After the second set of benchmark test results came in, Janet received a promotional flier at school about a workshop pertaining to formative assessment. She decided to attend the workshop where she learned how to design and interpret several types of formative assessments, including one-on-one reading conferences and checklists. One of her favorite segments of the workshop was when she learned how to administer a running record of oral reading. Over the next few weeks, she added reading conferences to her reading language arts block, designed checklists to help her keep track of her students’ observable reading behaviors, and took running records every time a child read aloud in her presence.
She started to realize that the benchmark reading data masked important differences in the way children read, how they felt about reading and what they actually did while they read. "I can't believe I was overlooking so much," she thought to herself.
She realized that her students would be better served if they are given books they can read and that interest them, if they have opportunities to talk about their books with all of their peers, and if they are free to choose between fiction and nonfiction texts.
She also came to realize that the reading levels established by the benchmark tests should not be the only criteria upon which to form groups, and that she can use her own judgment and her knowledge of each student to select appropriate books. She now keeps daily records, informally, and more formally each grading period, so that she can group children based on similar reading needs.
Taking all these factors into account, Janet moved forward with the realization that her groups will be flexible, more temporary than permanent, and determined by her.
Next Step >Synthesize and personalize
