Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills

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Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing
Skills

• Assessment and
• Instructional Guide

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A Special Note to Georgias Kindergarten Teachers

• GKIDS will replace GKAP-R beginning with the
  2008-09 school year
• You will be the first to see, interpret and use
  the results of GKIDS. You will conference with
  parents about GKIDS results and the next
  educational steps for their children.
• By using the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS)
  and a continuous cycle of planning, teaching, and
  assessing, you have the potential to increase
  student achievement.
• The Georgia Department of Education values what
  you and your school district do to make
  kindergarten a sound educational foundation for
  every Georgia student.

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Table of Contents
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Part I. Development and Research

• GKIDS Development Timeline
• Why are kindergarten students assessed in
  Georgia?
• GKIDS Focus Group Questions
• Focus Group Recommendations
• National Recommendations for Early Childhood
  Assessments
• GKIDS Field Testing 2007-2008
• Field Test Teachers Comments On GKIDS

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GKIDS Development Timeline

• Focus Groups (Dec 2006)
• Core Development Team (Jan 2007)
• Advisory Committee 1 2 (Feb-March 2007)
• Teacher Training Prior to Field Test (summer
  2007)
• Field Testing (2007-08 School Year)
• Development of Data Entry and Reporting
  Technology
• 23 Schools Participating
• Advisory Committee 3 (March 2008)
• Assessment and Instructional Guide (summer 2008)
• Professional Development (summer 2008)
• Operational Assessment (2008-09)
• Standard Setting (May/June 2009)

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Why are kindergarten students assessed in Georgia?

• Georgia Law 20-2-151 and 20-2-281
• Requires an instrument, procedures, and policies
  necessary to assess the first grade readiness of
  children enrolled in Georgia public school
  kindergarten programs.
• Requires development of guidelines for the
  utilization of the instrument in grade placement
  decisions.
• Requires an annual summary report.

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GKIDS Focus Group Questions

• Regarding the GKAP-R, what should be continued
  and what should be revised?
• What areas of learning should be the focus of the
  new kindergarten assessment?
• Print literacy, math, social/emotional
  development, science, social studies, art, other.
• What should be the purpose of the new
  kindergarten assessment?
• Providing diagnostic information to the first
  grade teacher?
• Measuring how well students have learned the GPS
  for kindergarten?
• Both of the above? Other purposes?

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Focus Group Recommendations Purpose of GKIDS

• GKIDS should provide diagnostic information to
  the kindergarten teacher throughout the year.
• GKIDS should pinpoint a students strengths and
  areas of challenge.
• GKIDS should provide diagnostic information to
  the first grade teacher and measure how well
  kindergarteners have learned the GPS.

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Focus Group RecommendationsContent and Scoring
of GKIDS

• GKIDS content should be more rigorous
  academically than the current GKAP-R.
• Assessment activities should be project based
  not just pointing to a right answer but including
  discussion.
• GKIDS should test a wider range of skill levels
  to provide diagnostics about students who perform
  above and below grade level.

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Focus Group RecommendationsContent of GKIDS

• Reading
• Reading passages should be included in the
  kindergarten assessment
• Math
• Numeral recognition for this assessment should be
  higher than the number 10.
• Writing
• Writing skills should be evaluated in
  kindergarten.
• Students should be able to write both their first
  and last names, not just their first names.
• Social Emotional
• Indicators for scoring the social/emotional
  domain should be clarified.

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Focus Group RecommendationsData Collection

• Data Collection Provide electronic, parent
  friendly reports that can be generated locally.
• Data Collection The GKIDS script, if there is
  one, should be flexible.
• Data Collection Clarify the intermediate steps
  of learning GPS skills (i.e., In Progress).
• Data Collection Supply clear benchmarks for each
  learning domain assessed.

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Focus Group Recommendations Reporting Diagnostic
Information

• Each domain of learning should be reported
  separately to paint a more specific picture that
  can inform instruction.
• A checklist that can be kept in the permanent
  record would be useful.
• The new GKIDS should provide a profile of each
  kindergarten student for parents and teachers.
• Report information in a format useful to the
  first grade teacher currently first grade
  teachers tend not to look at GKAP-R information.

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National Recommendations for Early Childhood
Assessments

• Assessments should. . .
• bring about benefits for children
• be tailored to a specific purpose and should be
  reliable, valid, and fair for that purpose.
• be designed recognizing that ability and validity
  of assessments increase with childrens age.
• be age-appropriate in both content and the method
  of data collection.
• be linguistically appropriate, recognizing that
  to some extent all assessments are measures of
  language.

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GKIDS Field Testing 2007-2008 School Year

• 23 Georgia Schools
• 185 teachers/classrooms
• A member of the Core Development Team or Advisory
  Committee at each school/system
• Represented the diversity of Georgias student
  population and each geographic area of the state
• Purpose To try out the performance level
  descriptors for all areas of learning

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Field Test Teachers Comments

• Clarifying the GPS Standards for Kindergarten
• By participating in this field test, it has made
  us more aware of the GPS standards and elements,
  since we are constantly looking at them and
  recording information. We can also match lessons
  with standards more easily.
• We are much more focused on "standards driven"
  instruction. It seems like it is easier for us
  to see exactly where our children are therefore,
  we are modifying instruction and meeting their
  needs accordingly. We have really gotten to know
  the standards and are better able to include them
  in our instruction on an age appropriate level.
• It has given me a clearer view of what the
  language of the standards mean. When we first
  started working with GPS, they sometimes seemed
  obscure. The rubrics helped clarify the
  expectations for learning and mastery. Therefore,
  I think I am becoming more efficient in designing
  student work that will meet learning needs with
  more precision and accuracy.

