The PALS PREK ASSESSMENT: Make it work harder for you

1
The PALS PRE-K ASSESSMENT Make it work harder
for you
The Texas Family Literacy Resource Center
presents
2
Objectives

• Understand why to assess at the early preschool
  level
• Identify and understand the benefits of
  implementing the entire assessment
• Review the procedures for administering the
  assessment
• Understand how to administer each part of the
  assessment
• Discuss and identify supporting activities

3
Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening

• A tool that measures young childrens
  understanding of emergent literacy fundamentals
• A direct method of matching early literacy
  instruction to specific literacy needs
• A way to recognize those children who are
  relatively behind in their emergent literacy
  development

4
CURRENTLY

• Even Start programs are only required to
  administer the Section II, Alphabet Knowledge
  Section of PALS PreK.

5
As stated by Beth Thompson

• Now that you are familiar with the
• instrument, you may be ready to have it work
• harder for you. It can be difficult to obtain
• specific information to help your teachers
• form instruction that meets the specific
• needs of each child. PALS Pre-K is a tool
• that can provide your EC teachers with
• information they can use as a basis for
• instruction. Such information can also be
• incorporated into parenting education and
• ILA.

6
So why administer the whole assessment?

• To identify general degree of literacy
  development for the children in your class
• Guide classroom instruction
• identify specific areas that may need increased
  attention
• For the class
• For individual students
• Identify children at risk for future reading
  difficulties
• Integrate info. obtained into
  parenting ed and ILA

7
Parts of Assessment

• Section I Name Writing
• Section II Alphabet Knowledge
• Part A Upper-Case Alphabet Recognition
• Part B Lower-Case Alphabet Recognition
• Part C Letter Sounds
• Section III Beginning Sound Awareness
• Section IV Print and Word Awareness
• Section V Rhyme Awareness
• Section VI Nursery Rhyme Awareness

8
Name Writing why is it important?

• Highly correlated with letter recognition, print
  knowledge, and concept of word
• Practice with name writing allows child to see
  that a group of letters can refer to people
• and objects
• Reading and writing are interrelated develop
  concurrently

9
Why is alphabet recognition important?

• Early literacy research suggests that accurate,
  rapid naming of the letters of the alphabet is
  the single best predictor of early reading
  achievement.
• An essential tool in connecting print and speech
• Alphabet knowledge is currently viewed as one of
  the most accurate identifiers of a young childs
  later risk for reading difficulties

10
Elements of Phonological Awareness why are they
important?

• These three areas of the PALS Pre-K are basic
  parts of phonological awareness
• Beginning Sound Awareness
• Rhyme Awareness
• Nursery Rhyme Awareness
• Awareness of speech at the individual sound level
  is essential to learn sounds and match speech to
  print.

11
Print and Word Awareness why is it important?

• Familiarity with books is an important precursor
  to learning to read
• Children need to know that
• stories and other texts are written left to right
• spaces between words matter
• and there is a one-to-one correspondence between
  the words on a page and the words the reader says

12
The Building Blocks of Literacy
Concepts Of Print How to use books print

Alphabet Knowledge The shapes sounds of letters
Phonological Awareness The sounds of spoken
language
Oral Language Talking listening
13
Sequence of PALS Pre-K Tasks

• Can be administered in suggested order or in
  order most convenient for teacher
• Suggested order for entire assessment
• I. Name Writing
• II. Alphabet Knowledge
• III. Beginning Sound Awareness
• IV. Print and Word Awareness
• V. Rhyme Awareness
• VI. Nursery Rhyme Awareness
• Do not administer III. And V. consecutively
  (in order to avoid confusion)

14
Administration Scoring

• Time Required
• No time limit
• Usually 20-25 minutes
• Administration Management
• Recommend administered by classroom teacher
• If each section done separately, entire
  assessment should be completed in two weeks

15
MODIFICATIONS

• PreK Bilingual Program be aware if child is in
  PreK Bilingual
• Assessment administered in English
• Response in English expected if child responds
  in another language they are still displaying
  letter recognition
• Differentiate correct responses in English and
  those in another language on Summary Sheet for
  scoring later

16
WHO GETS TESTED?

• Programs complete assessment of all Even Start
  children who were four by September 1st,
  regardless of which partner provides direct early
  childhood instruction.
• http//www.curriculumassociates.com/brigance/Age_C
  alc/BRIGANCE_Age_Calculator.htm - Use Sept. 1st
  as testing date
• Assess every four-year old in your Even Start
  families, even if they are receiving early
  childhood education in district PreK, Head Start
  or from some other Even Start collaborator.

