JennaM+Journal+7

This certain type of assessment that I observed is considered to be an observational assessment, like many other of the tests I’ve seem in the classroom. For this assessment, the children read a short story at their desks either to themselves or quietly out loud. The teacher assists the students if they need help as they read. The reading was meant to go over and practice fluency and vowel teams such as ew and oa combinations. Students were also able to help one another if they were stuck on a word or if they did not understand a part of the story. My cooperating teacher reminds the students not to rush the reading to get it finished. She said that everyone reads at a different pace and we should respect everyone’s individual time. She walked around the classroom constantly to make sure that the students were trying to read as best they could and not pretending to read or talking to their neighbor. This was more of an observational assessment. My teacher took notes as she walked around on the individual students. For the students who had a difficult time reading and finishing the book, those students were able to finish the book at the classroom reading station. I could see that the students were still helping one another figure out the challenging words with vowel teams. I thought this was a great assessment because the students worked individually, worked and consulted one another and also had the help of their teacher if the students were stuck on their work. Students were not timed or rushed to complete their reading. I wouldn’t change this assessment because it benefits both the teacher’s progress reports on her students and enhances the student’s learning in literacy.