Pre-Assessment

Pre-Assessment Plan

Tutor Name: Esmeralda Tully

Student(s) Name: Leydi Sanchez

Part 1:  Icebreaker

Description/Procedures: Acrostic Poem

·      The tutor will first share the acrostic poem that she created with the student in order to introduce herself.

·      This activity requires students to write acrostic poems using their names as guides. For each letter of their name, students have to come up with a word or phrase that begins with that letter and describes them.

·      Tutor will say “Your acrostic poem should describe who you are- focus on your positive traits. Your poem MUST include your first name (or nick name) or last name and must be 5 lines minimum; which means you may have to use more than just your first name.” 

·      The poems can be written on construction paper and decorated. Student will share poem with the tutor and the rest of their peers.

Materials:

·      Pen or pencil

·      Construction paper

·      Markers

Part 2:  Assessment ELA & Math

Part 3:  ELA Pre-Assessment

Item Type	Item Description	Common Core Standard
1. Main Idea	Multiple Choice	RL.5.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text
2. Compare and Contrast	Venn Diagram	RL.5.3: Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text
3. Meaning	Multiple Choice	RL.5.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
4. Meaning	Multiple Choice	RL.5.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
5. Alternate Ending	“What if?” writing piece	W.5.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences

UDL Guidelines	Your Resources
1.3 Offer alternatives for visual information	Provide student(s) with the opportunity to read a hard copy of the passage or on the iPad
5.2 Use multiple tools for construction and composition	Allow student(s) to use pen/pencil and paper and/or iPad to construct responses
7.2 Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity	Student(s) construct alternate ending to the story

Part 4: Mathematics Pre-Assessment

Item Type	Item Description	Common Core Standard
1.  Number and Operations	Computation problem	4.NBT.4: Fluently add and subtract multidigit whole numbers using the standard algorithm
2. Number and Operations	Computation problem	4.NBT.4: Fluently add and subtract multidigit whole numbers using the standard algorithm
3.  Place Value	Rounding	4.NBT.3: Use place value to round multidigit whole numbers to any place
4. Place Value/Division	Computation problem	4.NBT.1: Recognize that in a multidigit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right
5. Multiplication	Computation problem	4.NBT.5: Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number
6. Measurement	Word Problem	4.MD.3: Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real world and mathematical problems
7. Operations and Algebraic Thinking	Multi-Step Word Problem	4.OA.3: Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole number answers using the four operations
8. Number and Operations—Fractions	Word Problem	4.NF.3.d: Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole and having like denominators
9. Measurement and Data	Word Problem	4.MD.2: Use the four operations to solve word problems involving money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals
10. Measurement and Data	Word Problem	4.MD.2: Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals
11. Place Value	Rounding	5.NBT.4: Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place
12. Operations and Algebraic Thinking	Order of operations/evaluate numerical expression	5.OA.1: Use parenthesis, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols
13. Operations and Algebraic Thinking	Order of operations/evaluate numerical expression	5.OA.1: Use parenthesis, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols
14. Number and Operations—Fractions	Word Problem	5.NF.6: Solve real world problems involving multiplication of fractions and mixed numbers
15. Measurement and Data	Conversion	5.MD.1: Convert among different sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system

UDL Guidelines	Your Resources
1.3 Offer alternatives for visual information	Different color index cards for different levels of difficulty
5.2 Use multiple tools for construction and composition	Allow student(s) to use pen/pencil and paper and/or iPad to construct responses
7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy	Student(s) are permitted to solve problems of their choosing

REFLECTION

On Wednesday, February 27, 2013, I visited the Caroline G. Atkinson Intermediate School, located in Freeport, New York. Shortly after my arrival, I was introduced to Leydi Sanchez. Leydi is a ten year old, fifth grade female that I will be tutoring over the course of five weeks.

As Leydi ate her snack, I implemented the icebreaker activity that I had prepared: an acrostic poem. First, I shared the acrostic poem that I created in order to introduce both the activity and myself to the student. Then, I prompted Leydi to create her own acrostic poem. I told her that she should use her first name as a guide, and for each letter of her name, she must come up with a word or phrase that begins with that letter to describe herself.

This activity went extremely well. Not only did I get to learn about the student’s interests and personal traits, but it was something that Leydi really enjoyed, thus, motivating her to continue on to the pre-assessment lessons.

For the ELA pre-assessment, I had Leydi read a passage and then answer questions pertaining to the text. Due to the fact that I was informed by Dr. Blue that these students typically achieve below grade level, I chose to use “The Monster in the Barn,” which is a fourth grade reading level text.

The five questions focused on four components: determining a theme of a story, comparing and contrasting two characters, determining the meaning of words, and writing a narrative to develop real or imagined experiences or events, which all tied into the common core standards.

            Leydi’s work demonstrated that she met the criteria for all five questions. However, for the two questions that necessitated writing: the Venn Diagram and the alternate ending, her work emphasized a need for improvement. For example, for the Venn Diagram, while she did meet the requirements of including two details about each character, she failed to draw on specific details in the text. In addition, for the alternate ending, Leydi wrote three sentences, which was the minimum requirement. However, her writing lacked descriptive details and clear event sequences.

            As a result, I will use this information to inform future instruction. For the ELA component, perhaps my lessons will focus on creative writing.

            For the mathematics pre-assessment, I chose fifteen questions related to the fourth and fifth grade common core standards. I decided to start at the fourth grade level in order to adapt the lesson to the needs of my prospective student. I divided the questions into three groups—level one, level two, and level 3—with level one being the easiest, and level three being the most challenging. I looked at the Freeport curriculum map to determine what topics to cover in all three levels. In order to optimize individual choice and autonomy, which is a UDL guideline under “multiple means of engagement,” I allowed Leydi to start completing the problems in any order that she wanted; she could pick any card from any of the three piles. The colors excited Leydi, and she was extremely eager to begin. To my surprise, she picked the bottom card from the third pile; she really anticipated the challenge.

            Out of the fifteen problems, Leydi completed fourteen. She skipped over the problem pertaining to conversion, stating that she had not learned that concept yet. Out of the fourteen problems, Leydi got only two problems wrong. For those that she answered incorrectly, she actually went about solving them using the correct strategy. Unfortunately, she made carless errors in the end, which resulted in her answers being wrong. More importantly, although she answered most of the questions right, there were a few instances that she did not utilize appropriate grade level strategies in order to arrive at her answer. For example, even though she got the order of operations problems correct, she did not use PEMDAS to arrive at her answer; she was lucky both times.

            Therefore, I will use this information to inform subsequent instruction. For the mathematics lessons, I will focus on teaching Leydi the PEMDAS strategy in order to solve order of operations problems. According to research, cognitive strategies, such as first letter mnemonic devices, help students remember procedural steps for solving problems.

            This experience was extremely beneficial. Not only did I learn about the student’s strengths and weaknesses in accordance to math and ELA, but I was also informed about her interests. Knowing what a child enjoys is very important. I will incorporate her interests in order to activate her prior knowledge and motivate her to learn.