, how to apply the strategy,
usually by "thinking aloud" while reading the text that the students are using.
Guided practice. The teacher guides and assists students as they learn how
and when to apply the strategy. TPS (think/pair/share) and TPW
(think/pair/write) are effective opportunities for students to practice and share
their thinking and understanding of text.
Application. The teacher helps students practice the strategy until they can
apply it independently.
Effective comprehension strategy instruction is explicit, or direct. Research
shows that explicit teaching techniques are particularly effective for comprehension
strategy instruction. In explicit instruction, teachers tell readers why and when they
should use strategies, what strategies to use, and how to apply them.

How to Teach Comprehension Strategies

*Full sized versions of these comprehension posters are available on our 123 Curriculum website.
21
Strategy Purpose Instructional Suggestions Suggested Resources
Activating prior knowledge helps the reader
to:
make accurate predictions.
Suggested Literature: Ways to build and activate background
knowledge include:
make connections that are
relevant to students
post information on different text
structures and genre
characteristics
provide literature by the same
author, about the same topics,
and/or with similar formats
U
s
i
n
g

S
c
h
e
m
a

/

M
a
k
i
n
g

C
o
n
n
e
c
t
i
o
n
s

Mr. Lincolns Way; My Rotten Red-Headed
Older Brother - Patricia Polacco
Rondo in C Paul Fleischman
Show Way - J acqueline Woodson
The Art Lesson - Tomie DePaolo
make connections to self, other text, and
the world.
set a purpose for reading.
build upon a childs schema.
The Night Tree - Eve Bunting
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge Mem Fox

V
i
s
u
a
l
i
z
i
n
g

Visualizing helps the reader to:
form mental images to help them
understand, remember, and enjoy text.
connect personal images to the text.
Suggested Literatures:

become familiar with the character,
setting, theme, and/or emotion the
author presents.
make the words in the text into
pictures, sounds, sense, and feelings.
make sense of figurative language.
Ways to assist students in learning
how visualize (create mental images):
Develop an awareness of sensory and
emotional images provided by the author
Model the use of metacognition with
imagery
Use different response options (artistic,
dramatic, written, or spoken) to depict
images
Use minilessons to develop imagery
Utilize poetry
All the Places I Love Patricia MacLachlan
Amber on the Mountain - Tony J ohnston
At the Edge of the Forest - J ohathan London
Mufaros Beautiful Daughters - J ohn Steptoe
Night in the Country - Cynthia Rylant
Shadow Ball: The History of the Negro
Leagues G. Ward, K. Burns, J . OConnor
The Wretched Stone - Chris Van Allsburg

22

W
o
n
d
e
r
i
n
g

/

Q
u
e
s
t
i
o
n
i
n
g

Questioning helps the reader to: Suggested Literature:

speculate about text yet to be read
locate a specific answer in text or infer
answers that require information not
provided in the text.
focus attention on what they are to learn.
dispel confusions and clarifies meaning.
review content and relate what they have
learned to what they already know.
determine an authors intent, style, content,
or format.
Ways to assist students with asking
and answering questions:
chart questions before, during
and after readings
A Weekend with Wendell - Kevin Henkes
An Angel for Solomon Singer Cynthia Rylant
Bad Day at Riverbend; The Stranger - Chris Van
Allsburg
Fly Away Home, The Wednesday Surprise - Eve
Bunting
determine if the questions asked
can be answered in the text or
require additional information
use a variety of tools such as
coding, highlighting markers,
question maps, story maps, and
double entry diaries
How Come? Kathy Wollard
Sykvester and the Magic Pebble William Steig
provide time for students to
meet in small groups to
compare and discuss their
questions and answers
make frequent connections
between questioning and other
strategies
The Day of Ahmeds Secret Heide & Gilliland
Tikvah Means Hope Patricia Polacco
Drawing conclusions helps the reader to: Ways to assist students in learning
how to draw conclusions:
Suggested Literature:
Dandelion - Eve Bunting
Follow the Drinking Gourd J eanette Winter
J une 29, 1999 David Wiesner
D
r
a
w
i
n
g

C
o
n
c
l
u
s
i
o
n
s
:

combine what is read with relevant prior
knowledge to make inferences .
Solve problems in text
Identify cause and effect
make reasonable predictions and
generalizations.
Ask the reader to make predictions and
generalizations

I
n
f
e
r
r
i
n
g

G
e
n
e
r
a
l
i
z
i
n
g

LaRue Letters from the Campaign Trail- Teague
Scaredy Squirrel Melanie Watt
The Memory Sting - Eve Bunting
The Promise Quilt Ransom
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick Van Allsburg

23
D
e
t
e
r
m
i
n
i
n
g

I
m
p
o
r
t
a
n
t

I
d
e
a
s

Identifying key points helps the reader to: Ways to assist students in
determining the most important
ideas:
* This strategy can be practiced with most
fiction and non-fiction literature available in your
classroom and school media center.
distinguish between main ideas and
supporting details.
distinguish the difference
between what is and what is
not important

organize essential information into story
maps, semantic maps, and other graphic
organizers.
Use highlighters and post it
notes to highlight important
ideas
Eyewitness Books
Weekly Reader Decide what is most important in the whole
text, each paragraph, and every sentence.
Outlining to organize text Ranger Rick
Use graphic organizers to
determine important ideas
Cobblestone: The History Magazine for
Young People

Identifying text structure helps the reader to: Ways to assist students in understanding text
structure:
Suggested fiction texts with strong story
structure:
U
n
d
e
r
s
t
a
n
d
i
n
g

T
e
x
t

S
t
r
u
c
t
u
r
e

to identify the genre of the text
Crickwing J annell Cannon
to know how to approach reading the text
for understanding.
provide explicit instruction in reading
expository text and identify text features
Freckleface Strawberry J ulianne Moore
Help Me, Mr. Mutt! - J anet Stevens
identify non-fiction text features to
unlock text meaning ( heading,
subheadings, bold print, charts,graphs,
and captions )
Possum Magic Mem Fox

Non-Fiction text with text features:

Eyewitness Books (especially big books for
modeling)
provide explicit instruction in reading
fictional text

Baseball Saved Us Ken Mochizuki
identify common story elements
(settings, characters, plot ) Home-Run: The Story of Babe Ruth -Burleigh
Tornado Stephen Kramer

24
25

Strategy Purpose Instructional Strategies Suggested Resources
S
u
m
m
a
r
i
z
i
n
g

Summarizing helps readers to:

identify and bring together the essential
ideas in text
pull out main ideas
focus on key details
use key words and phrases
break down the larger ideas
write only enough to convey the gist

how to summarize:

identify the important ideas in
the text and use these ideas to
summarize
use graphic organizers to
identify and help summarize
important ideas
use selective underlining to help
summarize the important ideas
of text
determine the Who, What,
When, Where, How, and Why in
fictional text to help summarize
* This strategy can be practiced with most
fiction and non-fiction literature available in your
classroom and school media center.

Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse Lobel
Emmas Turtle Eve Bunting
J umanji Chris Van Allsburg
Stellaluna J anell Cannon
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Scieszka

The Table Where Rich People Sit Byrd Baylor
Oliver Button is a Sissy Tomie DePaola
See the Ocean Estelle Condra
Smoky Night Even Bunting
Fredricks Fables- Leo Lionni
The Rag Coat Lauren Mills
Tea With Milk- Allen Say
Fables - Arnold Lobel
S
y
n
t
h
e
s
i
z
i
n
g

Synthesizing helps the reader to:
monitor the overall meaning, important
concepts, and themes in the text.
extend the literal meaning to an inferential
level.
become aware of text elements and
patterns in fiction and nonfiction.
attend to narrative elements.
attend to text patterns such as cause and
effect, compare and contrast, and
problem and solution.
revise their background knowledge to
include new understandings.

how to synthesize:
require book reviews or critiques
extend their synthesis of the literal
meaning into the inferential
require students to translate their
understandings into their own words

AN I NTRODUCTI ON TO ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATI ON

Assessment is the collection of data about a student's performance in order to guide
instruction. Evaluation is the interpretation of the data collected. Outcomes of
assessment and evaluation procedures allow teachers to plan instruction that reflects their
students current learning and capitalize on their strengths in order to develop other areas
of growth. The portfolio allows teachers to document, analyze, and communicate growth
over time.

The terms assessment and evaluation are frequently viewed as one and the same, but
there is a difference. Assessment is the process of observing and accumulating objective
evidence of an individuals performance. Data is collected through teacher observation or
kid watching, anecdotal note-taking, informal screenings of phonological awareness and
concepts about print, word recognition lists, conferences, reading and writing checklists,
writing samples and products, running records, informal reading inventories, oral and
written retellings, and comprehension questions. Evaluation is the process of making
judgments about the students progress.

Assessment and evaluation inform instruction by revealing what the student has learned
and is ready to learn.

Within the evaluation process, there are four clearly defined phases. Each phase is
different from the others, yet interdependent:

Set learning goals specify learning goals based on knowledge of the students and
the curriculum.
Plan program plan specific instruction that will enable learners to progress toward
the specific goals.
Assess Observe and collect information in a variety of ways and contexts that will
show the learners progress toward the learning goals.
Evaluate Make judgments about the effectiveness of teaching for learning on the
basis of the assessment information. This phase guides and shapes the formation
of new instructional goals.

26
Literacy Portfolios

Portfolios are a source of organized information that can be used in a variety of ways:
To make instructional decisions
To form small groups
To analyze the strengths and needs of particular students
To prepare for parent conferences
To serve as a basis for assigning grades
To help in determining intervention
To track student progress over time

Portfolio assessment benefits teachers by providing a more meaningful view of students
progress using real life reading and writing tasks in various settings. Through viewing
student work, teachers can come to a clearer understanding of what constitutes quality
work in a particular area at a certain period of time. As teachers assess students work,
the line between assessment and instruction becomes more closely linked.

Portfolios provide parents with concrete examples of their childrens knowledge and
growth. As opposed to more traditional tests, portfolios show parents exactly how their
children are performing on a daily basis and throughout the year. At the close of each
quarter, all portfolio assessment documentation should be organized in their individual
portfolio folders and filed so that it is available for review at all times.

