Latest Assessment of Student B

I read the Level 7 PM book Baby Bear Goes Fishing to the student, then asked the student to retell the story, using the pictures.  After that I asked her some literal and inferential questions.  My question to Vosaic was 'Does M show an understanding of the story?'  It's answer was:

M exhibits a solid grasp of the narrative overall, identifying the primary characters, chronological events, and emotional states presented in the story. 

Evidence from the transcript M correctly names the bear family—baby, mother, and father—and recognizes the fishing context . She successfully tracks the plot: Baby Bear spotting a fish, utilizing a net, getting tugged along, and the subsequent rescue by Father Bear. 

Regarding character emotions, she notes Baby Bear felt “Sad” due to his initial failure and “good” once he caught a fish. She provides accurate answers to comprehension checks about the net and Father Bear’s intervention. Furthermore, she makes an inferential leap regarding the fish’s power relative to the bear: “big fish… must be stronger than the small baby bear”. 

Conclusion M’s ability to retell core events and character roles is an Area of Strength. An Area of Improvement involves refining setting language, as she mentioned a “pool” instead of a river, and increasing precision in her phrasing. Notable moments include her linking “Sad” feelings to the missing fish and her causal explanation for Baby Bear being dragged into the water. An additional Area of Improvement centers on her mastery of pronouns. M consistently utilizes "him" in contexts requiring "he," indicating a need for greater grammatical precision in her oral narrative output.

I asked Vosaic how I could help M develop her reading and comprehension skills.  It gave a detailed response specific to the book we had read together:

Overview

To bolster M's literary and narrative skills, the educator should employ specialized, age-appropriate methods focusing on lexicon, story sequencing, inferential thinking, and oral expression. The following activities and prompts are derived from the student's performance during the session.

Specific strategies and activities

• Explicitly teach story structure: Utilize visual organizers (characters, setting, conflict, plot, resolution). Following the narrative, ask Margaret to arrange image cards or create brief captions to solidify her grasp of sequence.

• Model and scaffold retelling: Provide a concise example of a retelling (2–3 sentences) and have the student replicate or expand upon it incrementally. Systematically decrease support to foster independent narration.

• Use dialogic reading techniques: Integrate open-ended and "WH" inquiries throughout the reading process (e.g., "What happens next?" or "Why was Baby Bear unhappy?"). Validate her attempts and elaborate on her phrasing by introducing sophisticated vocabulary.

• Teach and reinforce key vocabulary: Present essential terms from the text (net, river, dragged, rescue) using visual aids, physical gestures, and dramatic play. Reinforce these words across various settings and encourage Margaret to demonstrate their meaning.

• Build inferencing skills: Introduce simple inferential challenges and model the thinking process: "He fell into the water. Could it be because the fish was strong?" Prompt Margaret to explain her reasoning using sentence starters.

• Clarify setting and details: When Margaret provides imprecise information (e.g., "the pool" instead of river), provide gentle correction by highlighting differences, perhaps using photos to distinguish between stagnant and moving water.

• Use multimodal supports: Integrate reading with physical props, puppets, and acting. Dramatizing specific scenes (like fishing or rescue) helps make the narrative events more concrete and easier to sequence.

• Practice prediction and cause-effect: Interruption of the story before pivotal moments allows Margaret to forecast outcomes. Follow up with discussions on the reasons behind character actions and their consequences.

• Encourage verbal elaboration: Employ structural frames to help the student expand her thoughts, such as "Baby Bear felt... because..." This supports the development of more complex grammatical structures.

• Provide frequent, brief practice: Consistency is key; brief, regular sessions focusing on vocabulary and retelling are more impactful than longer, sporadic ones. Revisit narratives over multiple days to deepen her understanding.

Concrete lesson ideas (short activities)

• Picture-sequence cards: Margaret can arrange 4–6 images chronologically to guide her oral retelling of the story.

• "Fix the answer" game: Propose slightly inaccurate facts and invite Margaret to identify errors and provide the correct details.

• Puppet interviews: Use a character puppet to ask Margaret about character emotions, encouraging her to use descriptive and causal language.

• Prediction chart: Record the student's initial thoughts on "what might happen" and compare them to the actual plot after reading.

