Brooke StewartTEDU 566 Case Study Report

Sofia is in the fourth grade in a Henrico County Public School She was recommended by

her teacher to participate in the remediation sessions. This is her 5th year at this school. Sofia is 9

years and 2 months old. Her hobbies include spending time with friends, playing outside, and

playing on her family’s iPad. She also likes to go to kickboxing class with her best friend. Sofia

has five people in her family; four people live with her and one person does not. Sofia is a twin

and she has a total of three sisters.

Sofia’s percentile ranks for the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey are 35%

recreational, 64% academic, leading to a score of 48% on the full-scale percentile. She enjoys

reading books in her free time while at school and learning from books. She does not like to

answer questions based on the readings or take reading tests. Sofia indicated that she least likes

reading during the summer, reading instead of playing, answering questions about readings,

taking reading tests, and reading time in class. During tutoring sessions, Sofia works efficiently

and almost always completes all selected tasks for the session. She is a hard worker and is often

able to self-correct mistakes while completing tasks. However, she can become discouraged

when she makes mistakes when reading and this can affect her reading until she regains her

confidence. Sofia can become discouraged while reading when she knows the examiner is

making notes about her reading. Assessments were conducted to determine Sofia’s current

reading level and to evaluate her areas of strength and areas that need support.

Writing Skills

Ideas & Content 4

Organization 3

Voice 2

Word Choice 3

Sentence Fluency 3

Conventions 3

Sofia was encouraged to brainstorm ideas before writing. She was given a piece of paper

and pencil to brainstorm with. Sofia chose to verbally brainstorm ideas for her initial writing

sample. She decided to write about playing with her friends at home because that is her favorite

thing to do. Sofia verbally brainstormed ideas for three minutes and then completed her writing

sample. When she was finished, she read her writing sample aloud and was satisfied with the

way it sounded so she chose not to add any additional details. Her completed writing sample

consisted of three sentences. She seemed interested in her writing and paused to think while

completing her writing sample. The examiner used the 6+1 trait rubric to score the writing

sample. For this writing sample, Sofia scored 18/36, or 50%. Areas in need of support were

voice, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Main areas that were

lacking were conventions and organization. Punctuation and appropriate sentence structure were

used but confused. Her organization of ideas jumped from idea to idea and lacked a clear

beginning and ending. Sofia talked about playing outside with her friend, then she began talking

about going to kickboxing, and finally she went back to playing with her friend at her friend’s

house. Also, Sofia frequently began sentences with the word “sometimes” and her sentence

length and structure was limited. The writing sample indicated a need for spelling instruction.

She misspelled “her” and separated compound words like “kickboxing” and “outside.”

Word Knowledge

Elementary Spelling Inventory (ESI)Feature Points: 39/62Words Spelled Correctly: 11/25Spelling Stage: Late Within Word Pattern

Known Using but Confusing Absent

Initial and Final ConsonantsShort Vowels

BlendsCommon Long Vowels

DigraphsOther Vowels

Inflected EndingsSyllable Junctures

Unaccented Final SyllablesHarder SuffixesBases and Roots

When assessed in the Words Their Way Elementary Spelling Inventory (ESI),

information was obtained about Sofia’s orthographic knowledge. Sofia received 39 out of 62

feature points for the EDI and she spelled 11 out of 25 words correctly. Sofia shows

understanding of and proficiency with initial and final consonants, short vowels, blends, and

common long vowels. The assessment showed Sofia needed growth in the following areas: -sh

and –ch digraphs, other vowels such as –oi, -ew, and –or, inflected endings such as –ies and –ed,

and syllable junctures such as –rr, and –tt. Knowledge of unaccented final syllables like –le, -or,

-en, and –or were absent. The knowledge of all harder suffixes (-ure, -ate, -ent, -ize, and –tion)

and the knowledge of all bases and roots (pleas-, fortun-, confid-, civil-, and pos-) were absent.

Reading Skill

Qualitative Reading Inventory-5

Word List Results

Level Total Automatically

Identified

Total Correct Identified

Total Number Correct

Functional Level

1st 19/20=95% 1/20=5% 20/20=100% Independent

2nd 15/20=75% 2/20=10% 17/20=85% Instructional

3rd 13/20=65% 2/20=10% 15/20=75% Instructional

4th 10/20=50% 4/20=20% 14/20=70% Instructional

5th 10/20=50% 2/20=10% 12/20=60% Frustrational

Passage ResultsPassage LevelTitle

Type of Text

Prior Knowledge (Score/Rating)

Quality of Prediction

Oral Reading(Score/Rating)Total Accuracy and Total Acceptability

Fluency Retelling(Number of Ideas/Rating)

Comprehension

OverallLevel

Level 1: Mouse In A House

N 5/956%Familiar

2 Accuracy: 98.8% INDAcceptability: 100%IND

129/127 WPM/CWPM

29/4465.9%

IMP: 3/3100%EXP: 3/3100%TOT: 6/6100%

IND

Level 2: What Can I Get For My Toy?

