Module 3: Summary of Opitz Chapters 7, 8, 12

The three chapters this week focused mainly on how to assess students in the best way and gave information about how to help students gain and apply phonics knowledge. The tables and figures within these chapters are useful tools and references for teachers. Chapter seven is full of topics such as concepts, phonological awareness, letter identification, writing, spelling, and story sense and suggestions for how these topics can be assessed. Chapter seven concluded with information about early intervention and how to determine which students need early intervention services. At my school, enrollment in the Early Intervention Program (EIP) is determined by student test scores and/or teacher checklists designed specifically for determining placement in this program.

            Chapter eight focused mainly on listening to and assessing students’ oral reading using the informal reading inventory (IRI), the modified miscue analysis, and the running record. I am most familiar with using a running record to assess students while they read orally. The text even pointed out on p. 172 that running records are a more popular assessment choice and used more often than IRIs. I have had experience with using an IRI while completing coursework for college, but it is not an assessment method my school uses. However, I do like how an IRI provides comprehension questions and doesn’t solely focus on the students’ reading miscues and level. Since comprehension is the main goal of reading I feel that these comprehension questions can provide teachers with valuable insight. The modified miscue analysis is an assessment I cannot recall administering, but I would be interested to do so in the future.  

            Chapter 12 focused on phonics instruction. I enjoy teaching phonics in my first grade classroom, and I find it beneficial for my students to be actively engaged in a phonics lesson each day. The sample exercises provided were much like the activities provided in my phonics lessons. This chapter provided five meaningful ways to assess phonics and examples of these assessments through the use of the figures within the text as well as seven ways to teach phonics. This information provides a valuable resource and refresher for how to provide the most effective phonics instruction in a classroom. Like our summer reading endorsement class/text, the Opitz text also emphasized that phonics instruction should be about learning words and not memorizing rules, and it should be taught as a part of reading instruction.

Opitz, M., Rubin, D., & Erekson, J. (2011). Reading diagnosis and improvement: Assessment and instruction. (6^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.