The University of South Florida

Literacy Portfolio

Victoria OQuinn
RED 4742.003
4/28/20015
Table of Contents

Introduction.3-4
ERAS...4-7
Spelling Inventory...7-10
Reading Record...10-13
Summary of Research..14-15
Instructional Recommendations...15-18
Reflection of Experiences.18-19
References.....20

Introduction
Focus Student Description
Brianna is a female student and she is six years old. Brianna is a pseudonym name that I
used for this focus student. She is above average in reading, writing and math. She needs to work
on science as a subject. She stays on task during classwork. She works well with other students.
She prefers to work in a group of students over by herself or with a partner. Briannas interests
include singing and reading. She is on the highest groups for both reading and writing.
Jesus is a male student and he is six years old. Jesus is pseudonym name that I used for
this focus student. Social Studies is a strength he has and science is a subject he can use some
work with. Jesus is an ELL student prefers to work by himself and at his desk. His interests

include transformers and he loves dogs. Jesus is in the highest level group for reading and the
middle level group for writing.
Tanya is a female student and she is five years old. Tanya is a pseudonym name that I
used for this focus student. Social Studies is a strength for her and math is a subject she needs to
work on. She is an ESE student and works on her speech with a speech specialist. Tanya prefers
to work with in a group with her peers. Her interest includes video games and she loves to ride
her scooter. Tanya is in the middle level group for reading and the lower level group for writing.

ERAS
Explanation and Description
The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey or ERAS (Kear and McKenna, 1990) is an
instrument that was developed to see and document students attitude toward recreational reading
and academic reading. Recreational reading is reading for fun. It is considered free time reading.
Recreational reading would include reading at home or free time in school, it is when there is no
objective or curriculum attached. Academic reading is reading when there is an objective or
curriculum attached. This would include reading for information, reading a test, reading a
dictionary and reading for comprehension in class. ERAS was created in the form of a survey
that can be used across all grades and can be used by all educators. The survey allows educators
to make quick conclusions about students attitude toward reading. It allows you to create a
group profile of a class and the survey also monitors the attitudes of the students based on which
instructional programs are being implemented. This can let you get to know your students and
their interests. With this kind of information you can plan lessons around student interest.
Students attitude toward reading has been linked to reading performance. A Garfield pictorial

was chosen to use as a scale so that all grades including the younger grades would be able to
identify and use the scale in a reliable way. The scale is based in reading interest, 4 points being
the happiest and 1 point being the least. Garfield pictures go along with the number to represent
happy, content, not happy and angry. The surveys can be given to a whole class in a matter of
minutes. Teachers can take this information and make a class profile including what the class
enjoys about reading. This will allow the teacher to provide instruction in the most valuable
ways. There are recreational and academic scores. These scores added together equal the total
raw score. Using the scores you can find the percentile rank and compare the students scores to
the population. The percentile is norm referenced, however percentiles do not start until 1st
grade. I have kindergarten which means instead of norm referenced, I take the students averages.
Overview of Administration
I administered the surveys to my three focus students at the same time. During Daily 5 I
sat them down at a back table away from the class. I gave each student a survey with the Garfield
pictures. I explained what each Garfield meant and told them they would circle the Garfield that
best showed how they felt when I read a sentence to them. I went down the list one by one
reading the statement. One student was only picking the happy Garfield so I reminded them that
this was not a graded assignment and I would like their true feelings about each sentence. The
survey took about five minutes and then the students went on to finish their Daily 5 activities.
Summary of Results
Brianna had a recreational raw score of 25 out of 40 and an academic raw score of 15 out
of 40. This is a 10 point split difference which is a cause for concern. When a student has a 6
point split or higher it is always a cause for concern. Brianna is in kindergarten so instead of

looking at the norm referenced percentile ranks, I took her averages. Her full scale raw score is a
4. Her recreational average is 2.5 and her academic average is 1.5. Briannas total raw score
indicates that when she is reading she enjoys and has a positive attitude regarding 40% of her
readings. Her scores indicate that she favors recreational reading well above academic reading.
This is concerning because to help her be successful in school and excited about class reading we
need to figure out how to make the academic reading more interesting and intriguing. Briannas
attitude toward reading is not at the level that I would want my student at. Some instructional
decisions that the teacher could make would include picking reading topics that are more
relatable to the student. Since the student likes reading recreationally more than academically
maybe the teacher could allow the students to have an opinion in what topics or books they are
reading during the academic block.
Jesus had a recreational raw score of 31 out of 40 and an academic raw score of 31 out of
40. His full scale raw score was a 7. His recreational and academic average scores were both 3.1.
Jesuss scores indicate that he enjoys reading the same at the recreational and academic level. He
enjoys reading about 70% of the time that he is actually reading regarding the topics and
subjects. I find it interesting that his scores are the same. This means that a teacher would need to
focus on improving his attitude toward both. There is not a sign for concern, however a teacher
can always work on improving a students attitude toward reading. An instructional plan could
include changing the topics to see if it will affect the students attitude. Also giving the student
different options on where to read or how to read. For example, the student might only read at his
desk and giving him the option to sit on the carpet or in the rocking chair could improve his
attitude toward reading.

