Our sessions were casual and low-pressure to keep him engaged. He responded well to a playful approach and enjoyed seeing how he measured up in different reading skills. Overall, Davin is performing at a solid 4th-grade level, and we focused on reinforcing his strengths while keeping reading fun and meaningful for him.

On this day, Davin and I sat down for about 30 minutes after school. I told him he was helping me practice being a teacher, and he was excited to jump in! We started with work recognition and fluency assessments, keeping it fun low-stakes. Davin read through word lists and passages, enjoying the challenge!

Assessments Completed:

CORE Vocabulary Screening Test (Word Recognition)

• Purpose: To assess Davin's ability to recognize and read high-frequency words from different grade levels.

• Example Words Given:

  • 2nd Grade List: our, please, myself, town, early

  • 3rd Grade List: city, middle, moment, exclaimed

  • 4th Grade List: decided, served, amazed, silent

• Results: Davin quickly read through the second and third grade words with no errors. He hesitated on "wrecked" and "improved" from the 4th grade list but self-corrected after a second attempt.

MASI-R Oral Reading Frequency (Timed Passage Reading)

• Purpose: To assess how fluently and accurately Davin reads a passage within a set time.

• Scoring Method: Davin read for one minute while I tracked errors and words per minute.

• Results:

  • In Passage 4A, Davin stopped around the sentence "Chess is played on a chess board which is made up of squares of two colors."

  • Passage 4A: 85 WCPM; 95% Accuracy

  • Passage 4B: 88 WCPM; 97% Accuracy

  • Passage 4C: 82 WCPM; 96% Accuracy

  • Davin's median 85 WCPM and 96% accuracy indicate he is reading fluently at an appropriate 4th-grade level.

Session Highlights:

• Davin enjoyed the vocabulary test, especially when he recognized tricky words.

• Reading the passages was also fun for Davin because he liked using expression or "flair," as he put it.

• His results showed he's reading at a 4th-grade level, meaning he can read passages and recognizes high-frequency words with ease!

Davin and I met again after school for about 30 minutes. After reminding him how he helped me last time, he was excited to jump back in. I kept it fun and low-pressure, making sure he felt comfortable. In this session, I focused on sight word recognition, phonics patterns, and phonemic awareness to get a deeper understanding of his decoding skills.

Assessments Completed:

CORE Graded High-Frequency Word Survey

• Purpose: To assess Davin's ability to quickly recognize and read high-frequency words at a 4th-grade level.

• Example Words:

  • which, after, much, thought, each, years

• Results: Davin got a score of 22/24 which would place him at the Benchmark level, meaning he is able to recognize and read the vast majority of the 4th-grade high-frequency words accurately.

CORE Reading Maze Comprehension Test

• Purpose: Assess Davin's ability to comprehend text while reading independently. This test requires him to read a passage silently and select the correct missing words from multiple-choice options, measuring his ability to make meaning from the text.

• Results: Davin correctly answered 22 items, placing him at the 4th-grade level benchmark level. His performance indicates that he is able to read and understand grade-level texts with appropriate comprehension skills.

CORE Phonics Survey

• Purpose: To see how well Davin reads different phonics patterns, including blend words and vowel teams.

• Results: Davin did well overall but struggled with one or two words in each category.

Phoneme Deletion Test

• Purpose: To assess phonemic awareness by asking Davin to say a word and then remove a sound to create a new word.

• Example:

  • Say play. Now say it without /p/ (lane).

• Results: Davin performed well and scored a 12/14, placing him solidly in the Benchmark range.

Session Highlights:

• Davin stayed engaged, especially when I let him "quiz" me back on a few words.

• His results confirmed he is performing at a 4th-grade level.

For our last session, Davin and I met after school for about 25 minutes to wrap up the assessments. By now, he was comfortable with the process and even seemed excited to see what we would do next. Since Davin had done well in previous assessments, I focused on segmentation and a final check of fluency and sight words to confirm he was reading at grade level.

Assessments Completed:

Phoneme Segmentation Test

• Purpose: To assess Davin's ability to break words into individual sounds

• Results: Davin correctly segmented 42/50 phonemes, placing him in the Benchmark range.

CORE Grade High-Frequency Word Survey - Final Review

• Davin read the list again, this time with fewer errors, correcting previous mistakes.

Session Highlight:

• Davin was excited to see what we would be doing next and seemed confident as he completed the final assessments.

• He enjoyed the Phoneme Segmentation Test, especially when he could break words apart quickly.

• Davin maintained strong fluency and accuracy, reinforcing that he is reading at a 4th-grade benchmark level.

Because Davin does not need intervention, the focus moving forward should be on fostering his love for reading and continue to challenge him in ways that keep him engaged. He enjoys word searches, so incorporating increasingly challenging word puzzles-- including ones that feature new vocabulary and more complex spelling patterns-- would be a great way to reinforce his skills in a fun way. Additionally, introducing a variety of texts, including informations books about his interests, like baseball, could help expand his vocabulary and comprehension skills while keeping him motivated.

Overall, Davin is a confident and capable reader. Encouraging him to explore new and more challenging books while continuing to support his natural curiosity and enthusiasm for reading will help him continue to grow.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was how much student engagement impacts assessment results. Davin was more motivated and eager to participate when I framed our sessions as him "helping me practice being a teacher." This experience showed me the value of making assessments feel collaborative rather than intimidating, a strategy I will carry into my future classroom.

Additionally, I saw firsthand how important it is to consider student interests when fostering a love for reading. Davin thrives in when reading topics that excite him, which reminds me that allowing student choice in books and activities can make a big difference in motivation. Moving forward, I will prioritize incorporating student interests into literacy instruction to help make reading feel meaningful and enjoyable for all learners.

This experience also reinforced that even students who are performing well still benefit from continued challenges and enrichment activities. In my future classroom, I will make sure to provide opportunities for students at all levels to stretch their skills, explore new vocabulary, and build confidence in their reading abilities.

Overall, working with Davin gave me a deeper understanding of how to assess reading skills, interpret results, and use that information to support and encourage young readers. I am excited to apply what I have learned as I continue my journey toward becoming a teacher!