Curt Chapter 5 Study Guide

Study Guide for Chapter 5 (Howard Street Tutoring Manual—Morris)

Answer these questions and post the responses into your blog.

1. What grade is Curt in?  Third Grade

1. Look at the summary of scores in the table on page 170.  Notice that there are scores for the grade-level lists of words from the Word Recognition Test (Flash and Untimed) and scores for orally reading grade-level passages (accuracy of word reading, e.g. percentage of words read correctly and rate, expressed in number of words read per minute).

a1. What was the flash score for words at:

first-grade level?  75 second-grade level?   50 third-grade level?  20

b1. What was the accuracy score at:

1-2 level?   97 2-1 level?  90 2-2 level? 84

c1. What was the rate score at:

1-2 level?   65 2-1 level?   44 2-2 level? 36

d1. Look at the spelling scores in Table 5 on page 172: What was the percentage correct score for:

first-grade words   60% second-grade words  0%

Consider the expected scores in the following tables, then compare those expectations to the scores Curt produced.

a2. With the Word Recognition Test, flash scores are generally interpreted as follows:

90-100%   indicates          Independent Level

60-85%     indicates          Instruction Level

Below 50%   indicates     Frustration Level

a3. Which grade-level flash score is the best choice for Instruction Level?  First Grade

b2. With oral reading accuracy, scores are generally interpreted as follows:

98-100%   indicates          Independent Level

65-97%     indicates          Instruction Level

Below 92%   indicates     Frustration Level

*Note: 92-94% accuracy is marginal; take a close look at Rate.

b3. Which grade-level accuracy score is the best choice for Instruction Level?  Second Grade

c2. With oral reading rate, expected grade-level ranges are as follows:

Grade                          Words per minute

1^st 45-85

2^nd 80-120

3^rd 95-135

c3. What do Curt’s rate scores indicate about his grade-level reading?  He is in the first grade range.

d2. With spelling scores, around 50% correct indicates Instruction Level.

d3. What do Curt’s spelling scores indicate about his Instruction Level.  At first grade instructional level

Put all of these scores together, and what do they indicate Curt’s reading level to be?  First grade

1. Look at the spelling errors that Curt makes. What stage of word knowledge is Curt in?  Within word pattern and also reverts back to letter name.

Why do you pick this stage of development? What are the key characteristics?  Represented short vowels, and showed good knowledge of consonant clusters

1. Describe partner reading.  Partner reading is where Curt and the tutor alternate reading pages in the story.  Before reading, they look through the pictures and make predictions about what may happen in the story.

1. Which is harder for a student, partner reading or DRTA?  I think they both have advantages and disadvantages based on the student.  Partner reading is probably good for those who don’t like to read out loud to a group, while DRTA is good for better comprehension.

1. In planning a DRTA, what is important about selecting places to stop?  The teacher must ask “At what point in the story am I able to anticipate an important upcoming event or plot turn?  Why am I able to do so?”   The questions should be about what has happened this far and what might happen as the story continues.

1. In planning a DRTA, what is important about deciding questions to ask? What kind of questions? How many?  Ask questions that include predictions of what will happen in the story.  Also ask questions that show the child’s comprehension of the story.