DRA2 Information
August 23, 2018
READING
What are the five components of reading?
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonics
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
Purpose of DRA (Directed Reading Assessment):
DRA2 was designed to help teachers systematically
observe, record, and evaluate students’
- reading engagement,
- oral reading fluency, and
- comprehension.
- Assess & determine reading level
- Focus for classroom instruction (Provide through guided reading)
-- Check fluency and accuracy
text level for the assessment or look in DRA2 Teacher Guide pgs. 40-41.
- Determine level from which to begin.
- Be sure you have books & copies of the Teacher Observation Guide in the levels needed.
- For Levels 14+, you'll need a stopwatch and a calculator.
- Familiarize yourself with the benchmark texts.
- Plan your assessment timeline to complete all assessments within allocated window.
Reading Engagement
In Grades K - 3, start by assessing reading engagement through oral questions (Levels A - 24 on blackline master) or by having each student complete the Student Reading Survey (pgs. 314, 315 of Blackline Masters book).
In Grades 4–8, prior to the one-on-one assessment conference, the students independently record what they have read over recent months and identify strengths and goals to improve reading skills. Teachers can administer this portion of the assessment individually, in small groups, or as a whole class (pgs. 314, 315 of Blackline Masters book).
Oral Reading Fluency
The student then reads aloud specially selected Benchmark Assessment Books. In order to assess the student accurately, teachers use previous DRA2 or other reading assessment information to determine the highest text levels the student can read. These books increase in difficulty to adjust to each reader’s stage of development. As each student reads, the teacher records responses and behaviors to evaluate oral reading fluency based upon accuracy, phrasing, expression, and rate.
Comprehension
After the oral reading, it is time to evaluate comprehension. Ask students in Grades K–3 to retell the story or to write a summary. Then, the students answer questions that will help determine how well they understood the story.
Students in Grades 4–8 independently read the Benchmark Assessment Book and respond to questions and prompts in the Student Booklet. Clarify the assignment with the student if needed, but do not provide specific information or examples related to the text.
Teacher Analysis
The last step is the Analysis and Focus for Instruction. Use the Teacher Observation Guide to provide a framework for evaluating and scoring students’ overall reading performance as well as their strengths and the areas that need improvement.
Use the Focus for Instruction checklist in the Teacher Observation Guide to determine what students need to learn next. This will help target instruction based on each student’s specific needs