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Field Test Teachers Comments

• Instructional Planning
• We feel that participating in the GKIDS Field
  Test has provided us with a variety of techniques
  for assessing students. Documentations,
  anecdotal notes, portfolios, strategies, and
  modifications have helped with instructional
  planning.
• Increased awareness of standards, helped with
  planning (prioritizing and the weeding out of
  units and activities that are not relevant to
  GPS), and curriculum mapping (across all
  subjects).
• I am staying more on top of the standards and
  trying to put lots of meat into every activity.
  Due to the lack of time, teachers can not do an
  activity because it is cute or fun. All
  activities must have a learning focus. I am
  planning an assessment with each standard and
  trying to plan assessments into the instructional
  activities.

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Field Test Teachers Comments

• Flexibility
• GKIDS has provided great flexibility in how we
  assess students. There are great ideas on how to
  deliver the standards. We have gotten to know
  our standards better for having done GKIDS this
  year. The sample worksheets have been great!
• We love the greater flexibility in assessing
  students. The GKIDS manual offers many good ideas
  for assessing, instruction, and expectations.
  This has been a tremendous asset to us.

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Field Test Teachers Comments

• Beyond Reading and Math
• It has encouraged us to pay attention to
  non-academic indicators of student progress and
  development.
• We are doing a better job of incorporating
  Science and Social Studies standards into our
  lessons. We are realizing the effectiveness of
  assessing during large group instead of spending
  so much time with one-on-one assessments. The
  children don't even realize that we are
  completing assessments which is less stressful
  for the "little ones."
• I am more aware of student progress through
  continuing, frequent assessments. I am more
  observant of the whole child. I have been keeping
  great records and portfolios since starting
  GKIDS. It has totally helped me with being more
  organized. My instruction has not changed. I just
  have to begin observations/testing a lot earlier.
  I have been focused on helping students move
  through progress levels instead of just getting
  it or not It broadens my instruction.

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Part II. Overview of GKIDS

• GKIDS Purpose
• A Flexible Model of Assessment
• GKIDS Two Assessment Purposes
• What is Assessed?
• GPS Structure
• Assessing at Element Level
• Assessing with Performance Levels
• Format and Activity Options
• Assessing Non-Academic Dimensions of Learning
• Testing Materials
• Data Entry and Reporting Website
• Required End-of-the-Year Reporting
• GKAP-R v. GKIDS

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GKIDS Purpose

• Provides teachers with ongoing diagnostic
  information about kindergarten students
  developing skills in language arts, math,
  science, social studies, personal/social
  development, approaches to learning and motor
  skills.
• Provides a summary of individual student
  performance at the end of the kindergarten school
  year as an indicator of first grade readiness.

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A Flexible Model of Assessment

• Teacher decides when to assess each GPS element
  (unless system elects to implement curriculum
  maps or determines which elements will be
  assessed).
• Teacher decides how to assess each GPS element
  and how frequently to assess.
• Teacher may use assessment activities that cover
  multiple elements at one time and/or assess
  multiple children at a single setting.
• Teacher may assess by observing student
  performance during the course of regular
  classroom instruction or by an assessment
  activity of the teachers choice.
• No accommodations information is collected.

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GKIDS Two Assessment Purposes

• Formative Assessment
• Tool to assist Kindergarten teachers as they
  assess student learning and plan instruction
  throughout the year.
• GKIDS website will allow teachers to generate
  reports at any time during the year for
• Instructional planning
• Parent Conferencing
• Report Cards
• EIP referrals

• Summative Assessment
• Diagnostic information will be reported for the
  GPS standards that are indicators of first grade
  readiness.
• Individual student reports and school/system
  summary reports
• No overall scale score or performance level will
  be reported.
• GKIDS should only serve as one component among
  many indicators of first grade readiness.

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What is Assessed?

• GPS Content Areas
• ELA
• Math
• Social Studies (optional)
• Science (optional)
• Non-Academic Dimensions of Learning
• Personal/Social Development
• Approaches to Learning
• Motor Skills (optional)

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GPS Structure

• The Georgia Performance Standards are arranged by
  domain, strand, standard, and element. Some GPS
  standards have multiple elements.
• Domain ELA
• Strand Reading
• Standard Concepts of Print
• Element Tracks text from left to right and top
  to bottom.
• Diagram of GPS for English Language Arts
• Diagram of GPS for Mathematics

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Assessing at Element Level

• In GKIDS, students are assessed at the element
  level of the GPS.
• Example ELAKR1-a
• ELA English Language Arts
• K Kindergarten
• R1 Reading Standard 1
• a Element a of R1
• Some elements are specific skills, others are
  general knowledge or activities students should
  engage in throughout the school year.

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Assessing with Performance Levels

• ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science standards
  will be assessed using 2-5 performance levels for
  each element. The number of performance levels
  was determined by the GKIDS Advisory Committee
  and is based on the range of student performance
  that can be observed for each element.
• Performance Levels
• Not Yet Demonstrated
• Emerging
• Progressing
• Meets the Standard
• Exceeds the Standard

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Format and Activity Options

• Activities Options
• Teacher may assess by observing student
  performance during the course of regular
  classroom instruction or by an assessment
  activity of the teachers choice.
• Sample activities have been developed for each
  GPS standard by the advisory committee
• No required sets of manipulatives
• Suggested list of classroom objects or
  downloadable resource page provided for each
  suggested activity
• Format Options (selected by teacher)
• Large Group
• Small Group
• One-on-one

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Assessing Non-Academic Domains of Learning

• Approaches to Learning
• Personal and Social Development
• Motor Skills (optional)
• Students are assessed using the following
  performance levels
• Area of Concern
• Developing
• Consistently Demonstrating

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Testing Materials

• Pre-printed test booklets and activity kits will
  not be provided with GKIDS.
• Some assessment resource pages are available with
  the sample activities.
• Word lists
• Extending patterns
• Teachers can use common classroom materials for
  assessment activities.

