Case 1:

Student: Joshua

Age: 9

Grade: 4th

Scenario

Joshua attends a K-8 urban school and is in the fourth grade. He is very interested in insects and likes to study them whenever they are in view. He lives at home with his mother and 14-year-old sister. He struggles particularly with reading and has a hard time recognizing sight words quickly and accurately. Joshua has mastered all of pre-primer, primer, and first-grade sight words, reading them quickly. When encountering sight-words at the second-grade level and beyond, he exhibits difficulty. He is able to decode unfamiliar words and is able to comprehend what he reads. The lack of recognition of sight words makes Joshua's reading choppy. Joshua's special education and general education teachers describe him as hard-working, but is one to get frustrated and give up. He is embarrassed by his struggle to read fluently, but continues to show great interest in conquering his sight-word recognition. In a phone call with Joshua's mother, she indicated a strong desire to help him, but she works two jobs during the week, making it more difficult. However, she said she is usually available on weekends, and his sister is home with him during the week.

Assignment

Using 2-3 academic resources, complete an Early Reading Plan for Joshua that is 500-750-words and includes the following:

1. Joshua's areas of strengths and areas needing intervention.

2. Three academic goals for Joshua that are detailed and measurable.

3. For each stated goal, describe a strategy to implement with a rationale that explains how the strategy is designed to help Joshua achieve that goal. Be sure goals and strategies describe collaboration and are appropriate for different learning experiences across different subject matters. Cite two to three research sources that support your decision-making.

4. For one of the stated goals, identify and describe one independent practice activity that Joshua's family can useat home to support him and his goals.

5. How Joshua's progress on each goal will be assessed, including timeframes and tools.

Case 2
Student: Nicole
Age: 13
Grade: 8th

Scenario

Nicole is an athletic eighth grader who attends a suburban middle school and lives at home with both parents and an older brother who is a senior in high school. She plays on the girls' basketball team, has several friends, and generally enjoys everything about school. She does particularly well in science and social studies, but always does best when materials are read aloud and hands-on activities are assigned. Nicole struggles mostly in language arts class. She currently reads at a rate of 55 words per minute. Her language arts teacher, Ms. Checkovich, has identified that Nicole has difficultly decoding unfamiliar words and her positive attitude is beginning to dwindle the harder the material gets. Ms. Checkovich has met with Nicole's father, who has said that he has noticed the decrease in her attitude, too, and he is willing to do whatever possible to support her. Both parents work varying hours as Nicole's father works as a nurse at a local hospital and her mother works as an assistant manager at a restaurant.

Assignment

Using 2-3 academic resources complete an Early Reading Plan for Nicole that is 500-750-words and includes the following:

1. Nicole's areas of strengths and areas needing intervention.

2. Three academic goals for Nicole that are detailed and measurable.

3. For each stated goal, describe a strategy to implement with a rationale that explains how the strategy is designed to help Nicole achieve that goal. Be sure goals and strategies describe collaboration and are appropriate for different learning experiences across different subject matters. Cite two to three research sources that support your decision-making.

4. For one of the stated goals, identify and describe one hands-on activity that will assist Nicole in achieving that goal.

5. How Nicole's progress on each goal will be assessed, including timeframes and tools.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.