Portfolio assessment in Norfolk Public Schools was first implemented in the fall of 1989.
Since then, Norfolk Public Schools portfolio assessment process has evolved into an
electronic portfolio system, E-Portfolio. This database provides the teachers and
administrators with an up to date summary of student and class progress that can be
evaluated throughout the year. Each of the E-portfolio assessments is vital for assessing
student progress in reading and writing.

This guide provides direction and recommendations for completing and using the
assessment and evaluation tools effectively. Assessment forms may be downloaded from
the Norfolk Public Schools intranet website or by accessing Norfolk Public Schools
homepage on the internet.

Literacy Portfolio Transfers
Completed portfolios are part of a students permanent school record and must be
transferred to the next grade level or school in the district. If a student transfers out of
the district, a printed copy of the Student Summary Sheet should be forwarded with the
cumulative school records. The portfolio folders with this summary sheet should be stored
with the cumulative folder. Data entered into E-Portfolio will transfer to the new teacher.
Please be considerate of the new Norfolk teacher, adhere to the assessment schedule and
forward any and all assessment documentation that you have collected on your departing
student.

27
E-Sembler

All E-Portfolio assessments should be completed by the classroom teacher
BEFORE completing report cards. Upon completion of data entry, E-Portfolio will
calculate an E-Sembler grade that should be recorded in the students grade book. This
grade carries an overall weight of 60% of the students academic success for the quarter
in reading.

Literacy Proficiency Rating

Once all reading and writing assessments have been entered into E-Portfolio, the program
will also calculate a Literacy Proficiency Rating (LPR). This rating is based on the
administered assessments with identified benchmarks. Benchmarks are identified with the
administration information of each assessment.

The definitions for use of the rating scale are as follows:

EXCEEDS BENCHMARKS
A student receiving a 4 on the literacy proficiency rating MUST exceed all
benchmarks set for the quarter or meet the maximum level/stage.

MEETS BENCHMARKS
Students receiving a 3 as a literacy proficiency rating, meet all benchmarks set for
the quarter. The students may exceed benchmarks in some areas, but not all.

REQUIRES STRATEGIC INTERVENTION
A student receiving a literacy proficiency rating of 2 meets some or most of the
benchmarks set for the quarter. Some of the students results are below the
benchmarks.

REQUIRES INTENSIVE INTERVENTION
Students receiving a 1 as a literacy proficiency rating, do not meet any benchmarks
set for the quarter.

All E-Portfolio assessments should be completed by the classroom teacher
BEFORE completing report cards.
28
29
CONTENTS OF LITERACY PORTFOLIO FOLDER (3
rd
Grade)
(Reading and Writing)

1
ST
quarter:

Results of Fall PALS if administered *
Dolch Word Lists until mastery of 220 words
DSA (Form B) End of quarter
NPS Fluency Assessment
NPS Comprehension Assessment
NPS Vocabulary Assessment
Scored baseline sample of writing**
Three completed Composition Evaluation Sheets/samples of writing for 1
st
quarter
(2 self selected topics and 1 prompted topic from the quarterly)

2
nd
Quarter:
DSA Form A
DRA2 all students
nd
quarter

3
rd
Quarter:
DSA Form B
rd
quarter

4
th
Quarter:
Printed Summary Report of E-Portfolio
Dolch Word Lists-only students who havent mastered 2
nd
and 3
rd
grade lists
DSA Form A
DRA2 Records if administered
th
quarter

* Students new to Virginia and students who did not meet Spring benchmarks should be tested in the Fall.
Students who did not meet 3
rd
grade Fall benchmarks should be tested Midyear.

**All students should complete an unedited, unrevised baseline writing sample, as soon after enrollment as
possible. This includes all out-of-district transfers, regardless of entry date.

All writing samples should include all stages of the writing process.

30
CONTENTS OF LITERACY PORTFOLIO FOLDER (4
th
and 5
th
Grade)
(Reading and Writing)

1
ST
quarter:
DSA Form B End of quarter
Scored baseline sample of writing*
st
quarter

2
nd
Quarter:
DSA Form A
nd
quarter

3
rd
Quarter:
DSA Form B
rd
quarter

4
th
Quarter:
DSA Form A
th
quarter

*All students should complete an unedited, unrevised baseline writing sample, as soon after enrollment as
possible. This includes all out-of-district transfers, regardless of entry date.

All writing samples should include all stages of the writing process.

READI NG ASSESSMENTS

Dolch Word Lists (Grade 3)
The Dolch word lists are arranged by reading level from second to third grade level. The
lists are to be administered in sequential order. A set of word lists should be maintained
in the portfolio for each third grade student. The teacher may keep a record of the
quarter in which the word was mastered by noting the results for each quarter in a
different color of ink.

The lists are used to measure automatic word recognition; therefore, a student should not
be given credit for a word that is not recognized within one second. After a student
masters the words on a list, it is not necessary to reassess those lists each quarter.
Likewise, when re-administering a list that has not been mastered, it is not necessary to
re-administer the entire list. Only the words that were not recognized automatically may
be administered. The words and lists to be administered each quarter are determined by
mastery from the previous quarter and grade level. Mastery of a list is automatic
recognition of all words on the list (100%). Once a student misses any 10 words on a list,
administration may be discontinued. After a student masters all lists, further
assessment is not required.

Recording of the scores into E-portfolio is cumulative and a total score should be entered
into e-portfolio every quarter.

Third Grade Dolch Word Rubric* *(Based upon total words recognized)
All
Qtrs.
Lists
Administered
Exceeds
+
Exceeds Benchmark Strategic Intensive
Until
Mastered
Preprimer, Primer,
First,
Second, & Third
(220 words)
204- 220 189- 203 169- 188 153- 168 152 or
fewer

31
32

Students Name__________________________________________________
DOLCH WORD LISTS

Directions: Check the words that the student recognizes automatically (within one second).

Preprimer Primer First
a to all she after take
and two am so again thank
away up are soon an them
big we at that any then
blue where ate there as think
can yellow be they ask walk
come you black this by were
down brown too could when
find but under every
for came want fly
funny did was from
go do well give
help eat went giving
here four what had
I get white has
in good who her
is have will him
it he with his
jump into yes how
little like just
look must know
make new let
me no live
my now may
not on of
one our old
play out once
red please open
run pretty over
said ran put
see ride round
the saw some
three say stop

1
st
Qtr ____/40

2
nd
Qtr ____/40

3
rd
Qtr ____/40

4
th
Qtr ____/40

1
st
Qtr ____/52

2
nd
Qtr ____/52

3
rd
Qtr ____/52

4
th
Qtr ____/52

1
st
Qtr ____/41

2
nd
Qtr ____/41

3
rd
Qtr ____/41

4
th
Qtr ____/41

33
Second Third
always wish about
around work better
because would bring
been write carry
before your clean
best cut
both done
buy draw
call drink
cold eight
does fall
dont far
fast full
first got
five grow
found hold
gave hot
goes hurt
green if
its keep
made kind
many laugh
off light
or long
pull much
read myself
right never
sing only
sit own
sleep pick
tell seven
their shall
these show
those six
upon small
us start
use ten
very today
wash together
which try
Why warm

1
st
Qtr ____/46

2
nd
Qtr ____/46

3
rd
Qtr ____/46

4
th
Qtr ____/46
1
st
Qtr ____/41

2
nd
Qtr ____/41

3
rd
Qtr ____/41

4
th
Qtr ____/41

34
a it two

and jump up

away little we

big look where

blue make yellow

can me you

come my

down not

find one

for play

funny red

go run

help said

here see

I the

in three

is to

Preprimer
35

all he so yes

am into soon

are like that

at must there

ate new they

be no this

black now too

brown on under

but our want

came out was

did please well

do pretty went

eat ran what

four ride white

get saw who

good say will

have she with

Primer
36

after him stop

again his take

an how thank

any just them

as know then

ask let think

by live walk

could may were

every of when

fly old

from once

give open

giving over

had put

has round

her some

First
37

always goes upon

around green us

because its use

been made very

before many wash

best off which

both or why

buy pull wish

call read work

cold right would

does sing write

dont sit your

fast sleep

first tell

five their

found these

gave those

Second
38

about hurt small

better if start

bring keep ten

carry kind today

clean laugh together

cut light try

done long warm

draw much

drink myself

eight never

fall only

far own

full pick

got seven

grow shall

hold show

hot six
Third

Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA2) - 3
rd
Grade Only

The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA2) is used to determine a students
independent and instructional reading levels. Use of an oral reading record is the most
effective means of placing students at an appropriate instructional level and monitoring
students reading to ensure that they are reading at an adequate independent level. This
assessment also allows the teacher to assess the students use of reading strategies and
skills as they interact with text and check comprehension levels in appropriate text
through oral retellings and questioning strategy usage.

The DRA2 is administered by following the directions provided on the assessment/record
sheets that accompany each book. These sheets are used to record the oral reading and
the students responses. The directions for introducing the book, recording the reading,
and assessing the retelling change by level.

Students can dictate the
summary assessment
from DRA 28 + until the
last quarter. I n Q4 the
student must complete
the summary
independently.
Beaver, J M. (2006). DRA2: Developmental
ReadingAssessment. CelebrationPress

Third Grade DRA Rubric Independent Level w/comprehension
39
Qtr. Exceeds
+
Exceeds Benchmark

Strategic

Intensive

2 Level 34 Level 30 Level 28

Level 24 Level 20 and below
4 Level 40

Level 38 Level 34

Level 30 Level 28 and below

To maintain the integrity of the texts the following DRA2 Levels are the ceiling
for each grade level. A student can only reach the ceiling if his or her reading is
accompanied by SOLID comprehension.

Kindergarten Level 14
Grade One Level 20
Grade Two Level 34
Grade Three Level 40

Complete directions for administering the DRA2 are included in the DRA2
Teacher Resource Guide. Each kit also includes a training video to support
mastery of administration.

The required data for portfolio entry include an independent level:
1. Accuracy Rating (WPM)
2. Oral Reading Fluency (using the DRA2 Continuum)
3. Comprehension (using the DRA2 Continuum).

