For the teacher
Welcome to Worldwise Formative Assessment a resource that supports the WorldWise program.
The extracts for assessment are taken from books in the program and require students to read and integrate information from multiple sources. Information is embedded in a range of graphical features, such as maps, diagrams, and photographs, as well as in body text.
Six assessments are provided for each reading stage*, and are color coded and organized as follows:
Reading Levels N, O, P: color code Light Green. Two assessments are provided for each of the Guided Reading Levels N, O, and P, allowing for a pre-and post-test at each letter level.
Reading Levels Q, R, and S: color code Purple. Two assessments are provided for each of the Guided Reading Levels Q, R, and S, allowing for a pre-and post-test at each letter level.
Reading Levels T, U, and V: color code Dark Green. Two assessments are provided for each of the Guided Reading Levels T, U, and V, allowing for a pre-and post-test at each letter level.
This easy-to-implement assessment can be used to test individuals, groups, or the whole class.
The focus is on assessing each student’s ability to:
- Comprehend the key idea in an informational text.
- Integrate the information from the graphical features with the accompanying body text.
- Understand the vocabulary in the context of how it is used in the text.
Each assessment comprises five multiple-choice questions.
- Question 1 asks the student to identify the main idea in the text.
- Questions 2 and 3 require the student to integrate information from graphical features, such as maps and charts, and information from body text.
- Questions 4 and 5 assess each student’s understanding of selected items of academic vocabulary as used in context.
* Levels indicated by letters are Okapi’s unique measurements, comparable to the Guided Reading Levels of Fountas and Pinnell.
IF STUDENTS NEED HELP WITH THE MAIN IDEA
The main idea in an informational text is the central underlying idea, concept, or message the author wants to convey.
Model how to figure out the main idea using a Think aloud. Choose a short informational text and say: I’m going to read this text to figure out the main idea. As I read, I’m asking myself what is this text mainly about? What is the big idea that the author wants me to understand? Identify some important details and record summary statements about these details on a chart, as you read. Review these summary statements. Say: I need to put these ideas together to come up with the main idea. The main idea is not a list. The main idea is a short statement that shows what the text is mainly about.
Provide students with a short informational text. Ask them to highlight some important details in the text. Use these to write some summary statements on cards. Arrange the cards in a row. Support the students in using these summary statements to identify the main idea.
Co-construct an anchor chart with the students to show what they can do to figure out the main idea. As well as displaying the anchor chart, provide the students with individual copies they can easily refer to.
IF STUDENTS NEED HELP WITH GRAPHICAL LITERACY
Graphical literacy refers to the graphical devices that an author uses to convey information. These devices either complement and add to the running text or they provide additional information. Graphical devices include maps, graphs, tables, diagrams, etc.
Model how to link graphical devices to the running text using a Think aloud. Choose a short informational text with a map and say: Before I read, I notice that this text has a map. I know that the author has included this map to help me understand what I am going to read. Read the passage. Say: As I’m reading this paragraph, I’m looking at the map. I can see the places the author has written about. I can see that these places are close to the sea.
Provide the students with a short informational text that includes a graphical device. Read the text with the students and have them draw a line from the sentence or paragraph that links to the graphical device. Discuss how the graphical device is linked to the running text.
Co-construct an anchor chart with the students to show how to link graphical devices to the running text. As well as displaying the anchor chart, provide the students with individual copies they can easily refer to.
IF STUDENTS NEED HELP WITH VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Vocabulary in context means using the words around the target word to unlock its meaning. The context of the sentence or the paragraph may provide the support.
Model how to use context to unlock the meaning of words using a Think aloud. Choose a short passage to read. Stop when you come to an unknown word. Say: I’m not sure what this word means so I’m going to re-read the sentence to see if this helps me. As I read, I’m thinking about what the author is telling us. If necessary, re-read the paragraph or the whole passage.
Provide a short informational text for the students with an unknown word in bold. Read the text with the students. Stop at the unknown word. Encourage the students to re-read the sentence and think about what the author is telling us. Provide the students with two possible meanings for the word. Ask: Which of these makes sense in this text? How do you know?
Co-construct an anchor chart to show strategies for using context to figure out vocabulary. As well as displaying the anchor chart, provide the students with individual copies they can easily refer to.