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Data Entry and Reporting Website

• Web-based electronic data entry and reporting
  system available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  https//gkids.tsars.uga.edu/start
• Allows teachers to enter and manage data
  throughout the school year.
• Teacher can enter data by student or by element
  for the entire class.
• Teachers can generate student or class reports at
  any time during the year (on-screen and pdf
  options)
• Instructional planning
• Report cards, Progress Reports, and SST
• Parent conferences

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Required End-of-the-Year Reporting

• Individual Student Report
• ELA
• Math
• Approaches to Learning
• Social/Emotional Development
• School/System/State Summary Report
• ELA
• Mathematics

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GKAP-R v. GKIDS Similarities
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GKAP-R v. GKIDS Differences
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Part III. Planning for GKIDS Throughout the
School Year

• Using the GPS in Instructional Planning
• Backward Design
• Preparing for GKIDS As the School Year Begins
• Creating an Assessment Plan
• Sample Curriculum Maps
• Baseline Assessments
• Assessment is Ongoing
• Classroom Contexts for Assessment
• During the Year Determining GKIDS Sequence
• How many assessments of a skill are enough?
• GKIDS Reporting Deadlines

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Using the GPS in Instructional Planning

• The Georgia Performance Standards represent the
  knowledge and/or skills students should have by
  the end of the year.
• Some GPS Standards/elements represent activities
  students should be involved in throughout the
  school year (i.e., listening to a variety of
  literature) and some GPS elements represent
  knowledge students should be learning (reading,
  counting)
• For children to master the GPS standards for
  kindergarten, they have to be taught the
  prerequisite skills and conceptual understandings
  not directly stated in each standard. (i.e.,
  number recognition)
• Because students entering kindergarten may have
  from 0-3 years experience in a preschool setting,
  instruction and assessment must be paced to fit
  the needs of each individual child.

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Backward Design

• Definition
• To begin with the end in mind means to start
  with a clear understanding of your destination.
  It means to know where youre going so that you
  better understand where you are now so that the
  steps you take are always in the right
  direction.
• --Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly
  Effective People
• Examples
• 1.  Identify desired results first.
• 2.  Determine acceptable evidence.
• 3.  Plan learning experiences.

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Preparing for GKIDS As the School Year Begins

• Read the GKIDS Assessment and Instructional Guide
• Familiarize yourself with Performance Level
  Descriptors for the content areas of GKIDS that
  you will be teaching early in the school year.
• If you have not previously assessed Approaches to
  Learning, please read the background materials.
• Familiarize yourself with options for recording
  data on the GKIDS Data Entry and Reporting
  website (see your school test coordinator for
  your login name and password).
• Develop a general assessment plan or timeline.
• Determine which GPS elements/content areas to
  assess in the first six to nine weeks of the
  school year
• Contact school P.E. Teacher to plan formal or
  informal assessment of motor skills.
• If the local system requires administering other
  kindergarten screenings and assessments early in
  the year, use this data for GKIDS when applicable.

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Creating an Assessment Plan

• Because GKIDS does not have prescribed assessment
  windows for the GPS standards in each domain of
  learning, local systems will need to establish
  guidelines based on their system curriculum maps
  for kindergarten.
• Sample kindergarten curriculum maps (suggested
  year long pacing guides) for language arts, math,
  social studies, and science are available at
  www.georgiastandards.org

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Curriculum Map - ELA
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Curriculum Map - Math
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Curriculum Map Social Studies
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Curriculum Map Science
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Baseline Assessments

• The state does not require systems to do a
  baseline assessment by a specified date at the
  beginning of the school year.
• Baseline assessments may be developed by local
  districts.
• Examples of baselines created by systems using
  GKIDS performance levels are available on the
  GaDOE website.
• Go to http//www.gadoe.org/ci_testing.aspx and
  then click on the link for Kindergarten
  Assessment.

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Assessment is Ongoing

• Teachers assess students throughout the school
  day (and year) to inform instruction.
• Before Instruction
• To plan learning experiences
• During Instruction
• By observing and asking questions
• After Instruction
• To see what children have learned
• To plan the next instructional step
• GKIDS was designed to allow teachers to assess
  students through ongoing, naturalistic
  observations that take place daily in the
  classroom.

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Classroom Contexts for Assessment

• Center Time and Work Stations
• Outdoor Activities
• Classroom Routines
• Calendar Time
• Attendance
• Transitions
• Lunch Room
• Teacher Directed Instruction
• Directed Reading Time
• Directed Math Time
• Language Arts Time
• Independent Reading Time
• Playing Games
• Singing Songs
• Reading Books Aloud

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During the Year Determining GKIDS Sequence

• Decide which GPS elements would be most helpful
  to diagnose the instructional starting point of
  each student
• Your judgment of the most critical skills
  students need in Kindergarten
• Some GPS elements are more complex and build on
  the skills taught earlier in the year
• Plan Multiple Observations
• Experiment with varied methods of documenting
  student learning.
• Adjust scope/sequence of assessment as the
  instructional needs of students change throughout
  the year.
• Plan assessment sequence throughout the year to
  match system level requirements (report cards,
  parent conferences, instructional interventions)

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How many assessments of a skill are enough?

• All of the GKIDS Performance Levels for Meets the
  Standard include the word consistently.
• Therefore, one assessment is rarely enough to
  demonstrate a full grasp of any GPS element in
  ELA or Math.
• Several assessments over a period of time are the
  best way for a teacher to get a true picture of
  what a student can do.
• Teachers are not required by the GaDOE to enter
  data in the GKIDS Data Entry Website every time a
  skill is assessed or every time a student moves
  from one performance level to the next.

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GKIDS Reporting Deadlines

• There is no reporting window at the beginning of
  the school year or in the middle of the school
  year unless required by the local system.
• Deadline for entering GKIDS Data for the 2008-09
  school year April 24, 2009 Data received after
  the deadline will not be included in Summary
  Reports.
• Student data will be entered at the GKIDS Data
  Entry Website https//gkids.tsars.uga.edu/start
• Required Domains Language Arts, Math, Approaches
  to Learning, and Personal/Social Development.
• There are no scannable forms to fill out or ship.

