Early Childhood

Task 3: Assessment Commentary

TASK 3: ASSESSMENT COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 10 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses

1. Analyzing Childrens Learning

a. Identify the specific language and literacy learning objectives for the common
assessment you chose for analysis.
[I carefully selected language and literacy standards and objectives to be measured by the
assessment I chose for analysis. The assessment for the group is a book report that assesses
the childrens reading comprehension skills through written communication in the structure of a
book report.
I selected language and literacy standards and objectives that aligned with my central
focus of reading comprehension, as well as the learning targets for my third learning
experience. Although these learning targets are specific to the third learning experience, they
encompass the overall goals for the learning segment. The third learning experience was
designed to incorporate the skills and knowledge children had developed throughout the
learning segment so these skills could be assessed for future instruction.
The standard and learning target I selected to measure through the formal assessment
was the standard of CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the
topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion,
and provide some sense of closure. The learning target of Children will compose a book report
using information they have gathered from their text aligns with this because the book report is
how they are communicating their comprehension of the text. This is the learning target I have
chosen to formally assess because it shows a culmination of the skills they have developed
during the learning segment. Although there are other standards and learning targets included
in this learning segment, I have chosen to assess them informally as most of them, such as
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking, are things we have been working on all year and
need to be assessed regularly. However they were not directly a part of the overall central focus
for this learning segment, so I chose to assess them informally rather than formally.
In order to perform well on the assessment, children needed to include the book report
elements we have worked with throughout the learning segment. They needed to write in a way
that is clear, using the transition words to inform readers of the plot sequence.
Children were able to use their graphic organizers (plot flow chart) and book report
elements lists, as well as the paragraph frame to guide their writing. They need to fill in the
pieces that they already found from their text in a format that allows others to understand what
knowledge they have gained from reading and discussing the text.]
b. Provide a graphic (table or chart) or narrative that summarizes the class/groups learning
for the common assessment.
1 of 6 | 10 pages
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Early Childhood
Task 3: Assessment Commentary

[ The whole class for the assessment I am analyzing refers to all of the children in my class. The
group contains the two focus children, Focus Student 1 and Focus Student 2. Focus Student 1
is in the On Target reading level group for this learning segment. Focus Student 2 is a struggling
reader who often becomes frustrated when she is unable to recognize or decode a word right
away. When she is not able to read a text fluently, the frustration increases and hinders her

2 of 6 | 10 pages
Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior
maximum
University. All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA
trademarks is permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

ability to comprehend what she is reading.

The informal part of the assessment I am analyzing is shown in Video Clip Two from
Task Two, as well as attached anecdotal notes on my observations from the third learning
experiences. Overall, the children were engaged with the lesson with some redirection and
prompting from me. They followed directions and participated in discussions, and completed the
learning tasks given to them. The common assessment I used to assess the children in my
class was a checklist which is similar to the one they used to analyze their peers work. It
shows the book report elements that needed to be included, a yes or no to show whether or not
the child included that specific element, and a space for comments. The children were given
one point for each element they included. The plot was worth three points for beginning, middle
and end (children who included two of those received two points, and children who included one
of those received one point). Children were also required to include at least three transition
words when writing about the plot. If they included one word, they would receive one point. If
they included two or three transition words, they received corresponding points for those as
well. The checklist was worth 13 points total. The average amount of points received for the
whole class was 11.4 or 76%. Focus Student 1 received 11 points which was nearly the
average, and Focus Student 2 received 12 points. Specifically, children tended to leave out the
main idea (subject or theme) of the book as well as transition words. Most children included the
other elements of their book reports, and did especially well with including a beginning, middle,
and end for their plot sequence.]
c. Use the class/group summary you provided in prompt 1b to analyze the patterns of
language and literacy learning for the class/group.
[Overall, the children in the whole class have varied skills related to literacy and language
development. They sometimes struggle with remaining focused on a learning task. However,
when they are prompted, they are typically able find the information they need to complete the
task. The scores of the focus children compared to the group show me that while they both
scored near the average score for the class, the average score was lower than my expectations
for the whole class.
I believe that one of the reasons the scores were lower than expected was that children
were not making the connection between what they had found and comprehended from the text
and how they needed to write the book report. They were able to comprehend the text to a point
where they were able to retell it to their peers, as well as find the required elements of a book
report with some prompting. However, once children were required to begin writing their reports,
they struggled to form sentences that told about the text without retelling the entire plot. They
are familiar with telling and retelling stories and writing short narratives from prompts, but are
unfamiliar with most other genres of writing. The paragraph frame supported them in
understanding exactly how they needed to write but they still tended to become too focused on
one particular element which caused them to omit other elements. ]
d. Analyze the patterns of learning for the 2 focus children. Reference the 3 sources of
evidence you collected for each of the 2 focus children.

