As I reflect on my student's Unit 4 differentiated assessments, I have been pleased with their efforts in showing their understanding with those terms. My students have improved from 56% of those words to around 85% so far this year. Are the words to easy? Are the students really picking up the strategies and applying the skill work with those words? We spent time most days reviewing those words in large group as well as discussing their differentiated words in small group discussions. Is it truly making a difference?
This unit (5) has been difficult for us to have those discussions and do the same activities we were doing with our words, I even have noticed the words becoming more difficult as the students are asking those questions about the words. Which is good to have those questions being asked.
One observation I did make on our last assessment was that my advanced students did the worse on vocabulary than the rest of my groups. They still did pretty well but it was the lowest percentage correct of all my groups. I gave them more individual and group work in order to focus more on my struggling readers. I need to go back and review some of the vocabulary strategies we discussed and make sure all of my students can apply them.
I have passed on the accountability more to students and I am requiring them to take more of an initiative to understand those words. I do like the 4 square word method but it does take some of my students a long time. However, they are becoming more independent with those words.
I am excited about my student's progress but know we have some work to do.
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