Tanya had a recreational raw score of 31 out of 40 and an academic raw score of 23 out
of 40. There is an 8 point split difference in her scores which is a sign for concern. Tanyas full
scale raw score is a 5.4. Her recreational average is 3.1 and her academic average is 2.3. Her
scores indicate that she prefers recreational reading over academic reading. Regarding reading
Tanya has a good attitude about 54% of the topics and subjects she chooses or is given to by her
teacher. The first thing that the teacher needs to look at is why the student may not have a
positive attitude toward academic reading. The teacher can talk to the student. Ask the student
what topics they like and what topics that they do not like. Find out the students interests and try
to build lessons around things that the students are interested in. When students are learning they
would be much more interested when they are reading about topics that they like, know about, or
want to know about.

Spelling Inventory
Explanation and Description
A spelling inventory (Bear, 2012) can be given to someone of any age. There are a
number of spelling words listed on the inventory and they are listed according to difficulty so
that educators can analyze features. Spelling inventories measure the students understanding of
spelling patterns. There are three different spelling inventories a teacher can administer, these
include Primary, Elementary and Upper-level inventories. I have kindergarten so I administered
the Primary Inventory. Primary consist of 26 words listed in order for teachers to sample the
features of letter name-alphabetic to within word pattern stages. The Primary is usually given to
students between kindergarten and 3rd grade. The spelling inventory uses feature points to
measure the students knowledge of spelling patterns. When a student gets a feature correct for a

word they will get a feature point. When students miss two or more feature points within a
column then this is where their instruction needs to take place. The inventory also lists words
spelled correctly, power scores and the spelling stage the student is currently at. This allows
teachers to see where the instructional level of the student is and it shows what spelling patterns
the students know and what they need help with. This can help a teacher plan lessons and group
students to meet their learning needs.
Overview of Administration
I administered the spelling inventory to the whole class at the same time. I told the
students to place their finger on the number 1 on their paper and then I read the word. I read the
word within a sentence and then I repeated the spelling word. I walked around the room and
observed when students were finished. I repeated this for number 2 through 15. I decided to give
15 spelling words because I knew students were at different spelling levels and I wanted the most
accurate data I could get. I was able to give the spelling inventory in the beginning of the day
when the students had fresh minds. The students were at their desks and were able to cover their
answers to avoid cheating. All the students took the Primary inventory because they are in
kindergarten. No student had to be reassessed with a higher level inventory and no student had to
go past 15 words because they all had at least 5 misspelled words to analyze.
Summary of Results
Brianna is at middle within word pattern spelling stage. Her power score or the number
words spelled correctly was 8/26. She had the most words spelled correctly out of every student
in the class. Brianna had 30/56 feature points. According to the feature guide her instructional
level includes common long vowels. For her instructional level I would start by teaching her long

vowels which include words with a long vowel or vowels that say their name. She can start by
using word sorts and sorting words into categories. The categories include words with long
vowels and words with short vowels. This will allow her to distinguish the difference between
the two types of words. Brianna can also read books or articles on topics that she is interested in.
During her reading she can code or write down long vowel words that she sees. After introducing
long vowels to Brianna and observing her progress with long vowels, she can start working on
other vowels.
Jesus is at the middle letter name-alphabetic spelling stage. His power score or words
spelled correctly was 3/16. He was a little above average compared to the rest of the class. Jesus
had 20/56 feature points. According to his feature guide his instructional level needs to start with
short vowels. For his instructional level I would start with short vowels. He was able to get 4/7
short vowel feature points so I believe with a little more exposure and practice he will be ready
to move on to digraphs. For practice I would have him read aloud to a partner and read aloud to
the teacher. I would have him decode the words that he does not know. I would also have him
practice flash cards for the exposure. When Jesus is ready I would introduce him to digraphs.
Tanya is at the late emergent spelling stage. Her power score or words spelled correctly
was 0/26. She was at the lowest level compared to her classmates. Tanya had 7/56 feature points.
According to her feature guide her instructional level starts with initial consonants. Tanya needs
exposure, practice and strategies. She had 3/7 feature points for initial consonants. I would have
her start by first matching pictures to their word name. I would then have her do word sorts. I
would have her read to the teacher to see what strategies she uses while reading. She needs
exposure and practice.

