Teachers' Corner The Case Report What Does It Mean? Reading Services Center

First and foremost, you should be commended for being so aware of your student's needs and alert that something was inhibiting his/her development of reading skills. Your concern precipitated the referral for a diagnostic evaluation. Then a reading diagnostician joined forces with you to coordinate efforts and assist you with techniques to improve the student's academic progress.

The results and recommendations are directed to the student's reading program. The evaluations are geared for the classroom teachers and/or the Title 1 teachers who work directly with the student's reading instruction.

Here are a few explanatory comments about the reports that hopefully will clarify and help you understand how to facilitate the suggestions.

REPORT OF READING EVALUATION

Background Information

(a summary of the student's reading-related information based on scores of standardized achievement tests, criterion referenced tests, and basal end-of-book tests)

The current reading status of the student is indicated as is any supplementary help he/she is receiving.

Purpose of Referral

(a synopsis of the reasons for the request for diagnostic evaluation)

Included are comments of specific reading concerns expressed by classroom teachers, resource personnel, school psychologists, parents, etc.

Testing

(a brief description of the student's behavior and displayed attitude during the testing battery)

Also stated are the specific areas of reading that were tested.

Diagnostic Summary

(an explanation of the results of tests administered in each reading skill area)

1. Emergent/Readiness Skills - Checks for: beginning reading skills
   
   
   1. Deficiency Suggests: difficulty understanding and following directions
      
      
2. Auditory Skills - Checks for: hearing and remembering sounds in words
   
   
   1. Deficiency Suggests: difficulty understanding and following oral directions, instructions, class discussions, and establishing sound/symbol relationships necessary for phonic instruction
      
      
3. Visual Skills - Checks for: seeing and remembering printed or written material
   
   
   1. Deficiency Suggests: difficulty remembering letters in words--consequently writing words with letters reversed or jumbled or perceiving words incorrectly for decoding
      
      
4. Word Recognition Skills - Checks for: recognizing and applying the sounds for the symbols such as phonic generalizations and syllabic principles
   
   
   1. Deficiency Suggests: difficulty reading fluently with many mispronunciations
      
      
5. Language and Vocabulary Development - Checks for: understanding and expressing adequate language and the concepts of written words
   
   
   1. Deficiency Suggests: difficulty understanding written material and understanding classroom instructions
      
      
6. Oral Reading/Comprehension - Checks for: decoding ability, fluency, accuracy, and comprehension
   
   
7. Silent Reading/Comprehension - Checks for: understanding of vocabulary and comprehension
   
   
8. Listening Comprehension - Checks for: processing information presented orally and comparing listening to oral/silent reading ability

Interpretation of Diagnosis

(the tester's opinion of what might be blocking the student's reading growth--the reading weaknesses and the strengths the teacher must take into consideration in adjusting the curriculum to meet the student's needs)

Learning Goals

(a concise list of goals the tester has devised to improve the student's learning to read)

Instructional Recommendations

(specific suggestions and methods to aid in providing appropriate instruction in order for the student to attain the goals)

Teaching Models, Learning Activities

(models of corrective lessons in sequential order of difficulty and learning activities for guided practice) Suggestions are designed to help you understand and assist the student in coping and adjusting to his/her particular learning style.