Teachers will need to determine an independent reading level on the DRA2 to
complete the NPS E-Portfolio. Use the following chart as a guide:

DRA2 DRA2 Level of Observations Accuracy
40
Success Rate Retelling Fluency
Rating
Independent
The text is easy when the reader has
less than 1 error for every 20 words
read (0-5 errors in 100 words).

95% and above

19 - 28

11 - 16
Instructional
*Small group
instruction takes
place at this level.
The text is challenging, but
manageable for the reader with no
more than approximately 1 in 10
words difficult for the reader (6-10
errors in 100 words).

94%

14 - 18

7 - 10
Frustrational

The text is too challenging for the
reader with more than 1 in 10 words
difficult for the reader (10+ errors in
100 words).

93% and below

7-13

4 - 6

Please note, a DRA2 level is only considered to be independent when the accuracy rating,
retelling rating and fluency rating are all at independent levels.

Rationale for identifying both the instructional and independent levels:

Knowledge of both independent and instructional reading levels for a student is important
as these levels determine the instructional path for guided and independent reading. In
guided reading, it is important for the teacher to select carefully leveled books at the
instructional level of the student. Providing support at each students instructional level is
referred to as working within the zone of proximal development by Vygotsky (1962).

This scaffolding helps transition students between what they know and can use and what
they still need to know. Text in the instructional range allows students to practice
strategies in both decoding and comprehension with the support and prompting of the
teacher. At that level, the student can read enough words to provide a context within
which to solve reading problems, learn new words, and understand the ideas. Text that is
too difficult does not allow students to focus on meaning. At the frustration level, a
student is not able to employ enough reading strategies to experience success and too
much energy is expended at the word level.

Text that is too easy does not provide enough challenges to allow opportunity
for students to apply strategies.

Developmental Spelling Assessment (DSA)

The DSA Feature Inventories are administered as an entry assessment and then are
reassessed at the end of every quarter. When analyzing a students spelling development,
instructional decisions are based on the students mastery of individual features within a
stage.

At the beginning of the first quarter, all students (grades 3-5) are assessed on the Within
Word Pattern Form A (whole group). If during administration, the teacher notices a
particular student is struggling or frustrated, the assessment should stop for
that student. The teacher should then assess this student with the Letter
Name Assessment. If a student is independent at this stage, teachers should then
administer the Syllable J uncture Pattern Form A assessment (small group).

The following chart should be used when analyzing the results of their feature score.

Level of
Success
Observations Action by Teacher

Exceeds
Feature Score
of 5

Secure Understandings: The
student is competent at this
stage and demonstrates firmly
developed understandings.
Administer the feature list for the next stage.

Benchmark
Feature score
of 4
The student is experiencing a
challenge. Something within the
feature is used but still confused.
Review.
Analyze to determine the last known feature with a solid
score and begin instruction here. Once the review has
been established, instruction should move gradually into
the first unknown feature.

Strategic
Feature Score
of 3
Although there is much at this
stage that the speller hasnt yet
figured out, the student has a
solid base of understandings
from which to progress.
Back up to the last known feature in the previous
stage/feature and build upon that instruction before
beginning with the first feature in the new stage.

Intensive
Feature score
<3
Too Much is Unknown: Scores
below 12 reflect an overload of
new issues.
Back up to the last known stage and/or feature and give
a thorough review before cautiously moving forward.
Chart adapted from Word J ourneys, Ganske 2000

The Developmental Spelling Assessment (DSA) words should not be studied prior to the
assessment. The words should be called out and used in a sentence to be sure that
students know the exact word.

Scoring the test: Use the answer sheet to score each students assessment. These
inventories are scored qualitatively so that childrens knowledge of specific spelling
features can be determined as well as their ability to correctly spell entire words.

Considerations:
The Stage Score indicates the words that are spelled correctly.
Stage Scores can not exceed 25, since there are only 25 words.
The Feature Score is used to make instructional decisions
The Inventory Score is based upon the Feature Score plus the Correct Word Score.
The Inventory Score is the number entered into e-portfolio.

41
Assigning the points and analyzing the results:

The total point score will give the teacher a number that can be compared over time, but
the most useful information is the feature analysis. By determining which features a
student uses correctly and incorrectly, the teacher can design instruction to meet the
needs of students and groups. Their control of these features will increase the number of
words students spelled correctly, therefore; instructional decisions rely heavily on a
students mastery of a feature.

Use this chart when making instructional decisions.
It will guide you in determining in which feature to
Begin your instruction.
42

A feature score 5 is considered mastery.
A feature score of 4 is considered using but confusing.
A feature score of 3 and below is insecure and
additional instruction is needed.

Third Grade DSA Grading Rubric *Based on total inventory score.
Qtr. Stage Goals Exceeds + Exceeds Benchmark

Strategic

Intensive

1
Within Word
(F, G, H)
28 - 30 26 27 24 25 21 23 20 & Below
2
Within Word
(F, G, H, I)
37 - 40 34 36 30 33 27 29 26 & Below
3
Within Word
(F, G, H, I)
38 - 40 35 37 31 34 28 - 30 27 & Below
4
Within Word
(F, G, H, I ,J )
47 - 50 43 46 39 42 35 38 34 & Below

Fourth Grade DSA Grading Rubric *Based on total inventory score.

Strategic Intensive

1
Within Word
(F,G,H,I,J )
47 - 50 43 46 39 42 35 38 34 & Below
2
Within Word (All) and
Syllable J uncture (K)
56 - 60 52 55 47 51 42 - 46 41 & Below
3
Syllable J uncture (K,L)
65 - 70 60 64 54 59 49 53 48 & Below
4
65 - 70 60 64 54 59 49 53 48 & Below

Fifth Grade DSA Grading Rubric *Based on total inventory score.

Strategic Intensive
1
65 - 70 60 64 54 59 49 53 48 & Below
2
65 - 70 60 64 54 59 49 53 48 & Below
3
Within Word All and
Syllable J uncture
(K,L,M)
75 -80 69 74 62 68 56 61 55 & Below
4
Syllable J uncture
(K,L,M,N)
84 - 90 78 83 70 77 63 69 62 & Below
*When a student has mastered the Within Word stage (50), it is not necessary to reassess the student in this stage.

43
The Class Record:
Teachers may find it helpful to view the results of an entire class list at a glance. We
recommend organizing the list from the student with the highest score to the student with
the lowest score. This will allow a teacher to identify and highlight groups of students
with common needs. Word Study groups should be formed with this data.

44 44

DSA Form A: Within Word Pattern Answer Sheet

Name__________________________ Grade_____ Date________

Feature FS CW Feature
Results
1. pa tch I
F
2. c ou ch J
G
3. st ee p H
H
4. c u t e F
I
5. bri dge I
J
6. gl are G
Feature Score
7. scr ap I

8. m igh t H

9. g ir l G

*Instruction begins in the first
feature in which a student
scores below a 4.
10. fr ow n J

11. sm o k e F

12. flo ck I

13. st oo d J

14. l ea st H

15. sh or t G

16. qu ite I

17. gr a p e F

18. y aw n J

19. dr i v e F

20. c oa st H

21. h ur t G

22. p oi nt J

23. r i p e F

24. f ear G
Key
25. p ai nt H
Feature Score FS
Totals Correct Words CW
Inventory Score
(Recorded in E-Portfolio)

FS +CW =
Inventory Score
45
46

DSA Form A: Within Word Pattern Feature List

1. patch The pirate had a patch on his eye. patch
2. couch His grandmother sat on the couch reading. couch
3. steep The hill was very steep. steep
4. cute Everyone thought the baby was cute. cute
5. bridge The bridge had to be fixed. bridge
6. glare The glare of the sun made it hard to see. glare
7. scrap A scrap of paper was found on the floor. scrap
8. might It might rain tomorrow. might
9. girl The girl opened the envelope. girl
10. frown You could tell by her frown that the woman was upset. frown
11. smoke Smoke came out of the chimney. smoke
12. flock A flock of geese flew overhead. flock
13. stood The boy stood on his tiptoes to reach the box. stood
14. least The opposite of most is least. least
15. short The girl has short hair. short
16. quite It is quite sunny outside today. quite
17. grape The grape juice tasted good. grape
18. yawn When youre tired, you sometimes yawn. yawn
19. drive They will drive to the grocery store. drive
20. coast Its fun to coast downhill on a bicycle. coast
21. hurt The old man fell and hurt his back. hurt
22. point The teacher asked the child to point to the letter b. point
23. ripe A banana is ripe when it is yellow. ripe
24. fear He has a fear of the dark. fear
25. paint The men were going to paint the house. paint

DSA Form B: Within Word Pattern Answer Sheet

Name__________________________ Grade_____ Date________
47
Results
1. br o k e
F
F
2. b ur n
G
G
3. p i n e
F
H
4. sp oi l
J
I
5. sc are
G
J
6. qu een
I
Feature Score
7. c u b e
F

8. scr ub
I

9. sl i d e
F

scores below a 4.
10. st or m
G

11. tr ai n
H

12. bri ck
I

13. gr ow l
J

14. p ea ch
H

J

15. dawn

16. t igh t
H

17. ca tch
I

18. m ou nd
J

19. sh ee t
H

20. sh oo k
J

21. r oa st
H

22. d ir t
G

23. ri dge
I

24. fr a m e
F

25. cl ear
G
Key
Feature Score FS
Inventory Score

FS +CW =
(Recorded in E-Portfolio) Inventory Score
48

DSA Form B: Within Word Pattern Feature List

1. broke The glass broke when it fell. broke
2. burn Be careful, so you dont burn your finger. burn
3. pine The pine tree was very tall. pine
4. spoil Put the meat in the refrigerator, so it wont spoil. spoil
5. scare Some people scare easily. scare
6. queen The queen waved goodbye from the castle door. queen
7. cube Each side of a cube is shaped like a square. cube
8. scrub Cinderella had to scrub the floor. scrub
9. slide Its fun to go down the slide. slide
10. storm The storm blew down a tree. storm
11. train The train arrived on time. train
12. brick The brick building is a school. brick
13. growl We heard the dog growl at the stranger. growl
14. peach The peach was very juicy. peach
15. dawn It begins to get light at dawn. dawn
16. tight His jacket was too tight. tight
17. catch The little boy tried to catch the ball. catch
18. mound The baseball pitcher stepped onto the mound. mound
19. sheet The sheet of paper was covered with lines. sheet
20. shook She shook the grass off her coat. shook
21. roast You can roast marshmallows over a fire. roast
22. dirt There was a lot of dirt on the dirt. dirt
23. ridge The house is on top of the ridge. ridge
24. frame The picture has a wooden frame. frame
25. clear The water is very clear. clear

