Reading Mid-Year Assessments Are on the Horizon!

Setting Reading Goals for Upper Elementary Students Using Diagnostic Test Scores

Do you ever plan something BIG and important to implement in your classroom and then drop the ball? You prep the materials, get everything ready for your students, and then just FORGET to finish that last step? Call it overtired teacher brain or old age, but this happens to me ALL. THE. TIME. I have so many projects and ideas swirling in my head, that they don’t always fit into the grand scheme of the teaching day.

Just yesterday, thinking about the few days left to winter break, I decided I needed to clean up my house and look like I was accomplishing something, haha! So first, I turned on an episode of Hoarders and got about one-third of the way through before I jumped up and started cleaning like MAD. Need motivation to clean? Watch an episode and see what happens!

As I was cleaning my “office” space (which is really my dining room with three desks and a bunch of half-finished craft projects in it), I came across not one, but TWO sets of independent reading level bookmarks that I prepared in the fall to help my students find their just-right reading books and set goals.

Yep. TWO sets. So now I am ready to right this wrong and get prepared for the next testing window – using my student’s levels to determine their independent reading range and help them set goals. The good news??? I am prepped and ready – times 2!

Using Test Scores

My first step is always to look at each student’s test scores. These scores are just ONE indication of their abilities, from one day in their life. That day could have been filled with trauma, or it could have been the day after their parent came home from a long trip, or a few days after break ended and they were not back to their regular sleep schedule.

YOU know what your students are capable of, so the test data is merely ONE TOOL to help you think about their abilities according to grade-level standards.

My teammates and I use iReady testing, and our district has given us the option of using the mid-year test. The great thing about iReady is how it breaks down student reading scores into strands, so you can look individually at phonemic awareness (K-2), phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension of both fiction and nonfiction text. I find the scores to be quite illuminating, shedding light on so many questions I have about a student and their learning. Or even the barriers to their learning.

With many testing platforms, the data you get has to be assimilated into another format before you can use it to guide instruction. This is true for our school, as all of our library and classroom books have been leveled for STAR/AR and yet we have switched in the last two years to iReady for our district assessments. Lexile level is the bridge that connects the two platforms for us.

After we finish the test, I look at each student’s scores and then use the Lexile level to change the raw data into an AR-leveled range that gives them some freedom and choice to focus on in their independent reading time. I call each student over to my desk one at a time, share their scores with them, and then fill out their leveled bookmark. I explain it, color code it for them, and then ask if they need help finding “just right” books.

Choosing Just-Right Books

Finding those books that are in your students’ range can be quite tricky if you do not have an organized and leveled library. Even with their bookmark to guide them, they will need some direction to find what they need.

I started a long time ago in my classroom library, and like a butterfly, it has emerged from the cocoon – but in my case, multiple cocoons over the years! I have a hodgepodge of different bins, labels, and leveling systems. Don’t be like me! Find a system that works for you, and then attack your library consistently until it is organized to your liking.

I finally made my own labels and created them the way leveling works best in my class and school, to match my leveled bookmarks. My students can walk right to the library, find the genre they enjoy, and then look for those colored labels that fit into their reading range. There is some flexibility, but for independent reading time, they need to be reading and comprehending with 80-90% accuracy in their just-right range.

How will you know if they are reading with comprehension and fluency? Well, putting some time into conferring with kids each week will let you know. Do they comprehend? Can they answer basic questions? When they read a paragraph to you, are they fluent? Can they use strategies to determine new words in context? These are all integral to their comprehension, and the time you spend (5 minutes per student) can have a tremendous impact on their reading.

Tools of the Trade

So what tools can you use to help you with this process? If you are feeling overwhelmed with the enormity, start with one goal at a time. If your classroom library is disorganized and isn’t leveled, that might be the place to start. I was overwhelmed two years ago when my principal told me our 3rd grade team was going to go down to 2nd grade together the following year, and then loop our class back to 3rd. I had never taught below 3rd, and knew I didn’t have the books for lower readers.

My first step was to get more books for my lower readers. I did a Donors Choice project for books and colorful new bins, and also used my Scholastic points to locate books in the kindergarten and first grade range. Take a look at my editable library book bin labels here.

I started relabeling my picture books, then moved on to my easy readers. I moved through section by section until I made enough of a dent that I could feel prepared for the upcoming change in grade level. And the new books were a hit! Here is a post about organizing the classroom library that you will find more in-depth and helpful!

Once my library was mostly organized (with thousands of books, it is always a work in progress), I focused on reading bookmarks to guide my students. I taped the level card on their desk, as well as gave them a bookmark to take with them to the school library on our library days. Students could finally find their books quickly and easily, and without me nagging them to stick to their range – they were excited to use their bookmarks! Want to purchase them for your own classroom? Follow this link to get your own bookmarks and desk cards.

Finally, keeping them reading during independent reading time while I taught small groups was sometimes a struggle. Their stamina and focus were an obstacle for these younger kiddos. So each month we completed a challenge – a reading challenge! Add in a little competition or mention prizes, and students will work even harder – the success of growing as a reader sometimes needs a little nudge in the right direction. I have reading challenges for every month available for purchase in my TPT store. Or try my free READO bingo version in your class to see if your students get as excited as mine!

Overall, the key to beating those post-test anxiety pangs is to set goals and think about how you WANT your classroom to function during reading time. A few small tweaks and changes can make all the difference, and your students will be excited to read each day. As we very well know from life experience, the more they read, the better they will become, bringing their growth full circle. And you, my friend, will have been the catalyst that made it all start! Sending you a pat on the back for your future self’s awesome work!

Happy Teaching!

💜 Beth

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