Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i754Vk122138; Thu, 5 Aug 2004 00:31:46 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 00:31:46 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.2.20040804205024.00a8a4f0@pop.ix.netcom.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Michele Craig (shellcraig@ix.netcom.com)" <shellcraig@ix.netcom.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1102] RE CASAS scores and remediation X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.0.2 Status: O Content-Length: 3110 Lines: 50 Dear All, Just a thought about students who are scoring lower on the CASAS. First, I have found that many of my students at this level have learning disabilities that interfere with their remedial studies and which need to be addressed.In my classroom I have about 10% of my student population who have been diagnosed at some point with learnig disabilities or who have mental illnesses like schizophrenia which can sometimes interfere with their academic abilities. Sometimes, if you ask students for a history they will gladly volunteer that they were in RSP classes or special education. Finding out what the problem -- whether it is just lack of education, or a reading problem, or a learning disability is really important in planning instruction for your students. I have found that once I know I am working with someone who has special needs, I can do a better job of accommodating those needs. Once these students skills improve, the GED does offer accommodations for students with documented disabilities. I have also begun doing what elementary school teachers call "running records" with my students who are scoring lower on the CASAS reading section so that I can really address their learning needs, especially if I see they are struggling readers. I became frustrated with many of my textbooks where readings in any given book were not controlled according to lexile (or reading levels). Students would struggle and their reading skills weren't improving. So I started having them read short passages of leveled readings and then analyzing their errors and correction strategies. Everyone had something different that was giving them problems. Sometimes they need phonics instruction, sometimes they need help chunking words into syllables, and often they have no knowledge of Greek and Latin word roots, suffixes and prefixes. One student read with absolutely no regard to punctuation and inflection so consequently, even though she could pronounce all the words, she had absolutely no idea what she had just read. One thing I have discovered is that doing a running record helps me determine what instructional and independent reading levels they read at and also helps me understand how to tailor instruction so that they can actually begin to read better. I originally started doing this so I would know when to "level them up" in their reading texts. I want to encourage them to read things just slightly harder with me than what they are capable of alone, but I don't want to make it so hard that it frustrates them. Then, just as elementary teachers do, I have time during my 3 hour class to work with students once a week individually. This individual instruction has really paid off in CASAs reading scores that have gone up considerably for these students. Even better, they can now read to learn, which makes them able to teach themselves. Without working on their reading and writing skills (and basic math) I find that they don't really get very far in studying for the GED since so much of the GED involves being able to read. Michele
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