DSA Form A: Syllable Juncture Answer Sheet

Name__________________________ Grade_____ Date________
49
Results
1. f ur nace N
K
2. ma king ** K
L
3. s ob er * L
M
4. compl ai nt M
N
5. p il ot * L
O
6. t er mite N
Feature Score
7. pol ar O

8. pi ling ** K

9. cla pped ** K

scores below a 4.
10. esc a p e M

11. dist ur b N

12. tramp le

O
N

13. c ir cus

14. surv i v e M

15. swi mming **

K

16. b ur den N

17. ba gg age * L

18. fount ai n O

19. expl o d e

M

20. may or O

21. s a lute O

22. mi nn ow * L

23. tro tted **

K

24. te nn is * L
Key
25. comp e t e

M
Feature Score FS

FS +CW= Inventory Score
* A vowel must follow the underlined letters. One must also proceed the underlined letters in words 17, 22, 24.
** A single vowel must precede the underlined letters.
50
DSA Form A: Syllable Juncture Feature List

1. furnace The furnace was broken, so it was cold in the house. furnace
2. making The children were making paper airplanes. making
3. sober The family became very sober when they heard the news. sober
4. complaint A complaint was made about the restaurants food. complaint
5. pilot The pilot made a safe landing on the runway. pilot
6. termite A termite is a harmful insect. termite
7. polar The polar bear lives in cold regions. polar
8. piling They were piling the books into stacks. piling
9. clapped Everyone clapped at the end of the play. clapped
10. escape The criminal tried to escape from the police. escape
11. disturb The sign said: Do Not Disturb. disturb
12. trample Horses will trample the flowers if they walk on them. trample
13. circus We saw a clown at the circus. circus
14. survive We need water in order to survive. survive
15. swimming Many people enjoy swimming in a pool. swimming
16. burden The man carried his burden up the steps. burden
17. baggage The men loaded the baggage onto the plane. baggage
18. fountain You can drink water at the fountain. fountain
19. explode We could see the firecrackers explode into beautiful colors. explode
20. mayor The townspeople elected a new mayor. mayor
21. salute The soldiers will salute the flag when it passes. salute
22. minnow We saw a minnow in the pool of water. minnow
23. trotted The pony trotted up the hill. trotted
24. tennis The tennis ball bounced out of the court. tennis
25. compete The athletes will compete on Saturday. compete

DSA Form B: Syllable Juncture Answer Sheet

Name__________________________ Grade_____ Date________
Results
1. ca bb age * L
A
51
2. conc er n N
B
3. ta ping ** K
C
4. adv i c e M
D
5. st ur dy N
E
6. th ir ty N
Feature Score
7. mount ai n O

8. tail or O

9. spo tted ** K

scores below a 4.

10. refr ai n M

11. sol ar O

12. sha ll ow * L

13. ski pping ** K

14. cont ai n M

15. dimp le O

16. p ur chase N

17. p a rade O

18. gra bbed **

K

19. extr e m e M

20. m om ent ** L

21. comp o s e M

22. ri ding **

K

23. m er maid N

24. f ib er * L
Key
25. bo nn et * L
Feature Score FS
Inventory Score

FS +CW =
* A vowel must follow the underlined letters. One must also proceed the underlined letters in words 1, 12, 25.
** A single vowel must precede the underlined letters.
52
DSA Form B: Syllable Juncture Feature List

1. cabbage The cabbage was cut up for the salad. cabbage
2. concern They showed their concern by offering to help. concern
3. taping Why are you taping that shut? she asked. taping
4. advice It is good advice to rest when you are sick. advice
5. sturdy The bench is well made and sturdy. sturdy
6. thirty There were thirty people at the table. thirty
7. mountain The skiers raced down the mountain. mountain
8. tailor A tailor makes clothing for people tailor
9. spotted A Dalmation is a spotted dog. spotted
10. refrain Please refrain from kicking the table. refrain
11. solar They heat their house with solar energy. solar
12. shallow The shallow water was frozen. shallow
13. skipping She keeps skipping the last line. skipping
14. contain What does the box contain? contain
15. dimple We could see her dimple when she smiled. dimple
16. purchase The family decided to purchase a new car. purchase
17. parade The band marched in the parade. parade
18. grabbed The football player grabbed the ball and ran. grabbed
19. extreme The temperatures were extreme in July. extreme
20. moment The car stopped for a moment and then drove away. moment
21. compose The man is trying to compose a song. compose
22. riding They like riding their horses. riding
23. mermaid A mermaid is part fish and part woman. mermaid
24. fiber You need lots of fiber in your diet. fiber
25. bonnet The pioneer woman wore a sun bonnet. bonnet

53
At the end of each quarter, teachers in grades 3-5 will assess their students acquisition of
word learning strategies such as:

1. How to use dictionaries and other reference materials
2. How to use information about word parts (common prefixes and
suffixes) to figure out the meaning of words in texts
3. How to use context clues to determine word meanings

This brief 20 question assessment will assess the following Standards of Learning:

3
rd
grade
2.6d Use knowledge of antonyms and synonyms.
3.4c Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies.
3.4d Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.

4
th
grade
4.3a Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.
4.3b Explain words with multiple meanings.
4.3c Use knowledge of word origins; synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms; and multiple meanings of
words.
4.3d Use word-reference materials, including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.

5
th
Grade
5.4a Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.
5.4b Use knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes.
5.4c Use dictionary, glossary, thesaurus, and other word-reference materials.

This assessment will be distributed by your Communication Skills
Specialist. It should be administered whole group and the results of the
assessment should be entered into E-Portfolio.

Use the following chart to interpret the results of the assessment.
Exceeds
+
Exceeds Benchmark Strategic Intensive
90% 85% 75% 80% 70% 65%
These students are demonstrating
a strong understanding of the
standards.
Analyze results to
determine which
standards need to
be re-taught.
These students should receive explicit
intervention services.

DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency

DIBELSTM Oral Reading Fluency (DORF) is a standardized, individually administered
test of accuracy and fluency with connected text. The DORF passages and procedures are
based on the program of research and development in conjunction with the University of
Oregon.

The DORF is a standardized set of passages designed to:

1. monitor progress toward instructional goals.
2. identify children who may need additional instructional support.

Student performance is measured as follows:

1. Students read a passage aloud for one minute.
2. Words omitted, substituted, and hesitations of more than three seconds are
scored as errors.
3. Words self-corrected within three seconds are scored as accurate.
4. The number of correct words per minute from the passage is the oral reading
fluency rate.

Third Grade Rubric
Qtrs. Assessment Exceeds + Exceeds Benchmark Strategic Intensive

92 +
wpm
84 91 73 83 65 72
wpm
64 wpm
and below
1,3,4
DORF (WPM)
wpm wpm

Fourth Grade Rubric
Qtrs. Assessment Exceeds + Exceeds Benchmark Strategic Intensive

109 + 99 108 86 -98 75 -85
wpm
74 wpm
ALL
DORF (WPM)

wpm wpm wpm and below

Fifth Grade Rubric
Qtrs. Assessment Exceeds + Exceeds Benchmark Strategic

Intensive

ALL

DORF (WPM)
112 +
wpm
104 111
wpm
93 103
wpm
85 92
wpm
84 wpm
and below

If a student is reading with less than 90% accuracy, this may indicate that fluency
instruction within that grade level material would be inappropriate. For example, if a
fourth grade student read 70 WRC with 80% accuracy, the student needs to build fluency
in reading connected text; however, the materials used during that instructional time
should be easier so they can read it successfully (i.e., >90% accuracy).

54
DORF

Directions for Administration:
Materials:
Student copy of passage stopwatch
examiner copy colored scoring pen
Clipboard
1. Place the reading passage in front of the student.
2. Place the examiner copy on clipboard and position so that the student cannot see what you
record.
3. Say these specific directions to the student:
Please read this (point) out loud. If you get stuck, I will tell you the word so
you can keep reading. When I say, stop I may ask you to tell me about
what you read, so do your best reading. Start here (point to the first word of
the passage). Begin.
4. Start your stopwatch when the student says the first word of the passage. The title is not
counted. If the student fails to say the first word after 3 seconds, tell them the word and mark it
as incorrect, then start your stopwatch.
5. The maximum time for each word is 3 seconds. If the student does not provide the word within 3
seconds, say the word and mark the word as incorrect.
6. Follow along on the examiner copy of the probe. Put a slash ( ) over words read
incorrectly.
7. At the end of 1 minute, place a bracket ( ] ) after the last word provided by the student, stop
and reset the stopwatch, and say Stop. (remove the passage)

If the student reads 10 or more words correct in the ORF assessment,
administer the DIBELS Retell Fluency assessment.

Good, R. H., & Kaminski, R. A., & Dill, S. (2002). DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency. In R. H. Good & R. A.
Kaminski (Eds.), Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (6th ed.). Eugene, OR: Institute for the
Development of Educational Achievement. Available: http://dibels.uoregon.edu/.

55
56
Norfolk Comprehension Assessment

The Norfolk Comprehension Assessment is a combination of multiple choice questions and
a graphic organizer. The same passage used in the DORF assessment will be used
for the comprehension assessment. It is intended to provide information about the
mastery of a few key comprehension strategies covered throughout each quarter.

This assessment will have two components. After reading the designated passage:

1. The students will answer each of the multiple choice questions.
2. The students will complete the accompanied graphic organizer.

Each of these two components will have a set point value.

The total score of this assessment should be entered into E-Portfolio in the comprehension
category.

Copies of this assessment will be distributed near the end of each quarter by
your Communication Skills Specialist.

