ITL 514 Self-Assessment

INTRODUCTION   

After completing the self-assessment for vocabulary terms, I believe I have a good general understanding of concepts and vocabulary used in the RICA exam. I have taken the RICA once before in October, and missed the passing score by 9 points. Since then, I have studied using the Cliff Notes version of the RICA study guide, as well as the CTC’s practice version of the exam. Most recently, I’ve been using different Quizlet study guides to refresh myself with terminology used on the test. I am retaking the exam in January, and was excited to learn that this course relates to the RICA, and that we will be completing assignments similar to a case study, as that was one of my weaknesses on the previous exam.

DOMAIN 1

            In regards to domain 1 of the exam, planning, organizing, and managing reading instruction, I think I was able to define and identify the terms relatively well. Words that I struggled with were anecdotal records and implicit instruction. A book I could use to help me study for these concepts would be Phonics They Use by Cunningham, chapter 11. This chapter discusses assessment and coaching, which would coincide with domain 1. Another book that would be beneficial for review would be Ready for RICA by Zarrillo, which would go over all domains and offer a review before I retake the test.

DOMAIN 2

            Domain 2 covers word analysis, and this is the domain I had the most trouble defining words for. Other than the Cliff Notes RICA review I’ve been practicing, I have not spent time studying word analysis. The words I was unable to define were: closed syllables, consonant substitution, conventional spelling, directionality, Dolch words, Elkonin boxes, graphophonic cues, implicit instruction, initial position, listening comprehension level, miscue analysis, open syllables, saccade, schemata, syntactic cue, systematic instruction, The Names Test, nifty thrifty fifty, and vowel diagraph. Books I could use to help me learn these words in depth would be How the Brain Learns to Read by Sousa: chapter 5. This chapter discusses complications with reading that students could have, which would be why they are unable to decode and recognize words. I could also use Phonics They Use by Cunningham, chapter 11 and chapter 16 for coaching students on how to decode words, and become more familiar with new words. Lastly, the most helpful book I can use for review would be Words Their Way by Bear, chapter 1-3 because these chapters discuss word knowledge in a developmental stage. This is the domain I will need to spend the most time reviewing and studying for, as I did not feel confident in my short response answers for this domain.

DOMAIN 3

            Domain 3 is fluency, which is the domain I believe I’m the most familiar with. This is the domain I have been able to work with the most in my course work, along with each day I substitute teach. In this area, if I continue to review reading material from the Cliff Notes books, along with Ready for RICA by Zarrillo, I am confident I will be able to receive a passing score in this domain.

DOMAIN 4

            Domain 4 relates to vocabulary on the RICA. In the given list of words, there were not many words I felt fell into this category. I am aware of word walls, word sorts, and other word games I can use with students to improve their vocabulary. I also know students benefit from writing their own definition of a word, along with a visual representation of the word. This helps students remember new vocabulary, and can be converted to long-term memory. I believe if I review domain 4 in Ready for Rica by Zarrillo, along with the Cliff Notes version of the Rica study guide, I will be well prepared for the test.

DOMAIN 5

            The last domain covered is comprehension. For this domain, I missed “listening comprehension level.” I would say this is an area I need to review as well, because I didn’t feel confident in my short answer to the comprehension domain on the last RICA I took. To review for this domain, I would focus on the early chapters in How the Brain Learns to Read by Sousa, because they chapters discuss the fundamentals of reading. If the student isn’t fluently reading, they won’t be able to comprehend what they are reading. I would also study the book by Zarrillo,  “Ready for Rica” by focusing on the comprehension domain of the book. The Cliff Notes book I have been studying has gone in depth into comprehension strategies to use with students to improve their overall understanding of what they are reading.

CONCLUSION

            Overall, I feel fairly confident that I will pass the RICA this time around. I believe this course will be beneficial in the sense that I will be able to get more practice with real-life case studies, and will become more comfortable recognizing strengths, weaknesses, and strategies for improvement (which will greatly help me on the test.) Reading the noted chapters and books above will also be great study tools to help prepare me to ace my upcoming exam.