M4A1 Phonics Survey Template

The Case.
It is the third quarter of first grade. Joaquin’s teacher Mrs. Garcia has come to you for advice
because she knows you are studying for your literacy endorsement. Joaquin was pulled out of
class for reading assistance the first half of the year and was recently exited from the program.
However, Mrs. Garcia is wondering if he might still be struggling because his reading seems
slow and laborious.

Joaquin is a native English speaker whose older sister is a voracious reader. There is no history
of reading difficulty in the family. Both parents are college-educated professionals. Mom is a
business owner of a fashion women’s brand and dad is the creative director of an advertising
agency.

Your Mission.
Analyze Joaquin’s data to determine his strengths and needs and advise Mrs. Garcia on how to
implement appropriate multisensory strategies.

Diacritical marks for copying/pasting:

ă ĕ ĭ ǒ ŭ ā ē ī ō ū ə

PART I: QUICK PHONICS SURVEY (10 points)

Complete the chart using Joaquin’s QPS data. Be concise while also providing enough specificity to give
Mrs. Garcia a clear sense of his strengths and needs. In the Needs column, stick to the facts without
making instructional suggestions. Do not include data from Joaquin’s Running Records (M4S4). Some
rows are done for you as models.

Please use quotation marks when referring to letter names and forward slashes when referring to letter
sounds. Include diacritical marks for schwa (ə) & vowels. Ex: The letter “o” makes the sound /ŏ/

Note: Joaquin was not rushing on this assessment. He was extremely slow and methodical, which is why
the video is not included in the course (file size is too large). All of his blending was smooth and stretchy.

