Date of Award

12-2023

Degree Type

Creative Project

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Special Education and Rehabilitation

Committee Chair(s)

Willa van Dijk

Committee

Willa van Dijk

Committee

Nicole Pyle

Committee

Summer Gunn

Abstract

Literacy is an important skill necessary for better outcomes in life. There are many high school students that struggle with word reading and comprehension. Some may even graduate without a functional reading level. What can teachers do to make a difference? Are there strategies that can be implemented into classrooms to better help struggling students? It is important to gather the correct information about the students reading abilities. For this professional portfolio, I conducted 5 different reading assessment, to understand the student’s current abilities. With these assessments I could determine where my student struggled the most. The student had difficulty decoding but utilized memorization up to the fourth-grade level. Students struggle with computer-based assessments and may not score the best because they click through the answers. My takeaways are CBA’s are a great tool but may not be accurate, it is best to use a battery of assessments for reading and giving the assessments in person because information can be gained by watching the student. I also implemented an intervention for explicit reading instruction. There were approximately 9 participants in all, that received the intervention, in a high school resource classroom. The expectation was that the students would complete the program and increase reading abilities. Most students did experience an increase in word reading ability however one or two did not based on attendance. This instruction is an excellent resource for improving reading, it is difficult to have enough time to get through all 20 lessons in the program.

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