N 3/933%Unfamiliar

3 Accuracy: 98.8%INDAcceptability: 100%IND

114/89WPM/CWPM

21/3855.2%

IMP: 2/450%EXP: 4/4100%TOT: 6/875%

IND/INS

Level 3: The Trip To The Zoo

N 10/1283%Familiar

3 Accuracy: 99.4%INDAcceptability: 98.7%IND

161/158WPM/CWPM

30/5554.5%

IMP: 3/475%EXP: 4/4100%TOT: 7/887.5%

IND/INS

Level 4: Johnny Appleseed

N 6/1250%Unfamiliar

3 Accuracy: 99.4%INDAcceptability: 98.7%IND

80/79WPM/CWPM

11/4423.4%

IMP: 3/475%EXP: 2/450%TOT: 5/862.5%

IND/FR

Overall Instructional Level: Level 3

Word List

On the level one word list, Sofia identified 19 out of 20 words automatically with the

percentage of 95% level of automatic accuracy. She identified 1 out of 20 correctly to make a

total of 20 out of 20 (100%) and scored at the independent level for the level one word list. She

identified 15 out of 20 words automatically with a 75% automatic identification and 2 out of 20

(10%) identified correctly to reach 85% total correct on the level two list. Sofia scored at the

instructional level for the second list. She reached 65% automatic identification and 75% total

identification on the third level list, scoring at instructional level. The fourth level list shoed 10

out of 20 automatically identified and 4 out of 40 correctly identified, creating a total number

identified of 14 out of 20 (70%). Sofia scored at the instructional level for the fourth list. On the

fifth word list, Sofia automatically identified 10 out of 20 words (50%) and 2 out of 20 were

correctly identified (10%) to make a total of 12 out of 20 total words identified. Sofia scored

60% and at the frustration level on the fifth list. She performs well when identifying words in

isolation on the QRI word lists as well as when reading words in context. No differences were

noted in her ability to identify words in isolation and in context.

Reading Passages

Sofia was asked to read four narrative passages spanning level one to level four. She read

the level one passage, “Mouse In A House” to examine her reading level. She read the passage

with 98.8% total accuracy and 100% total acceptability. She recalled 65.9% (29 out of 44) ideas

and scored 3 on explicit and 3 on implicit questions. She scored 100% comprehension on the

level one passage. Her prediction quality received a score of 2 because of her limited connection

to the title and to her background knowledge. The passage was scored as 55.6% familiar based

off of her concept questions’ scores. On the level one passage, Sofia’s reading rate was 129

WPM. Then, Sofia read a level two narrative passage entitled, “What Can I Get For My Toy?”

She read with 98.8% total accuracy and 100% total acceptability. Her prediction score was 3

with being able to connect the title and drawing on her limited background knowledge. She was

able to retell 55.2% (21 out of 38) of ideas from the passage. She answered 2 implicit and 4

explicit questions correctly. Her level of comprehension for the level two text was 75%, leading

to an instructional level. Her reading rate for this passage was 114WPM.

Next, Sofia read a level three passage, “The Trip To The Zoo.” She scored 99.4% total

accuracy and 98.7% total acceptability. Her prediction score for the level three passage was a 3

because of her background knowledge and connection to the passage’s title. Sofia was able to

recall 30 out of 55 ideas from the passage (54.5%). This passage was 83.3% familiar, as

determined by her scores on the concept questions. She read the passage at 161 WPM and

answered 4 explicit and 3 implicit questions correctly for a percentage of 87.5%. Sofia reached

instructional level for the level three passage. For the final passage, the level four passage,

“Johnny Appleseed,” Sofia scored 99.4% total accuracy and 98.7% total acceptability. Her

prediction score was 3 for her connection to the title of the passage and concept questions. She

was able to recall 11 out of 47 ideas from the passage (23.4%) and read at a rate of 80.3WPM.

Sofia answered 2 explicit questions and 3 implicit questions correctly, for a total score of 62.5%.