57
WRITING IN NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

A balanced writing program compliments a balanced reading program by scaffolding
student instruction and including these three components:

1. Writing to/ for children: Modeling writing on large charts, overhead or Smartboards
provides models of actual writing in context that have authentic purposes.
2. Writing with children: Utilizing interactive writing (sharing the pen) and guided
writing to help children learn directionality, letter formations, and sounding out
words; understanding the process of writing and eventually moving toward
independence.
3. Writing by children: Allow students to develop their own voice as writers. Giving
students the opportunity to write for a variety of purposes provides teachers with
insights into areas in which students need assistance.

Examples of Writing Instruction

Modeled Writing
Modeled writing is the demonstration of the act of writing by thinking aloud as he/she
composes a text in front of students. Modeled writing allows students to hear the
thinking that accompanies the process of writing, such as topic choice, how to start the
piece, looking for a better word, revising, and editing.

Shared Writing
Shared writing is an activity that is either whole class or small-group in which the teacher
and students share the composing process. The key is the composition. By recording in
front of the students, the teacher reinforces concepts of print, directionality, and print
conventions. Shared Writing helps students to learn about the writing process through
structured conversations during the sessions. The focus is on the content of the
message. The content can be daily message, response to literature, innovation of a
previously read book, a group story, or a model of a new type of writing.

Interactive Writing
Interactive writing takes place when the teacher and students interact to compose a text.
The students share the pen with the teacher at strategic points in the writing process.
Teachers and students collaborate on text development.

Guided Writing
Guided Writing occurs when the teacher works with individual students or a small group
of students who have similar needs and he/she coaches them as they write a
composition. Guided writing provides focused instruction to students in order to lead
them to independent writing.

Writers Workshop
Writers workshop is a formal strategy to teach the writing process from planning to
drafting to editing to the final copy. The use of literature as a model of the writers craft is
an important part of writers workshop. The teacher provides formal instruction through
the use of mini-lessons that emphasize both content and form and by conferring with
small groups and individual students. Mini-lessons are short and address specific topics,
and are the vehicles for teacher demonstrations of the stages of the writing process.
Writers workshop provides structured opportunities for students to write and receive
feedback in order to learn about the writing process.

Independent Writing
Independent writing is initiated by students through daily journals, writing assignments, or
notes to classmates, teachers, and/or parents. Independent writing is the result of good
instruction and provides students with the opportunity to practice their writing skills.
Students are encouraged to experiment and explore the uses of written language.
Adapted from the Principals Flip Chart in Reading in the NPS Guide, Best Practices in Balanced Literacy Instruction, 2002.

Components of Writing Instruction

Daily focus lesson (mini-lesson) direct instruction provided by the teacher
Independent writing time writing or conducting research for their writing
Sharing opportunities - authors chair, publishing parties, peer or group readings
Conferences- with teacher or peers

In addition to providing daily opportunities to write, teachers should:
provide a consistent scheduled writing time
provide a structured management system for supplies
support high expectations
value student attempts at writing
kid watch
provide choices about content
talk about student writing
confer with students
have publication rituals
provide opportunities for students to share their writing
Writing is something you do, not something you know. Students need time just to write so they can
gain experiences as writers. Peterson, R. (2000)

Daily Focus Lessons (Mini- lessons)
Mini-lessons can be categorized in four broad areas: organization, strategies, skills, and
authors craft. This chart contains suggested mini-lessons. Refer to your curriculum guide
to obtain the applicable standards.

Organization Strategies Authors Craft Skills
(What to do) (Composing) (Written Expression) (Mechanics and Usage)
How to write in
complete sentences
Rules and guidelines How to match your
words with your
pictures
How to use talk
bubbles How to locate your
materials How to use and edit
punctuation
How to describe the
setting How to use details to
describe
How to help yourself
when no one is
available
Subject and verb
agreement
How to describe the
character How to stick to a topic
How to use pronouns
correctly
How to request a
teacher conference
How to organize
writing with a
beginning, middle and
end
How to create a good
lead
How to edit for
spelling
How to respond to
peers when they share
How to create a
catchy ending
How to use illustrations
to convey information
How to use your
resources to self-
correct
How to use editing
marks
How to use writing
checklists
How to use strong
action verbs
How to set up your
writers notebook/
journal
How to use time order
words
How to revise for word
choice
How to create mind
pictures
How to eliminate
unnecessary or
redundant information How to use sensory
writing
How to extend a
sentence with
elaboration.

58
Independent Writing Time
During this time, students work as writers (which may include time to write and time
to investigate what they will write) while the teacher confers with individuals or small
groups. It is important to establish the routines, expectations, and procedures to
which students must adhere during this time of independent practice.

It is important to note that writers move back and forth between the
different processes of writing. They learn that their first attempts at
writing may not be their best and need to be refined.

Suggestions for specific classroom activities include the following:
1. Use diaries or journals to promote fluency in writing and to help students see
writing as one means of self-expression (Kreeft et al., 1984).
2. Utilize personal narratives, modeled writing, and writing workshop techniques to
help learners become comfortable with the craft of drafting, sharing, revising, and
editing their pieces (Samway, 1987; Urzua, 1987).
3. Make the reading-writing connection by exposing learners to a wide variety of
literary forms in reading and then provide opportunities for learners to construct
their own forms to share with others (Allen, 1986; Flores et al., 1985).
4. Incorporate various writing assignments in cross-curricula study.

The Writing Process

Teachers are encouraged to teach writing as a process by modeling each genre of
writing with their class. Modeling and writing with the class is a critical part in teaching
the writing process. Students in grades 3-5 should participate in using the writing process
with the teacher throughout the year. Students should be able to use and apply all steps
in the writing process. Instruction should be explicit and provide ample time to practice
and complete each stage of the writing process. Adequately pacing the completion of
quarterly compositions enables students to maximize the benefits of classroom instruction.

NPS views writing as an ongoing process in which the students follow a given set of
procedures for planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. It is a time during
which the classroom teacher offers students the opportunity to go back and revisit their
writing over and over again to make certain their message is clear and organized.

It is important to note that writers move back and forth between the
different processes of writing. They learn that their first attempts at
writing may not be their best and need to be refined.

59
60
Steps in the Writing Process

I. Prewriting/ Planning
Brainstorm ideas and possible topics.
Choose one topic of focus.
Use drawing or graphic organizers to organize information: webs, lists, Venn
diagrams, etc.
Gather information to support the topic.
Arrange ideas in logical order.

II. First Draft
Begin writing using prewriting notes/sheets.
Write in complete sentences.
Skip lines to make room for later revisions.
Put ideas in logical order.
Reread first draft, when finished writing.

III. Revising
Reread your first draft.
Meet with the teacher or peer to determine if the piece makes sense, is
sequenced correctly, and includes necessary details.
Elaborate when necessary.
Rearrange, add, delete, substitute, or expand words, phrases, or sentences
to improve clarity.

IV. Editing
Reread your draft.
Proofread paper alone and with a peer.
Correct grammatical errors.
Correct misspellings, capitalization, and punctuation errors.
Reread paper a final time.

V. Publishing/ Final Draft
Type or write final draft.
Illustrate, if desired.
Publish in a variety of formats.
Share with an audience.

Writing Conferences

The writing conference is the opportunity for the teacher to have one-on- one or small
group interaction with the students. Conferencing can be incorporated during ANY stage
of the writing process. Conferences should range from brief, informal encounters to more
direct, individual guidance. During this time, the teacher reaffirms the student as a writer
with praise before an area for redirection is offered.

Considerations for conducting conferences:

1. Conference with each student at least once a week. Meeting with each student
every day is impossible.

2. Listen to the student. Leaning forward, eyes alert, and attentive reinforces that
you have come to hear this young author.

3. Guide revising and editing without taking the control of the pen from the student.
Probing is helpful when addressing revision concerns. Prompt students to provide
more details through open-ended questioning. When addressing editing concerns,
place editors marks in the margin on the line where an edit needs to be made.
This holds students accountable for their own learning. Remember that the writing
is the students work.

4. Teach just one thing. Teach the writer not the writing. Minimize your instruction in
order to maximize the writers control of the writing.

5. Build on the students strengths and give them concrete praise at the start of the
conference.

6. Check the status of the class (where each student is in the writing process) daily to
provide accountability for students, identify when conferencing is needed, and
provide documentation for student performance.

7. Understand the writers stage of development, strengths and weaknesses.

8. Assist the student in determining if the topic is of interest or should be abandoned.
Follow their energy.

61
Stages of Writing Development

J ust as children advance through stages of reading development, they also advance
through stages of writing development. Children develop as writers when they are
motivated to write through activities that are meaningful to them.

Children come to us with different literacy needs and word levels and develop at different
rates. They may skip a stage altogether. The effectiveness of teacher observation,
intervention, and encouragement will impact the rate of student progress. Monitoring how
the student is progressing and documenting that growth throughout the year is an
important task.

Research has identified five developmental stages of writing. In NPS, we should be
mindful that within each stage, students may demonstrate a continuum of writing control.
However, we are able to identify specific benchmark behaviors along this continuum that
determine the stage of writing development. When analyzing samples of childrens writing,
knowing what to look for and how to interpret it will assist the teacher in monitoring the
students progress effectively. These factors will also aid in making appropriate
instructional decisions.

The following descriptions will help the teacher assess the development and progress of
each student:

A. Random Letters
Writing at this stage contains scribbles, circles, scrawls, and lines with a few
letters thrown in at random. These letters are usually just there and
connections between letters and words are coincidental. At this stage a
student:

begins with scribbling and then develops towards knowledge of
alphabet, evident by use of some letter forms.
strings random letters and numbers.
shows preference for uppercase letters when writing.
probably not showing left to right directionality.
uses a lot of drawing to convey their meaning.
demonstrates little/no knowledge of sound-symbol relationships.
repeats use of a few known alphabet symbols resulting in long
lists of alphabet letters.
progresses towards an understanding that their writing has
meaning.

