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.

Focus - That's the challenge.

In my class of five year olds, the ability to focus on either the teacher, during whole class instruction, during group Reading, or on follow-up tasks is something that many children struggle with.   My inquiry is around finding out how to encourage all my students to focus, in order for them to 

A. attain new learning; 

B. know what they're supposed to be doing, and 

C. ensure time (which is precious) is not wasted re-telling what has just been said one, two, three (or more) times.

I chose to base my efforts on three students whose focus was particularly challenging.  I spent time working with this focus group, with things like positioning them to make sure their focus on me was easier.  I was continually reminding them to "Focus!"  "Look at me.  Don't look over there."  "Keep your eyes on your book (work)".  There wasn't a lot of change, to be honest.  Unfortunately, one child moved to Australia, and one moved out of our area.  So, with only one child left in the group, I decided to make this a more 'whole class' inquiry.

I looked on-line for inspiration, and read about the part role playing has with children, and how they respond to watching and practising, really anything, with positive outcomes.  So I decided to give this a go with my class.

I began with focussing on completing tasks - follow up iPad work, Worksheets, Completing

puzzles etc.  I asked the class to shut their eyes and imagine that they'd finished everything they had to do.  'How does that feel' I asked them.  'Happy' was the reply.  And what happens when you've finished a task? I asked.  'You get to play' they answered.  'Yes' I said.  And we shut our eyes and imagined finishing the tasks, and getting to play.  They felt happy, as I sent them off with a task in hand.

Has this worked?  Well, it's early days yet, but I have seen an increase in completed tasks.  I'm going to keep monitoring this strategy for the remainder of the year, and I'll be able to tell if it's something I should be using each year.  My gut instinct is that I should.