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Part IV. Working with Performance Levels

• Why Use Performance Levels?
• Range of Performance v. True Performance
• Using the GKIDS Performance Level Descriptors
  During the School Year
• Sources of Error in Observational Assessments
• Challenges of Assessing Children Younger than Age
  8
• Communicating with the Student During an
  Assessment

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Why Use Performance Levels?

• Children dont accomplish a learning standard or
  element all at once. They typically go through a
  series of levels that teachers can anticipate.
• Performance levels describe the phases children
  experience as they move toward meeting the GPS
  standards.
• When an assessment system provides performance
  levels, teachers can more easily locate the range
  of what a child knows and is able to do.
• The essence of developmentally appropriate
  (teaching) practice is knowing where children are
  on the continuum of learning and then offering
  them challenging yet achievable experiences to
  gently nudge them along the way.

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Range of Performance v. True Performance

• A childs performance on any one assessment
  should be seen as an indicator of that childs
  range of functioning rather than as an indicator
  of true performance.
• In fact, it is not necessary and usually is not
  possible-to identify a childs level of
  functioning precisely.
• Thinking in terms of range makes sense in view of
  the difficulty in assessing young children and
  the variable nature of their development and
  learning.
• Interpret cautiously, conclude tentatively, and
  recheck.

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Using the GKIDS Performance Level Descriptors
During the School Year

• The GKIDS performance level descriptors can be
  used informally every day of the school year,
  even though teachers may not record information
  about student performance daily.
• The more the GKIDS descriptions are used, the
  more familiar teachers will become with each GPS
  element in ELA, Math, Social Studies, and
  Science. This can serve to make kindergarten
  instruction more relevant to the GPS standards.
• Regularly reviewing the menus for Approaches to
  Learning, Personal/Social Development, and Motor
  Skills will serve as a reminder to incorporate
  classroom activities that promote the development
  of these qualities and skills.

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Sources of Error in Observational Assessments

• You bring to the observation/assessment what you
  already believe about learning.
• The more important the decision, the more
  observations you should make to decrease the risk
  that you will make errors.
• Focusing on only one type of documentation (such
  as written worksheets) may cause you to
  incorrectly assess a students knowledge.
• Dont assume that a child doesnt have a skill
  just because it has not been observed yet.
• An undocumented skill should be a warning to the
  teacher to try another way to assess, since the
  child may not have had an opportunity to reveal a
  skill or knowledge.

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Challenges of Assessing Children Younger than
Age 8

• Assessing young children accurately is much more
  difficult than for older students because of the
  nature of early learning and because the language
  skills needed to participate in formal
  assessments are still developing.
• Young childrens achievements at any point are
  the result of a complex mix of their ability to
  learn (potential) and past learning opportunities
  (experience), so it is a mistake to interpret
  measures of past learning as evidence of what
  could be learned. (making predictions)

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Challenges of Assessing Children Younger than
Age 8

• Childrens Growth Patterns
• Because children develop and learn so fast, tests
  given at one point in time may not give a
  complete picture of learning.
• Children vary tremendously in their responses
  from one day to the next or in different
  contexts.
• Young childrens capabilities cannot be discerned
  through a single test. Securing valid and
  reliable information about young childrens
  development and learning requires multiple
  measures applied at multiple points over time.
• -NEGP

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Challenges of Assessing Children Younger than
Age 8

• Childrens Understanding of the Assessment
  Process
• Young children may or may not fully engage in a
  structured assessment task, and their
  understandings may look very different from week
  to week.
• Early versions of a skill may look very different
  from later versions.
• Young children represent their knowledge better
  by showing than by talking or writing.
• Young children do not have the experience to
  understand what the goals of formal testing are
  which makes testing interactions difficult or
  impossible to structure
• Young children are notoriously poor test takers
  perhaps because they are sometimes confused by
  being asked questions that they think the tester
  must already know the answers to. (NAECS/SDE)
• Direct questioning may cause some young children
  to become uneasy and unresponsive.
• Children should be introduced to and become
  comfortable with the idea that adults ask
  questions and check on understanding as a natural
  part of the learning. (NEGP)

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Communicating with the Student During an
Assessment

• Let the child know you will be writing down his
  or her answers so that you will not forget what
  he or she says.
• Provide neutral praise to support the child.
• Use the childs name in a natural way.
• Be aware of the childs body language and other
  nonverbal cues, because a kindergarten age child
  may not verbalize or express his or her needs.

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Part V. English Language Arts

• Research on Assessing English Language Arts
• Assessing English Language Arts in GKIDS
• GPS Standards and Elements
• Performance Level Descriptors
• Assessment Activities

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Research on Assessing English Language Arts

• Guidelines for Observing in ELA
• Assessing Reader Strategies
• Observing and Assessing Early Reading Skills
• Observing and Assessing Early Writing Skills
• Directionality in Student Writing
• Letter and Word Formation
• Making Meaning

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Guidelines for Observing in ELA

• In the beginning of formal literacy instruction,
  children will differ
• In their awareness of the detail in print
• In what they find confusing about print
• In the ways they choose to work with print
• Reading intervention plans should be tailored to
  each childs needs.
• -Marie Clay

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Assessing Reader Strategies

• Effective Reader
• Finds and uses information from many sources
• Focuses on the meaning of the text.
• Hunts for sight words he already knows.
• Shifts to slower analysis of words and letter
  clusters when necessary.
• Uses multiple strategies (such as picture clues)
  to decode unfamiliar words.

• Ineffective Reader
• Uses a narrow range of weak processes
• May pay only slight attention to visual details
• May disregard discrepancies between his response
  and words on the page
• May guess words from first letters
• May be looking so hard for words he knows that he
  forgets what the message is about.