Reading Record
Explanation and Description
A running record is a tool used to assess a students reading. Running records look for
students patterns and strategies that they use during reading. Running records measure how
many errors the students make. They allow the teacher to measure fluency and comprehension.
Running records measure the students reading accuracy and the self-correction rate. This all
leads the teacher to know the students instructional level.
Overview of Administration for Brianna
Brianna was administered three running records before I found her instructional level. I
started lower and worked my way up when choosing the levels. I knew that Brianna was a strong
reader so I started her reading level off at 6. Level 6 was too easy for her so I asked her to read a
level 10. Level 10 was not at her instructional level so I then moved to the level 12. Level 12 was
her instructional reading level. I pulled her aside during Daily 5 to a desk in the corner of the
room. I told Brianna that she would be reading a story to me. I told her not to worry and that this
was not for a grade. I told her if she came across a word she didnt know, then use her strategies
and try her best. I then read her the title of the story and asked her to begin. I recorded her
reading while I took running record notes while she read. I then asked her comprehension
questions consisting of main characters and story events.
Summary of Results for Brianna
Brianna read Bens Money which is a level 12 passage. She had 5 errors and no selfcorrections. Her running record accuracy is at 93% which means she is at her instructional level.

Briannas self-correction rate is 0:5 which means she did not self-correct any of her errors. She
had fluency and comprehension during and after reading. For her fluency Brianna read smoothly
and with expression and volume. For her comprehension she was able to retell most events
within sequence and name characters. Briannas miscue analysis includes zero self-corrections,
looking at this I can tell that she did not use her cues to correct her mistakes. Her first mistake
she read the word on instead of it. I think she used the cues meaning and syntax to make the
mistake. The sentence still had meaning and made sense. Her other mistakes included
substituting words like seen for sign and it wouldnt for I wont. I believe she made
these types of mistakes using the visual cue. The words look similar to the substitutions that she
used. Based on Briannas running record I would start her off reading level 12 books. I would
work on her taking the time to listen to what she is reading so that she can work on selfcorrecting mistakes while she makes them.
Overview of Administration for Jesus
Jesus was administered two running records before I found his instructional level. I
administered another student before him and decided to move up one level when I saw the other
students results. The other student was a slightly stronger reader so I decided to start his reading
level at a 6 instead of a 4. After he read level 6, I noticed it was not at his instructional level. I
then asked him to read a level 8 which was his instructional level. I pulled him aside during
Daily 5 to a desk in the corner of the room. I told Jesus that he would be reading a story to me. I
informed him this was not for a grade and to not worry if he came across a word he didnt know.
I told him to use his strategies and to try his best. I read the title of the story to him and asked
him to begin. I took noted during the running record as well as recorded it. I recorded the running

record to go back and look at his fluency. At the end I asked Jesus some comprehension
questions consisting of the main characters and events.
Summary of Results for Jesus
Jesus read Kim Has a New Friend which is a level 8 passage. He had 10 errors and 3 selfcorrections. His running record accuracy is at 90% which means he is at his instructional level.
His self-correction rate is 1:3 which means 1 out of 3 errors he self-corrects. He had fluency and
comprehension during and after reading. For his fluency Jesus read with volume and expression
but had some choppiness. For his comprehension he could refer to all characters and could
provide adequate response to the questions I asked. Jesus miscue analysis included 3 selfcorrections and 10 errors. His errors include substituting words like makes for misses,
finding for feeling and puts for pets. I definitely think Jesus uses visual cues to make his
mistakes. I also see that he uses meaning and syntax to self-correct his errors. He makes a
mistake by saying a word that resembles the word in the text and when the sentence does not
make sense, he goes back and self-corrects some of his errors. Based on Jesus running record I
would start him off reading level 8 books. I would work on his choppiness and have him practice
as if he were speaking to a friend.
Overview of Administration for Tanya
Tanya was administered two running records. I administered hers on a separate day
because she was absent. I chose a level 6 for her first reading which was too high for the first
running record and I had to move down to a level 4 passage. I chose this level because compared
to the other students she is not a strong reader and I thought this level would be a good starting
point. I then had her read a level 4 which turned out to be her instructional level. I pulled her

