I completely concur, Heather! Yesterday in a dept. meeting, a colleague took up LOTS of time extolling the virtues of requiring kids to SPELL nonsense words.....What is this notion about asking kids to do something in the name of literacy that is ANYTHING but authentic???? Schlecty's WOW (Working on the Work) talks about the importance of engaging students with novelty and relevancy. Nonsense activities are the antithesis of engaging instruction.
"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) Melinda Hawkins 5th Grade LA/SS McCulloch Intermediate School Highland Park ISD (214) 780-2325 [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> "Heather Poland" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 11/6/2007 9:23 pm >>> Well, I don't believe this. I don't see the point of "measuring" fluency with nonsense words. It makes more sense to use real words. Besides, if they have site words memorized that is ok - that has nothing to do with fluency. Fluency simply measures the rate at which you read and also if you are reading with expression and not just rushing through it. On 11/6/07, Krista Marvin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > There are several different types of fluency that can be measured. > This test is also used to identify general knowledge of word patterns > and students' familiarity with the acceptable and frequent patterns > in our language. It can be used to identify at risk students, those > who are not internalizing the natural structures of our language > system. This can be measured with nonsense words. Students can know > many words by sight so using real words can sometimes be misleading. > Just depends on what you are looking to measure. > On Nov 6, 2007, at 3:38 PM, Heather Poland wrote: > > > If you look at the DIBELS website, you will see that even though they > > *claim* to be research based (as many programs do) they are > > actually NOT. I > > think they site 1 or 2 schools, and it is not real research at all. > > > > A good question to ask the admin would be - Does having kids read > > nonsense > > words actually measure fluency? Wouldn't it make more sense to have > > them > > reading authentic texts for fluency? > > > > > > > > On 11/6/07, Melinda Haynes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >> Who is the publisher? I have not heard from many teachers who find > >> data > >> from this source useful. Unfortunately, with RTI requiring > >> "research-based > >> interventions" and assessment, the publisher of this tool will > >> likely pocket > >> lots of cash....I have heard similar complaints about Voyager and > >> other > >> PROGRAMS..... > >> > >> "If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to > >> collect wood > >> and > >> don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long > >> for the > >> endless immensity of the sea." (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) > >> > >> Melinda Hawkins > >> 5th Grade LA/SS > >> McCulloch Intermediate School > >> Highland Park ISD > >> (214) 780-2325 > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >> > >>>>> Jason DeLuca <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 11/6/2007 5:20 pm >>> > >> I am a fourth grade teacher. My principal is very concerned with > >> using > >> research based instruction, as he should be, however he is having > >> us assess > >> our kids' fluency by using dibbles. The staff is very angry > >> because many > >> believe that this particular assessment does not measure much at > >> all. Does > >> anyone know of any research that either supports or does not > >> support the use > >> of this assessment? > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Jason > >> > >> __________________________________________________ > >> Do You Yahoo!? > >> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > >> http://mail.yahoo.com > >> _______________________________________________ > >> The Li teracy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > >> > >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > >> > >> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > >> > >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > >> > >> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > >> > > > > > > > > -- > > - Heather > > > > "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of > > man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments > > fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; > > new races build others. But in the world of books are > > volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet > > live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were > > written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men > > centuries dead." --Clarence Day > > > > "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little > > good evidence exists that there's any educational substance > > behind the accountability and testing movement." > > —Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds > > > > "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose > > funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase > > funding. " > > —Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate > > _______________________________________________ > > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http:// > > literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > -- - Heather "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead." --Clarence Day "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little good evidence exists that there's any educational substance behind the accountability and testing movement." —Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding. " —Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