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Observing and Assessing Early Reading Skills

• What strategies does the student demonstrate that
  indicate some understanding of concepts of print?
• Holding the book right side up
• Moving from front to back of book in pretend
  reading.
• What word decoding strategies does the student
  demonstrate?
• Looking at the first letter of a word.
• What kinds of reading errors does the student
  demonstrate?
• Substitutions
• Repetitions
• Mispronunciations

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Observing and AssessingEarly Writing Skills

• There are many resources and continuums available
  that track the development of emerging writing
  skills.
• Most continuums look at three areas of the
  writing process
• Directionality
• Letter and Word Formation
• Stages Of Writing
• Meaning/Comprehension

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Directionality in Student Writing

• The writing sample
• May not start at the top of the page
• May not print left to right or top to bottom of
  the page

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Letter and Word Formation

• The writing sample may consist of
• Pictures
• Random shapes not recognizable
• Scribble writing
• Loopy letters or vertical and horizontal lines
• Mock letters only recognizable if student
  explains
• Actual letters a mixture of upper and lower
  case
• Upper and lower case letters
• One letter to represent a word or just beginning
  consonant
• Letter strings
• Mock words
• Beginning and ending consonant to make words
• Phonetic words
• Erratic spacing between words
• Word groups
• Sentences

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Making Meaning

• The writer
• Understands that print and pictures can convey
  messages
• Begins to label and add words to pictures
• Assigns a message to marks or scribbles or
  pretends to read
• Begins to notice the difference between pictures
  and writing
• Can almost read what has been written
• Copies or constructs a message and knows what it
  means
• Can tell about his or her own writing

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Assessing English Language Arts in GKIDS

• Diagram of the GPS for English Language Arts
• Reading Standards, Performance Levels, and
  Activities
• Writing Standards, Performance Levels, and
  Activities
• Speaking/Listening/Viewing Standards, Performance
  Levels, and Activities

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Diagram of the GPS for English Language Arts
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Reading Standards, Performance Levels, and
Activities

• ELAKR1 Concepts of Print
• ELAKR2 Phonological Awareness
• ELAKR3 Phonics
• ELAKR4 Reading Fluency
• ELAKR5 - Vocabulary
• ELAKR6 Reading Comprehension

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ELAKR1. The student demonstrates knowledge of
concepts of print. a. recognizes that print and
pictures (signs and labels, newspapers, and
informational books) can inform, entertain, and
persuade.
Note the underlying objective is that students
understand that all letters, pictures, words,
numbers and symbols have meaning/carry messages.
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ELAKR1-a. recognizes that print and pictures
(signs and labels, newspapers, and informational
books) can inform, entertain, and persuade.

• Assessment Activities
• (1) As a class, discuss that books and newspapers
  both have text/print and pictures. Discuss signs
  that are used in school, on the road, or any
  other place they might see signs. Ask students
  why signs are important. Ask why people read
  books and newspapers and look at the pictures in
  books and newspapers.
• (2) Display examples of common signs, word
  puzzles, newspaper ads (i.e. toy ads), and
  non-fiction books (perhaps about animals,
  dinosaurs, etc.).
• Sample questions teacher could ask
• Which of these would you choose if you were
  reading for fun? (puzzles, books -entertain)
• Where would you look if you wanted to learn more
  about .? (books -information)
• Which one of these would help you find the way
  to..? (signs)
• Which one would you show your parents if you
  wanted them to buy you something? (ads
  persuade)
• (3) Use signs in the classroom and the school
  building to determine whether students recognize
  that print (signs) can inform. Common signs may
  include Stop, Exit, Bathrooms (male/female),
  Rooms in the school (office, cafeteria, media
  center), Handicap, Do Not Enter. Discuss other
  signs that students may see outside of school.
• (4) Observe students as they select books from
  the media center in the classroom. Ask them how
  they make their choices of what to read in their
  free time.

74
ELAKR1. The student demonstrates knowledge of
concepts of print. b. Demonstrates that print
has meaning and represents spoken language in
written form.
75
ELAKR1-b. Demonstrates that print has meaning and
represents spoken language in written form.

• Assessment Activities
• (1) Show a page containing a picture and text to
  the student. Ask the student where the teacher
  should begin reading the story. The student will
  point to the area of the words if he/she
  understands that print has meaning and represents
  spoken language.
• 2) Have the child draw a picture. The teacher
  will ask the student to tell about the drawing.
  The teacher records the dictation beneath the
  childs picture. The teacher then asks, If I
  wanted to read this story, where should I begin
  reading? Student will point to the area of the
  words if he/she understands that the print
  contains meaning and represents spoken language.
• (3) Provide stapled pages for individual student
  journals and time for free writing each day. Text
  may be added by the student or teacher. Observe
  and discuss journal entries with students as a
  whole group and as individuals.

76
ELAKR1. The student demonstrates knowledge of
concepts of print. c. Tracks text read from left
to right and top to bottom.
77
ELAKR1-c. Tracks text read from left to right and
top to bottom.

• Assessment Activities
• (1) Observe daily while students, in small or
  large groups, are reading or looking at books,
  text on a computer, or other areas of the
  classroom.
• (2) Provide the student with a reading passage
  and ask the student to track the sentences, left
  to right and top to bottom, as you read aloud.
• Script If I am going to read these sentences,
  where should I start?
• Where would I go next?
• Where would I go after that?
• Student will point to indicate top to bottom and
  left to right directionality with return sweep.

78
ELAKR1. The student demonstrates knowledge of
concepts of print. d. Distinguishes among
written letters, words, and sentences.e.
Recognizes that sentences in print are made up of
separate words.
79
ELAKR1-d. Distinguishes among written letters,
words, and sentences.e. Recognizes that
sentences in print are made up of separate words.

• Assessment Activities
• Have students follow these directions using a
  teacher-selected text
• Using your yellow highlighter, highlight a
  sentence.
• Using your blue highlighter, highlight a word.
• Circle letters or highlight letters.
• Other options that dont require a highlighter
• Point to letters, words, or sentence.
• Tell how many words are in sample sentences.

