Blog

  • Quickly estimate each student’s reading level with DRA3

    Hands typing on laptop

    Whether the first bell of the new school year rings virtually or in person, with it begins the process of benchmarking to determine each student’s ability level in every major domain. Because all learning begins with reading, knowing the strength of each of your student’s reading ability is going to be paramount in the very short term — as if the clock's tick wasn’t loud enough already.

    Half the battle is knowing where to start

    DRA3’s Level Estimator, as its name suggests, will quickly provide you with each student’s estimated reading level, giving you the best possible indication of where to begin instruction.

    Have a minute?

    DRA3’s Level Estimator will give you the in-depth information you need to plan instruction and foster a love a reading... in less time than it takes to watch this video.  

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  • Help your students travel through time and space this summer!

    Person behind laptop

    How old were you when you realized there was a whole world out there beyond your driveway or the long car ride to the grocery store? When did you fully realize that there were entire societies of people and faraway places you’d never even imagined? What was it that opened up that door for you?

    For many of us, that realization came from a textbook, and then a library book when we just had to know more. As we grew, the world grew with us, but somehow being able to travel to distant lands, to witness the hopeful beginnings of an ancient civilization, or to peer through the looking glass of someone else’s futuristic utopia the world became infinitely smaller.

    This summer will undoubtedly feel different for your students, but through books they can discover a new interest, visit a new — or familiar — place, and learn more about mankind. We’ve assembled some grade-level reading lists to help guide your students’ and caregivers’ choices. Please feel free to download and share them with your classes.

    We wish you, your students, and families many grand adventures this summer!

    Grades Pre-K–2 | Grades 3–5 | Grades 6–8  

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  • Are your students engaged readers?

    Laptop with DRA3 on Screen

    Think for a moment about your favorite book... Were you excited to read it? Did you find yourself unable to set it down, even for a moment? Did you talk about the characters or plot line while you weren’t reading it? Did you feel a little disappointed when you’d turned the last page, knowing it was over? Do you still think about the characters from time to time? Do you recommend it to others? If so, chances are you were entrenched in the book, connected to the characters, and captivated by the story. You were engaged.

    Engaged readers find satisfaction in reading, read independently, and talk about what they’ve read — but how do we transform students who read because they have to into students who read because they want to? How do we inspire them to become engaged readers?

    Included in your DRA3 kit is an optional component, the Reading Engagement Survey. It gathers information about each student’s reading preferences, and provides insights into why the student might be struggling with engagement. Based on information obtained in the survey, DRA3 then provides a Focus for Instruction checklist specifically designed to improve reading engagement, assist in book selections, and build up reading stamina to expand their abilities to include longer texts.

    Learn more about the benefits of the Reading Engagement Survey and where to find it in your DRA3 kit!

    Watch the video

    What’s on the calendar this month?

    • Continue using progress monitoring with identified students.
    • Administer the Word Analysis to other first through third grade students who are reading below established oral reading mid-year benchmark levels.
    • Model, teach, and support areas in need of instruction.

    What’s on the calendar for the rest of the school year?

    One of the most important tasks in any school year is discovering each student’s literacy strengths and weaknesses. Identifying where they might need a little help, and how you can utilize their strengths to augment that support will help them make the most of their educational time. We have put together a reading assessment calendar to help you stay on track throughout the year, and to provide you with helpful tools to enhance your reading curriculum. December’s activities are crucial to your students’ reading success, and will set you on the path to discovering — and fostering — the lifelong reader in each of them!

    Download the calendar  

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  • Headed toward the deep end of assessment season?

    Laptop with DRA3 on Screen

    We’ve got the perfect life jacket for you!

    You’ve finally gotten your classroom back to some semblance of a learning environment and having turned the calendar to February you’ve realized that you’re now headed directly into the busiest time of year — spring assessments and conferences! Are you prepared for everything you need to prepare for? Are your students? What do you need to do in order to make sure you are all ready for what lies ahead? What adjustments do you need to make to ensure that your students are meeting end-of-year goals?

    If you’re feeling like you’re treading water, we’ve got you covered! DRA3’s reading skills assessment calendar was designed to help buoy you through these challenging times!

    What’s on the calendar this month?

    • Continue using progress monitoring with identified students.
    • Administer the Word Analysis to other first through third grade students who are reading below established oral reading mid-year benchmark levels.
    • Prepare for and conduct mid-year Parent/Teacher conferences using all appropriate DRA3 assessments and materials.
    • Model, teach, and support areas in need of instruction.

    What’s on the calendar for the rest of the school year?

    One of the most important tasks in any school year is discovering each student’s literacy strengths and weaknesses. Identifying where they might need a little help, and how you can utilize their strengths to augment that support will help them make the most of their educational time. We have put together a reading assessment calendar to help you stay on track throughout the year, and to provide you with helpful tools to enhance your reading curriculum. December’s activities are crucial to your students’ reading success, and will set you on the path to discovering — and fostering — the lifelong reader in each of them!

    Download the calendar  

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  • The long winter break is over. Let’s get your students back on track!

    Student with speech bubble with teacher looking at laptop screen

    Well, the excitement from the holidays has passed, break is officially over, and it’s time to get back to learning... but how best to get your students back in the swing of things and on track to meeting end-of-year goals? Mid-year assessments are an excellent way to guide your classroom back to your typical learning environment while checking on their progress since fall. You can use the data provided by these assessments to help guide decisions and tailor each student’s instruction to their current level of ability.