Assessment and goal-setting

• Establish quantifiable short-term objectives (e.g., identifying 3 main events with minimal assistance across most sessions).

• Track progress via informal retelling records, noting improvements in vocabulary use and inferencing. Tailor support levels to her increasing autonomy.

Language and behavior tips for the teacher

• Offer encouraging and specific praise (e.g., "Wonderful job remembering Father Bear's rescue!").

• Allow for adequate wait time; students often require several seconds to organize their verbal responses.

• Expand upon her brief answers rather than using direct correction; repeat her statement while adding further detail.

Summary

Emphasize consistent, scaffolded practice with narrative structure, specific terminology, and multimodal engagement. These approaches will aid Margaret in transitioning from general comprehension to precise, independent storytelling and sophisticated language application.

These suggestions from AI are detailed and specific. I can see myself using them from time to time.

One thing I have been doing in my class is acting out the reader. The kids love it, and it helps them understand the story. It's something I will continue to do.

Assessment using BSLA Oral Narrative

 I have chosen three students to assess.  Two females, one male.  They are all five years old.

On a practical note, I had a bit of trouble with Vosaic.  The first recording I made had no sound, so had to redo the assessment a day or two later.  Then, when I looked at the transript, it hadn't picked up the child at all.  It was 83% me, and the rest was silent!  I could hear what the child was saying, so had to manually add in what they had said.  This took quite a while, cos I had to move where I was picked up in order to get the child's responses in.   I'd made the three recordings by this time, and it was very time-consuming going through each one.

I went and sought the advise of the boss, and he suggested that next time I get a clip-on mic for the kids to wear,  I hope I don't forget to do it.

Onwards and upwards!

Student A:  Female

Conclusion ..... has a solid overall comprehension of the story's main ideas (character, setting,

fall, and Nana's care) but misses or mixes some sequence/details (the timing of the

sling vs. food, and occasional word choice). This indicates a developing understanding

with room to strengthen detail recall and precise vocabulary. Suggested label Area

of Strength Area of Improvement Research: Research on early reading

comprehension and oral retell shows children often recall main ideas before

finer sequence and detail (Paris, 2005; Cain & Oakhill, 2007). Repeated exposure and

guided retelling improve accuracy and detail recall (McKeown & Beck, 2004).

Student B: Female

Conclusion ..... accurately recounts the main sequence, and answers explicit comprehension questions. She gives appropriate responses showing literal comprehension: who the story was about, and why Tama stayed with Nana. She understood and verbally summarized key plot events and reponded correctly to direct comprehension questions. Her retelling occasionally uses compressed or partially nonstandard phrasing.

Things AI told me I was doing well over students A and B

• Frequent scaffolded questioning

• Clear lesson structure

• Immediate corrective feedback

• Use of prompts to support narrative skills

• Positive reinforcement and praise

Some suggestions for improvements were:

• Reduce teacher talk and increase student output by using more open-ended

prompts and wait time

• Invite the student to ask questions and predict outcomes or retell in their own

words

• Give students time to talk about things that happened in the story

• Encourage fuller sentences and more precise vocabulary when retelling

These are good suggestions, but as the oral narrative was read for me, and the

questions were pre-prepared, I had no control over inviting the students to ask

questions or predict outcomes, but this is something I will definitely be conscious

of in future times of reading.

Student C: Male

This child has very challenging speech, and consequently It was impossible to understand his responses to the questions. Vosaic could not transcribe his words, and I was wondering if there was another way to assess his oral languge. I remembered a resource a collegue created a few years ago, so will use this.

We'll see how things go....

Teacher Inquiry 2026

The focus for my inquiry this year is around developing skills in Oral Language.  This is a necessary inquiry, as many of my students have under-developed oral language skills - both in use of language (the way they use words/sentences), and in the actual speech of speaking (forming sounds and words).

I am going to be using the BSLA Oral Language assessment story 'Tama and the Playground' to get some information around comprehension.  I'll be using Vosaic to video the assessment and seeing what AI thinks about the child's comprehension, and any strategies it comes up with to help improve comprehension. 

  

Continued Look into Developing Comprehension Skills with Five-Year-Olds.