80
ELAKR1. The student demonstrates knowledge of
concepts of print. f. Begins to understand that
punctuation and capitalization are used in all
written sentences.
81
ELAKR1-f. Begins to understand that punctuation
and capitalization are used in all written
sentences.

• Assessment Activities
• (1) Using teacher-selected text, ask students to
• Point to the capital letter at the beginning of a
  sentence.
• Point to a punctuation mark at the end of a
  sentence.
• (2) Given a paragraph on paper, a newspaper
  article, chart story, etc. have students put
  rectangles around all first letters of sentences
  and circle all punctuation marks at the ends of
  the sentences.

82
ELAKR2. The student demonstrates the ability to
identify and orally manipulate words and
individual sounds within those spoken words. a.
Identifies and produces rhyming words in response
to an oral prompt and distinguishes rhyming and
non-rhyming words.
83
ELAKR2-a. Identifies and produces rhyming words
in response to an oral prompt and distinguishes
rhyming and non-rhyming words.

• Assessment Activities
• Note Teachers may substitute their own rhyming
  words for any of the word lists contained in
  these suggested activities.
• (1) Teacher says Words can rhyme when they
  end with the same sound. Listen to these words
  run, sun, and bun. They rhyme because they end
  with the same sound /un/. Lets practice Listen
  to this word hot. Tell me a word that rhymes
  with hot. Discuss possibilities. Practice with
  king and bed. Lets begin. I am going to say
  two words. Tell me if they rhyme yes or no.
  (Student may need to repeat the pair of words
  before responding.)
• 1. pat/sat 4. tug/rug
• 2. rat/ring 5. sit/hit
• 3. log/like
• (2) Teacher says Tell me a word that rhymes
  with __________.
• 1. sad 4. bake
• 2. fox 5. look
• 3. wet

84
ELAKR2. The student demonstrates the ability to
identify and orally manipulate words and
individual sounds within those spoken words. b.
Identifies component sounds (phonemes and
combination of phonemes) in spoken words.d.
Segments the phonemes in high frequency words.
85
ELAKR2-b. Identifies component sounds (phonemes
and combination of phonemes) in spoken words.d.
Segments the phonemes in high frequency words.

• Assessment Activities for GKIDS
• Note Teachers may use their own word lists for
  this activity.
• (1) Teacher says I am going to say a word.
  (Say the word slowly, emphasizing sounds.)
  After I say it, you tell me all the sounds you
  hear in the word. So if I say top, you would say
  /t/, /o/, /p/. You try it What sound did you
  hear first, next, and last in the word cat?
  (Practice with other words, such as sit, beg, or
  hot.)
• Lets begin.
• Tell me all the sounds you hear.
• 1. pig 6. fish
• 2. bed 7. book
• 3. sock 8. lake
• 4. fun 9. jog
• 5. sad 10. web

Other words that could be used 1. run 6.
can 2. not 7. six 3. make 8. that 4. red 9.
like 5. big 10. must
86
ELAKR2. The student demonstrates the ability to
identify and orally manipulate words and
individual sounds within those spoken words. c.
Blends and segments syllables in spoken words.
87
ELAKR2-c. Blends and segments syllables in spoken
words.

• Assessment Activities
• Note Teachers may use their own word lists for
  these activities.
• (1) Blending Syllables
• Teacher says I am going to say a word in
  parts. Listen carefully and see if you can put
  the parts together and tell me the whole word.
  Lets practice. If I say pen-cil you will put
  the word parts together and say pencil. Lets
  try another one cow-boy. What is the word?
  (Practice with ti-ger and yes-ter-day.) Lets
  begin. (Say words slowly pause between
  syllables)
• popcorn
• rabbit
• paper
• alphabet
• computer
• (2) Segmenting Syllables
• Teacher says This time Im going to say the
  whole word. I want you to clap the parts or
  syllables you hear. (Students may clap, snap, or
  tap their foot). Lets practice. Listen to this
  word happy. Demonstrate clapping the parts in
  this word. Practice with hamburger and monkey
  (Teacher should provide practice with
  one-syllable words also if these are to be
  included in the assessment). Then have students
  clap the parts or syllables as you read the
  following words Lets begin. (Teacher
  pronounces words normally, not pausing between
  syllables)
• butterfly
• pig
• zebra
• eraser
• napkin

88
ELAKR2. The student demonstrates the ability to
identify and orally manipulate words and
individual sounds within those spoken words. e.
Blends spoken phonemes to make high frequency
words.
89
ELAKR2-e. Blends spoken phonemes to make high
frequency words.

• Assessment Activities
• Note Teachers may use their own word lists for
  this activity.
• Teacher says I am going to say the sounds
  (phonemes) of a word. Listen carefully and see
  if you can put the sounds together and tell me
  the whole word. Lets practice. (Say words
  slowly, deliberately segmenting sounds.) b-i-g,
  w-e, h-e-l-p
• Lets begin. (Teacher produces individual
  phoneme sounds.)
• 1. did 6. yes
• 2. got 7. green
• 3. five 8. up
• 4. put 9. find
• 5. make 10. ran

90
ELAKR3. The student demonstrates the relationship
between letters and letter combinations of
written words and the sounds of spoken words. a.
Demonstrates an understanding that there are
systematic and predictable relationships between
print and spoken words.c. Matches all consonant
and short-vowel sounds to appropriate letters.
91
ELAKR3-a. Demonstrates an understanding that
there are systematic and predictable
relationships between print and spoken words.c.
Matches all consonant and short-vowel sounds to
appropriate letters.

• Assessment Activities
• When presented with letter cards in random order,
  the student will verbally produce the
  corresponding sounds.
• The teacher will record student responses on a
  recording sheet.
• The teacher says I am going to show you some
  letters. Please tell me the sound of each letter
  as I show it to you.