62
B. Semi-phonetic Stage
The second stage can be seen when words begin to be represented by a
letter or two. Some beginning and ending sounds will start to appear. Type
might be written with a t or tp. This stage indicates that the child is
beginning to understand letter-sound relationships. At this stage a student:

I have a goldfish named Alfred. I love my sister because she
loves me. My mom blew out my candles.

produces drawings that often hold meaning and can be read back
over time by the writer.
develops alphabet knowledge and letter formation (may reverse some
letters).
uses one beginning letter or prominent sound to write a word, e.g. m
= mom, t = not.
uses resources around the room to record letters and familiar words
represents words, sounds, or syllables with the letters that match
their letter names, e.g. c = s, y = w.
begins to use spaces between words/letters although not consistently.
progresses towards demonstrating left to right sequential
arrangements of letters in words
shows developing ability to hear sounds in sequence in words.
rarely uses punctuation.
begins to read back their own writing

63
C. Phonetic Stage
In the third stage, vowels will begin to appear. The vowels are not
necessarily the correct vowels but they are used. Most sounds are
represented by at least one letter. Type will probably be written tip.
When children are in this stage you can read most of what they write. At
this stage a student:

Once upon a time, there was
four butterflies. They went on
an adventure in the woods.

consistently controls consonant sounds.
includes some vowels but often not the correct ones.
shows consistent left to right direction, letter orientation, and word
spacing.
frequently assigns letters strictly on the basis of sound, e.g. confusing
c/k, s/c, and t/ed.
confuses letter sequence with words, e.g., nad = and.
spells some high frequency words correctly in a sentence.
produces drawings and one or two sentences that can be read back
over time.
begins to use punctuation.
uses but confuses capitalization.

64

D. Transitional Stage
In this stage all sounds are represented and the spelling is usually an English
spelling even though it may not be the correct spelling. Vowels will appear
in each syllable. Type might be spelled tipe. At this stage a student:

65

shows evidence of transition from reliance on sound.

uses learned words in great abundance.
correctly spells several high frequency words in sentences.
begins to insert vowels in every syllable, e.g. tayol = tal= tail.
writes more than one sentence that can be read back.
uses punctuation most of the time.
uses capitalization correctly most of the time.

E. Conventional Stage
Finally, the child reaches the conventional stage. Children at this stage are
composing freely and independently using both invented and conventional
spelling. At this stage a student:

uses both invented and conventional spelling.
correctly spells most high frequency words.
uses more complex and varied sentence structures.
uses capitalization and punctuation correctly.
writes freely, creatively, and independently.
demonstrates voice and tone.
writes a 4 or 5 sentence paragraph on a related topic.
displays growing accuracy in use of consonants and an s doubling
consonants.
utilizes knowledge of word structures, prefixes, contractions, and
compound words.
shows understanding of irregular spellings.
reads their written message back over time.

66
67
Writing Genres

Our students need to develop and utilize an understanding of the characteristics of various
simple genres (e.g., fables, realistic fiction, folk tales, poetry, and humorous stories). This
understanding is enhanced when students compose writing aligned to these genres. Types of
writing include:

1. Narrative Writing

Narrative writing occurs when the writer writes a chronological sequence of events telling
a story that may or may not have happened. Simple narratives consist of at least three
events: a beginning, middle, and an end. Transition words are used to show time order.
Complex narrative stories may include a description of the setting, the characters feelings,
and a moral to the story.

Some forms of narrative writing include:
adventure friendly letters
biographies/autobiographies short stories
creative story retellings time lines
mysteries folktales
science fiction chain of event stories

2. Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing occurs when the writer describes a person, place, thing, or event. The
purpose of descriptive writing is to help the reader clearly visualize what is being
described. Descriptive writing makes use of adjectives, similes, and adverbs. Paragraphs,
consisting of a topic sentence and two or more detail sentences, are elements of
descriptive writing.

Some forms of descriptive writing include:
all about books field trip reports
book summaries predictions
character sketches science articles
fact books definitions

68
3. Functional Writing (How To)

Informative writing occurs when the writer is explaining how something is done. The
writing begins with a topic sentence telling what will be explained. Next directions or
steps are given in chronological order. Each of the directions should contain a clear,
precise action word to the reader. Directions often begin with transition words or phrases
(such as first, second, next, after that, then, finally) to signal the order of the steps.

Some forms of how- to writing include:
recipes how-to-do-it manuals
rules instructions
travel directions survival manuals
game directions

4. Informative/ Research Writing

Research reports occur when writers learn and search for information on a subject. They
organize their knowledge and put it in written form. This search often includes
observations, interviews, library research, and Internet research and may include note
taking and the citing of resources.

Some forms of reports include:
all about. reports
fact books
research reports

5. Expressive Writing

Expressive writing occurs when students are able to express their thoughts using creative
forms of writing. Expressive writing may include:

Some forms of reports include:
poetry (haiku, limerick, diamante, acrostic, rhyme, free verse, concrete)
songs (raps, jingles, chants, ballads, folk songs)
journal writing sensory writing
group cheers

69

WRITING ASSESSMENTS

The ultimate goal of writing assessment is the improvement of students writing skills.

The Literacy Portfolio

In addition to reading assessment documentation, the Literacy Portfolio should also
contain writing samples for every student in grades 3- 5. It will include a September
baseline writing sample and three scored composition sheets for each nine week quarter.

Students should be given the opportunity through-out the year to review the
work in their portfolios. In addition, these folders are to be kept in a place that can be
easily accessed by the teachers, students, parents, and administrators. If a student
transfers to another school within the school year, their entire portfolio should be sent to
their new school.

The Virginia Board of Education mandates: This record shall be included with a
students records if the student transfers to a new school.

Baseline Writing Sample

The September baseline writing sample should be scored by the teacher for instructional
purposes only. Do not have the students edit or revise the draft. Students enrolling after
the September baseline administration will need a baseline writing sample administered
upon entry.

Composition Evaluation Sheets

The composition evaluation sheet is a tool designed to assist teachers in giving specific,
focused feedback to students about a single piece of writing. Composition Evaluation
Sheets assess individual pieces of writing in each of the three domains: Composing,
Written Expression, and Mechanics/ Usage. The writing portfolio for Grades 3-5 must
include three scored writing samples for each quarter. A completed composition
evaluation sheet is to be attached to each of these pieces of writing. All steps used in the
writing process, including the draft, should be stapled together with the dated final copy
on the top. The collected writing samples should reflect the students best writing and
show evidence of the five writing stages. The purpose of the composition evaluation sheet
is to support each student as they independently gain control of the three domains of
writing.

Waiting to collect and assess three pieces of writing at the end of a grading
period will not drive instruction. The composition evaluation sheets should be used
to confer with students. They are an excellent way to help the students focus on specific
aspects of their independent writing.

Comments on all composition evaluation sheets are required. Teachers can limit
these remarks to one strength and one goal. They serve as a record of growth during the
school year and provide useful information for assessment purposes as well as parent
conferences. Comments should relate directly to student performance in writing and
avoid statements that relate to student behavior or attitude.

The composition evaluation sheet should be used to grade a piece of writing. It is
recommended that a childs first attempt at a new genre of writing not be
graded.

Examples of acceptable comments:
(S = students name)
S understands and uses the steps of the writing process.
S is willing to take risks and try to spell difficult words.
S is beginning to self-edit.
S is improving his grammar.
S has developed style and voice in his writing.
S uses colorful language and vocabulary in his writing.
S often needs to add details to his stories.
S needs to work on using more descriptive words.
A sample instructional sequence for teaching and grading writing is provided
below:

1. The teacher reads stories/and or books that demonstrate the genre being studied.
2. Students learn about the characteristics of the genre.
3. The teacher models how to write a particular genre.
4. The class composes a group piece, through shared or interactive writing, focusing
on the primary traits of the genre being studied.
5. Students compose a first draft.
6. The teacher looks quickly for the primary characteristics of this type of writing and
gives informal feedback.
7. Students may revise and rewrite their draft.
8. Following peer and teacher revision and editing, the teacher can use the scale
provided on the composition evaluation sheet to record a grade.

70

Determining Writing Grades

Scores from each writing sample, common grade level assessments, and homework
should be recorded on eSembler to obtain a final grade each nine weeks. The following
chart explains how these tasks are used to compile a writing grade each quarter.

E-Sembler Weights
Writing Sample 1 25%

Scoring the Composition Evaluation Sheets

Each composition evaluation sheet assesses student performance in each of the three
domains of writing: Composing, Written Expression, and Mechanics/ Usage. A
score is assigned to each of these domains on a scale of 1-4. These three final numbers
are totaled and this conversion scale is used to compute the grade for entry into
eSembler.

71

Writing Portfolio
Average
Grade Esembler
12 A 97 100
11 A 93 96
10 B 90 92
9 B 86 89
8 C 77 85
7 D 74 76
6 D 70 73
5 E 65 70
4 E 60 64
3 E 50

GRADE 3 COMPOSITION EVALUATION SHEET

Student Date

School

Directions: Using a holistic approach, circle the appropriate number for each domain: Composing, Written Expression, and
Mechanics/Usage. Add total points in the three domains and use the conversion scale to determine a letter grade.
SCORING SCALE 4 =Consistent Control 3 =Reasonable Control 2 =Inconsistent Control 1 =Little/No Control
CONVERSION SCALE A =12, 11 B =10,9 C =8 D =7,6 E =3-5
WRITING PROCESS ( + - ) Prewrites Drafts Revises Edits

COMPOSING 1 2 3 4
72
Develops a plan for writing
Focuses on one topic
Organizes information according to the type of writing
Focuses, organizes, and elaborates writing to construct an effective
message to the reader (audience)
Comments:

Groups related ideas in paragraphs that are indented

WRITING EXPRESSION 1 2 3 4

Includes descriptive details that elaborate a central idea

Uses specific vocabulary and information

Varies lengths of sentences

Revises to add, delete, or rearrange words, phrases, sentences, or
paragraphs

Varies word choice

Incorporates transitional words that clarify sequence

MECHANICS/USAGE 1 2 3 4

Applies knowledge of the domain of mechanics/usage (Gr. K-2
skills) to edit own writing

Writes complete sentences

Avoids excessive coordination (and then)

Demonstrates correct subject/verb agreement

Uses the word I correctly in compound subjects

Uses past and present verb tenses correctly

Uses singular possessives correctly

Uses commas in simple series correctly

Uses contractions and/or pronouns correctly

Uses simple abbreviations

Spells high frequency and grade appropriate words correctly,
including irregular plurals
* The teacher should note one strength and one goal.

