RED 3311 Teaching Reading in the Intermediate Grades

ChipolaCollege

Elementary Education

Task CC8G: Basal Reader Evaluation

RED 3311 – Teaching Reading in the Intermediate Grades

Standards Infused and Assessed

Accomplished Practice Indicators:

2.8 Adapts the learning environment to accommodate the differing needs and diversity of students.

3.2 Deepen and enrich students’ understanding through content area literacy strategies, verbalization of thought, and application of the subject matter.

Task Description

The teacher candidate will demonstrate knowledge of evaluating instructional materials for the reading classroom. He or she will evaluate the basal and accompanying instructional materials to understand proper use in the classroomfor all students, including those from diverse backgrounds and at varying English proficiency levels.The learning environment will be adapted to accommodate the differing needs and diversity of these students based on gained basal knowledge.Evaluation should include determining if culture-specific features of content curricula are accurate depictions of cultures represented throughout the book, or if cultural bias is present.Discussion will include how literacy strategies will deepen and enrich students’ understanding through verbalization of thought and application of the subject matter. Fry’s Readability Formula will be used to determine if the readability level matches the basal level. Assessments/tests that come as part of the textbook program willalso be evaluated for cultural bias. The teacher candidate must identify materials, techniques, and assessments to inform instruction for ELLs and be able to articulate the appropriateness of ELL assessments to stakeholders.

What to submit?

The teacher candidate will submit a written evaluation of a basal textbook. The evaluation should include a cover page with name, course number, and task number on the front. It should be typed, double-spaced, and stapled.

Directions

1. Examine a basal reader using the following criteria:
2. Readability of text:Is the text appropriate for the grade level? Did you find any surprises when doing the readability? Were the books consistent in readability throughout the stories, or did the readability vary? Did you find any differences in readability between fiction and nonfiction passages? Use Fry’s Readability Chart to determine the readability of the text. You should select three different passages throughout the basal: beginning, middle, and end.The chart and copies of the pages from the textbook you used to do the readability test should be submitted with the assignment.
3. Illustrations:Are the illustrations attractive and child-engaging? Do they relate to the story? Do they support comprehension? If so, how? Give specific citations in this area.
4. Five Areas of Reading: Are the five areas of reading consistently taught throughout each unit/story? Did you find lessons for phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension for each story? Describe how each area of reading is taught in this textbook. Give specific examples and page numbers for each area of lessons that are centered on teaching the various areas of reading.
5. Cultural Authenticity: Reading basals include representation of various cultures. Determine if the culture being represented in the book is accurate of the culture or if cultural bias is present. Cite a specific example of where accurate cultural representation or bias is present in a story.
6. Commercial Tests: Analyze the tests and assessments that come with the reading textbook you are evaluating. Do the tests accurately measure the skills taught each week? Does the test cover weekly vocabulary and story comprehension? Is there a fairly equal amount of vocabulary questions, skill questions, and comprehension questions, or do you find it is unbalanced in the number of questions asked of each? Do the weekly tests have students mainly doing factual recall, or do you see higher order thinking questions being asked? (Give examples of literal questions and higher order thinking questions that are asked.) Does the test offer a variety of question formats (multiple choice, short answer, essay, matching, etc.) or does each only stay with one or two formats?
7. Instructional Methods: Find at least two instructional methods and strategies (graphic organizers, summarizing, story maps, etc.) used in the book. Describe each organizer by discussing its purpose and how it helps students with the skill it is being used with. Make a copy of the graphic organizer to submit with this assignment.
8. Accommodations: What interventions does each unit offer for struggling, ESE and ESOL students? Identify at least one accommodation and discuss how you think this accommodation will help that particular struggling student. What are strategies the book gives for teachers to enhance the needs of students who are above grade level?

What to Write Up:

After examiningmany stories from your reading textbook, write an evaluation of the text you examined. Include:

Summary of Evaluation with Citations:Address items A-G. If the basal does not cover them, mention that and discuss why it may not offer that item, and what you would do to meet that need.You may not simply excuse something that is missing in the basal series. For the write up, you should list each item number with heading, then discuss or explain your findings, etc. It should NOT be written like a narrative essay, but be organized in answering each question.

Reflection:Discuss how you can use your knowledge of basal reader evaluations when you begin teaching. If this was your school district’s adopted basal reader, would you be satisfied teaching the standards from it? If not, why? What type of additional outside material source will you have to use to supplement the basal?

Task CC8G: Basal Reader Evaluation

RED 3311 – Teaching Reading in the Intermediate Grades

Name ______Submission # ______Instructor: Bush

Accomplished Practice Indicators:

2.8 Adapts the learning environment to accommodate the differing needs and diversity of students.

3.2 Deepen and enrich students’ understanding through content area literacy strategies, verbalization of thought, and application of the subject matter.

Decision for FEAPs on this Task:

___ Demonstrated……..…….…10or more E

___ Partially Demonstrated..…..5 or more D

___ Not Demonstrated………….1 or more U

• Must resubmit on or before the following date: ______
• Although the original grade is final and no points are added for resubmissions, failure to resubmit by the deadline will result in a “ten-point penalty” PER DAY grade reduction.
• For all resubmissions – the original assignment must be included with the resubmission.

COMMENTS:

RED 3311

Last updated Spring 2014