92
ELAKR3. The student demonstrates the
relationship between letters and letter
combinations of written words and the sounds of
spoken words. b. Recognizes and names all
uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
Note Letters should be presented in a random
order (not in alphabetical order).
93
ELAKR3-b. Recognizes and names all uppercase and
lowercase letters of the alphabet.

• Assessment Activities
• When presented with letter cards in random order,
  the student will recognize and name upper and
  lower case letters. The teacher will record
  student responses on recording sheet.
• The teacher says I am going to show you some
  letters. Please tell me the name of each letter
  as I show it to you.

Note Letters should be presented in a random
order (not in alphabetical order).
94
ELAKR3. The student demonstrates the
relationship between letters and letter
combinations of written words and the sounds of
spoken words. d. Blends individual sounds to
read one-syllable decodable words.
95
ELAKR3-d. Blends individual sounds to read
one-syllable decodable words.

• Assessment Activities
• The student will blend individual sounds to read
  one syllable c-v-c (consonant-vowel-consonant)
  words. Practice pronouncing words by separating
  each word into three sounds. Use Word Cards
  (cat, bag). Teacher reads the card by separating
  the word into three sounds, /c/-/a/-/t/, and then
  says cat. The student responds by saying
  /c/-/a/-/t/, cat. Repeat practice with the word
  bag.
• The teacher says Please read each word to me.
  You can read the words or you may separate the
  words into sounds and then read them. The
  student may sound out or read the word.
• 1. sad 6. tag 11. wet
• 2. red 7. him 12. bug
• 3. pig 8. log 13. man
• 4. rub 9. beg 14. fun
• 5. sit 10. hop 15. pot
• Note Teacher may use his/her own list of words.
  The list need not contain 15 words.

96
ELAKR3. The student demonstrates the
relationship between letters and letter
combinations of written words and the sounds of
spoken words. e. Applies learned phonics skills
when reading words and sentences in stories.
Note All words do not have to be read correctly
or accurately in order to meet this standard.
The student must demonstrate the ability to apply
learned phonics skills.
97
ELAKR3-e. Applies learned phonics skills when
reading words and sentences in stories.

• Assessment Activities
• (1) The student will apply learned phonics skills
  to read words and sentences in a story. The
  teacher will provide a text for the student to
  read.
• Example A Please read these sentences to me.
  
• I see a cat.
• It is big and yellow.
• The cat can jump and play.
• Example B Please read this story to me.
• 
  Sam the Pig
• I have a pig. His name is Sam. Sam likes to
  play with me. I can run. Sam can run, too. I
  can hop. Sam cannot hop.
• (2) Observe during guided reading.

Note All words do not have to be read correctly
or accurately in order to meet this standard.
The student must demonstrate the ability to apply
learned phonics skills.
98
ELAKR4. The student demonstrates the ability to
read orally with speed, accuracy, and expression.
a. Reads previously taught high frequency words
at the rate of 30 words correct per minute.
99
ELAKR4-a. Reads previously taught high frequency
words at the rate of 30 words correct per minute.

• Assessment Activities
• Student reads from a list of 50 100 previously
  taught high frequency words. Teacher marks or
  tallies words read correctly in one minute.
• The teacher says Please read as many words as
  you can from this list. Skip the words you do
  not know.

Note A resource page with 100 high frequency
words is included in the GKIDS Administration
Manual, p.34
100
ELAKR4. The student demonstrates the ability to
read orally with speed, accuracy, and expression.
b. Reads previously taught grade-level text with
appropriate expression.
101
ELAKR4-b. Reads previously taught grade-level
text with appropriate expression.

• Assessment Activities
• Use a familiar grade-level text that lends itself
  to expressive reading
• The teacher says Read this book for me and
  make your reading sound like talking.
• Teacher may need to read a passage, from another
  book, fluently and expressively for the child as
  an example.

102
ELAKR5. The student acquires and uses
grade-level words to communicate effectively. a.
Listens to a variety of texts and uses new
vocabulary in oral language.
103
ELAKR5-a. Listens to a variety of texts and uses
new vocabulary in oral language.

• Assessment Activities
• Observe children through daily conversations for
  use of newly learned vocabulary. During daily
  read aloud sessions, students will listen to a
  variety of text and broaden their oral language.
  The teacher can use pre-reading strategies to
  target new vocabulary prior to reading
  selections.
• Instructional Suggestions for Teachers
• Model new vocabulary in conversation.
• Introduce new vocabulary during Daily News or
  Circle Time.
• Read aloud from a variety of texts daily and
  introduce new vocabulary.
• Provide materials, props, and books to support
  the development of vocabulary in natural
  settings.
• Introduce and target vocabulary through content
  areas - mathematics, social studies, and science

104
ELAKR5. The student acquires and uses
grade-level words to communicate effectively. b.
Discusses the meaning of words and understands
that some words have multiple meanings.
105
ELAKR5-b. Discusses the meaning of words and
understands that some words have multiple
meanings.

• Assessment Activities for GKIDS
• Observe children through daily conversations for
  discussions of word meanings.
• During read aloud sessions, the teacher can read
  books that focus on words with multiple meanings
  (i.e. Cook A Doodle Doo, by Janet Stevens, The
  Monster Sandwich, by Joy Cowley).
• Provide students with a piece of paper folded in
  half. Ask student to draw a picture of a bat
  that flies. Have students draw an example of
  another kind of bat in the second box. (Use
  words such as fall, fly, fair, etc.)

106
ELAKR6. The student gains meaning from orally
presented text. a. Listens to and reads a
variety of literature (e.g. short stories, poems)
and informational texts and materials to gain
knowledge or for pleasure.
107
ELAKR6-a. Listens to and reads a variety of
literature (e.g. short stories, poems) and
informational texts and materials to gain
knowledge or for pleasure.