aside during Daily 5 to a desk in the corner of the room away from the other children. I told
Tanya that she was going to read a story to me. I told her she would not be graded on it and to
not get upset if she came across a word that she did not know. I reminded her to use her
strategies and read her the title of the story. I asked her to begin reading. While she was reading I
recorded the reading process and took notes. After the reading I asked her a few comprehension
questions regarding the main characters and events.
Summary of Results for Tanya
Tanya read Pig Likes Mud which is a level 4 passage. She had 6 errors and 2 selfcorrections. Her running record accuracy is at 91% which means she is at her instructional level.
Her self-correction rate is 1:3 which means she self-corrects 1 out of every 3 errors. She had
fluency and comprehension during and after reading. For her fluency Tanya read with volume
and there were parts where she would read fast and slow. For her comprehension she could name
the characters and tell many key facts. She also had thoughtful responses to my questions.
Tanyas miscue analysis includes 6 errors and 2 self-corrections. Her mistakes included
substitutions like pigs for pig, dad for did, leaving words out and not knowing or
attempting one word. Some of her errors like pig and dad she used the visual cue. She substituted
words that looked similar to the words in the text. When she self-corrected her mistakes she used
the cues meaning and syntax. She would hear that the sentence would not make sense and she
would go back and fix her error. Based on Tanyas running record I would start her off with level
4 books. I would work on her word recognition to move her up to the next level.

Summary of Research

Briannas running record errors show that when she makes reading mistakes it is because
the words look similar to the words that are on the paper or in the book. For example, instead of
reading Ill sign she says Ill seen. I think she tries to rush and this is also why she does not
have any self-corrections. Brianna tries to hurry and finish and doesnt take the time to notice the
mistakes that she makes. Briannas ERAS academic average was 1.5 stating that she does not
enjoy reading academically. She has a 10 point split difference in her academic and recreational
scores. This may be the reason that she was rushing through the reading and making the mistakes
that she was making. If she does not enjoy academic reading then that could explain why she had
zero self-corrections, she might not care enough to correct her mistakes. Briannas spelling
inventory states that she is in the middle within word pattern spelling stage. She is at the top in
her class in spelling. I believe she could spell the words that she made mistakes reading in her
running record. I think she has low motivation in academic reading and it is affecting her reading
level. Briannas strengths include reading, writing and spelling. She is at the top of her class in
all subjects. Her weakness includes her not self-correcting her reading errors and rushing through
assignments. I believe she is a smart student but likes to get through her work at a fast pace. This
cause her to make mistakes that could be avoided otherwise.
Jesus running record errors show that when he makes mistakes it is because the words
are similar to the words he is reading. For example, instead of reading feeling he says
finding. He self-corrects 1 out of 3 errors that he makes. I found that he uses the meaning cue
to self-correct his mistakes. He will make a mistake but when the sentence does not make sense
he will go back and look at the word. He then will notice his error and self-correct himself. I
think he tries to rush through but catches himself. Jesus ERAS academic and recreational
average were both 3.1. This shows that he enjoys academic and recreational reading equally.

Jesus has a good self-correction rate. When students enjoy reading then they are engaged in the
reading enough to notice their errors. Jesus spelling inventory puts him in the middle letter
name-alphabetic spelling stage. He is a little above average compared to the rest of his class.
Jesus strengths include reading and writing. He enjoys reading and he is at the top of his class in
the subject. He is in the highest level reading group. Jesus weakness is his spelling. His spelling
is about average compared to the rest of his class. His spelling could also contribute to some of
his reading errors but he uses cues like meaning and syntax to correct them.
Tanyas running record does not follow any pattern that I can see. Two of her mistakes
include reading words and saying similar words. For example, instead of reading did she said
dad. Another error included skipping a word and one word she didnt know. One reading error
included saying a word that was later on in the sentence. Tanyas ERAS academic average is a
2.3. She has an 8 point split difference in her academic and recreational scores. This means she
does not particularly enjoy academic reading. Her running record indicated her instructional
reading level is at a 4 and it is low compared to her peers. Her reading level could have to do
with her lack of motivation and enjoyment in reading academically. Tanyas spelling inventory
puts her in the late emergent spelling stage. She is in the lowest level compared to her classmates
in both spelling and reading. Tanyas strengths include her positive attitude toward recreational
reading. She enjoys reading for fun and topics that she chooses. Tanyas weaknesses include
reading and spelling. She is on the lower scale compared to her peers and has trouble with both.

Instructional Recommendations

1. Goal 1: Strategic Comprehension- Focus students will use comprehension strategies to look
for the purpose of a text.

Objective 1: When reading a leveled text students will find the authors purpose of the

text to increase comprehension.

