Reading Diagnosis and Assessment

One of our assignments for Dr,Conrad's class was to do select a student who had reading problems and make our assessments and select the necessary intervention. I would like to share some of my experience working with my student.

We were introduced to several instruments to do the diagnosis, The concept and purpose of each was clear in theory but not fully grasped until it is applied. I discovered that if the selection of the instrument and application is inappropriate, it can be disatrous for both the teacher and the student. Using of of he instruments my student got all flustered and felt he was under too much scrutiny. That was a quick learning experience for me. I did not want to lose his confidence and trust and I immediately changed my approach.

After my unsettling initiation in using assessment instruments,I knew I had to find ways to keep his confidence level high. One of the the most enjoyable experiences for both of us was when I allowed to narrate stories and I wrote for him. He was eager to share something that his teacher did not know much about.

He felt proud of himself when I read the story back to him . i made a copy for him and included the caption, 'As told by KR'. He proudly placed it in his bag and eagerly asked about our next meeting.

I felt good as an educator, especially when I got feedback from his class teachers that he was more alert in class and actually raised his hands to volunteer answers, something he rarely did before.