• Assessment Activities for GKIDS
• Observe students daily during reading time,
  centers, story time, etc. to make sure each child
  uses opportunities to hear or read a variety of
  literature (for knowledge and pleasure).
• Reading Logs could be kept for each child,
  indicating books or stories they have listened to
  or read.
• Teachers may set a goal of how many books
  students should read (or listen to) by a
  particular time. Book It Program or 600
  Minutes Club could also be used to keep track of
  books read. (Note It is more important to assess
  whether students gain knowledge from or
  appreciate the books they have read than to
  simply count the number of books students have
  read. )

108
ELAKR6. The student gains meaning from orally
presented text. b. Makes predictions from
pictures and titles.
109
ELAKR6-b. Makes predictions from pictures and
titles.

• Assessment Activities for GKIDS
• Introduce book to student. Say Were going to
  read this book together. The title of this book
  is ______________________. What do you think
  this book will be about?
• After child makes prediction, say Lets go
  through the book and look at the pictures. Can
  you tell me about each picture? What do you
  think is happening in the picture? What do you
  think will happen next?
• After a picture walk, read story to child.

110
ELAKR6. The student gains meaning from orally
presented text. c. Asks and answers questions
about essential narrative elements (e.g.,
beginning-middle-end, setting, characters,
problems, events, resolution)f. Uses prior
knowledge, graphic features (illustrations), and
graphic organizers to understand text.g.
Connects life experiences to read-aloud text
111
ELAKR6-c. Asks and answers questions about
essential narrative elements (e.g.,
beginning-middle-end, setting, characters,
problems, events, resolution)f. Uses prior
knowledge, graphic features (illustrations), and
graphic organizers to understand text.g.
Connects life experiences to read-aloud text

• Assessment Activities
• During daily reading time, elicit prior knowledge
  while building background for the story by asking
  comprehension questions.
• Example
• Today we are going to read a book about
  ______________. Or Look at the title/front of
  this book. What do you think it is about?
• Have you ever seen/been/heardetc.
• Encourage students to use pictures to help with
  understanding the story.
• Provide opportunities for students to ask
  questions about the story, and check
  comprehension by asking questions related to
  essential narrative elements.
• Help students connect the story to their own life
  experiences.
• Observe students daily to ensure they are
  responding to orally presented text. Keep
  anecdotal records.

112
Example Questions for ELAKR6 elements c, f, g

• Who or what was this story about?
• Where did the story take place?
• What happened at the beginning of the story?
• What did ____________do?
• Did ____________ have a problem?
• What did he/she do about the problem?
• What happened in the end?
• Have you ever had an experience like this?
• What happened?

113
ELAKR6. The student gains meaning from orally
presented text. d. Begins to distinguish fact
from fiction in a read-aloud text.
Note It is typical for children of Kindergarten
age not to be totally clear on the distinction
between real and make-believe (e.g., Santa Claus,
cartoon characters, Tooth Fairy, etc.).
Therefore, the element reads, begins to
distinguish.
114
ELAKR6-d. Begins to distinguish fact from fiction
in a read-aloud text.

• Assessment Activities
• Introduce book to be used for read-aloud.
  Explain that some parts of the book are real and
  some are make-believe. Discuss the difference in
  real and make-believe characters. Help
  students use prior knowledge of stories and
  television programs that have real and
  make-believe characters and/or events. Discuss
  examples from previously read stories. Read
  story to students.
• After reading, ask questions about the characters
  and events in the story.
• Is ___________ a real person?
• Could a real person _____________? or Could
  that really happen?
• Was that real or make-believe?
• Why is it real?
• Why is it make-believe.

115
ELAKR6. The student gains meaning from orally
presented text. e. Retells familiar events and
stories to include beginning, middle, and end.
h. Retells important facts in the students own
words.
116
ELAKR6-e. Retells familiar events and stories to
include beginning, middle, and end. h. Retells
important facts in the students own words.

• Assessment Activities
• (1) After the teacher has read many stories to
  the class, ask students to tell a familiar story
  in their own words. The story could be one that
  has been read aloud to the class or any story the
  student is familiar with.
• (2) Have the class act out a story. Review what
  happened in the story and have students retell
  important facts. Use questions to prompt the
  students (e.g., What happened? How did Sally
  feel at the beginning of the story/end of story?
  Describe the main characters. What did Sally
  learn? Did she change her mind?)
• (3) After reading an informational text to the
  class, ask students to retell important facts in
  their own words.

117
Writing Standards, Performance Levels, and
Activities

• ELAKW1 Principles of Writing

118
ELAKW1. The student begins to understand the
principles of writing. a. Writes or dictates to
describe familiar persons, places, objects, or
experiences.b. Uses drawing, letters, and
phonetically spelled words to create meaning.
119
ELAKW1-a. Writes or dictates to describe familiar
persons, places, objects, or experiences.b. Uses
drawing, letters, and phonetically spelled words
to create meaning.

• Assessment Activities
• During Journal Writing
• the student draws a picture and dictates a
  description or explanation of the picture.
• the student uses drawing/phonetically spelled
  words and is able to tell the teacher about the
  story (Teacher-selected or student-selected
  topic)
• Ask students to write a story. Encourage
  students to use guess spelling.
• Teacher asks each student to tell her/him about
  her/his story.
• Teacher writes as student dictates.
• If the student added own script to drawing,
  teacher checks for left-to-right progression,
  word spacing and sentences that begin with a
  capital and end with punctuation. Teacher writes
  correct spelling of words under the students
  spelling.

120
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121
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122
ELAKW1. The student begins to understand the
principles of writing. c. Accurately prints
name, all uppercase and lowercase letters of the
alphabet, and teacher-selected words.
123
ELAKW1-c. Accurately prints name, all uppercase
and lowercase letters of the alphabet, and
teacher-selected words.

• Assessment Activities
• Because students write their names on papers
  daily, teachers can