The Face Behind the Number
The DRA Number: Explanatory Notes


by Johnnie Tankersley
Cornerstone Literacy Fellow

The Developmental Reading Assessment portfolio is extremely helpful to teachers to use the DRA scores to inform their planning and instruction. It enables the teacher and students to take important steps to assessment. The folder provides the teacher with the opportunity to quickly analyze and record the student’s performance in reading accuracy, phrasing and fluency, intonation, and monitoring for meaning. The teacher is also able to monitor, confirm, and redirect the student’s ongoing reading achievement through the use of a variety of instructional techniques listed on the portfolio. 

To help with planning and to elevate the rigor for students, the data recorded on the portfolio can be used for three purposes, among others:

  • Create bags of books for students to read independently and with guidance,
  • Write ‘Learning Plan Designs’ for students who need help with specific skills, and
  • Make whole school purchasing plans that identify and help to meet needs.

When launching the use of Bags of Books in the classroom, the teacher needs to train students to select their own appropriate books. Students should be able to read their books independently with a minimum of outside help. Some anchor charts that can be printed, laminated, and kept in each bag of books are:

Teachers may also use, or have students use, the ‘Reading Level Chart’ to aid in their selection of books.

The Learning Plan Design makes use of the DRA scores and other assessments to identify the skills students need to master and a plan for teaching those skills.

The Purchasing Plan provides the school leadership team with a format to identify whole school needs and items to be purchased to meet those needs.

Resources

  1. Developmental Reading Assessment for Grades K-8 and Word Analysis, Sampler, Celebration Press, Pearson Learning Group.
  2. Developmental Reading Assessment, K-3 Teacher Resource Guide, Joetta Beaver, Celebration Press, Pearson Learning Group.
  3. Data Displays Presentation (PowerPoint) (PDF)