Sofia scored at frustration level for this passage.

Sofia reads an average of 113.4 CWPM between the four passages; according to the

Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data (2006), her reading rate is higher than the

average fourth grader’s reading rate. Sofia’s total accuracy while reading is at the independent

level across all four passages. When considering the comprehension portion of the assessment,

she has difficulty recalling ideas and answering implicit and explicit questions. There is no

pattern with her familiarity with a passage and overall comprehension of the passage. For

example, she scored 33.3% unfamiliar on the level two passage and answers 6 out of 8 questions

correctly, therefore she scored at instructional level for the passage. Although Sofia recalled an

average of 49.75% of ideas from the passages, she was about to read each passage, with the

exception of the level four passage, with out difficulty. She had difficulty recalling ideas from

the passages she read. Sofia reached frustration level on the level four passage, indicating she is

instructional at the level three passage.

Listening Vocabulary Knowledge

Score Summary

Student’s Chronological Age 9 years 1 month 18 days

Raw Score 140

Standard Score 95

Confidence Interval- 90% 89-102

Percentile 37

Normal Curve Equivalent NCE 43

Stanine 4

Age Equivalent 5:9

Grade Equivalent K.1

Description Low Average

According to the PPVT’s criteria, Sofia’s chronological age is 9 years 1 month. Her

birthday is September 8, 2006 and the test date was October 26, 2015. Her raw score is 140 and

her percentile ranking is 37. Sofia scored 43 for the Normal Curve Equivalent and her stanine

score was determined to be 4. Her age equivalent is 5:9 and grade equivalent is K.1. Sofia’s basal

set was established at age 9 and she was able to complete all sets up to item 156. Her ceiling set

was scored at ages 17-18. Her PPVT-4 score put her at the low average placement for her

graphical profile. Her standard score was 95.

Summary of Assessments

Although the writing sample is not very long, it provides information about the areas

Sofia needs extra support in. She wrote about what she likes to do with her friends at home since

that is her favorite thing to do at home. There is a lack of organization when considering a clear

beginning, middle, and end. She made errors with conventions like grammar and punctuation,

which hinder the writing sample’s readability. Also, there was a capitalization error by

capitalizing the proper noun, Veda. The ideas in the writing sample fit the topic she decided to

write about, but the ideas are choppy and jump from idea to idea without transitions. For

example, she wrote, “I like to do is play outside go kick boxsing with veda.” She jumped from

talking about playing outside to going kickboxing without supporting details. After, she

mentioned playing at Veda’s house. Sofia needs more instruction on writing organization,

conventions, and, sentence fluency.

When considering the Elementary Spelling Inventory (ESI) from Words Their Way,

Sofia scored in the Late Within Word Pattern stage. She has a firm grasp on initial and final

consonants, short vowels, blends, and common long vowels. She is able to use, but still confuses,

digraphs (-sh and –ch), other vowels (-oi, -ew, and –or), inflected endings (-ies and –ed) and

syllable junctures (-rr and –tt). All unaccented and final syllables but –er were absent and all

features from the harder suffixes and bases or roots categories were absent. She spelled a total of

11 out of 25 words correctly and received 39 out of 62 feature points.

Sofia accurately identified the majority of the words in levels 1 to 5 in word recognition.

There was no notable difference in her scores when identifying words in isolation and in words

in context. She was able to automatically identify 95% of words on the first list. When she was

not able to correctly identify the word on her first attempt, the word she said was visually similar

to the word on the list, for example, she said “thought” instead of “though” on the second list and

“previous” instead of “precious” on the fourth passage. She was able to self-correct herself six

times across the five lists. Her average reading rate of 113.4 is above the fourth grade average.

However, Sofia recalled an average of 49.75% of the details from the passages. She was able to

recall general information or main ideas from the passages.

Sofia is at an instructional level for the level two and three passages. When the QRI

concept questions and familiarity were considered, Sofia scored higher on implicit and explicit

questions when the passage was familiar. The higher her familiarity percentage, the higher she

scored on the implicit and explicit questions. Look backs were not utilized for the narrative

passages. When Sofia made predictions about the passages, she used a combination of the

concept questions and the title of the passage for the level two, three, and four passages. For the

level one text, Sofia used the concept questions to make a prediction about the passage. Sofia

mentioned she used her background knowledge of a previous field trip to the zoo when recalling

ideas from the level three passage, “The Trip To The Zoo.” She made connections to the passage

based off of the field trip she went on.