17
Important Dates to watch for

• Pre-test by Sept. 14
• Post-test on May 1-16
• In order to have the full impact of EC facilitate
  the post-test score
• Pre-test as early as you can and Post-test as
  late as you can

18
Assessment Procedures Before the Assessment

• Familiarize yourself with contents of the
  instrument and manual watch the video
• Complete name/date on form
• Set up the testing area
• Quiet location
• All materials needed are available and ready to
  use
• Minimize interruptions

19
Assessment Procedures During the Assessment

• Introduce the task right before you ask the child
  to complete it
• Administer practice items (more than once if
  needed)
• Monitor child carefully offer encouragement
• If task too difficult and child frustrated stop
  administration indicate task discontinued on
  form
• Score each item See next slide!

20
Assessment Procedures DURING Assessment contd.

• IMPORTANT!!
• Score each item --
• indicate whether responses were in English,
  Spanish, another language, or combo on Child
  Summary Sheet
• Will need that info. for data reporting purposes!!

21
Section I Name Writing

• Administration notes
• Ask child to write their name
• Ask child to draw a picture of themselves
• Instructions
• What to say
• Where - Child Summary Sheet (back page)
• Scoring
• Minimum score 0, Maximum Score 7
• Dont score the drawing
• Name writing video clip

22
Section II Alphabet Knowledge

• Part A Upper-Case Alphabet Recognition
• Administration Notes
• Show one row or one letter at a time
• Ask child to touch the letters or you can point
  to letters
• Instructions
• Tell child to put his/her finger on the first
  letter at the top of the page
• Say(see script in teachers manual pg. 15)
• Scoring
• Score responses on Child Summary Sheet enter
  total number of correct responses in score box.
• Self-corrections are counted as correct answers.
• Must score 16 or more to continue to Part B.
• Alphabet Recognition video clip

23
Part B Lower-Case Alphabet Recognition

• Administered only if scored 16 or more in
  upper-case
• Instructions
• Tell child to put his/her finger on the first
  letter at the top of the page
• Say(see script pg. 16)
• Scoring
• Score responses on Child Summary Sheet enter
  total number of correct responses in score box.
• Self-corrections are counted as correct answers.

24
Part C Letter Sounds

• Administered only if scored 9 or more in
  lower-case letters
• Instructions
• Say(see script on pg. 17)
• Note Pronunciation Guide (not looking for long
  vowel sound)
• Scoring
• Mark slash through incorrect answers
• Count correct answers
• Enter score in score box
• Letter Sounds video

25
Reminder Pals PreK Process
26
Section III Beginning Sound Awareness

• Administration Notes
• Goal for child to produce a beginning sound
• Task can be used as a teaching exercise whether
  responds correctly or not tell child what
  correct answer was as you sort the picture cards
• Instructions
• Show picture of target word ? child repeats word
  ? ask child to produce first sound
• (teacher sorts cards)
• Practice items can be repeated
• Administer assessment script (pg. 19)
• If letter given refocus to sound

27
Beginning Sound Awareness, contd.

• Scoring
• Score first oral response correct response can
  either be letter sound or the letter name (sound
  preferred)
• Count or and enter number of correct
  responses in score box
• Beginning Sound Awareness video clip

28
Section IV Print and Word Awareness

• Administration Notes
• While reading book ask questions in script
• Familiarize yourself with the ten items in the
  task
• Script pg. 24
• Scoring
• Enter or on scoring sheet
• Enter number of correct answers in score box
• Video clip

29
Section V Rhyme Awareness

• Administration Notes
• Do practice items use as teaching exercise
  (give correct answer only here)
• Child can say the word or point to picture
• If child says another word that rhymes redirect
  to choose from pictures on page
• Instructions
• Guide through practice items
• Administer test (repeat directions at any time)

30
Rhyme Awareness, contd.

• Scoring
• Enter or on scoring sheet
• Enter number of correct answers in score box
• Video clip

31
Section VI Nursery Rhyme Awareness

• Administration Notes
• Nursery rhymes read aloud and child gives missing
  word
• Practice items only time practice together
• Instructions
• Do practice items
• Administer assessment
• If child doesnt say missing word after 5 seconds
  provide the correct word and go to the next
  item.