    What’s on the January to-do list?

    • Follow your District Assessment calendar for mid-year assessments.
    • Re-administer the Word Analysis with students who were previously assessed in the fall.
    • Use the updated class profile to help plan specific teaching/learning activities in each area of instructional need.

    What’s on the calendar for the rest of the school year?

    One of the most important tasks in any school year is discovering each student’s literacy strengths and weaknesses. Identifying where they might need a little help, and how you can utilize their strengths to augment that support will help them make the most of their educational time. We have put together a reading assessment calendar to help you stay on track throughout the year, and to provide you with helpful tools to enhance your reading curriculum. December’s activities are crucial to your students’ reading success, and will set you on the path to discovering — and fostering — the lifelong reader in each of them!

    Download the calendar  

    Read more
  • Making the turn into 2020

    Laptop displaying DRA3 Online report for Oral Reading Summary

    Can you believe we are here, talking about mid-year progress... already?? Fall is flashing by as quickly as summer did, and before we know it, colorful lights will be surrounding our windows, houses, and trees! Our bright little learners are bursting with excitement for the holiday season, and while it may seem like school is winding down for this calendar year, checking their mid-year reading skills progress is a fantastic way to maximize learning when school resumes after winter break!

    December to-dos:

    1. Continue using Progress monitoring with identified students.
    2. Plan and continue to model, teach, and support the areas identified in need of instruction on the Class profile form for small groups or the whole class.
    • Oral Reading Rate, Phrasing and expression (Use appropriate leveled passages from Progress Monitoring for repeated readings. See Routine Card 11–13 for routines to improve oral reading fluency.)
    • Oral retellings and written summaries (See Blackline Masters at the end of the Teacher Guides.)

    Enhancing reading progress through independent reading

    When kids have access to books on topics that interest them, they read more often and for longer periods of time... often without too much prodding. In an effort to help you guide your students’ parents in choosing the right book for their child’s age and interests, we’ve included a list of titles separated by grade level. They’re adapted from the Association for Library Service to Children and are part of their 2019 Notable Books list.

    Please choose from the following age groups, and download the appropriate PDF to send to your students’ parents.

    What’s on the calendar for 2020?

    One of the most important tasks in any school year is discovering each student’s literacy strengths and weaknesses. Identifying where they might need a little help, and how you can utilize their strengths to augment that support will help them make the most of their educational time. We have put together a reading assessment calendar to help you stay on track throughout the year, and to provide you with helpful tools to enhance your reading curriculum. December’s activities are crucial to your students’ reading success, and will set you on the path to discovering — and fostering — the lifelong reader in each of them!

    Download the calendar  

    Read more
  • It’s time for parent-teacher conferences!

    Laptop displaying DRA3 Online report for Oral Reading Summary

    Streamline your preparations with DRA3’s online reports.

    For some students, nothing conjures up greater anxiety than these three words: parent-teacher conferences. What will my teacher(s) have to say? Have I done everything I can to get a good report? Am I doing well?? Concurrently, parents have similar concerns. What will their teacher(s) have to say? Have I done everything I can to help my child succeed in school? Are they doing well? Taking time out to make sure that you have all of the information related to each student’s progress can be an overwhelming task at a time of year when their attention span is already waning with the upcoming holidays. Math grades, outcome tests, science grades, reading skills progress, social studies… the list of reports and papers is seemingly endless.

    DRA3 can take care of one big item on that list — reading skills progress. Our powerful online platform gives you unlimited access to:

    • Class Roster Report
    • Student Action Plan
    • Student Assessment History
    • Assessment Instance Results
    • Parent Report
    • Student Performance Over Time
    • Class Skills Summary
    • School/District Benchmark Scoring Report
    • School/District Data Across Seasons (and Across Years)

    What’s on the calendar for November?

    One of the most important tasks in any school year is discovering each student’s literacy strengths and weaknesses. Identifying where they might need a little help, and how you can utilize their strengths to augment that support will help them make the most of their educational time. We have put together a reading assessment calendar to help you stay on track throughout the year, and to provide you with helpful tools to enhance your reading curriculum. October’s activities are crucial to your students’ reading success, and will set you on the path to discovering — and fostering — the lifelong reader in each of them!

    Download the calendar  

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  • Interventions, instruction, and progress monitoring — oh my!

    Teacher and student

    Plan your reading assessment activities in less time than your costume

    Fall is officially here, accompanied by cooler weather, football games, apple picking, pumpkin carving, hay rides, and all of the thrills — and chills — of Halloween. Does your school allow costumes for Halloween? Are you dreading the veins-full-of-sugar Friday after? (We all are!) No matter what frights your students have in store for you this month, you can rest easy knowing that the DRA3 Reading Assessment calendar will keep you on track with your students’ literacy support.

    What’s on the calendar for October?

    One of the most important tasks in any school year is discovering each student’s literacy strengths and weaknesses. Identifying where they might need a little help, and how you can utilize their strengths to augment that support will help them make the most of their educational time. We have put together a reading assessment calendar to help you stay on track throughout the year, and to provide you with helpful tools to enhance your reading curriculum. October’s activities are crucial to your students’ reading success, and will set you on the path to discovering — and fostering — the lifelong reader in each of them!

    Download the calendar  

    Read more