Placing Students with the
SE 1.6 Placement Program
Read Naturally SE 1.6 includes a placement program that automates
the process of placing students at an appropriate level and goal. You
should use the placement program to test the student using stories from
multiple levels. After testing the student, the program provides a reading
level and goal recommendation based on the results.
The placement program's recommendations are only guidelines. You should select the goals and levels best suited for your students.
Placing students in the sequenced levels
To determine a student's initial level and goal using the SE v1.6 placement
program, follow these steps:
- After opening the Teacher Management System, click the Students button.
- Click the name of the student to place.
- Click the Place Student button.
- Enter the student's estimated reading level, and then click the Continue button.
- Select the story from the level in which you want to test the student, click the Next button, and then click Yes to verify your selection. A sample story from the selected level displays.
- Click the Start button when the student begins reading the story.
- Listen to the student read for one minute, and count any errors
to yourself.
Guidelines for counting errors - When the timer sounds, click on the last word the student read. If the student finished reading before the timer sounds, click the Stop button.
- Enter the number of errors, click OK, and then
click the Next button.
Result: The placement program analyzes the results and either recommends a level and goal or recommends that you test the student in a higher or lower level.
| If the placement program recommends a level and goal... | Click OK if you want to accept the recommendation. Then verify that the student's story options defaults to the correct level and goal and click Save. |
| If the placement program does not make a recommendation... | Click New Story to test the student with another story, and then repeat the process. Continue to test the student at additional levels until the placement program recommends a level and goal. |
| If you think you have enough information to place the student on your own without a recommendation... | Click Change, enter the level and goal in the student options, and then click Save. |
| If the placement program recommends placing the student in level 3.0 or below... | You can click the Phonics button on the Recommendation screen to test the student in a phonics level. See the following procedure for more information. |
Placing students in the phonics levels
If a student needs work on phonics and the placement program recommends a Read Naturally level of 3.0 or below, you may want to place the student in a phonics level. The phonics levels provide beginning readers with an opportunity to read words with specific patterns in context and to practice word lists that focus on particular sounds.
After the placement program recommends level 3.0 or below, you can test the student on a story from a phonics level as follows:
- Click the Phonics button on the Recommendation screen in the placement program.
- Select the story from the phonics level in which you want to test the student, click the Next button, and then click yes to verify your selection. A sample story from the selected phonics level displays.
- Click the Start button when the student begins reading the story.
- Listen to the student read for one minute and count any errors
to yourself.
Guidelines for counting errors - When the timer sounds, click on the last word the student read. If the student finishes reading before the timer sounds, click the Stop button.
- Enter the number of errors, click OK, and then
click Next.
Result: The placement program reports the number of words the student read correctly in the one minute timing. The phonics level you tested is right for the student if the words read correctly fall between 30–60 words per minute and the level addresses the student's phonics needs.
| To accept the recommended phonics level and goal... | Click Change, enter the phonics level and goal with the student's story options, and then click Save. |
| To test the student with another story... | Click New Story or Phonics. |
| To accept the sequenced level and goal recommended before you tested the student in a phonics level... | Click OK. |