Reflective Journal Project 2 Entry: Continuous Progress Monitoring and Data Analysis Helping Struggling Readers

Author: Yusun Y. Beck

Written For:
Old Dominion University
Language Acquisition and Diverse Learning Needs (TLED 568)

There are multiple ways that continuous progress monitoring and data analysis can be used to help struggling readers.  Proper assessment allows for an accurate evaluation of the students’ current abilities and their needs.  Having good skills in data analysis allows for the student performance to be accurately portrayed.  Continuous progress monitoring is very important and must go on because each day is a day to help the struggling student to learn and grow to become better readers.

In order to remedy a problem, we must know that one exists.   Data that is not gathered can not be analyzed as well.  Therefore, Evaluation is a very important part of progress monitoring and helping struggling readers.  Reading is very complicated and there could be decoding issues, missed cues, disabilities, or even nervousness.  This is just to name a few of the many problems that could exist.  Assessments are meant to be the beginning of evaluation.  Assessments should be both reliable (consistent) and valid (related to the materials taught).  Measuring progress accurately requires goals and standards for evaluation.  In perfect practice, good evaluation should determine if there is a legitimate problem for the student, gather good accurate data for analyzing, and keep the teacher and student on track in a specific direction.

Evaluation is good for getting raw data, but all collected data must be analyzed or the teacher could hone in on the wrong area.  Therefore, proper interpretation of the results from constant evaluation must be accomplished.  Teachers must understand Informal Reading Inventories (IRI), Running Record Calculations, and Cueing Systems.  Good data analysis simply finds where the confusion is.  For example, teachers must know the difference between visual, structure, and meaning cues to name a few.  These items aid in continuous progress monitoring.

Continuous progress monitoring includes detecting the problem (evaluation) and interpreting data collected through the evaluation process (data analysis).  However, it also includes action.  The teacher’s job is to identify, understand, and attempt to fix the problem.  Progress monitoring helps struggling readers because it allows for constant improvement which is continuously observed.   If there is a road bump that arises then it is handled immediately.

It is never good to wait to solve a problem.  Continuous progress monitoring involves evaluation, data analysis, and teacher student observation with problem solving skills.  It allows for constant and immediate detection and action.  Collected data from the evaluation can be interpreted properly.  Finally, a teacher can begin to work with the student to implement appropriate goals and standards.  The continuous progress monitoring also allows for flexibility to shift a focus on trouble areas and help the student improve faster in an ideal situation.