32
Nursery Rhyme Awareness, contd.

• Scoring
• Use or to score answers
• Count correct answers and record in score box
• Video clip

33
FAQS

• Can I administer the assessment or instructions
  in Spanish?
• No, the test is to be administered in English.
• What if the child responds to letter names with
  letter sounds? Is it correct?
• No, if the child gives the sound only, redirect
  them to provide the letter NAME. If they give
  both the sound and the correct letter name it
  is correct.

34
FAQs, cont.

• What if the child responds to letter names and/or
  sounds in Spanish or other language?
• Yes, if they respond correctly in Spanish or
  other language for letter name or sound it is
  correct. It is still letter recognition.
• If a child is frustrated by PALS, may I stop
  administration?
• If a child is clearly frustrated by a task, you
  may open up the task. 
• For example, a child who struggles with alphabet
  recognition may be shown the entire alphabet
  recognition sheet and asked to identify any known
  letters.

35
Assessment Procedures After the Assessment

• Enter data into TFLRC data collection spreadsheet
• Refer to Chapter Three in Teachers Manual re
  interpreting results
• Browse PreK activities on PALS website and/or
  Chapter 4 of Teachers Manual for supporting
  activities
• Look for supporting activities TFLRC will be
  providing some in the future

36
Teachers ManualChapter 3, Page 34
37
Data Submission Procedures

• Spreadsheets will be posted on TFLRC website
• Data transferred from child summary sheets to
  spreadsheet
• E-mail (preferred) or fax spreadsheets to TFLRC

38
Example of Report

• Data Sheet Demo

39
What the reports do
40
Now What?!
41
Now

• Use the PALS Pre-K results and data to guide and
  plan your literacy curriculum!

42
Linking assessment with the curriculum

• When developing a curriculum, it is important to
  identify the goals one has for childrens
  learning
• Assessment information is a starting point for
  curriculum development
• The use of assessments (especially ongoing)
  provides the tools to re-align the curriculum

43
ACTIVITY

• Teacher Checklist of Literacy Practices
• This checklist presents different activities
  that
• help to foster literacy development in
  pre-school children.
• Use the checklist to evaluate your own literacy
  practices by checking what you already do.
• List a couple of supporting activities you use in
  the classroom on the activity sheet.
• 2. Look at unchecked boxes for additional ideas.
  
• List a couple of ideas for supporting activities
  you can use in the classroom on the activity
  sheet.
• To look at checklist online
• http//pals.virginia.edu/PALS-Instruments/PreK_NYC
  U_CheckList.pdf

44
Supporting Activities

• PALS PreK website
• http//pals.virginia.edu/PALSInstruments/PALS-PreK
  .asp
• Activities, lesson plans, parents corner
• Colorín Colorad?
• http//www.colorincolorado.org/educators/questions
  /earlylit
• A bilingual site for families and educators of
  English Language Learners
• Get Ready to Read!
• http//www.getreadytoread.org/content/view/69/321/
  
• Free, downloadable resources for the Get Ready to
  Read! Skill-building activity cards
  (English/Spanish)
• TFLRC website
• Comingfollow up information on
• supporting activities

45
Spring, 2008
TFLRC will present a Parenting Education
Initiative in Feb. May at 4 locations.
Home Visiting Initiative Spring 07
46
Whats it all about?

• Well tie PALS PreK, Home Inventory and Parent Ed
  together with lots of great resources and
  strategies. 
• Be sure to budget for and make plans to attend
  this initiative.
• Well get back to you with more
• details so be on the lookout! 

47
Evaluation

• Complete your evaluation sheet and
• Fax to Gloria Rodriguez at [phone]

48
Thanks for

• Attending the first TFLRC professional
  development web conference!!!

49
References Resources

• http//pals.virginia.edu/PALSInstruments/PALS-PreK
  .asp
• http//reading.org/downloads/52nd_conv_handouts/m_
  invernizzi.doc
• Ivernizzi, M. Using PALS Data to Plan
  Multi-tiered Intervention in Virginia.
  Retrieved July 10, 2007 from http//pals.virginia
  .edu.
• Justice, L.M., Pence, K., Bowles, R., Wiggins,
  A. (2006). An investigation of four hypotheses
  concerning the order by which 4-year-old
  children learn the alphabet letters. Retrieved
  July 6, 2007 from httpwww.sciencedirect.com.
• PALS and Reading First. Retrieved July 10, 2007
  from http//pals.virginia.edu/Reading-First/PALS_
  
• and_Reading_First.pdf .