Lesson 3.1: Introduction to Assessment and Concepts About Print

Focus: Read about assessment and learn how to use the Concepts About Print (CAP) assessment. CAP is designed for kindergarten and 1st grade students; however, it can be administered to non-readers or struggling readers in 2nd and 3rd grades.

Prior to the Collaboration Group Meeting

1. Reflection Journal

Write in your reflection journal prior to the Collaboration Group meeting. You are to respond weekly in your journal, reflecting on your learning, observation, questions, and personal connections. Your reflections need to be at least 250 words. You may choose how to format your journal, though you may want to consider the following as you write:

• What are some new understandings you made this week as a result of the work for this lesson and your work with your students?
• How has this new understanding influenced your current practice?

Bring your reflection journal to the weekly Collaboration Group meeting, and prepare to share your entries.

2. Classroom Application

• Read Introduction to Assessment in this lesson. Think about new information you gained from this reading. Take notes as you read so that you can recall and reflect on items with your Collaboration Group. Underline any new terms or unfamiliar vocabulary you have read.
• Carefully read the directions and purpose of the CAP assessment in Taking a Reading (pp. 25-27).
• Choose three students you will work with over the course of Module 3. These will be your target students, for whom you will do a post assessment in Module 7. When administering the assessment to students, use a picture book with 2-4 lines of text and score accordingly. Complete the CAP assessment for all three students. Record your information on the teacher recording sheet in Taking a Reading (p. 27). Make copies so that you have one sheet for each student. Bring all of your CAP recording sheets to the Collaboration Group meeting.

3. Guided Questions

Summarize your findings on individual students. Using the guiding questions below, write three or more sentences detailing what you learned about your students’ CAP abilities.

• What did this assessment tell you about the child you assessed?
• Which information can help you plan for this child?
• What more would you like to know?
• What limitations are there to the CAP assessment?

During the Collaboration Group Meeting

1. Share your reflection journal entries.
2. Determine assignment and Collaboration Group meeting dates for Module 3.
   • Lesson 3.1: Introduction to Assessment and Concepts About Print
     Collaboration Group meeting date _____
     CAP Assessment Summary due ____
   • Lesson 3.2: Phoneme Awareness
     Collaboration Group meeting date _____
     Phoneme Awareness Assessment Summary due _____
   • Lesson 3.3: Alphabet Recognition
     Collaboration Group meeting date _____
     Alphabet Recognition Assessment Summary due _____
   • Lesson 3.4: Phonics Inventory
     Collaboration Group meeting date _____
     Phonics Inventory Assessment Summary due _____
   • Lesson 3.5: High-Frequency Words
     Collaboration Group meeting date _____
     High-Frequency Words Assessment Summary due _____
   • Lesson 3.6: Running Records
     Collaboration Group meeting date _____
     Running Records and Assessment Summary due _____
   • Lesson 3.7: Individual Literacy Profile
     Collaboration Group meeting date _____
     Literacy Profiles due _____
   • Lesson 3.8: Evaluation and Literacy Talk
     Collaboration Group meeting date _____
     Module 3 evaluation due _____
3. Take turns discussing what you learned about the three students you assessed, including the answers to the following questions:
   • What are the students’ strengths and weaknesses?
   • What did you learn about the students as you assessed them?
   • What would you do in the classroom to ensure that CAP items are learned and used by students?
4. Brainstorm a list of possible next steps for these learners.
5. Determine the facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, date, time, and location for the next Collaboration Group meeting.
   

After the Collaboration Group Meeting

1. Email your CAP Assessment Summary to the instructor. Send your assignment(s) to the instructor as an attachment to an email message. Be sure to include your name, date, location, and title on the document. Also, include your name and lesson title in the file name, for example, moses_cap_summary.
2. The recorder emails due dates to the instructor.
3. The timekeeper emails the attendance to the instructor.