o Personal Narrative o Functional Writing o Poetry
Genre:
o Letter o Expository Nonfiction o Persuasive Writing
o Fiction o Auto/Biography o Other: ______________________________

Total Score
Letter Grade (See Conversion Scale at top)
A-249 Rev. 9/09
73

Student Date

School


SCORING SCALE 4 =Consistent Control 3 =Reasonable Control 2 =Inconsistent Control 1 =Little/No Control

CONVERSION SCALE A =12, 11 B =10,9 C =8 D =7,6 E =3-5


COMPOSING 1 2 3 4
Develops a plan for writing
Focuses on a central idea
Organizes information according to the type of writing
Demonstrates unity by grouping related ideas and organizing
writing in several related paragraphs.
Focuses, organizes, and elaborates writing to construct an
effective message to the reader (audience)
WRITING EXPRESSION 1 2 3 4
Revises by adding details, improving vocabulary, deleting
extraneous information, and combining or re-arranging sentences.
Varies sentence lengths
Varies sentence beginnings
Uses specific vocabulary and vivid word choice
Uses transitions and/or time order words
Uses dialogue
Uses the articles a, an, and the correctly
Uses noun- pronoun agreement
Uses noun- verb agreement
Avoids excessive coordination (and then)
Eliminates double negatives
Includes prepositional phrases in sentences
Uses correct punctuation, including commas in series, dates, and
addresses
Spells high frequency words and grade appropriate words
correctly, including homophones.
Applies knowledge of domains of mechanics/usage (Gr. K-3
skills) to edit own writing.
Comments:


Genre:
o Personal Narrative
o Letter
o Fiction
o Functional Writing
o Expository Nonfiction
o Auto/Biography
o Poetry
o Persuasive Writing
o Other:

Total Score

(See Conversion Scale at top) Letter Grade

A-223 Rev.9/09
74


Student Date

School


SCORING SCALE A =12, 11 B =10,9 C =8 D =7,6 E =3-5

CONVERSION SCALE 4 = Consistent Control 3 = Reasonable Control 2 = Inconsistent Control 1 = Little/No Control


COMPOSING 1 2 3 4
Demonstrates an awareness of purpose
Focuses on central idea
Demonstrates an awareness of intended audience
Organizes according to the type of writing
Organizes writing in paragraph
Focuses, organizes, and elaborates writing to construct an
effective message for the reader (audience awareness)
WRITTEN EXPRESSION 1 2 3 4
Uses specific vocabulary and vivid word choice
Uses dialogue
Varies sentence lengths
Varies sentence beginnings
Uses transitions and/or time order words
Uses figurative language including similes and metaphors
Avoids run-ons, fragments, and excessive coordination.
Uses correct grammar, including adjective/adverb comparisons.
Uses plural possessives
Uses correct punctuation, including apostrophes, quotation marks
in dialogue, commas with interrupters and in letters, and hyphens
to divide words at the end of lines.
Spells high frequency words and grade appropriate words
correctly.
Applies knowledge of the writing domain of mechanics/usage
(Gr. K-4 skills) to edit own writing.
Comments:


Genre:
o Personal Narrative
o Letter
o Fiction
o Expository Nonfiction
o Auto/Biography

o Poetry
o Other:

Total Score

(See Conversion Scale at top) Letter Grade

A-224 Rev. 9/09

TIPS
Teach students (grades 3-5) how to use the composition evaluation sheet for the
self-assessment and peer revision or editing. This practice addresses the following
required Virginia SOL objectives: 3.11i, 4.8i, and 5.9i.

Shrink the Composition Evaluation Sheet so students can use this to evaluate and
self-assess their own pieces of writing.

Enlarge the composition evaluation sheet to create a poster that can be displayed
and referred to while students are working on their own writing.

Collaboratively score students writing samples with grade level colleagues on a
regular basis. This practice increases the standardization of grading at a particular
grade level.

75
END OF THE YEAR
LITERACY PORTFOLI O CONTENTS
(Grades 3 & 4)

Literacy folder contents must be purged at the end of the fourth quarter each
school year. Any items that are not listed (i.e., teacher-made tests, quizzes, ets.)
should be removed. Reading logs are also purged; however they have not been
eliminated from Norfolk Public Schools reading program. The baseline writing
sample and one final writing sample should remain in the folder. This sample
should represent the students best efforts.

A final E-Portfolio Student Summary Report should be printed and placed into each
students folder.

Purge Keep

-Teacher-made tests -E-Portfolio Student Summary Report
76

Fifth Grade End of the Year Portfolio Procedures

At the end of the fifth grade Elementary Literacy Portfolios should be closed out. This
means that all contents can be removed. One printed copy of the Fifth Grade E-Portfolio
student summary sheet should be placed in the students cumulative record. Records and
Assessments from previous years should be properly discarded (shredded if possible).

Student writing samples should be compiled into a large collage-type portfolio and sent
home for the parents to enjoy. These samples reflect a wondrous amount of growth and
achievement from the students elementary years. Parents will surely cherish its contents.

-Quizzes -PALS Student Summary sheets (3
rd

Grade) -Reading logs
-2 samples from each quarter -Dolch word lists (3
rd
Grade)
-All NPS Vocabulary Assessments -DSA documentation
-All NPS Comprehension Assessments -Baseline writing sample
-One writing sample from each quarter
-Dibels Oral Reading Fluency
Assessment documentation
E-Portfolio Information for Students
with Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

Special Education teachers may have a few instances in which E-portfolio assessment data
is not available. In these cases, the teachers must provide alternate forms of assessment
as dictated by the students IEP. In the event that a particular assessment is
inappropriate for a student, the teacher should select N/ A from the E-Portfolio
assessment drop down menu. The N/ A designation should only occur in extreme cases
and the use of this coding will be monitored closely by school administrators.

Special Education teachers should do their best to find ways to adjust administration
methods to meet the needs of a particular student.

Assessment Accommodations to consider:

If the student is overwhelmed by the list of words on the Dolch Word Assessment,
the teacher should put the words on index cards and administer the assessment in
smaller increments.

The Developmental Spelling Inventories should be administered one on one in
shorter sessions (if possible). Teachers should see their Communication Skills
Speciliast if they need to drop down to lower stages of spelling development.

The English Office strongly encourages Special Education teachers to administer the
DRA2 to their students who are not reading on grade level. Without this information
a teacher cannot target the students Zone of Proximal Development. See your
Communication Skills Specialist for these assessment materials.

Special Education students may require more teacher or peer conferences when
working on writing assignments.

Composition Evaluation forms from alternate grade levels can be used.

A students IEP is the ultimate indicator of the students expected benchmarks and goals.

77
78
*Only assess a student at entry if you have no DSA data from his/her previous school year.
**Only 3
rd
grade students who didnt meet the Spring benchmarks and students new to VA are assessed.

Norfolk Public Schools
3 5 Literacy Assessments

Grade Level Entry First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter
Third Grade Baseline Writing
Sample
*DSA Form A

**PALS- 3
rd
Grade
Students
Dolch Word List until
mastery of 220 words
DSA Form B
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
DSA Form A
DRA 2
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
mastery of 220
words
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
DSA Form B
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
DRA2
DSA Form A
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
Fourth Grade Scored Baseline
Writing Sample
*DSA Form A
DSA Form B
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
DSA Form A
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
DSA Form B
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
DSA Form B
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
Fifth Grade Scored Baseline
Writing Sample
*DSA Form A

DSA Form B
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
DSA Form A
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
DSA Form B
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
DSA Form B
DIBELS ORF
NPS Comprehension
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
3 Scored Writing
Samples
Special Education
Teachers
Special Education Teachers will administer the NPS assessments to students that they service.
Special Education Teachers are strongly encouraged to administer the DRA2 to any students with IEPs who are not reading on grade level.
The DRA 2 fluency (WPM) score can be used in replace of the DIBELS ORF.
Special Education Teachers should adhere to a students testing accommodations when administering the vocabulary and comprehension
assessments.
79
Suggested Assessment Pacing Guide for 3
rd
Grade
Recording data into e-portfolio as assessments are completed is an excellent time management strategy.
Week 1
9/8 9/11
Week 2
9/14 9/18
Week 3
9/21 9/25
Week 4
9/28 10/2
Week 5
10/5 10/9
Week 6
10/12 10/16
Week 7
10/19 10/23
Week 8
10/26 10/30

1
st
Qtr.
Baseline Writing
Sample

***PALS Begin Dolch DSA Form B

DIBELS ORF

NPS Comp.
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment

Quarterly
Testing Begins
DSA Form B

E-Portfolio data
due

Week 1
11/2 11/6
Week 2
11/9 11/13
Week 3
11/16 - 11/20
Week 4
11/23
11/25
Week 5
11/30 12/4
Week 6
12/7 12/11
Week 7
12/14 12/18
Week 8
1/4 1/8
Weeks 9 - 10
1/11 1/29

2
nd
Qtr.
Begin Dolch

Begin DRA2 DSA Form A NPS Vocabulary
Assessment

Quarterly
Testing Begins

E-Portfolio Data
Due

Week 1
2/1 2/5
Week 2
2/8 2/12
Week 3
2/15 2/19
Week 4
2/22 2/26
Week 5
3/1 3/5
Week 6
3/8 3/12
Week 7
3/15 3/19
Week 8
3/22 3/26
Week 9
3/29 4/2

3
rd
Qtr.
Begin Dolch DSA Form B

DIBELS ORF
NSP Comp.
Assessment
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment
Quarterly
Testing Begins
E-Portfolio Data
Due

Week 1
4/12 4/16
Week 2
4/19 4/23
Week 3
4/26 -4/30
Week 4
5/3 5/7
Week 5
5/10 5/14
Week 6
5/17 5/21
Week 7
5/24 5/28
Week 8
5/31 6/4
Weeks 9 10
6/7 -6/18

4
th
Qtr.
SOL Testing
Begins

Begin DRA2 Begin Dolch DSA Form A
NPS Vocabulary
Assessment

E-Portfolio Data
Due
*Start DIBELS ORF with high students. Have the students complete the Comprehension Assessment whole group.
**All 3
rd
grade students are DRA tested until they are reading at a level 38. Begin DRA2 testing with your high students.
***Only students who are new to Virginia and students who didnt make Spring benchmarks are tested in the Fall on PALS.
****Only students who did not meet the Fall benchmark are tested during mid-year PALS.
The DOLCH Word assessment can be discontinued when the student has mastered all 220 words.

