READING FOR UNDERSTANDING

URL: https://readingmattersconsultants.weebly.com

Clients:
Elementary School, Cobb County School District, Marietta, Georgia-3rd grade classroom
Strategies to improve reading comprehension gap

Topic Overview and Context

The topic we have chosen is Reading for Understanding due to an identified performance gap on
the Scholastic Reading Inventory (RI) among third grade students in the targeted classroom.
This course will address strategies to promote increased achievement in reading comprehension
including improved understanding of literary elements and the use of context clues. According to
a study by the American Educational Research Association (2011), “A student who can’t read on
grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate by age nineteen than a child who
does read proficiently by that time.” This data presents a clear and urgent need for appropriate
intervention for students reading below grade level.

Twenty-three third grade students of varying demographics and socio-economic backgrounds

from a target class at an elementary school in the Cobb County School District in Marietta,
Georgia. The class is comprised of the following students:

● 15 boys and 8 girls

● 70% have identified learning disabilities.

● 9% of the students have been diagnosed as autistic

● 4% of students has a 504 Plan for ADD accommodations

● 22% Gifted

● 65% White Caucasian

● 17% Asian

● 9% African American

● 9% Hispanic
The students in this class include students who are eager and engaged in the learning process, but
many of the learners lack confidence. They require support and guidance with the task of
following instructions. Many are very dependent on the teacher and are reluctant to take risks.
Behavior issues do not interfere with learning. The classroom environment is extremely positive,
and options such as collaborative learning and flexible seating enhance learner engagement.

Needs Assessment

A student’s ability to effectively analyze literary elements such as main idea, author’s purpose
and theme are critical to demonstrating comprehension of reading material. The targeted class
displayed a performance gap of 35% in this area. Additionally a strong ability to effectively use
and understand vocabulary is essential. The performance gap in this class for clearly
demonstrating comprehension of vocabulary words in context was 18%. The proposed learner-
centered program, comprised of activities to address reading comprehension and and vocabulary
development will build a foundation for reading success and help close the existing performance
gap among the students in the targeted classroom.

Design Components
Instructional Goals:

The overall goals for this unit are for students to be proficient in reading comprehension on a third grade

level. We set four goals for the students based on Bloom’s Taxonomy cognitive domain to remember,

apply, and analyze to increase student’s skills and test scores in reading..

● Students will identify the main idea in a text (Blooms Level 1-Remember)

● Students will recognize supporting details in a text (Blooms Level 1-Remember)

● Students will use context clues to determine word meaning (Blooms Level 3- Apply)

● Students will analyze story elements (Bloom’s Level 4-Analyze)

Instructional Approach:
The project is a learner-centered instructional approach for a comprehensive reading program
integrating small group instruction based on weekly data. The instructional approach integrates
Reading Plus and Flocabulary programs that the students will utilize with fidelity during their
daily literacy block. These programs provide the teacher with weekly data to guide instruction.

Course Plan

At the elementary school level, administration organizes the schedule by content area
instructional blocks. Each module is formatted the same, but the standards and topics will change
each week. The students are on 20-minute rotations for the one-hour block that integrates
Reading Plus, Flocabulary, Seesaw and guided reading.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Module 1 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1) Multimedia
Main Idea-
2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- Project: Seesaw
Vocabulary- 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 2) Guided Reading-
Three Branches Teacher 1-A/B Teacher 1- C/D Teacher 1-A/B Teacher 1- C/D assessment
of Government Teacher 2-C/D Teacher 2-A/B Teacher 2-C/D Teacher 2-A/B A/B & C/D

Module 2 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1) Multimedia
Supporting
2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- Project: Seesaw
Details 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 2) Guided Reading-
Vocabulary-Bill Teacher 1-A/B Teacher 1- C/D Teacher 1-A/B Teacher 1- C/D assessment
of Rights Teacher 2-C/D Teacher 2-A/B Teacher 2-C/D Teacher 2-A/B A/B & C/D

Module 3 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1)Reading Plus 1) Multimedia
Main Idea and
2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- 2)Flocabulary- Project: Seesaw
Supporting 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 3) Guided Reading- 2) Guided Reading-
Details Teacher 1-A/B Teacher 1- C/D Teacher 1-A/B Teacher 1- C/D assessment
Vocabulary- Teacher 2-C/D Teacher 2-A/B Teacher 2-C/D Teacher 2-A/B A/B & C/D
Economics

Instructional Activities

The instructional activities for the three modules are the same each module but the reading
standard and vocabulary content change.

Vocabulary: Flocabulary is a vocabulary-learning program for use across all grade levels.
Flocabulary’s standards-based instructional activities, videos, and student creativity tools
complement and supplement classroom instruction to develop essential literacy skills.

● Day 1 of each module incorporates a 3 - 4 minute contemporary hip-hop music to

engage and motivate students as they build vocabulary and increase understanding
 of curricular content. Then the students have vocabulary cards with a photograph
and the students write a sentence using that word in context.

● Day 2 the students will play a vocabulary game choosing a word from the bank
that completes the sentence.

● Day 3 is reading and responding using the words in context

● Day 4 is completing activities that have not been finished and/or an assessment.

Comprehension: Reading Plus is web-based reading intervention software that offers

differentiated scaffolded silent reading practice for students in grades 3 and up. Reading Plus
builds students’ silent reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension through activities
designed to adjust difficulty and duration of reading activities allowing students to move at a
pace that corresponds to their reading skill level. Progress monitoring is an integral feature of
the Reading- Plus Program. Reading Plus consists two components: isolated skill building and
differentiated texts. The isolated skills identify deficiencies to isolate instruction, while the
teacher is able to assign each student texts that match their individual reading levels to apply
skills during reading.

● Day(s) 1-4 allow students to self-select a variety of stories based on interest. Each story is
read with a moving window that measures eye movement and adjusts the speed of
presented text to individual students’ reading speed. The stories include comprehension
questions at the end of each story and provide immediate feedback. The students are
required to complete four stories each week.

Assessment Activities

● Reading Plus Pre-assessment test for initial placement level within each domain-it is a
data driven starting point for individualized instruction. This assessment is given the first
time students sign into the program and is a benchmark for the level where they will
begin the program. Each student has a specialized program for individualized instruction.
 ● Reading Plus post assessments are ongoing weekly assessments pending their
individualized goals.

● Flocabulary assess the students at the end of the week to determine their proficiency with
the content vocabulary that was introduced for the week.

● Scholastic Reading Inventory- given August 7, 2018 and December 13, 2018 to assess
reading Lexile scores

Multimedia Project:

Seesaw: The students will be creating a digital portfolio or learning journal to document their
progress throughout the school year. Seesaw is an innovative approach for students to respond to
their weekly reading and understanding of the standards for reading comprehension and
vocabulary development. Each Friday, the students will respond to a video prompt from the
teacher regarding main idea and supporting details from their weekly reading. The journal entry
will require the students to take a picture of their completed work, record their voice narrating a
reflection of their work, and uploading the final product to their online portfolio in Seesaw to
share with the teacher and parents.

Resources
www.flocabulary.com
www.readingplus.com
https://web.seesaw.me/
References
Sparks, S. (2011, April 8). Study: Third Grade Reading Predicts Later High School Graduation.
Retrieved from: September 16, 2018, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-
school-research/2011/04/the_disquieting_side_effect_of.html