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About Alison Epler
Expertise
I can answer questions from students, parents, or teachers regarding discipline, classroom management,and/or academics. I can help teachers with questions about reading and writing workshop, math, science, or social studies. I can help parents help their kids at home.
Experience
I have been a teacher for eight years. Four years have been in first grade and four years have been in fourth grade. I have presented my writing workshop strategies to other teachers being trained in MLPP (Michigan Literacy Progress Profile).
Organizations
I belong to Phi Kappa Delta, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), and Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA).
Education/Credentials
My bachelor's degree came from Northern Michigan University and was in elementary education. I earned my master's degree in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University. I am currently working on my early childhood endorsement (ZA endorsement)and would like to begin my specialist's degree in educational leadership. I hold a professional teaching certificate and an administrative certificate.
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You are here: Experts > Education > Elementary Educators > Elementary Educators > reading assessment
Expert: Alison Epler - 11/5/2009
Question
Hi,
Are you familiar with the DRA assessment materials? My youngest daughter is in kinder and just loves to read and has since she was 4. She reads some easy chapter books and seems to comprehend well. She answers our questions fine. Today she was tested at school using the DRA system. I do not yet know the results as our conference is not scheduled for 2 more weeks. But I do know that my child read 3 books during testing, the only thing is the teacher started high and went lower with each book. So, I am assuming that means she did not pass the comprehension part on the first book and so the teacher went down a level. Obviously this happened twice because the last book she read was the lowest level of the 3. Is my assumtion likely correct? Or is there another reason the teacher would go backwards like that? Just curious.
Answer
Hello Kellie,
Yes, I am very familiar with the DRA. Our district uses this assessment and I used the DRA for four years of teaching first grade. Typically, first, the teacher gets an idea for the reading level of the child and "guesses" with which level to start when testing. After careful observation of fluency and comprehension, the teacher chooses a level with which to begin. In my experience, the teacher begins with a lower level and then tests up to the child's level. This is because there is only one book per level. Let's say, for example, the teacher guesses that the child is around an 8 when she is really a 4. If the guess is too high, the teacher needs to go lower and lower, until the correct level is identified. That means the child has already read an 8 and a 6. When the teacher realizes the child is 4, and it comes time to test again later in the year, the child is basically reading the level 6 and 8 for a second time, which gives that child an advantage. So, it's better to guess low and then work up.
DRA tests two reading skills-fluency (or accuracy) and comprehension. It tests how well the child reads out loud and then how the child understands what he/she has read. A child who reads well and comprehends, will have difficulty answering comprehension questions relating to the lowest level stories. They don't have a true "story". For example, one of the lower books reads, "The frog is green." On the next page, "The sailboat is blue". It isn't really a story, there isn't really anything to understand. When I test students who are good readers, I do skip past those books because they don't do well with the comprehension section. When I skip ahead a few levels, they are able to retell and answer questions because there truly is a story in the books at a higher level.
I am not sure that I am answering your question. Maybe you will understand a little more once you conference. Even if your child truly tested at a level three, know that she's already ahead. Most of my kindergartners entering first grade were at an A, 1, 2, or 3. The DRA levels are A, 1, 2, 3, 4, and then the levels skip by increments of 2. (A, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and so on). Please continue to ask questions if you have them. Feel free to contact me again, before or after your conference. I hope this helps.
Kindly,
Alison
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