Lyndsy_Journal4_31109

=**Journal Entry 4**= =**3 - 10 - 09**= I observed my cooperating teacher implement an observation assessment with her second grade students. The object of the activity was to assess and increase the students’ letter sounds. Each student was given a piece of paper. The teacher started by asking students to write different ways letter sounds can be made. For example, for the ‘I’ sound students wrote down ‘I’, ‘ie’ and ‘y’, Next the teacher read off a list of what she called ‘tricky words” and students had to try and spell them and write them down. Finally, the teacher read different sentences and students had to write them down. My cooperating teacher assessed the students based on whether or not they could identify the different sounds, spell tricky words, and correctly write a sentence which was orally read to them. Sometimes the students wrote words such as “carre” instead of “carry”. As she walked around, she asked students what letter sounds they had written down. This ensured that the students really knew the sounds that they were producing and not just putting random letters together. Although this seemed like an informal observation assessment to see which students were grasping letter sounds, it was also a way for the teacher to formally assess the students by collecting their work and grading it. By doing this, the teacher was able to see which students needed more work before she moved on to teach the next topic. Many students seemed to struggle with the assessment test. This showed the teacher that they class as a whole definitely needed more practice. I think that this assessment was effective for what the teacher was trying to accomplish. By observing her students and then collecting and grading their work, my cooperating teacher was able to tell which students were struggling and which were excelling. This assessment test was an opportunity for students to practice identifying letter sounds. As a result the teacher was able to see how students were progressing as a class. This turned out to be a formal assessment for the teacher to see the students’ individual growth.

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