Consider childrens strengths (what children understand and do well), and areas of learning that need attention

[The 2 focus children in my class are similar in that they both contribute to oral discussions and
collaborate well with small groups. However, they are very different with regards to motivation to
complete tasks involving reading and writing. Focus Student 1 is able to follow through with
directions and complete tasks with very little prompting. She reads fluently and is able to focus
on and complete written tasks. Focus Student 2s frustration with not being able to read as

fluently as her peers may cause her to need more prompting and guidance to complete reading
or writing tasks.
Much of the evidence for this variation comes from Video Clip Two in Task Two. In Video
Clip Two at 2:37, the children in the below target reading level group are sitting next to the
classroom library. I provide support for Focus Student 2 as they search for the required
elements for the book reports in their texts. I prompt her in trying to find the title of the chapter
she is reading by asking Table of Contents? Is that where we find the title of the story? Whats
the title of your story? and Focus Student 2 responds by looking through the table of contents
and finding her title. Then, I prompt her to write the title on her book report elements list. I did
this so she could understand what she needed to do to complete the task, then continue to work
with her peers. Her struggles with reading and writing tasks are also evidenced by the
observation notes as well as the assessment data. They show that she is an engaged learner,
and can be motivated to complete tasks, especially with individual support. She communicates
well orally but struggles to communicate her thoughts through writing. However, when she
understands exactly what she needs to do to complete a task and it is broken into parts, she is
capable of completing those tasks.
Focus Student 1 demonstrates the need for less prompting in Video Clip Two. At 5:02,
when I verbally remind children to take turns and respect each other, she responds by
immediately beginning to read fluently out loud and reminding her peers to be quiet. This She
tends to be a leader within collaborative groups and social activities and occasionally reminds
others of what directions are. Her ability to read fluently helps her to complete the other learning
tasks with little frustration and prompting. I believe the task of creating a book report to
represent what she comprehended about the text was an achievable task for her to complete. ]
e. If video or audio evidence of learning or a video or audio work sample occurs in a group
context (e.g., discussion), provide the name of the clip and clearly describe how the
scorer can identify the focus children (e.g., position, physical description) whose work
is portrayed.
[Focus Student One and Focus Student Two can both be identified in Video Clip Two of Task
Two. Focus Student One is shown within her small group sitting against the wall near the
whiteboard. Focus Student Two is sitting next to the classroom library on the floor. She cannot
be seen during parts of the video clip, but can be identified by my placement during descriptions
of what I say and do, and her responses as indicated in part 1d.]
2. Feedback to Guide Further Learning
Refer to specific evidence of submitted feedback to support your explanations.
a. Identify the format in which you submitted your evidence of feedback for the 2 focus
children. (Delete choices that do not apply.)
Written directly on work samples or in separate documents that were provided to the
focus children
If a video or audio clip of feedback occurs in a group context (e.g., discussion), clearly
describe how the scorer can identify the focus child (e.g., position, physical description)
who is being given feedback.

[ N/A ]
b. Explain how the feedback provided to the 2 focus children addresses their individual and
developmental strengths and needs relative to language and literacy development.
[My written feedback to the two focus children positively addresses their individual strengths as
well as challenges for improvement. This is important so children can be made aware of what

they have done well and think positively about their work, as well as what they can work on to
develop their skills and enhance their learning. I accomplished this by writing comments on the
assessment checklists attached to their individual book reports. This way, children can see how
the comments directly connect to what they included in their book reports.
For Focus Student One, I wrote I liked how you used complete sentences and transition
words to tell the plot of the book (first, then). This lets the child know that I noticed that she
wrote her plot in a way that was clear for readers to understand. This way, she could be
encouraged to continue writing in complete sentences and using transition words to help her
writing flow well. I also wrote a question for this childs feedback- Why did you like the book? I
wrote this in a positively worded question rather than simply telling her she didnt include a
reason she liked the book. This allows her to reflect on her work and consider what she could
change about it rather than just realizing she missed an element and moving on.
For Focus Student Two, I wrote I liked how you wrote about the eginning, middle, and
end of the book (plot). Again, this shows a positive aspect of her writing- that she was able to
write about the plot in a way that her readers could clearly follow. I did not focus on the
transition words for this child because she did not show evidence of comprehending them to a
point where she would make the connection to why they were important. She wrote two
transition words in her book report because they directly matched the paragraph frame, and
because I told her exactly how she needed to begin her sentences. I also wrote Make sure to
put spaces between your words. This is something that will make her writing clearer to others
as well as to herself and possibly cause less frustration with writing. I noticed that when she was
sharing her book report, there were times when she was unable to read her own writing. Placing
spaces between her words will allow her to read her work easier and make it clearer for others
to read as well. ]
c. Describe how you will support each focus child to understand and use this feedback to
further their learning related to learning objectives, either within the learning segment
or at a later time.
[I will support the focus children to apply the feedback I have provided in order to guide their
improvement as an extension to the learning segment through reflective discussion.. It is
important for children to not only receive relevant feedback, but understand it in a way that they
will be able to use it to enhance their development of skills and learning.
I will support both Focus Children by discussing their feedback with them. First, I will
make sure they understand the assessment and how it is connected to the checklist they
completed when reviewing their peers work. Then, I will make sure they are able to read and
understand my feedback. Then, I will ask them what they can do to improve their writing, and
what they liked best about their writing. I will have them respond to these questions orally, so I
can see how they think aloud, rather than having them rewrite their book reports.
Specifically, for Focus Student One, I will ask her what she liked about her book and why
that would have been an important part to include in her book report. This would show that she
comprehends the book to where she understands that the book not only has a main idea, but is
also made up of many separate parts that she described in her plot summary. Then I will point
out how the transition words she used helped make her writing clear because they are clues to
what happened when throughout the plot.