I have continued to work on developing comprehension skills with all my students, and have worked with the same group as last time to video my lesson using Vosaic.  We had spent three days slowing reading the book, working on letter sounds, handwriting, and using magnetic letters to make and break words - a BSLA book called A Batch of Pancakes.

I have been using questions created by AI, and have found them really useful.  I also added my own questions to the mix as well.

When Vosaic was ready to analyse the transcript, I asked the question:  Is the teacher asking relevant question?  The answer was positive...

The teacher in the transcript is indeed asking relevant questions that engage the students and encourage critical thinking about the book "A Batch of Pancakes." Here are some key points regarding the relevance of the questions:

• Comprehension Checks: The teacher begins with straightforward questions about the book, such as "What do the kids want to make?" and "How many eggs does Nat ask for?". These questions assess the students' understanding of the text.
• Encouraging Textual Evidence: The teacher prompts students to find specific information in the book, such as asking, "Who says this is fun?" and encouraging them to locate the relevant page. This helps students practice using the text to support their answers.
• Critical Thinking: The teacher poses questions that require students to think beyond the text, such as "Why do you think Nat said, 'Fetch me 6 eggs'?". This encourages students to analyze the characters' motivations and the implications of their actions.
• Emotional Reflection: The teacher also asks about the characters' feelings, such as "How do you think the kids felt when the pancake mix fell on the floor?". This question helps students connect emotionally with the story and consider the characters' experiences.
• Practical Application: The teacher concludes with a question about how the kids could prevent spilling the mixture next time. This encourages students to think about real-life applications of the lessons learned from the story.

Overall, the questions are well-structured and relevant, promoting comprehension, critical thinking, and emotional engagement with the text.

I also wanted to know what I could improve on to develop good comprehension skills and critical thinking.  Vosaic gave this response:

While the teacher's questions are relevant and engaging, there are several areas where improvements could be made to further develop students' comprehension skills and critical thinking abilities:

• Diverse Question Types: Incorporating a mix of question types, such as open-ended, closed, and higher-order questions, can stimulate deeper thinking. For example, asking students to predict what might happen next or to create alternative endings could enhance engagement.
• Encouraging Discussion: Allowing more time for students to discuss their answers with peers can foster collaborative learning. The teacher could facilitate small group discussions before sharing with the larger class to encourage diverse perspectives.
• Follow-Up Questions: After students respond, the teacher could ask follow-up questions that prompt further analysis. For instance, "Can you explain why you think that?" or "What evidence from the text supports your answer?" would encourage deeper exploration of their thoughts.
• Connecting to Real-Life Experiences: The teacher could ask students to relate the story to their own experiences or current events. Questions like "Have you ever faced a similar situation? How did you handle it?" can make the material more relevant and engaging.
• Visual Aids and Graphic Organizers: Utilizing visual aids or graphic organizers can help students organize their thoughts and better understand complex ideas. For example, a cause-and-effect chart could help them analyze the consequences of the characters' actions.
• Reflection Activities: Incorporating reflection activities, such as journaling or exit tickets, can help students articulate their understanding and thoughts about the text. This practice encourages self-assessment and deeper comprehension.

By implementing these strategies, the teacher can create a more dynamic learning environment that promotes not only comprehension but also critical thinking skills among students.

I can see some useful suggestions in that feedback.  Asking 'Why do you think that?' or 'Show me where the story tells us that?' could be good for the group.  I had thought about asking how they would have felt if they were Nat or Tane, and I can see that giving them the chance to put themselves in the shoes of the characters in the book and explore their feelings and/or thoughts is something I should do.

In Term 4 I may change the focus group to hone in on a group of students who are struggling to make progress, while continuing to work on comprehension skills with the rest of my class.  It's a longer term, but also has a few days when we won't be doing Reading - Labour Day, Manaiakalani Film Festival, and Strike Day.  I'm looking forward to seeing my students make it to the finish line, and be ready for Year Two in 2026.

Using Vosaic

Our Principal, Russell Burt, introduced to us a AI powered tool called Vosaic.   The plan is to use Vosaic to video ourselves taking a lesson, and then use it to analyse our interactions and give feedback based on specific questions we might ask.  In this way we can get detailed feedback on our teacher practise.  I wasn't too sure about it all, but of course needed to get on board and give it a go.

