But Can They Read the Text ?

1. But Can They Read the Text?

2. What grade level would you teach this text? • “Well then,” said Parmenides, if there is a one, of course the one will not be many. Consequently, it cannot have any parts or be a whole. For a part is a part of a whole, and a whole means that from which no part is missing; so whether you speak of it as a whole or as having parts, in either case the one would consist of parts and in that way be many and not one. But it is to be one and not many. Therefore, if the one is to be one, it will not be a whole nor have parts. • From Plato’s Parmenides

3. What Makes a Text Hard or Easy to Read? • A text’s readability can be “measured” using readability formulas (See appendix B) • Not totally accurate… Why? • Lexile used in Oregon schools • Lexile PP

4. FLIP (Schumm & Mangrum, 1991) Friendliness: How friendly is the book for students in your classroom? Language: How difficult is the vocabulary and syntax? Interest: Do students find the text interesting? Prior Knowledge: How much prior knowledge do students need to be able to read this text? (see R& L example on page 3) • See Reading & Learning, pp. 271-272

5. Case study project: Text difficulty Text readability Text friendliness/cultural appropriateness • Determine Lexile OR • Use Fry readability formula OR • Use computer program to determine readability • REPORT SCORE • Use readability checklists for background • Evaluate using FLIP • FLIP

6. Student Measures • Determine a student’s ability to read the text by • Check standardized reading test (if available) • Comprehension subtest, percentile score OAKS test: What does it really tell us? NCLB requirements: Test standards What happens when we test standards and set benchmarks? Not on the Test: http://www.notonthetest.com/

7. Student Reading Ability • Determine whether students can actually read this text using • Cloze OR Maze OR Sentence Verification AND • Hierarchical reading guide

8. Cloze testing • Begin with passage of 300 words or more. Choose a passage that is largely typical of the material in the text, and relatively free of things like formulas or equations. • Choose any word as the first to be deleted but leave a sentence or two intact at the beginning. • Mark every fifth word until 50 have been marked. • Replace the words with blanks of equal length

9. Scoring • Correct answers should be exact words. Synonyms increases subjectivity. • Scoring • Independent level 60 percent or higher • Instructional level 40-59 percent • Frustration level 39 percent or lower

10. MAZE test • AIMS Web, a testing company uses • Have standardized the procedures • Directions: Prepare passage similar to Coze • Instead of blanks, provide three choices using similar words

11. Reading Guide • 1. Select an appropriate reading selection • 2. Count the number of words • 3. Develop 10-12 comprehension questions • First question should be open-ended • 2-3 literal questions • 2-3 inferential questions • 2-3 evaluative or critical reading questions • 4. Prepare student response sheet • 5. Time students and calculate approximate words per minute

12. Can a Student read the text? Standardized/School Measure Text Measure • Reading test score OR • OAKS score OR • SRI OR • Lexile score • What is the general measure of student’s ability to read? • Cloze OR • Maze AND • Reading Guide • How well can the student read THIS text?

13. Assessment Case Study Assignment • 1. How difficult is the text to read? • 2. How well can this student read the text? • 3. How will this influence your planning and teaching?