To begin, Jasmine and I discussed the novel that we finished on Monday, Ghosts. Jasmine was able to describe the setting and main characters with terrific detail and accuracy. We touched upon the book's more nuanced themes, namely the main character's fear of death. I was pleased with Jasmine's level of understanding. We began a new novel, Wish, by Barbara O'Connor. Jasmine and I co-read the first three chapters, pausing to assess the main characters and setting. Jasmine summarized what we read, and we made predictions about what will happen next.
Assignment
none
Session Minutes
60
Minutes Student Attended
60
Lesson Comments
Jasmine is a pleasure to teach. She signs in early and independently. She is bright and quick to laugh. I don't think that she needs remediation, but it is fun.
To begin, I asked Jasmine to summarize the graphic novel and predict what might happen next. We co-read (and finished) the book. Jasmine read with good prosody and understanding.
Assignment
none
Session Minutes
60
Minutes Student Attended
60
Lesson Comments
Jasmine is weak at summarizing; she misses the big picture and includes a lot of small details. Something to work on! She reads well and understands what is going on.
Jasmine and I co-read the graphic novel, Ghosts, by Raina Telgemeier. Jasmine read with good prosody and comprehension. We practiced summarizing and making predictions as we read.
Jasmine and I began the novel Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit. We co-read, pausing to discuss the characters and emerging plot. We read four chapters. Jasmine did not enjoy the story. She requested to read a Geronimo Stilton graphic novel; she can read a more challenging book. I will find a graphic novel for our next session.
I used the Qualitative Reading (QR-6) to assess Jasmine's reading comprehension. The wordlist assessment on Friday indicated that I should start at level 4. Jasmine read three passages, and I noted her prosody and word accuracy. She was asked to retell the gist of the passages and answered comprehension questions.
Assignment
none
Session Minutes
60
Minutes Student Attended
60
Lesson Comments
Jasmine is reading at a fourth-grade level with good reading comprehension and excellent recall of detail. Her prosody a little stilted, and she occasionally conflates sentences. She is not confident about summarizing "on command," but she does well when she is asked specific questions. I plan to pick a book for us to read together and practice comprehension strategies.
It was nice to meet Jasmine and her mom. OG assessment will occupy the first two sessions. Assessments include the following: CORE phonics survey, Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST), diagnostic spelling test, and the QRI-6 evaluation. We will finish on Monday.
Assignment
none
Session Minutes
60
Minutes Student Attended
60
Lesson Comments
Jasmine is a sweet, hard-working girl. She has had Wilson since Kindergarten (she is in fourth grade), and it shows. The CORE phonics survey showed strong decoding skills in all syllable types. Her diagnostic test showed appropriate integration of spelling patterns for a fourth-grader, and her cursive is perfect. The PAST was practically perfect and did not uncover any phonological awareness weakness, in my opinion. Next session, I will approach reading comprehension assessment.
I asked Jasmine how she felt about reading and what was difficult for her. She said that her eyes jump around and that sometimes she skips a line or reads it twice. When she writes, sometimes she writes a word twice. I asked her why she felt this was happening, and she said that she "spaces out a lot." I will be interested in the results of her psycho-educational testing. It is my hunch that the problem is attentional (ADD). If she has dyslexia, the years of Wilson have been effective. I am happy to work with her and practice reading comprehension strategies; although I've never done that with a student, I'm sure I can figure it out. I don't think she needs to be drilled on OG syllable types and syllable divisions. Let's discuss this when you have a chance.
