Initial Tutoring Session- December 18, 2017
It was wonderful to meet Elijah and get to know him better! We were able to accomplish a lot during our short time together. Elijah was very open and willing to talk about his issues at school. He stated that he was not doing his homework and sometimes didn’t understand what the questions meant. He also said that he didn’t feel he was doing very well in school. Due to his concern about his homework, we made an agreement to do 2 pages of the weekly assignment and then to work on what I had planned on for the session.
His homework consisted of a multiplication sheet which he quickly completed and was accurate in all but one item. We next tackled a language arts assignment about literal and nonliteral meanings. He initially was reluctant to complete this work, but after we talked about it and found examples on the internet of common idioms, he was able to complete the assigned task. He was encouraged to work hard even when things seemed confusing in the beginning. When he was successful at figuring this work out, his broad grin and happy demeanor showed that he is very invested in doing well! We talked about building stamina and perseverance and will we will work on building his confidence in his abilities.
Next, I conducted a screening using the Qualitative Reading Inventory. Elijah scored at the Independent Level for the 3rd grade word list and the Instructional Level on the 4th grade word list. He then read (2) third grade passages and answered comprehension questions. On both passages, he scored at the Instructional level. The QRI placed him solidly at the third grade level which is a good starting point.
In terms of Florida state assessments, there are mainy variables that go into student success. The tests are written at the 3.5 grade level so Elijah should be able to access the text at a comfortable level. In addition to the readability index, students must have a comfort level with the types of questions and the ways in which the questions are asked. We can work on exposing Elijah to the types of questions asked on the test and complement the test preparation which is surely being conducted at his school. Our director will be in contact with his classroom teacher to gain additional insight as to what her recommendations would be to ensure Elijah meets with success. I look forward to meeting with him again to continue our work.