Sofia scored at a low average for the PPVT-4. Her basal set was established at age 9 and

her ceiling set was at ages 17-18. She was not tested above her ceiling set. As the age level

increased during the assessment, she made more errors. The biggest jump in errors made

occurred between the age 13 set where she made 0 errors and the ages 14-16 set where she made

5 errors. During the assessment, she second-guessed herself three times, which resulted in her

choosing the incorrect answer. Additionally, she indicated at multiple points during the

assessment that she was unsure of the answer. When she was instructed to choose the best

answer, she would look at the four options again before selecting an answer. Sofia also

mentioned she knew she had heard or learned about a word before but was not able to remember

exactly what the word was or meant.

Overall, Sofia is consistent in all assessments. The results from the assessments are

stable. Completing two QRI passages in one sitting did not affect her scores. A factor that may

have affected the assessments that were conducted could be the testing environment and it’s

distractions. The only noticeable distraction from the environment that was seen was during the

PPVT-4 when other examiners were walking between their testing location and another group’s

testing location to deliver the PPVT-4 testing materials.

Recommended Instructional Plan

Word Knowledge (Phonics and Vocabulary)

In the spelling inventory, the examiner recommends beginning instruction at the middle

of the within word pattern stage and increasing to the late within word pattern stage. Sofia needs

instruction on –sh and –ch digraphs as well. The examiner suggests completing blind written

sorts and writing sentences with her to improve her grasp of digraphs. Sofia needs instruction on

other vowels and inflected endings in order to move into the early syllables and affixes stage.

The examiner suggests introducing the –oi, -ew, and –or word features by comparing each

feature to a similar feature the student already has a grasp on. For example, instruction for the

–ew word feature could be compared to the –ow word feature. The examiner suggests using

word sorts, blind sorts, written sorts, and word study games like Words Their Way’s racetrack

game, which can be adapted for many word features. Finally, the examiner recommends

incorporating word study with phonics instruction by finding patterns in words with Sofia.

To improve Sofia’s vocabulary, the examiner suggests using synonym webs to study

word meanings. Word ladders are another organizer that could help her see how words relate to

one another. Studying synonyms will also help enrich her word choice and voice when writing.

Additionally, the examiner suggests having Sofia identify words she does not know the meaning

for prior to reading. Then, Sofia could check to see if there is a glossary (when reading non-

fiction texts) or if she can figure out the word’s meaning by context clues. If not, the examiner

suggests having Sofia use a dictionary to find the word’s meaning and selecting the best meaning

for the word’s context. The examiner also suggests using the four-square graphic organizer to

study new words and develop what the word is similar to, it’s definition, and non-examples.

Fluency (Oral Reading)

The examiner suggests poetry readings and reading familiar texts to improve Sofia’s

reading fluency. Additionally, modeling fluent reading and having her hear fluent reading from

others would be beneficial Sofia’s fluency skills. Echo reading, choral reading, and reading with

Sofia could help her with read with correct phrasing and expression, as well as fluency. The

examiner suggests doing repeated readings with partners or using reader’s theater to build

fluency and practice reading with expression. Modeling how to read with expression and voice

and allowing her to practice reading with expression would help Sofia’s reading. Sofia could

read a poem or familiar text while being recorded and once she is finished reading, she could

listen to herself reading the text. After listening to herself, Sofia could identify what she wants to

work on to read more fluently the next reading. She could then practice reading more fluently by

improving the area she identified as needed improvement. For example, if she plays the

recording back and hears she stumbled on a specific phrase, she could practice reading the

specific phrase and then incorporating it into the entire passage.

Comprehension

Since Sofia would benefit from comprehension growth, having her connect texts to other

texts, texts to self, and texts to the world would help her relate what she is reading to herself,

other things books and information she has already read, and to the world around her. Text-to-

text, text-to-self, and text-to-world are good strategies to use with Sofia because they will require

her to consider what she has read and how she can relate what she has read to what she already

knows, whether it is through another text, something she has experience, or something that is

happening in the world. While reading, Sofia had various rates of reading. When she the QRI

passages, she seemed more concerned with reading the words rather than comprehending what

she was reading. Reminding her to slow down could help her comprehension abilities. Another

way to increase comprehension could be stopping throughout the text to summarize and discuss

what was read. Additionally, she could discuss questions she may have and develop questions

she may want to have answered as she continues to read. This strategy would be beneficial to

Sofia because it would require her to think about what she is reading and if there is any

information she needs that is missing or has not been discovered yet. Graphic organizers like a t-

chart or story map could help Sofia retain details and important information from her readings.

