[MOSAIC] DIBELS Results

[cappetro at aol.com]

I've been reading Richard Gentry's book, Breaking the Code and throughout he discusses brain scan research, which shows that a beginning reader's brain looks different on scans compared with a skilled reader's brain, which should occur at around the end of grade one, beginning of second grade. Perhaps, these first graders are using the skilled reader's brain that he describes, which reads automatically. Decoding is the "key" to breaking the code and is the function of the beginning reader's brain, but becomes automatic as children become more skilled.    
 
Does this sound right? Food for thought!

Claudine DiMuzio

-----Original Message-----
From: lindafarns at comcast.net
To: mosaic at literacyworkshop.org
Sent: Mon, 28 May 2007 3:31 pm
Subject: [MOSAIC] DIBELS Results



I recently completed the DIBELS assessment on all our first grade students - I'm 
 Reading Specialist.  This year something really stood out for me when I did 
he scoring.  At first, I thought it was just a fluke, but as I continued 
hrough the three classrooms, a pattern began to emerge.  I'm just wondering if 
nyone else who uses the DIBELS has had a similar experience.
First, let me clarify the instruction used by our classroom teachers.  All of 
ur teachers have attended and implement their instruction with the Teachers 
ollege format for both reading and writing.  Each teacher has a minimum of 1-2 
ead alouds each day and devotes at least 45 minutes or more each to reading and 
riting workshop on a daily basis.  Word study is also a component with teachers 
sing the format of Words Their Way instruction.  The word study or phonics 
omponent from the previous year (kindergarten) was with the Fountas and Pinnell 
rogram.  This program is not district-wide - some of our elementary schools are 
sing Fundations in both kindergerten and first grade.
Our end-of-year DIBELS showed that across the three first grade classrooms, 62% 
f the students had a drop in their Phoneme Segmentation Fluency.  Knowing these 
tudents personally, I was surprised at first but then realized that these very 
tudents were among the strongest readers.  Within this same 62% who droped in 
SF, 49% had gains in the Oral Reading Fluency section.  And, while I'm not 
utting in a plug for DIBELS (I think it is quite invalid, especially based on 
ow we are instructing our students), I was surprised at these results.
Has anyone else who administers DIBELS had a similar experience?  Thank goodness 
y principal doesn't have the sun rise and set on DIBELS, but this information 
oes to our central office and I'm just concerned at what their response might 
e?  Does anyone know if there is valid data to support that strong readers do 
ot necessarily need to be good at separating sounds?
Thanks for your anticipated responses.
Linda  
______________________________________________
osaic mailing list
osaic at literacyworkshop.org
o unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
ttp://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. 


________________________________________________________________________
AOL now offers free email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.