D-tags k-3 Literacy Skills in Massachusetts

Figure 1:

The respondents were…

  • Total 479 responses
  • General education instuctor – 264, 55%
  • Reading/lieracy specialist or coach 133, 28%
  • Special education instructor 74, 15%
  • Other 58, 12%

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Figure 2: 

Seventy percent of educators reported using a mix of published curricular materials and teacher-created materials, and 5% of educators reported solely using teacher-created materials. Of the 25% published curricular materials that teachers reported using, the most-used were Fundations at 15%, Reading A-Z at 12%, Lexia Core5 Reading at 10%, Heggerty Phonemic Awareness at 9%, Units of Study for Teaching Writing at 8%, and Fountas & Pinnell Classroom at 7%.

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Figure 3:

Breakdown for Reading.

  • 0% 20-30 minutes reading.
  • 5% 31-45 minutes reading.
  • 30% 45-60 minutes reading./li>
  • 39% 61-90 minutes reading.
  • 26% more than 90 minutes reading.

Breakdown for Writing.

  • 3% 20-30 minutes reading.
  • 49% 31-45 minutes reading.
  • 37% 45-60 minutes reading.
  • 5% 61-90 minutes reading.
  • 5% More than 90 minutes reading.

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Figure 4:

On average and over the course of a year, educators reported spending the following number of minutes on these skills during their daily literacy block:

  • Writing 30 minutes
  • Comprehension 24 minutes
  • Phonics and Decoding 23 minutes
  • Phonological and Phonemic Awareness 15 minutes
  • Fluency 14 minutes

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Figure 5:

Engage small groups of students in discussions of texts at their instructional level:

  • 1% Not at all
  • 8% Small Extent
  • 29% Moderate Extent
  • 62% Great Extent

Facilitate a discussion with the whole class about a read aloud text:

  • 5% Not at all
  • 11% Small Extent
  • 26% Moderate Extent
  • 58% Great Extent

Teach students to apply specific reading comprehension strategies (e.g., making connections) when reading a text:

  • 1% Not at all
  • 7% Small Extent
  • 40% Moderate Extent
  • 52% Great Extent

Ask students questions about a text, moving form literal to inerential questions:

  • 1% Not at all
  • 6% Small Extent
  • 45% Moderate Extent
  • 48% Great Extent

Use versions of a text for small groups, on the same topic, matched to their reading level:

  • 6% Not at all
  • 25% Small Extent
  • 38% Moderate Extent
  • 30% Great Extent

Read aloud a series of related texts on the same topic with the whole class:

  • 9% Not at all
  • 22% Small Extent
  • 39% Moderate Extent
  • 30% Great Extent

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Figure 6:

Listen to individual students read sentences or texts aloud and follow with corrective feedback:

  • 1% Not at all
  • 12% Small Extent
  • 33% Moderate Extent
  • 54% Great Extent

Teach high-frequency or sight words with emphasis on their letters and sounds:

  • 4% Not at all
  • 14% Small Extent
  • 35% Moderate Extent
  • 47% Great Extent

Teach specific strategies for reading with expression:

  • 1% Not at all
  • 18% Small Extent
  • 41% Moderate Extent
  • 40% Great Extent

Provide high-frequency word lists for students to both practice and memorize:

  • 13% Not at all
  • 28% Small Extent
  • 29% Moderate Extent
  • 30% Great Extent

Require students to repeatedly read the same short text(s):

  • 6% Not at all
  • 25% Small Extent
  • 41% Moderate Extent
  • 28% Great Extent

Explicitly talk to students about the importance of reading rapidly or increasing reading speed:

  • 14% Not at all
  • 36% Small Extent
  • 28% Moderate Extent
  • 22% Great Extent

Conduct Choral reading or echo reading (e.g., teacher reads a section of text aloud and then student(s) reads same section aloud) in small groups.

  • 14% Not at all
  • 29% Small Extent
  • 37% Moderate Extent
  • 20% Great Extent

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Figure 7:

Percentage of Respondents breakdown:

Educator Assesses

  • Every 8 weeks 13%
  • Every 6 weeks 16%
  • Monthly 25%
  • Biweekly 34%
  • Weekly 13%

Another Staff Member Assesses

  • Every 8 weeks 28%
  • Every 6 weeks 21%
  • Monthly 21%
  • Biweekly 21%
  • Weekly 9%

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