See, I lured you in with a catchy title. Now on to the meat & potatoes...
Data.
{Please don't hit the red x in the corner already!}
That word used to make me queezy like I'd just drank a glass of spoiled milk. Not that I've done that or anything.
I've finally accepted data as a vital classroom tool & not rotten dairy products that were out to make my stomach turn miserable somersaults.
The secret is tracking only data you WILL USE to drive your instruction, & tracking it in an easy, I won't be up organizing this all night, way.
Enter my left hand man...
{My planner gets the right hand, of course.}
I keep this trusty binder at my small group table & spend a good deal of time with it. At least it's colorful & not too hard on the eyes.
Here's a quick run down of what's inside & how I use it:
In the front, I keep a few whole class data graphs & several blank small group data sheets. I use these whole group graphs at the beginning, middle, and end of the year when I want to see a class overview of how we're progressing towards our BIG goals.
The small group sheets are blank to allow for flexible grouping. I can pull a group of students for a skill or strategy & track their progress, the topics we work on, and activities we use during group time.
Next, I have a separate tab for each kiddo. This let's me easily track & search for data, and comes in especially handy at RTI meetings and Parent Conferences.
Ok, so behind each student tab I keep 3 main record sheets. I color code them for my sanity & easy identification, but you could leave them white and use a different color pen as well. Hi. I'm Mallory, and I am a color coding addict. :)
I track independent reading levels (IRLs), oral reading fluency, and writing (based on our state writing rubric). I've included these and several others, plus a blank sheet, for you in
THIS data tracker pack.
At the beginning, middle, and end of the year, I can quickly flip to each student's section and record their data with each test. Then, I create my whole group graph (& from there my small group OR one-on-one instruction).
I will record any progress monitoring here, as well as comments from any Daily 5 or Writer's Workshop conferences.
Behind each student tab is also a sheet protector. This gives me an easy place to store any tests, quizzes, notes, work samples, etc. that are important for conferences {because who keeps a 3-ring hole punch nearby? Not me!}
I always make and keep a few extra sets of everything {tabs, sheet protectors, colored progress monitoring sheets} hole punched and in the back or binder pockets for new kiddos that move in. It saves me from scrambling or searching when the suddenly arrive on a Monday morning. :)
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