Running head: AE #4

Assessment Experience #4

Informal Writing Assessment

By: Anja Fletcher

CIL 621

University of Nevada Las Vegas

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Assessment Experience #4

Informal Writing Assessment

Student Data

“Amber” is eight (8) years old and is in 3rd grade at Richard Bryan Elementary School.

Amber resides in her home with her five (5) year old brother, who is both mentally and

physically disabled, and her Mom and Dad. Amber is very interested in learning about the solar

system and anything pertaining to animals. Amber shared with me her love for reading books of

her choosing, drawing, painting, and writing in a variety of forms.

Protocol/Assessment

Writing Continuum Checklist (Analytic Trait) and Higher-Order Writing Continuum are

assessment tools that cover a variety of writing stages. The Writing Continuum Checklist

(Analytic Trait) can be used to identify the writing stages of students from Kindergarten through

fifth grade. The Higher-Order Writing Continuum is used to develop higher-order thinking

based upon four writing traits: Purpose, Audience, Focus, and Organization.

Student Writing Prompt

Write about an exciting field trip that you experienced.

Results

Results of the Writing Continuum Checklist (Analytic Trait) indicated that student is in

the Expanding stage of writing. Student is still struggling with employing strategies to spell

difficult words, as well as provide an appropriate ending for the story. Audience is not generally

considered in this piece of writing.

Results of the Higher-Order Writing Continuum are as follows:

Purpose: Stage 4 - Text has a general purpose with some specifics.

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Audience: Stage 3 - Intended readers are too broad for the context.

Focus: Stage 3 - Writing exhibits a general focus with some connections to the purpose;

Main point or thesis is present, with general connections to the purpose.

Organization: Stage 4 - Organization is structured with general coherence between major points;

Primary points have primarily abstract supporting details

Thompkins Teaching Strategy

Simulated Journals – Students write simulated journals by assuming the role of another

person and writing from that person’s viewpoint. They assume the role of an historical figure,

fictional character, famous person, etc., and they begin by making a timeline picking important

dates and writing entries about what happened on those particular dates. This strategy would be

in alignment with Common Core Standards: RI.3.2 - Determine the main idea of a text; recount

the key details and explain how they support the main idea (NVACS, 2019, p. 22) and W.3.3 -

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,

descriptive details, and clear event sequences. (NVACS, 2019, p.33)

The Writing Continuum Checklist (Analytic Trait), that I conducted with a sample of

student’s writing allowed me to interpret several writing traits present in said writing piece. The

strength of this type of assessment is that is can be done immediately after a writing assignment.

This assessment is not limited to ELA, and can be used cross-curriculum. If I were conducting

this assessment in my own classroom I would definitely use all available writing that I had for

each of my students so that I would be able to get a more complete picture. This type of

assessment is particularly necessary to understand both the strengths and the weaknesses of your

students.
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I like to think that with each new assessment that I give I am building up my “toolbox”. I

understand that as I progress it will get easier to identify where students are lacking and what I

can do to tweak my lessons to meet their needs. I realize that interpreting data takes time and

with practice I will improve. While conducting this assessment I again realized that I believed

this student was much further along in the writing process than she actually was. Again, it is all

about preconceived notions of students, and the ability to modify these opinions based upon

assessment results and learning about your student.

The impact of my teaching should be that it improves student writing. With all of my

lessons thus far, I felt that I have made a positive impact on the student(s). If I can find a topic

that the students are interested in then implementing a writing journal should prove to be a fun

activity. I think what I have learned is that when I show excitement for an activity, the students

mirror my attitude. Students are naturally more attentive when they are being asked to take an

active role in their learning. It is important for me to remember to constantly assess my students

and change my lessons accordingly. It is my job to reach every student and their needs utilizing

the resources that I have available to me.

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References

Cooter, R., Flynt, E., & Cooter, K. (2014) The Flynt/Cooter comprehensive reading inventory-

2: assessment of K-2 reading skills in English and Spanish. Pearson.

Nevada Department of Education. (2019). Nevada Academic Content Standards for English

Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.

Retrieved from

http://www.doe.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/nde.doe.nv.gov/content/Standards_Instructional_S

upport/Nevada_Academic_Standards/K-12_ELA_Standards_ADA_Accessible.pdf

Scott, Nagelhout, & Spies. (n.d.). Higher-order concern writing continuum. Under Review, 1

(1), pp. 1-29.

Sloan. (1994). Analytical trait writing continuum checklist. Retrieved from

file:///C:/Users/Anja/Downloads/Sloan_Analytic%20Trait_writing_continuum_full%20%

20(1)%20(2).pdf

Tompkins, G. (2013). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. Prentice Hall.
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