In many ways I like that the DRA 2 moves to a summary at level 28. I feel at this level and beyond, kids need to be able to summarize and pull out important ideas so they can track through a longer piece of text. I think writing a summary is different than writing a written retell--though I think the samples in the DRA 2 teachers' guide are written retells--because I want only the most important events in a story. I'm interested that you have a level 28 as a benchmark for grade 1. Ours is a 16, and we've agreed to only use the 28 for exceptional students that we think can do a written summary--and who have worked on doing so during guided reading.
The written summary gets a bit tricky when students who would be able to give you and oral summary (not retell), but can't write it as well. We try to limit the cases in which the teacher scribes but some times its necessary. After talking about it during an EMPOWER writing class I took, I've also found that summary writing during Interactive Writing or Shared Writing is a great way to help kids synthesize ideas because they have to be brief. In the class, a class of 25 teachers worked together to write a summary of a Time for Kids Explorer (gr. 2-3) edition article. It was tricky, but we got into great discussions about what to leave out, how to craft sentences that helped us synthesize ideas, and how shades of meaning (word choice) was important to maintain the intent of the original author. Megan Reilly Padilla Reading Specialist Natick, MA [email protected] on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 12:00 PM -0500 wrote: >Message: 8 >Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 22:57:39 EDT >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] End of Grade Testing >To: [email protected] >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > >Although I have no answer specifically to Angela's situation.... her post > >prompted me to write some of my concerns for first graders..... I would >like to >know especially from teachers who administer the dra 2 how they introduce >the > written element of the test which starts at level M..... > >Never given this test previously..... I can see why it might not be >appropriate to administer the level M test to first graders.... >however.... our >district cut off is level M....... although my fluent readers can sail >through the >decoding and even answer those comprehension questions at the end orally >as >well as support their responses with evidence from the text (at least >some of >them can) ... that is a far cry from writing their responses. The length >alone is daunting! Plus we have not taught them to enter responses in >their >notebooks like that. We use sticky notes and graphic organizers.... kids >use >their reader's notebook responses more for fueling their chats with their > >buddies...... > >I would think that somewhere after J and before M...... there is a need >to >formally show kids how to answer questions (whether literal >interpretative or >reflective) in written responses that are more formal summaries.... My >high >flyers are aware of the kinds of information that might need to add but >certainly they talk their way through this more than write their >thoughts.....even >the graphic organizers I provide are more for stream of thoughts ..... > >I am interested to know if you do take formal steps to teach this kind of > >writing..... does it occur in your reader's workshop or your writer's >workshop >or does it more naturally occur when they are developmentally ready? > >I know as a grade level we added a unit of comprehension called retelling > >(verbal) before we even gave the DRA in the fall because at those early >levels >kids do not even know what elements to include in their retells.... our >response was overwhelmingly successful and kids did way better at the >beginning of >this year as compared to the results we gathered the year before. I am >wondering if the same holds true for beginning the writing of retelling. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