Standard: LA.K.1.7.4- The student will identify the authors purpose as stated in the text.

Student 1: Brianna will read the text, think about it and highlight important words. She

will write on sticky notes in the margin to merge her thinking with the information. She will then
decide what the authors purpose was for writing this text (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007, p.157).

Student 2: Jesus will read the text. He will create a mini theme board while reading the

text. Ideas that are brought up often or connect to one another he will write down on his theme
board. He will share his theme board with his partner and they will infer the theme or purpose of
the text (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007, p.144).

Student 3: Tanya will read the text. She will draw one picture that represents the text that

she read. She will be merging prior experience and the text to create a visual image. Her one
picture that represents the text should connect to the authors purpose of the text (Harvey &
Goudvis, 2007, p.134).

2. Goal 2: Independent & Guided Reading- Focus students will use independent and reading
strategies to make predictions about a text.

Objective 2: When reading a text students will be able to make predictions based on title,

pictures and captions.

Standard: LA.K.1.7.1- The student will make predictions about text content using

pictures, background knowledge, and text features (e.g., title, sub-heading, captions, illustrations)

Student 1: Brianna will record her thoughts on think sheets while reading the text. She

will look at the title, pictures and captions to make inferences about the text. She will write her
thoughts and conclusions down on her think sheet. After she is finished reading she will be able
to go back through her thought process to see to if her predictions were right (Harvey &
Goudvis, 2007, p.58).

Student 2: Jesus will develop a mind map while reading the text. He will read the text and

jot down what he sees and what is happening. He will connect this to what he predicts will
happen in the text. He will write his predictions on his mind map. After he is finished reading,
Jesus will write down what actually happened in the text. He will compare his thoughts and
conclusions to see how close his predictions were to the text (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007, p.58).

Student 3: Tanya will read the text and write draw and write her thoughts and predictions.

She will use a three-column paper to think about her ideas and record her responses. The first
column she will draw a picture of what triggered her thought or prediction. The second column
she will draw or write what she predicts will happen based on the word or illustration. The third
column will be used for when she is finished reading. She can write or draw what actually
happened in the text or her thoughts about her predictions. This allows her to merge her new
information with her thoughts from the text (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007, p.58).

3. Goal 3 Word Study- Focus students will use word study strategies to identify and produce
words that rhyme.

Objective 3: Students will identify and be able to produce rhyming words.

Standard: LA.K.1.2.3- The student will recognize and produce words that rhyme.

Student 1: Brianna will use chunking to chunk rhyming words together to form

categories. She can also add to her categories with rhyming words that she can come up with on
her own (Bergeron and Bradbury-Wolff, 2002).

Student 2: Jesus will use stretch it out and does it sound right to identify rhyming words.

He will stretch the words and then put the sounds together. If the words sound similar then he has
his rhyming words like hat and bat. After identifying the rhyming words, he can add his own
(Bergeron and Bradbury-Wolff, 2002).

Student 3: Tanya will look at pictures that are next to the rhyming words to help her

identify the words that rhyme. She will be able to then read the rhyming words and use the
pictures for support. She can add her own rhyming words when she is finished identifying
(Bergeron and Bradbury-Wolff, 2002).

Reflection of Experience
During this project I was introduced to ERAS, Spelling Inventories and Running
Records. I was able to choose my own three focus students which made the experience a little
more engaging. I learned a lot about my kindergarten students. They are on three different levels
of reading and spelling. It was interesting to see how different a reading and spelling level could
be between two students of the same age and same class. I found it interesting that my lowest

reader enjoys academic and recreational reading more than my highest reader. Knowing how to
assess students instructional reading levels and spelling stages is crucial in lesson planning and
strategies for teaching. Teachers need to be aware off where all there students are and how to
teach them. If a teacher is teaching the whole class the same way then all the students needs are
not being met. ERAS is great for getting to know what students like to read and giving teachers
signs that motivation might be needed in certain reading areas for example, academic. I did enjoy
looking over my students assessments and making observations. This was a learning experience
that I can take with me to the classroom, learn from it and become a better educator.

References
Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnson, F. (2012). Words their way (5th ed.).
Pearson Education.
Bergeron, B., & Bradbury-Wolff, M. (2002). Integrating word-level strategies. In Teaching
Reading Strategies in the Primary Grades. Scholastic
Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work (2nd ed.). Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Kear, D., & McKenna, M. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: A new tool for
teachers. In The Reading Teacher (pp. 626-639). International Reading Association.