For Focus Student Two, I will show her how she can use finger spaces to allow for
sufficient space between her words. I will also ask her what she felt was the easiest and most
difficult part of the book report to get a better idea of her strengths and what parts frustrated her
the most or she struggled with.
I will use this reflective feedback from the children and I to determine how to best meet
the childrens needs with writing in multiple different contexts.]

3. Evidence of Vocabulary Understanding and Use

When responding to the prompt below, use concrete examples from the video clips and/or
childrens work samples as evidence. Evidence from the video clips may focus on one or
more children.
a. Explain how children were able to use the key vocabulary1 to support their learning of the
content.

For prompt 3a, refer to the evidence of childrens vocabulary use from ONE,
TWO, OR ALL THREE of the following sources:
1. Video clips from Instruction Task 2 and time-stamp references for evidence
of vocabulary use
2. Additional video file named Vocabulary Use of no more than 5 minutes in
length and cited vocabulary use (this can be footage of one or more
children). See Assessment Task 3 specifications in the Early Childhood
Evidence Chart for acceptable file types. Submit the video clip in
Assessment Task 3, Part C.
3. Childrens work samples analyzed in Assessment Task 3 and cited
vocabulary use

[ According to evidence from the childrens work samples, they were able to use vocabulary to
demonstrate their comprehension of the text through writing. Both Focus Children were able to
identify the vocabulary related to book report elements within their individual book reports. For
example, Focus Student Two used words such as The main character and transition words
such as first and third accurately to explain what she comprehended from the text. Focus
Student One also accurately used transition words such as first and then to tell the plot
summary, and also used took place to describe the setting. Although the children did not
explicitly use the words author, setting, etc, they demonstrated that they understood this
vocabulary because they included those elements within their book reports.]
4. Using Assessment to Inform Instruction
a. Based on your analysis of childrens learning presented in prompts 1bc, describe next
steps for instruction:
For the class/group
For the 2 focus children and other individuals/groups with specific needs

Consider the active and multimodal nature of childrens learning and the variety of learners in your class/group

[The next steps for instruction based on this learning segment will involve more focused and
individualized reading and writing instruction based on specific needs and skills of the children

This vocabulary was identified in Planning Task 1 and refers to developmentally appropriate sounds, words, phrases,

sentences, and paragraphs that children use or create to engage in the learning experience.

in my class. This is important because after implementing this learning segment, I now have a
better understanding of the childrens range of literacy skills.
I would individualize reading and writing instruction by continuing to prompt and remind
children of the skills they can use to decode words, and how to write complete sentences. I will
continue using engaging activities to culminate these skills, and provide more support for
children who are not yet ready to complete the learning tasks without guidance.
I will engage children in research and interest based activities so they can see how
reading and writing connect to help us communicate in a variety of contexts and content areas.
Children could again use leveled books to read fluently and comprehend them to a point where
they are able to communicate what they learned to others. For example, the children could do
these kinds of activities with non-fiction texts as well where they find certain elements from the
text and represent it through their own ideas and writing. This will give them another opportunity
to build on these types of reading and writing connection skills but through a different context to
keep them engaged with the learning experiences.]
b. Explain how these next steps follow from your analysis of childrens learning. Support
your explanation with principles from research and/or developmental theory.
[These steps follow my analysis of childrens learning based on Lev Vygotskys Zone of
Proximal Development, related to scaffolding of tasks and skills. This is important because it
allows children to be challenged without pushing them to a point of frustration in which they are
unable to complete the tasks.
Children will be challenged and supported while they complete activities individually and
with peers and read non-fiction texts. For example, some children will be able to understand
how research connects to comprehension and communication right away and may be able to do
independent research. Other children may need to be supported throughout a project like this.
They may need to read a text together with peers while being guided by me, then participate in
directed discussions about what is important from the text and why. As they gain understanding
of the text, I will slowly give them less and less guidance with the project. Other children may be
able to participate in reading comprehension and research activities by collaborating with their
peers and learning from each other.]