Jessi Towne

EDUG 543
September 28, 2015
Appendix P
RICA Reflection
Competency 2: Reading Assessment
TPE Connection 3.1: Candidates understand and use a variety of informal and formal, as well
as formative and summative assessments, at varying levels of cognitive demand to determine
students progress and plan instruction.
A. Definition In your own words state your understanding of this competency.
This competency is all about how to assess readers in various ways to ensure they are
performing up to the reading standard.
B. Personal Connection/Evidence Describe ways that you have engaged with this
competency which illustrate you know how to implement it.
a. In other words, indicate events/activities in which you have engaged which are
directly related to this RICA competency both in the Reading/Literacy course
and aside from this course. In this section, take ownership with words such as
the following: It has been my experienceThe lesson I created entitledis an
example of this RICA competencyI have observed Reflect on how your
understanding of this competency is connected to TPEs. How is it important to
your teaching and your students learning?
It has been my experience while observing my second grade classroom that I have
given out reading assessments to a few students to determine where their reading
levels are. I know they were in second grade, but some of them really had trouble
with their phonics and short and long vowels. Even though the three students I tested
the assessments on were for my class, I was able to learn about each student and
where he or she is regarding reading level. The assessments I gave each student were
formative. All three of the students I gave the assessment to were at different reading
levels. It was difficult for me to accurately assess the student at the lowest reading
level because he did not have enough brainpower or patience to go any further in the
test. Although he stopped the assessment well before I was finished, it was just
enough information to retrieve what I needed to gain an accurate reading on his
cognitive literacy levels. My understanding of this competency is related to TPE 3.1,
because the TPE talks all about various ways of assessing students depending upon
his or her level of reading literacy in order to begin planning teaching instruction and
determining progress. This is crucial for my teaching and my students learning
because I am able to properly assess how they are doing and I can alter my teaching
to fit the needs of each student.
C. Differentiation

a. Describe at least three examples of when and why to use particular strategies
with a student need.
i. If a student struggles with the desire to read, then the teacher can find out
what kinds of topics he or she is interested in and get a book with that
topic.
ii. If a student is not motivated or engaged to read, then the teacher will read
aloud to the students.
iii. If a student struggles with independent reading, then the teacher will make
sure to have time set aside for sustained silent reading.
D. Text-To-Text
a. Reference a minimum of one reference mentioned in the reflection.
One of the main references in this reflection was the connection to TPE 3.1,
Candidates understand and use a variety of informal and formal, as well as
formative and summative assessments, at varying levels of cognitive demand to
determine students progress and plan instruction.