As I looked over my running records from the ESL teacher, I am left confused. One of my students (EP) is showing the least amount of progress on the phonics assessment, but is making steady progress, equivalent to her peers, with the ESL teacher with running records. So when I expressed my concern with the ESL teacher, she was surprised she hasn't done better. At first, it was hard for me to feel like I was doing something wrong. In another discussion I had with the ESL teacher, I learned that the running record is from a text they have read and discussed duirng the week. Of course her assessments are showing more progress than mine. I am using DRA (cold reads) and phonics assessments to measure progress. I looked over the running record again with a new focus. If she has read and discussed this story during the week, then I would expect less mistakes.
Her mistakes were: (Level F)
says- should have said
climbs- crawls
big- dig
mother- many
flips-fills
to swim- for swimming
under-inside
climb- come
shlecks-shells
compared to FP (level G)
something- sometimes
The difference between the two students is extreme. FP is reading a level ahead and only makes one mistake. The mistake is more reasonable because the similarity in the two words. When you look at EP's mistakes most of them are very unreasonable showing that she does not decode. She looks at the first sound and guesses a word. Then she doesn't even stop to think if it makes sense.
My next steps for EP is to pull her in the mornings and review segementing and blending to help her decode words.
I think it is great that you looked into EP's progress a little further. It makes complete sense that she would do better on repeated readings than the cold readings. I am also excited that she is making some progress in another setting. I understand what you mean about having a hard time thinking you were doing something wrong. You aren't! You are just using a different teaching and assessment method. The thought process and analysis you explained also shows that you are being reflective, which is what action research is all about!
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