Take Aim Semi-Independent Format: Determining who can benefit

2703 Views

Students who need explicit instruction to enrich their reading vocabularies can benefit from the Take Aim at Vocabulary program. However, you will need to make sure the level of material is appropriate.

DETERMINING WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM A TAKE AIM LEVEL

When determining which students will use a specific Take Aim level, consider two factors—whether the student can read the level of material and whether the student lacks an understanding of most target words taught in the level.

Requirement One: Student Can Read the Level of Material

To work in Take Aim, a student must be able to read the stories in the level. For example, the Goldenrod level was written for students who can read at a fourth-grade level or higher, so students working in Goldenrod must be able to read at this level. The Indigo level was written for students who can read at a fifth-grade level or higher.

If you are unsure whether or not a student meets this requirement, have the student try reading a story from the level. Use your judgment of the student's performance to determine whether the Take Aim materials are appropriate.

You may also use other information to guide you in your decision, such as the student's performance in the classroom, scores on informal assessments, and standardized test data. Another option is to give the student a Take Aim unit to work through and see how he or she does.

Requirement Two: Student Lacks an Understanding of Most Target Words

If a student meets the first requirement, you also need to make sure the student will benefit from studying the words taught in the level. If the student lacks understanding of many of the target words in a level, he or she will benefit from working in that level.

To test the student's prior knowledge of the target words taught in a Take Aim level, read through a sampling of the words in the level with the student, and get a general sense of his or her knowledge. You may also administer the level assessment test that is included in the Take Aim assessment packet. (See "Administering the Level Assessment" below.)

ADMINISTERING THE LEVEL ASSESSMENT

For the Take Aim assessments for each level, students match 24 target words with their definitions. The 24 target words in each assessment were drawn randomly from all the units within the corresponding Take Aim level. If the student's score indicates that he or she lacks a solid understanding of many of these words, the level is likely appropriate.

Before administering the assessment, print out the assessment packet:
 Take Aim at Vocabulary Assessment Packet

Follow these steps to administer the level assessment using the assessment packet:

1. Estimate the appropriate Take Aim level based on your knowledge of the student.
2. Ask the student to read the sample story included in the assessment packet at the level you estimated. Use your judgment of the student's performance to determine whether he or she is able to read this level of material. If the student is able to read the level of material, then move on to the next step.
3. Give the student a copy of the level assessment from the same level, and tell him or her to fill in the blanks for the words he or she knows. Tell the student not to guess. If the student does not know an answer, he or she should put a question mark in the blank.
4. Time the student for six minutes while he or she fills in the assessment. Start the timer when the student begins working.
5. When the timer sounds, instruct the student to stop.
6. Correct the assessment using the answer key located in the assessment packet.
7. If the student's score indicates that he or she lacks a solid understanding of many of these words, the level is likely appropriate. If the level is not appropriate for the student, continue to assess the student with another level of Take Aim to find a better fit for the student.

You may also use other information to help guide you in your assessment decision, such as the student's performance in the classroom, scores on informal assessments, and standardized test data.