Individual tests

Individual tests are presented after word-attack exercises. The teacher follows the procedure exactly as scripted. The individual tests provide the teacher with feedback to determine if students are at mastery.

The number of rows and columns that students mush read without errors changes for each lesson. Close attention should be given to the target of rows or columns. Group achieving the targeted number of error-free rows are reading with eighty per cent accuracy.

Turn to page 18 in Decoding B2 Teacher’s Guide. Practise teaching lesson 1, exercise 8 with a partner. Practise giving specific praise for error-free rows and tallying perfect reads.

The process is:

• Say, ‘Now I’m going to call on individuals. Each person will read a row or column. There are eleven rows and columns. If we can read nine of them without making a mistake, everybody in the group earns four points. So read carefully.’
• Call on a student to read the first row or column. If a mistake is made, correct the error. That row does not count for the total.
• Keep a tally on the board of rows read with no errors so students can see it.
• Give a specific praise for error-free rows, ‘Perfect read! That’s a point.’
• If the group does not read the targeted number of error-free rows, it is recommended that they repeat the exercise.

Perfect read!
That’s a point.