This is not necessarily a capstone project, but rather a project that is connected to my 6-week long field experience. The directions I attached for the projeect are lengthy and go pretty in-depth, so I will try to make my directions here all-inclusive! If you ever get confused, feel free to reference those other directions!
So far, I have already done the initial paperwork for the field experience. I will not need you to do that.
For what you will need to do- Let’s call our student Bryson. He just finished first grade, and will be entering second grade in August. He struggles with some phonemic awareness skills, as well as the decoding of words. His primary caregiver wanted to begin tuturing to help with confidence and give him extra practice. His interests include dinosaurs, baseball, and anything in nature.
What you will need to turn into me: Assessment Data Summary Sheet, 5 Lesson Plans using the template I provided (all in the same document in ‘chronological order,’ An excel or google sheets document for Fry’s Word List Date (make it just like the example image I provided), Completed Fry’s Phrase List and Google Sheets Template, SCHOOL-TO-HOME CONNECTIONS LETTER, and Impact on Student Learning.
ASSESSMENTS- After ‘administering’ phonemic awareness and phonics assessments (filling them in to resemble a student struggling with a few reading skills), I need you to enter those scores into a score sheet (I linked that here!) Please remove all example answers. It is your choice what assessments to utilize, and in all honesty, I am fine with you just choosing a few different weaknesses to enter into the score sheet document without filling out an actual assessment. In the project directions document, it does mention a few skills that should not be focused on. As long as you stray away from those, you should be fine!
LESSON PLANS- Based on the results of those assessments, I need you to create 5 lesson plans, targeting the student’s weak areas. Make sure that there are 2 phonemic awareness lessons and 3 phonics lessons. Please somehow include one or more of the student’s interests! I will also link the lesson plan template, which is an example lesson plan. (Make sure that you do not copy anything in the example lesson plan).
Make sure that there is a connnected reading. Additionally, ensure that there is no reading skill involved in phonemic awareness. It should all be auditory.
I also need you to fill out the notes section at the bottom of each lesson plan, and the Fry’s Word Lists section on 3 of the lesson plans (see information about that in the next section below). You can come up with a realistic guess of how the student would have performed, and enter that in.
Once all five lessons are complete, attach them all together in ‘chronological order.’
FRY’S WORD LISTS-
Below are the assignment directions. Of course, you will not actually have to administer anything. Just fill out whatever needs to be filled out using common sense and educated guesses.
Use Google Sheets (new tab) to create a table like the example I attached. (png)
On your new spreadsheet at the top, title this document as “Fry’s Phrase List Repeated Readings – Your name.”
Identify in which lesson you will administer Fry’s phrase list. You
can choose to align the list to an objective only once, but it is not
required (See the example lesson in 1.7 Exercise). You can choose to
use the Fry’s phrase list as a fun activity at the end of the lesson.
You cannot administer more than two readings in the same lesson.
Administer a timed (45 seconds), initial reading of Fry’s Phrase
list to your student during the appropriate lesson. Consider these
notes about the assessment administration,
Assure the student that reading the phrase cards is for fun and not
for a grade. And, tell your student the goal is to read more phrases
with each repeated reading.
You should model reading the cards under a timed condition, but only
give yourself 15-20 seconds so the student can see you not complete the
deck of phrases.
Remember, if you have a kindergarten or early
first-grade student who is not yet reading, you may need to instead use
individual letters or sight words in isolation. You must clear this with
your instructor. Whether you use Fry’s phrases, sight words in
isolation, or individual letters, you must still log your student’s
performance and goals in Google sheets to complete this assignment
After your student’s initial reading, allow your student to log
his/her number of phrases read in 45 seconds into your Google Sheets
table using your phone, tablet, or laptop computer. At this time, be
sure to describe to your student how you use technology appropriately
and ethically, assuring the student that you will not share his/her
scores with anyone, except his/her primary caretaker.
Then, ask your student to set a goal for how many phrases he/she
wants to read in 45 seconds during the next repeated reading. Log this
goal in Google Sheets.
Then, in the other lessons you designate, administer a second and third reading of the list.
Between administrations, you should provide brief practice with the phrases in some capacity in an untimed, fun setting.
When have entered the data from the repeated readings, download it and attach it with the rest of the assignment you submit to me.
In your Fry’s Phrase List and Google Sheets Template (word document I attached) provide a synopsis of the repeated readings experience by answering the
provided prompts regarding if your student showed improvement, reached
the goals he/she set, engaged in self-assessment, displayed
self-efficacy, and understood ethical use of digital tools.
SCHOOL-TO-HOME CONNECTIONS LETTER-
Directions- Create a one-page School-to-Home Connections letter to
give to your student’s primary caregiver. This handout will include
brief descriptions of the student’s top two strengths and two weaknesses
(all evidenced in your phonemic awareness or phonics data) accompanied
by activities the student’s primary caregiver can implement at home with
resources they would typically have (e.g., newspapers, magazines,
websites, labels on canned goods, pencils, blank paper).
Begin the letter with a positive statement about your
time with the student followed by a description of the student’s top two
strengths (evidenced in your data).
Next, separately describe two weaknesses (evidenced in
your phonemic awareness or phonics data; e.g., long vowels in phonics), a
name for each corresponding activity, the simple objective of each
activity (e.g., find long vowel patterns on soup cans), and brief
directions on how to carry out each activity.
The activities you select must include active participation (no worksheets) and one (and only one) website as one of your activities.
Each activity must be described in only one paragraph, or you may use boxes or bullets within the Word file.
Finally, end your letter with a positive statement about the student and/or your time with him/her. Then, sign your name.
Two example letters, APT Home-to-School Connections Letter – EXAMPLE 1 (PDF document) and APT Home-to-School Connections Letter – EXAMPLE 2 (PDF document), have been provided for you. You may not copy these letters in any way. I will attach these!
It is essential for this page to appear friendly,
non-threatening, and welcoming. For example, choose “parent-friendly”
words, an inviting border, and visually appealing images.
IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING-
Refer back to your lesson plan reflections where you
recorded your impact on student learning. Select a weak skill evidenced
in the baseline data, how you planned a lesson for that weak skill, and
the post-data to determine your impact on the student’s learning of that
skill.
Next, open a Word document and write your impact statement by following the template below. Be brief yet concise.
I know I positively impacted Pk-12 student learning because, [describe the student], I [describe the specific action you took to address weak scores]. On the assessment, [describe the measurable, positive impact].