At the end of term 1 had an initial practise run with the tool.  I set it on my table, and because there wasn't a lot of space on my table, I put my laptop on the floor, and proceeded with a typical reading lesson.  Once the students were ok with the equipment (they had a few questions about it), I guess I videoed about 6 or 7 minutes before stopping the recording.  When I got time, I uploaded the video to Vosaic and the first thing I noticed was that when looking at the transcript, it showed that I had spoken for around 43% of the time, and that the other 57% was silent.  What??  It took a bit of working out to realise that because my laptop was on the floor, it hadn't picked up the kids talking.  Hence the silence.  

So then I needed to work out the best way to ensure the students' voices would be heard.  After sitting with a colleague who was also having some initial challenges, we worked out that there was a button on the Vosaic that needed to be pushed in order for the speaker to work.  Problem solved!  So now on to another try at videoing.

This time when I uploaded the video to Vosaic, I had a good opportunity to see the benefits of the technology.  Apart from a detailed transcript of the lesson, it provided an AI summary of the lesson.

Then I was able to ask specific questions about the lesson.  So I asked -  What could the teacher do to encourage greater discussion within the group? 

After a few seconds AI came up with some suggestions, and ideas around what research says.

I think I did a good job of asking open-ended questions, but do need to work on some Think-Pair-Share activities.

Obviously, this was my first real try at using Vosaic.  And probably my question could have been better, and perhaps more linked to my Inquiry question around comprehension.  But I'm happy with how it all worked out.  I can see the benefit of Vosaic, and will utilize it more in Term 2.

Teaching as Inquiry 2025: Developing Comprehension Skills with Year One Students.

Our team of teachers decided that a focus on developing comprehension skills  in literacy, would be really beneficial for our little learners.  Our students spend so much effort on trying to decode their Readers, that they're not actually taking in what they're reading.  They often struggle to participate in discussion about the story, retell the main events of the story, or answer questions about what they have just read.

Why might our students struggle in comprehension?

* For many of our learners, English is their second language, and therefore they may have a limited vocabulary, and neither hear, nor understand, the nuances of English.

*They lack the confidence to answer questions, fearing they might be wrong, and waiting for someone else to answer.  Or, in fact, the confidence to ask a question to clarify thoughts they may have about what they're reading.

* Some have underdeveloped listening skills or hearing issues, and this makes it difficult to keep up with the conversation.

* They might just be shy, and we are not fully aware of their strengths and/or weaknesses.

Whatever the reason, comprehension (or lack of) is an issue that we need to address with our learners.

The question for me then is:  

How can I support my students to develop their comprehension when reading their BSLA Readers?

I will be focussing on a group of four students - all girls.  They all began the year with similar skills in reading - some letter sound knowledge, and a few basic high frequecy words up their sleeves.  In Term One they are each making steady progress in BSLA.  Their letter sound knowledge is growing each week.

I will be using Vosaic to record some Reading Lessons so that I can observe their interactions, and the role I play in supporting (or perhaps even heeding) their comprehension.  Time will tell how that goes.  I will also need to do some research around ways to increase comprehension, and will no doubt talk with my colleagues to see what they're doing in their classes.

2023 - Oral Language Focus

 Speaking vs Talking

This year I have decided to return my focus to oral language. (jt was my 2021 focus).  This is due to the challenges faced by my students in both speech, and language. 

In the area of speech - articulation, fluency, and the way the voice is used are all areas that require support. 

When I focus of the ‘Language’ of Oral Language, I can see that knowing what words mean and putting words together correctly are two vital areas to develop. 

A member of our NE/YR 1 team, Deb Shirley, created a wonderful resource during her year of study with MIT (Manaiakalani Innovative Teachers). It's an assessment of four areas of oral language: Conversational Style, Grammar and Articulation (my focus), Vocabulary and Expressive Language, and Receptive Language and Meaning Making. This resource allows the teacher (me) to gather data to assess a child's oral language capability, and then re-test at a later date to assess growth over time.

At this stage I’m not sure if I’ll work on both speech and language, or just focus on one area.  However, the question I have for my Teacher Inquiry is:  Will focus on the ‘speech’ of oral language help students to confidently express themselves in the ‘language’ of oral language?

I'm eager to begin testing and finding ways to 'grow' the oral language of the wonderful students in my space.