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From: Hugh Wheeler
Date: 9/22/2008
Time: 1:47:41 PM
Remote Name: 200.63.42.136
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From: Jennifer Burg
Date: 9/13/00
Time: 9:12:18 AM
Remote Name: 204.170.154.5
I interviewed students in second grade form the Overlook School. The school is located in the Abington section of Montgomery County. The students come from various ethnic backgrounds, which is an advantage because the children bring different experiences to the classroom. This second grade class consisted of seventeen students, nine girls and eight boys. The students were very cooperative throughout the testing. I gave all three tests, two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Reading Attitude Assessment- I started off by telling the students that this was not a test, but that I was just gathering information for a paper. I explained to them that I was interested in learning how they felt about reading, and I wanted them to be honest. I read the questions to them and they filled in the answers. The students used a lot of one-word responses to the questions. Students used words like good, happy, glad, and bad for answering the question how do you feel when you think about your reading. Most of the students read at home. The majority of the students enjoy going to the library. The students indicated that reading time in class was okay, but some students feel uncomfortable when asked to read aloud. The students enjoy being read to by their teacher. For those that answered the question what do you do best as a reader, they gave strategies they use when reading. The students did not respond to the question, what do you need to learn to do better as a reader. The students like to read about animals, Pokemon, Amber Brown, Rugrats, and adventures. The students do not have access to the Internet. The students indicated that parents feel good, happy, and great about their reading. I felt as though this data did not provide enough information to really get an assessment of the students reading attitude. The students for the most part gave one-word answers that did not provide sufficient data. As a teacher I would take the students feeling about reading aloud for example, and take that into consideration when asking students to read. I would then only call on students who raise their hand in order to avoid a child feeling uncomfortable. Students enjoy being read to; therefore, I would incorporate story time into the daily routie. I would definitely model good reading behaviors so the students will know what strategies good readers use. I feel this is a valid instrument if used with older students. I feel that for second graders the questions were a bit wordy and it required a great deal of writing. The students used single word answers that they knew how to spell. I believe that students would have been more comfortable with an individual interview, and they would have been more expressive about how they feel about reading. This evaluation provided some useful information, but I felt it was not age appropriate for second graders.
School Interest Inventory- The students were asked to answer the set of questions about their interests in school. I read the questions and the students responded on the paper. The subjects that students find most interesting were math, gym, and art. The least favorite subject for students to respond to was confusing. Most students put their favorite subject and explained why. Most of the students indicated that math would be the subject they would want homework in. The students would like to study themes such as dinosaurs, animals, mystery, poems, racecars and presidents. The section of the library they like to go to are books on tape, picture books, sports, and the computer. The computer software programs they mentioned were Word/Number Munchers, Jump Start Second Grade, Clue Finders, and Arthur. By reviewing the data that was collected, it is apparent that many students prefer math, gym, and art. We as teachers need to figure out ways of making reading a subject that is interesting for students. The themes that the students mentioned would be a way of getting children interested in reading. Allowing students some choice about what they can read will possibly spark some interest. Taking students to the library and having them become familiar with the surroundings is a wonderful idea. Give students assignments that would require them to use their local library, which would be valuable for the students. Once again I found this assessment to be insufficient as far as the information that was obtained. Some of the information was useful, but again students gave one-word answers and did not explain their responses. I think for second graders, to ask the question, which does you like the least, is a confusing question for them. I feel the students need prompting for answering these questions. Individually administered tests would provide better insight into the interests of the students.
General Interest Inventory- The students were read the questions and asked to respond by writing their answers on the paper. The students’ hobbies were cheerleading, art, reading, riding bikes, singing, and basketball. Students like to collect items such as seashells, coins, Pokemon cards, rocks, and paperclips. Children enjoy going to the playground, watching television, playing on the computer, and playing with their friends after school. Spending time with friends and family is what students enjoy doing with their free time. The students use their computers to play games. Pokemon and Rugrats seem to be the most popular television shows for second graders. Students would like to travel to Utah, Florida, Texas, New York, Alaska, Hawaii, and space. I felt as though this was a better inventory of what students are interested in. As a teacher you want to value what is important to students and make a connection with them. Using students’ collections of things and incorporating them into lessons is a great way of getting students motivated to learn. Have students use their computer at home to do more than just play games. Require students to research and do assignments on the computer. Taking the places they want to travel to and doing a thematic unit on the states is an excellent way of getting children excited about learning. I feel this interest inventory has provided a clear picture of what students are interested in. As a teacher I feel it is important to know what students like and incorporate that into the classroom. I feel the students’ responses were honest and they took the time to write their answers. I think that interest inventories should be given several times throughout the year, because it provides valuable information about the students.