The use of graphic organizers would be beneficial to Sofia because they would require her to

reword and write information.

Writing

To improve Sofia’s writing, the examiner suggests have Sofia read sentences that have

common, overused adjectives and have her replace the overused words with more descriptive,

interesting adjectives. For example, if Sofia read, “It was cold outside.” She could replace “cold”

with freezing, chilly, or frigid. The synonym activities mentioned in the vocabulary section will

also help Sofia’s writing, specifically her word choice and voice when writing. Additionally, the

examiner suggests working on writing organization with her by using graphic organizers to

structure and organize information. The examiner suggests focusing on writing a topic sentence,

supporting details, and a concluding sentence with the Sofia. By working on organization, her

writing will have structure and a clear beginning and end. Another instructional strategy that

could be implemented is the use of editing and revising writing to check for appropriate sentence

structure, grammar, and spelling. A strategy the examiner suggests using with Sofia is the

C.O.P.S. editing and proofreading strategy. By showing her the Capitalization, Organization,

Punctuation, and Spelling strategy, she will be reminded to check her writing for components

that are essential to readability and communicating ideas clearly.

Technology

Technology will be incorporated into word study, phonics instruction, writing activities,

and fluency activities when appropriate. For example, Sofia could complete a word sort for the

word feature she is studying on an iPad. She could type her writing sample to experience using a

computer for writing. Then, she could edit and revise her writing sample buy copying, pasting,

and deleting information. Apps like the Dictionary app can be used to find definitions for words

and to find synonyms to replace overused words. Therefore, the examiner suggests using the

Dictionary app for assisting the student with word choice and vocabulary. TumbleBooks and Raz

Kids allows students to read eBooks. This website will allow Sofia to have more reading choices

and will give her the opportunity to read texts digitally.

Reassessment/Accomplishments

Two reassessments were conducted at the end of the semester. The Elementary Spelling

Inventory and the writing sample were conducted to assess Sofia’s progress and improvement.

The ESI was administered because Sofia has been working on word features from the ESI. Sofia

scored 16 out of 25 words rather than 11/25 on her initial Elementary Spelling Inventory. She

scored 49 out of 62 feature points, totaling 65 out of 87 points for the ESI Assessment. Sofia

scored 7/7 for long vowels compared to 4/7 on her initial assessment. She scored 5/5 for

inflected endings compared to her score of 3/5 on the initial ESI assessment. Sofia initially

scored 3/5 for syllable junctures and 1/5 for unaccented final syllables. On the reassessment, she

scored 4/5 and 2/5 on syllable junctures and unaccented final syllables respectively. Sofia still

missed –tt for syllable junctures. On her initial assessment, Sofia scored 0/5 for harder suffixes.

She scored 1/5 on harder suffixes by spelling the –ent word feature. However, her score for bases

and roots remained the same. After this semester, Sofia improved from Late Within Word

Pattern to Early-Middle Syllables and Affixes.

Elementary Spelling Inventory (ESI)Feature Points: 49/62Words Spelled Correctly: 16/25Spelling Stage: Early to Middle Syllables and Affixes

Known Using but Confusing Absent

Initial and Final ConsonantsShort Vowels

DigraphsBlends

Common Long VowelsOther Vowels

Inflected Endings

Syllable JuncturesUnaccented Final Syllables

Harder SuffixesBases and Roots

Writing Sample

Ideas & Content 5

Organization 5

Voice 3

Word Choice 3

Sentence Fluency 3

Conventions 3

She was provided a web template, a pen and a blank sheet of paper for her writing

sample. Sofia used a web to brainstorm ideas for the writing topic she chose at the beginning of

the semester: “What I like to do after school.” She was given five minutes to brainstorm ideas

and fill out her web. Her writing sample consists of nine sentences. Sofia scored a 22 out of 36

using the 6+1 trait rubric. Throughout the sessions, Sofia has been working on the areas she

needed improvements. After she used a graphic organizer to brainstorm her thoughts, she was

able to produce a writing sample with a clear beginning, middle, and end. She constructed a topic

sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence. Sofia scored a 5/6 in Ideas & Content, as

well as Organization. At the end of our semester together, Sofia worked on word choice and

descriptive language. Her writing sample lacked descriptive language and deliberate word

choice. For example, she wrote, “Another thing I like to do is play with my sister. When I play

with my sister we play with some of are toys and play teacher.” Sofia scored 3 out of 6 for Word

Choice. Additionally, Sofia repeatedly used “When I” to start sentences and varying structure

was limited, therefore, she scored a 3/6 for Sentence Fluency.

