Design an Informal Assessment - Assignment Example

Assignment 4: Informal Assessment Focus Area The focus area is to assess the ability to maintain attention and focus. The involved in this assignment is a ten year old boy, who shall be known as Adam. Adam is suspected of having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). This suspicion arises from Adam showing signs of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which are the three "core symptoms" of ADHD (U.S. Department of Education 2005). Initial Task The initial task will be a two part task. In the first part, the student will perform a running record test with the teacher and the second part will be observation through lessons and play throughout the rest of the day. A checklist of behaviors to look for, based on the DSM-IV standards, will be used to check against Adams behavior patterns on both parts of the task. A running record test is a type of informal assessment to determine a childs reading level, strategies, strengths, and weaknesses in reading. For this part, the teacher will provide the student with an approximately one hundred word text sample and the student will read the text aloud, with the teacher making notes on errors that the student makes, the behavior that they observe while the student reads, and which strategies the student is using to read the text. After the student has finished reading the passage, the teacher will then ask the student a set of reading comprehension questions. Adam has previously been scored as a fourth grade level reader, so the text chosen is appropriate for a fourth grade reader. His text, borrowed from Mahoneys "These Trees!" appears below. If walnuts come from walnut trees, And almonds come from almond trees, Then how come acorns come from oaks? Can anyone explain this please? A redwood trees not really red, And red pine trees are green, (not red). So whys the white birch aptly named? And whys the white pine green instead? Now, ash trees dont grow ashes, right? And beech trees arent on beaches. Right? And fir trees dont have furry trunks; Although, that would be quite a sight! These trees! These trees! I wish it would Be less confusing in the wood! If trees had better chosen names, they might be better understood. Adams errors, answers, and behaviors during the running record assessment are shown below. The second part of the task will be to observe Adam for the rest of the school day, at work and at play, and check his behavior against the aforementioned checklist shown below. Checklist to be used during running records and interview Attention _____ Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in activities _____ Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities _____ Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly _____ Does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties _____ Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities _____ Avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort _____ Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities _____ Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli _____ Is forgetful in daily activities Hyperactivity _____ Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat _____ Leaves seat in classroom when remaining seated is expected _____ Runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate _____ Has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly _____ Is often "on the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor" _____ Talks excessively _____ Blurts out answers before questions are completed _____ Has difficulty awaiting turn _____ Often interrupts or intrudes on others Behaviors Noted Errors Adam had difficulty maintaining attention on the passage. His focus had to be redirected several times to the work in front of him. He wanted to start a conversation about the trees in his backyard and then about the trees outside the window. During the test, he constantly was playing with the pencil that he had brought with him from his desk. Adam was quick to answer some of the questions (the last two). He had the answers for those questions before I finished asking them. I had to repeat questions one and three a couple of times before he gave an answer, however. Throughout observation during the rest of the day, several other behaviors were observed. Adam had difficulty following instructions and couldnt finish a game of battleship during recess with his friends. He was also out of his seat half a dozen times after lunch and had to sit at the silent table during lunch from excessive talking in the hallway. Strengths Through the running records assessment and the observation throughout the rest of the day, Adams intelligence was easy to recognize. He described several types of trees that hadnt been talked about in the poem in great detail, during the assessment and he made a connection between the game battleship and real battleships and navy strategy when he was playing the game with his friends. He has a lot of interest in ships and the military. Analysis of behaviors noted Analysis of errors Adam shows seven out of nine indicators of attention difficulty and six out of nine indicators of hyperactivity. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Adam very likely has the combined hyperactive, impulsive and inattentive type of ADHD. Analysis of strengths Adam is a very intelligent boy, with the ability to make quick connections between material that he has learned and material that he is learning. His lower reading level is very likely due to his difficulty in focusing on the words written on the page. Evaluation Although Adam would need to be further tested, by a doctor, to receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), accommodations should start being made for him in the classroom immediately. Through the assessment and observation, it is clear that Adam struggles with attending and focusing on his schoolwork. Some strategies that the U.S. Department of Education suggest for teaching students with ADHD are: providing an organizer, reviewing previous lessons before beginning on new ones, setting learning expectations, setting behavioral expectations, stating all needed materials before a lesson begins, explaining resources, and simplifying instructions, choices and scheduling. Misunderstood Minds suggests using different methods of instruction to teach the child, accentuating important information, integrating physical activity into instruction, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and providing constant feedback. Teaching Task The teaching task was a lesson in science on the different types of trees that were native to the state. Before beginning the lesson, clear expectations of behavior and learning were given and Adam was given a table organizer to help him organize the information learned in the lesson. Adam, with assistance, reviewed previous information learned about common plant life in the state, with a few sentences about the naming of trees added to connect the previous days running record passage to todays lesson. He took notes on the different types of native trees as he was shown a PowerPoint on the information. Attention was brought to important information in the PowerPoint through bolded words and tonal inflection when the slide was read aloud. The last part of the activity was sorting the native trees into two categories: deciduous and coniferous. Instructions were read to Adam and the steps that needed to be taken to complete the assignment were explained. Giving clear expectations of Adams learning and behavior during the activity improved his hyperactivity. He only needed one reminder after that to sit still and refocus. The organizer also really seemed to help him later when he was sorting the trees into the different groups. Reading the information aloud, as well as having Adam look at it seemed to help him to maintain focus on the information and after being told the specific steps that needed to be taken to complete the activity, Adam had fewer questions on what he needed to do. Reference List Mahoney, L. These Trees! [Online] Available at http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/reading-comp/4th-these-trees.pdf [Accessed 30 October 2010]. National Institute of Mental Health, 2008. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). [Online] Available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/adhd_booklet.pdf [Accessed 29 October 2010]. PBS, 2002. Misunderstood Minds. Responses. [Online]. Available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/attentionstrats.html [Accessed 29 October 2010]. U. S. Department of Education, 2003. Identifying and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, pp.1-15. U.S. Department of Education, 2006.  Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices,  pp. 1-23. Read More