Reading for the Record

On Thursday October 8, 2009, Meadowview Intermediate students from Mrs. Richard, Mrs. Ritcher, and Mrs. Veenstra’s reading classes went to the Sparta Preschool. Our visit was part of the Read for the Record, when more than ONE MILLION children around the world broke the world record by reading Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the most students on the same day. Some students also read other books. Students practiced reading the book many times and tried to read with expression and smoothness. Meadowview students thought the preschool students were good listeners and enjoyed our visit. We gave each classroom a copy of the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, to keep in their classrooms. We can’t wait to visit the preschool again and read!

Assessments

Students have completed several assessments since the start of the school year. Students completed the Sparta Reading Inventory (SRI); an assessment that evaluates a student’s reading level. Students read a nonfiction passage, retell what they read, and answer questions about the passage. This is a benchmark assessment, meaning individual student performance is compared to grade level performance. Students are rated advanced, proficient, basic, or minimal in the areas of reading accuracy, oral reading rate, fluency, retelling, and comprehension. Students also completed the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. MAP scores are reported with a Rit score and reading scores also use a Lexile Framework range, a scale for measuring a student’s reading level. Finally, students completed a writing prompt to assess strengths and weaknesses using the 6+1 Traits of writing. Many of these assessments were shared at conferences. These assessments help teachers place students in appropriate groups, match students to books for independent reading, and track each student’s growth. Students are assessed periodically throughout the year to check progress. If you have questions about any of these assessments, please contact me.