So this week while looking at my DIBELS data I realized something... check this out...
Do you notice what I notice, that I have never noticed before? This student met in all three areas that we are told to focus on (FSF, PSF, NWF) but did not Benchmark overall... she came up Yellow Strategic.
After asking around and getting no real answer, I started really to think about what this means and came up with this (someone even told me to take it up with DIBELS... LOL).
Even though a child can be OK in each individual area, they can still be strategic because strategic means "keep an eye on this one." If you look at the LNF she scored a O and the WWR is also O and so they are right.. I need to keep an eye on her. For once, I realize that the Composite Score is just as important as each individual test (because ultimately I would like to NOT have any red or yellow dots, as when you look at the chart your eye attracts to the colors and not the numbers, making it look as if my kids did not do as good as they actually did!)
How is knowing this going to change how I teach? Believe it or not it really is. Before realizing this I was like "Oh LNF don't really count AND WWR don't either" so I taught but did not really emphasize it through routine practice. Boy was I holding myself back! If this student had scored in those two areas, her composite score would have been higher and she would have had a green dot at the end of the row! Duh! (Please head over to PreK and K Sharing for what I include in those folder!)
So I quickly added a LNF into the students daily practice folders. These are folders the kids keep at their tables that have sheet protectors in them and where they can put unfinished work. When we come in from recess of as a fast finisher they can get a sand timer and practice. I also created these great NSF pages for each month to have the kids slide in. When I walk around I make sure the kids are BLENDING them, thus helping that WWR score skyrocket! We have even done the words together as a class as warm-up before blending our words for our regular reading lesson. =) I really feel like it is going to make a difference so here it is for you for free!
I hope someone else can learn from my little realization! Please share any AHA's you have had too... (or maybe I am wrong?) Have a great weekend everyone!
Sorry for the extra click... but I am moving all of my content over to Simply Kinder (since so much of what we do is for the primary grades in general!)