Achievements/Accomplishments

Fluency

Sofia’s reading fluency has improved through the use of familiar readings. Each session

began by reading a familiar poem. She has become more confident in her reading through choral

and echo readings. At the beginning of the semester, when asked if she wanted to read alone or

together, Sofia would always choose together. Now, she is willing to read on her own and can

read a text with fluency by herself. Throughout the semester, her fluency rate has been high,

averaging 113.4 CWPM. Running records indicated that Sofia was able to read level N-O and O-

P passages at an independent level with fluency. While she demonstrated proficient fluency and

accuracy with the passages, she needed additional support with comprehending the text.

Therefore, she was kept at a level O-P level.

Comprehension

Initially, Sofia was identified as being instructional at level three. She was placed at a

level N-O for instructional reading. This semester, Sofia has been working on comprehension

strategies to help her while reading. One strategy she learned about is Self Questioning. She

practiced developing questions while reading a passage from Grand Canyon Adventures. Sofia

was able to ask questions she had about the passage and identify when they questions she

previously asked were answered. She also completed a T-Chart by identifying the main idea and

supporting details of a text. Sofia was able to identify the main idea from a chapter of Grand

Canyon Adventures. She also found three supporting details in the text. Even though her fluency

rate was high, comprehension was identified as a area needing growth. By the end of the

semester, she was able to read at a level O-P, while comprehending the text.

Vocabulary

At the beginning of our sessions, Sofia had a limited understanding of vocabulary or

including descriptive words to enhance her writing. Sofia has been working on descriptive

vocabulary by focusing on the idea that a writer’s word choice can make the passage more

interesting and exciting to read. She completed an activity of finding synonyms for commonly

used adjectives like cold and pretty. Another activity she completed was rewriting sentences with

commonly used verbs and adjectives. Sofia enjoyed using the Dictionary app to find synonyms

for the adjectives and verbs. She was exposed to new words she had not heard before and was

able to select a word that she felt made the sentence more interesting to read. By finding

synonyms for adjectives and verbs, she learned about the different words writers can choose to

use and how those words impact a reader. Sofia used a Four Square graphic organizer to learn

about new vocabulary while reading. She was taught how to use the graphic organizer to include

information such as the new term, a definition, what the term is like (or synonyms), and what the

term is not like (or antonyms). Sofia liked using this organizer and vocalized that she could see

herself using this graphic organizer when learning new vocabulary words.

Writing

Throughout the sessions, Sofia has been working on writing organization. She used

graphic organizers like the BLT Paragraph Sandwich to help her organize her thoughts and ideas.

She has been working on writing a clear beginning, middle, and end by having a topic sentence,

supporting details, and concluding sentence. Her writing has significantly improved; using the

knowledge she now has about writing organization. She utilized a graphic organizer to

brainstorm and gather her thoughts. Sofia was able to use the organizer to write a nine-sentence

paragraph that has a clear beginning, middle, and end. She included details and supporting

evidence in her writing sample. However, she did not have descriptive word choice like she

studied in her writing sample.

Word Study

When word study was introduced to Sofia, she was familiar with sorts and how to

complete a word sort. During the tutoring sessions, Sofia was able to complete word study lists

that focused on the “using, but confusing” areas: digraphs, other vowels, and inflected endings.

She was given word sorts, blind sorts, and written sorts to improve her word study. Sofia also

completed word sorts using the Sticky Notes app on the iPad. She has shown improvement by

being able to sort words into proper headings and by being able to correctly spelling the words in

sentences and during blind written sorts. Sofia’s reassessment of the Elementary Spelling

Inventory showed a new understanding of word features like –oi, -ew, -or, -ies, -ed, -er, -en, and

–ent.

Attitude/Achievement

Sofia has shown an improvement in her confidence in reading aloud and in her writing

ability. Her scores and attitude during sessions show she will continue to improve in reading and

writing. Through the semester, Sofia mentioned her interest in animals and becoming a

veterinarian when she grows up. One the last day of tutoring, she was given a book by Mary

Pope Osborne entitled Stallion at Starlight. She mentioned she enjoyed reading other books from

Osborne’s Magic Treehouse series previously. She stated that she would like to read more of the

books from this series and other books at home in order to learn more about animals. Sofia has

shown improvement throughout the sessions and in reassessments, showing that the tutoring

sessions helped her develop strategies to use when reading new texts and writing.