Reading Sage: 2015

The reason why students fail the PARCC

Reading Assesment is a failure in teaching and learning key reading concepts, vocabulary, and literary elements! First, we as educators and parents need to help our students build a comprehensive and lasting understanding of Reading Domains including Tier 3 Literary Elements concepts and Tier 2 Cognitive Verbs. Targeting and explicitly teaching critical Tier 1, 2, and 3 Reading/ELA “background knowledge” concepts daily all while giving students time to practice advanced literary analysis is the key to success. Focusing on the DOK every day without an intensive front loading of the basics that include the targeting of Tier 2 Cognitive concepts and Tier 3 Reading and literary Concepts, we are doomed to failure. When students are asked to read complex text and draw conclusions about author’s purpose, themes and opinions all while using and connecting a deeper tier 2 cognitive concept, they are lost. Students, as we all know are not given ability leveled reading test on the PARCC; they are given rigorous advanced text that can range from 700-1100 Lexile (4th Grade Reading Assessment) plus advanced DOK 3 two-step EBSR question. Reading Street is a Basal Reading system that is logistically impossible to teach effectively If you are expecting high-quality results or even mediocre results in Title I schools. All Basal reading programs are week on Tier 2 and Tier 3 concept exposure and totally deficient in advanced DOK practice. Students that come to school with giant lexical deficits and exposure to language need smarter solutions, and we as teachers and school district are not looking for novel learning structures, strategies, and tactics. We need fresh eyes and solutions that will help teachers and students thrive and succeed in my opinion. Sean Taylor The Reading Sage

Teachers need to Rethink How They Teach Tier 2 and Tier 3 Concepts!

Academic Vocabulary K-12 Test Prep Words

TEST PREPARATION starts with Tier 2 and 3 Academic vocabulary word-work! Students that lack understanding of Academic Vocabulary can be deadly to student success on all academic assessments. Academic vocabulary is king when you want your students to succeed on today's rigorous assessments.
academic Vocabulary Words

CCSS: Tier 2 and Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary

Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts

Academic vocabulary words are key vocabulary that students must master to understand academic content. Two list predominate (Coxhead 2000/ Marzano 2004) most academic vocabulary list find their origins in one or both. Teachers needing to raise test scores in a content area will find academic word list indispensable. Teachers can select published academic vocabulary list or create their own by doing a word analysis of released state test of published literature. Most states have adopted or will adopt The Common Core State Standards which will simplify the choice of academic vocabulary. Today some states are vague and leave the choice to teachers and schools, so finding the best list to meet the needs of your students is tricky. The links below are a few that seem to have value. I personally use the NWEA Academic Word list daily for reading, science and math vocabulary, and a lesser extent the Tennessee Academic Word List as a supplement. I have also created a academic word list of my own using a crude word analysis of the TAKS released test.

The first step in passing any High Stakes Reading or Math test is understanding the types of vocabulary. Tier 3 and Tier 2 vocabulary are the hardest to learn and remember, these words give students the most problems on test!

Tier 1 Academic Vocabulary: Basic words that commonly appear in spoken language. Because they are heard frequently in numerous contexts and with nonverbal communication, Tier 1 words rarely require explicit instruction.Examples of Tier 1 words are clock, baby, happy and walk.

Tier 2 Academic Vocabulary: Less high frequency words used by mature language users across several academic content areas. Because of their lack of redundancy in oral language and their multiple meaning or descriptive nature, Tier 2 words present challenges to students who primarily meet them in print and on test. Examples of Tier 2 words are obvious, complex, establish and verify. Blooms and Webb's DOK verbs are integral to any successful reading instruction or intervention.
http://www.opsu.edu/www/education/BuildAcademicVoc.pdf
Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary: Low Frequency words that are not frequently used except in specific academic content areas or domains. Tier 3 words are central to building backgrounds knowledge and conceptual understanding within the various academic domains and should be integral to instruction of content. Medical, legal, biology and mathematics terms are all examples of these words.

Links to PDF Academic Word List The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project
NWEA MAP Test VOCABULARY for the Web-based MAP® system
Oklahoma Academic Vocabulary Suggested Words and Terms Marzano based list
The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project Prepared for the State of Tennessee Department of Education by Marzano & Associates

NWEA Academic Vocabularyhttp://www.hasd.org/cms_files/resources/MAPs%20Vocabulary.pdf
NWEA Academic Vocabulary
NWEA Reading Test Questions
CST and CAHSEE Academic Vocabulary
Academic Vocabulary At a Glance – New Vocabulary Words by RIT Bands for Reading
ISAT Reading Vocabulary List (Word) doc

ISAT Language Usage Vocabulary List (Word)
ISAT Math Vocabulary List (Word)

Grade 3 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 3 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 4 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 4 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 5 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 5 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 6 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 6 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 7 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 7 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 8 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 8 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 9 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 9 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 10 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 10 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 11 PARCC Reading released test
Grade 11 PARCC Reading released test

2015 Grade 3 English Language Arts Test Released Questions (1.64 MB)
2015 Grade 4 English Language Arts Test Released Questions (1.71 MB)
2015 Grade 5 English Language Arts Test Released Questions (2.14 MB)
2015 Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Released Questions (1.75 MB)
2015 Grade 7 English Language Arts Test Released Questions (4.34 MB)
2015 Grade 8 English Language Arts Test Released Questions (2.06 MB)
2015 Grade 3 Mathematics Test Released Questions (1.78 MB)
2015 Grade 4 Mathematics Test Released Questions (1.53 MB)
2015 Grade 5 Mathematics Test Released Questions (1.47 MB)
2015 Grade 6 Mathematics Test Released Questions (1.64 MB)
2015 Grade 7 Mathematics Test Released Questions (1.47 MB)
2015 Grade 8 Mathematics Test Released Questions (1.8 MB)

Example of the Reading Comprehension trait from the grades 6-11 rubric:

• Reading Comprehension of Key Ideas and Details:

■ Score Point 4 ● The student response demonstrates full comprehension of ideas stated explicitly and inferentially by providing an accurate analysis and supporting the analysis with effective and convincing textual evidence.

■ Score Point 3 ● The student response demonstrates comprehension of ideas stated explicitly and/ or inferentially by providing a mostly accurate analysis, and supporting the analysis with adequate textual evidence.

■ Score Point 2 ● The student response demosntrates basic comprehension of ideas stated explicitly and/or inferentially by providing a generally accurate analysis and supporting the analysis with basic textual evidence. ■ Score Point 1 ● The student response demonstrates limited comprehension of ideas stated explicitly and/or inferentially by providing a minimally accurate analysis and supporting the analysis with limited textual evidence.

■ Score Point 0 ● The student response demonstrates no comprehension of ideas by providing inaccurate or no analysis and little to no textual evidence.

Reading Sage

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Monday, December 28, 2015

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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

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Saturday, December 12, 2015

Passing The PARCC Reading Test: Why Students Will Fail The PARCC Reading Test