Juli Kendall's Weekly
Reading Workshop Journal
A MiddleWeb Listserv Project
Self-selected members of the MiddleWeb Discussion List are joining
together to explore the Reading Workshop and other ideas about supporting
young adolescent readers. Juli Kendall, a reading teacher/coach in Long
Beach, California, is helping moderate the discussion. Juli is also keeping
a weekly journal of her own Reading Workshop initiative. Find out more about
our project at our Reading Workshop homepage.
You'll find Juli's background article here.
Links to many of the tools created by Juli and her colleagues are embedded
in these journals. Most often, when you click on them, a PDF file will begin
to download. You'll find a list of the downloads here.
Week #23
Probable Indicators:
Getting Ready for the Benchmark Test
Forget literature books, core literature and the reading series. Yesterday's
grade level texts are today's probable indicators. What's that? Probable
indicators are stories and books that allow students to demonstrate
proficiency in reading fluency and comprehension before attempting benchmark
reading tests.
Overlooking the controversy that swirled around the creation of benchmark
tests, the importance of students reading with understanding in middle school
is well documented. We all agree that the better the reader, the better
the chance of success in middle school.
The real outrage -- the question that lingers over the use of probable indicators
-- is how can we teach students so they do well on the benchmarks
without teaching to the test.
I put that in italic letters not only to grab your attention but also
to emphasize my concern over a responsibility to "teach the task"
that is bound to have dissenters. According to Judith Langer and her collaborators,
"In schools that beat the odds, test preparation has been integrated
into the class time, as part of the ongoing English language arts learning
goals". (Finding 2 - Teachers integrate test preparation into instruction
from "Guidelines
for Teaching Middle and High School Students to Read and Write Well: Six
Features of Effective Instruction" by CELA).
Watching the Winter Olympics, it's easy to see how teaching, learning, preparation,
practice and application are all part of the mix. They don't make it through
the Giant Slalom without knowing what works and what doesn't. And our readers
who struggle to make sense of assessment situations won't make it through
the reading benchmarks without the same knowledge.
But it seems somehow negligent to just ignore what doesn't work altogether.
The pamphlet from CELA points out three things not to try:
What doesn't work?
- Short-term test preparation
- Test preparation that focuses on how to take the test
- Separate rather than integrated test preparation experiences (p. 7)
Rather than risk an unsuccessful benchmark attempt by our students, my partner
and I will use the probable indicators first (here's
an example). Then we'll know what they are able to do and what we need
to teach to help them improve. Looking at student work (LASW) together and
making informed teaching decisions is what will make the difference. I say
that realizing, with a shudder, that what makes the biggest difference for
kids is an overall quality instructional program for every student.
Easier said than done
As I sat with LaShay, a student new to our school, I realized how big the
task can be. She listened carefully while we read the directions for the
probable indicator together. Fluently reading the running record section
of the test, she continued on to the independent reading part --11 pages
in a Beverly Cleary book. Then she began to answer the comprehension questions
-- 3 multiple choice and 3 short answer.
After she completed the multiple-choice questions, she came to a halt and
could do no more. When I determined she had finished, I discussed with her
why she stopped and did not complete the test. Although she first said that
she didn't know what to do, she "told" me correct answers to the
questions she left blank.
"So," she said on the way out the door, "I'm ready, right?
I can take the benchmark?" As I reminded her that she didn't complete
three of the questions on the test, she protested, "But I knew the
answers. Doesn't that count?"
That was interesting, all right, but the story of the students held back
from middle school is far more compelling. According to the probable indicators
we're using, several of our students demonstrated proficiency. Fear and
trepidation aside, the regular classroom teacher administered benchmark
tests to these students. They passed.
Our first students are "ready to go" to middle school, and four
of the students who were held back have met the standard. Now we just have
to finish the job -- using probable indicators as a guide for our instruction.
Next week: Leti's attempt on a probable indicator and how we use
her student work to inform our teaching and decide next steps.
See Juli's March curriculum map
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