80

Suggested Assessment Pacing Guide for 4
th
Grade & 5
th
Grade
Recording data as assessments are completed is an excellent time management strategy.
Week 1
9/8 9/11
Week 2
9/14 9/18
Week 3
9/21 9/25
Week 4
9/28 10/2
Week 5
10/5 10/9
Week 6
10/12
10/16
Week 7
10/19
10/23
Week 8
10/26
10/30

1
st
Quarter
Baseline Writing
Sample

DSA Form B

*DIBELS ORF

NPS Comp.
Assessment
NPS
Vocabulary
Assessment

Quarterly
Testing Begins
E-Portfolio
data due

Week 1
11/2 11/6
Week 2
11/9 11/13
Week 3
11/16 -
11/20
Week 4
11/23
11/25
Week 5
11/30 12/4
Week 6
12/7 12/11
Week 7
12/14
12/18
Week 8
1/4 1/8
Weeks 9 -
10
1/11 1/29

2
nd
Quarter
DSA Form A

*DIBELS ORF

NPS Comp.
Assessment
NPS
Vocabulary
Assessment

Quarterly
Testing Begins

E-Portfolio
Data Due

Week 1
2/1 2/5
Week 2
2/8 2/12
Week 3
2/15 2/19
Week 4
2/22 2/26
Week 5
3/1 3/5
Week 6
3/8 3/12
Week 7
3/15 3/19
Week 8
3/22 3/26
Week 9
3/29 4/2

3
rd
Quarter
DSA Form B

*DIBELS ORF
NSP Comp.
Assessment
NPS
Vocabulary
Assessment
Quarterly
Testing Begins
E-Portfolio
Data Due

Week 1
4/12 4/16
Week 2
4/19 4/23
Week 3
4/26 -4/30
Week 4
5/3 5/7
Week 5
5/10 5/14
Week 6
5/17 5/21
Week 7
5/24 5/28
Week 8
5/31 6/4
Weeks 9
10
6/7 -6/18
DSA Form A

E-Portfolio
Data Due
NPS
Vocabulary
Assessment
*DIBELS ORF
NPS Comp.
Assessment

4
th
Quarter
SOL Testing
Begins

*Start DIBELS ORF with your high students and administer the Comprehension Assessment whole group.

GRADES 3-5 READI NG LOG

Student: __________________________________ Year: ________
School: __________________________________

Date Title Author Pages Rating
Read Low - High
1 2 3 4 5

A-158
81

CREATING YOUR E-PORTFOLIO ACCOUNT

This is the login screen for ePortfolio, accessible from this address:

https://k5a.nps.k12.va.us/k5a/welcome.php

The Username is the front part of your email address. For example, the user logging in here is
rdavis@nps.k12.va.us.

The Password is the same password you use for GroupWise.

Once your account has been created, this page will send Teachers to the Pick Student screen, and will
send School-level Users and District-level Users to the Pick Teacher screen, when you click Submit
Login Info.

Upon your first login, however, before your account has been created, the next screen you see will look
like this image:

When you click *REGISTER*, you will be stepped through several screens that will help you create and
register your new account.

82
Registering Your E-Portfolio Account

The first page of the registration dialog asks you to select the type of account you need. Select Teacher
if you are a classroom teacher who will input assessment data for your students. Select School-level
User if you are a Literacy Specialist, Co. Skills Teacher, or other role who needs access to various
classes in your school. Select District-level User is you are an administrator who needs access to
classes in various schools throughout the district.

If you are a Teacher, your account has already been reserved using information from Starbase. Your
account is waiting for you to complete this registration process in order to become active. If your School
Data Specialist has input your information correctly, the process should flow smoothly. If the registration
process does not succeed, you should have your SDS update your Starbase record, then wait until the
following day and complete the registration process after the nightly Starbase-to-ePortfolio update has
had a chance to run.

If you are a School-level User or District-level User, your account has already been reserved
by the ePortfolio Program Coordinator (currently Charlene Feliton), and it is waiting for you to complete
this registration process in order to become active.

This user has selected Teacher, and will how click Submit User-type Info.

83
Teacher Selector Screen

This page is the next screen that appears when a user attempts to register as a Teacher. The
dropdown list is populated with all the teachers who are listed at this school in Starbase. There are a lot
of red-text warnings on this page, because it is important to make sure you select only your own name
from this list. If your own name does not appear, close the window, and have your SDS check and
correct your Starbase record.

Another error that can cause you to not find your name on this list is that you have selected the wrong
school. At the bottom of the screen is a click here link that will send you back to the beginning so you
can select the correct school and try again.

All transactions on this page, including errors, are recorded for later review by the ePortfolio Database
Administrator.

Once you have selected your own name, click Submit Registration Info to proceed.

The next page will show you several possible results.

Presuming everything is in order, you will receive a message like this one:

Click the Click here link, and you will be sent back to the initial login screen, and this time you will
succeed at logging into your authorized ePortfolio account. You should not have to go through this
registration procedure again until next year.

84

Here is one error report you might receive:

Here are several possible causes for this error:

1) You selected the wrong school on the first screen, and you dont actually work at 021.

2) Your SDS has not entered your info into Starbase at least 12 hours before you attempted to log
in.

3) You are actually a School-level User or District-level User, and you mistakenly tried
to register as a Teacher.

Once you have determined what caused the error, you may simply use the click here link to start over,
and complete the registration process using correct information.

85
Lesson Plan Requirements

Daily Lesson plans should be written for all components of the Communication Skills Block.
(Whole Group, Small Group, and Writing) These lesson plans should be neatly organized and
easily accessible for review throughout the school year.

Lesson plans should include:
a focus SOL.
text title.
vocabulary that needs to be discussed.
a before reading activity.
during reading stopping points (if applicable).
an after reading focus for discussion.

In addition, small group lesson plans should include the names of members of each group and
the text level being used. Please keep in mind that lesson plans should be specific for each day
of instruction. Cutting and pasting the same information from one day to the next does not
reflect an appropriate focus for daily instruction.

Each school has its own preferred format for lesson plans. However, within a week of
instruction, each small group plan should have all of the components outlined in the following
lesson plan format samples. This will ensure that the developmental needs of the students in
each group are being met.

86

Small Group Reading Lesson Plan
DRA 20 +

Members of the Date:
Group:

Fluent Practice: Focus Skill: SOL:
o Independent sight word practice
o Rereading familiar text Comprehension Focus:
o Speed Sort

Text: ________________________________________
Guided Instruction:
Level: _______
Before Reading:
o Book introduction/background
knowledge
Vocabulary to discuss:

o Introduce vocabulary
o Story predictions Before Reading:
o Text feature preview/discussion
o Revisit prior reading
o Other:
During Reading: During Reading Stopping Points:
o Students reading independently while
teacher reinforces literacy strategies

o The teacher stops the students
periodically to monitor
comprehension.

After Reading:
After Reading:
o Story retelling/summarize what was
learned

Evaluation: [ ] Observation [ ] Running Record
[ ] Written Response [ ] Other:
o Revisit predictions
o Strategy discussion
o Graphic organizer

Word Study: Word Study Focus:

Procedure/Notes:
o Vocabulary activity
o Word Building
o Word Analogies
o Other :

87

PROGRESS REPORT CONSIDERATIONS

Because E-Portfolio assessments form 60% of a students grade in reading and most of these
assessments are administered during the middle to the end of each quarter, composing a
progress report grade becomes an additional consideration.

In the first quarter, teachers should use their PALS data (if administered), anecdotal records,
and observations to determine if the student is making steady progress towards the end of the
quarter goals. If a student is at an instructional level significantly below the targeted end of
quarter goal, their progress report should reflect this deficiency. These are your intensive or
strategic students. Likewise, if a student is already reading at or above benchmark
designations, their progress report should reflect this achievement. This means that the teachers
should enter all of their common grade level assessments, let eSembler calculate the grade, and
then override it if observations and notations deem appropriate. Teachers should override
with caution during this quarter. If a student is not making adequate progress, you should
have data to support this decision. Please remember that this override is only applicable
for the first quarter Progress Report.

In quarters 2, 3, and 4, teachers should use the previous quarters eSembler grade calculated by
E-Portfolio as a place marker until new assessment data is available and has been posted. At
the end of the quarter, teachers should enter the new eSembler grade calculated by E-Portfolio.

Please consult your Communication Skills Specialist if you have any questions or concerns
regarding this procedure.

88

References

Bear, D.R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & J ohnston, F. (2008). Words their way: Word
study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Upper Sadle River:
Pearson/ Prentice Hall.

Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (2001). Put reading first:
The research building blocks for teaching children to read. Washington, DC: US
Department of Education.

Developmental Studies Center. (2005). Making meaning: Strategies that build
comprehension and community.

Dorn, L.J . & Soffos, C. (2001). Scaffolding young writers: A writers workshop approach.
Portland: Stenhouse Publishers.

Feldgus, E.G. & Cardonick, I. (1999). Kid writing: A systematic approach to phonics,
journals, and writing workshop, 2
nd
Ed. Chicago: Wright Group/ McGraw- Hill.

Ganske, K. (2000). Word journeys: Assessment- guided phonics, spelling, and
vocabulary instruction. New York: The Guilford Press.

McCarrier, A., Pinnell, G.S. & Fountas, I.C. (2000). Interactive writing: How language &
lieracy come together, k-2. Pprtsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Ray, K.W. & Laminack, L.L. (2001). Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of
English.

Retrieved in J uly and August, 2008 from http://pals.virginia.edu/contact.html

Retrieved in J uly and August, 2008 from http://www.readingrockets.org/

Tyner, B. (2004). Small group reading instruction: A differentiated teaching model for
beginning and struggling readers. Newark: International Reading Association.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2000). Report of the national reading
panel: Teaching children to read. Retrieved in J uly and August, 2008 from
http://www.usu.edu/teachall/text/reading/report.htm.

Walpole, S. & McKenna, J . (2008). Presentation for NPS (08): Differentiated Reading
Instruction: Strategies for the Primary Grades.

89

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