Topic Score Areas of Strength Areas of Need

Capital 26/26 Joaquin correctly named all 26 Joaquin does not appear to have
Letter capital letters. needs in this area
Names
Lowercase 28/28 Joaquin correctly named all 28 Joaquin does not appear to have
Letter lowercase letters, including serif needs in this area.
Names “g” and serif “a”.
Consonant 21/21 Joaquin produced all 21 consonant Joaquin may need support with
Sounds sounds. isolating phonemes (eliminating
schwa) from /c/, /d/, /h/, /j/, /l/,
 /m/, /y/.
Consonant 6/6 Joaquin correctly read all 6 Joaquin does not appear to have
Blends consonant blends. needs in this area
Consonant 2/6 Joaquin correctly read the Joaquin may need support with
Digraphs consonant digraph “sh.” Also, distinguishing between different
after initially incorrectly reading types of consonant sounds and
“th” as “tuh,” then self-corrected understanding the appropriate
and got “th” correct. grapheme for each sound. This
indicates a need for instruction to
reinforce the correct
pronunciation and spelling of
consonant digraphs.
Short Vowel 6/12 Joaquin has some strengths in Joaquin may need support with
Words decoding short vowel words, as he phonemic awareness and phonics,
was able to correctly read words particularly with differentiating
like "cat," "big," "spin," "lamp," between similar vowel sounds
"wish," and "much. and blending consonant sounds
with vowels. His substitutions of
"tope" for "top," "mean" for
"men," "brop" for "drop,"
"breast" for "best," "think" for
"thick," and "son-g" for "song"
reveal challenges in accurately
decoding and blending sounds
within words. We might try
using the multisensory technique
of using manipulatives (e.g.,
letter tiles) to build words,
incorporating kinesthetic
movements.
Sentence 1 6/8 Joaquin read 2 phonetically Joaquin may need support in
regular closed syllable VC words accurately isolating and blending
with 3 phonemes (Ted, dug), individual phonemes within
successfully blended a VC word consonant clusters, as
with a final consonant blend demonstrated by his errors in
(soft), and instantly recognized 3 decoding words such as "prit" for
high-frequency words (a, in, the). "pit" and "send" for "sand." This
He attempted to read all words. indicates a potential difficulty in
distinguishing between similar
vowel sounds and blending
consonant sounds within words.
Therefore, targeted instruction
might include identifying and
blending sounds within consonant
clusters to help strengthen his
decoding skills.
Sentence 2 6/9 Joaquin encountered 3 Joaquin may need support with
phonetically regular closed accurately isolating and
syllable VC words with 3 distinguishing individual
phonemes (ard, went, wind), phonemes within consonant
successfully blended a VC word blends and clusters, particularly
with a final consonant blend in contexts where schwa sounds
(limp), and instantly recognized 3 may be present. This was evident
high-frequency words (the, in, in his errors when attempting to
the). He attempted to read all decode words containing
words. consonant blends, such as reading
"ard" as "red" and "flĕg" as
"flag." Additionally, he initially
struggled to blend the consonant
sounds correctly in the word
"flip" before self-correcting.
Therefore, targeted support in
eliminating schwa sounds, could
help improve his phonemic
awareness and decoding skills.
Short Vowel 5/5 Joaquin correctly read all 5 short Joaquin does not appear to have
Sounds vowel sounds. needs in this area
Vowel +e 3/10 Joaquin attempted to read all Joaquin had a significant deficit
words presented in the survey, in decoding words with the
demonstrating a willingness to "Vowel + e" pattern. He made
engage with the material. He errors in reading words such as
correctly identified the word "ren-d" for "rid," "cant" for "cut,"
"mad," indicating recognition of "mad" for "made," "win" for
the vowel-consonant-e pattern and "wine," "not" for "note," "r-e-n"
its associated long vowel sound. for "ride," and "cant" for "cute."
These errors suggest a need for
further development in
recognizing and applying the
"Vowel + e" pattern to determine
long vowel sounds. Suggest
targeted instruction in decoding
words with silent e.
Inflections 1/8 Joaquin attempted to read all Joaquin struggles with applying
words presented in the survey, inflectional endings, seen in
demonstrating engagement with errors like "ask-d" for "asked"
the task. He accurately identified and "spot-ted" for "spotted." He
the inflectional ending "-ing" in has difficulty with common
the word "fishing," indicating endings like "-ed" and "-er," as in
recognition of this common "cl-led" and "ǒld-est." These
inflectional pattern. errors suggest challenges in
applying phonics rules, especially
doubling consonants.
 Mispronunciations like "drĭvener"
indicate struggles with decoding
vowel sounds. "Smell-air" reveals
a possible misunderstanding of
word meanings. Addressing these
needs requires focused instruction
on inflectional endings, phonics
rules, and vocabulary. A
multisensory approach might
include the use of word tiles
specifically with base word cards
(e.g., "ask," "spot," "call," "taste,"
etc.) along with inflectional
ending cards (e.g., "-ed," "-ing,"
"-er," "-est," etc.).
Variations 0/0 This section was not administered. This section was not
administered.
Vowel 6/16 Joaquin showed admirable Joaquin exhibited difficulties in
Clusters persistence in attempting to read accurately decoding words with
all the vowel clusters (it must have vowel clusters, as evidenced by
been a bit frustrating for him). He his errors in reading words such
correctly identified the words as "pl-ā-en" for "plain," "heard"
"true," "pool," "toy," and "stay.” for "head," "bǒt" for "boat," "bǒ-
Also, he displayed self-correction nl" for "boil," "cl-ǒn" for
abilities by recognizing and "clown," "wǒld" for "wood," "tĕ-
correcting his error when initially rch" for "teach," "sp-ar-t" for
reading "mārch" instead of "sport," "fair" for "few," and "dr-
"march." ĕ-oo" for "draw." Joaquin
struggled to accurately recognize
and decode words containing
vowel clusters, particularly those
involving long vowel sounds and
diphthongs. Addressing these
needs will require targeted
instruction on vowel cluster
patterns, vowel sound
recognition, and self-monitoring
strategies.
Multisyllabic 0/0 This section was not administered. This section was not
Words administered.

PART II: WORD IDENTIFICATION (5 points)

Complete the chart using Joaquin’s data. Be concise while also providing enough specificity to give Mrs.
Garcia a sense of his strengths and needs. When listing words from his data, make a clear distinction
between phonetically regular and irregular words. In the Needs column, stick to the facts without
making instructional suggestions. Do not include data from Joaquin’s Running Records (M4S4).
 Topic Score Areas of Strength Areas of Need
Ohio 7/20  Joaquin demonstrated  Joaquin struggled with
Word automatic automatic recognition of automatic recognition of
Test high-frequency sight words phonetically irregular words,
(High- such as "and," "the," "here," as evidenced by his initial
Frequenc "over," "one," "like," and errors with "pretty," "has,"
y Words) "yes," indicating a strong "down," "where," "after,"
sight word vocabulary. "did," and "what."
 Joaquin showed proficiency  Joaquin encountered
in recognizing some difficulty in automatically
phonetically regular words, identifying certain
such as "let" and "little," phonetically regular words,
without hesitation. such as "let" and "little,"
suggesting a need for further
reinforcement of these
words.

17/20  Joaquin demonstrated the  Joaquin exhibited difficulty

accurate ability to identify a wide in identifying some words
range of words, both even with corrections,
automatically and with particularly "am," "there,"
corrections, indicating overall and "could," indicating
proficiency in word potential areas for further
recognition. focus and practice.
 Joaquin showed flexibility in
correcting initial errors, as
evidenced by his eventual
accurate identification of
words like "pretty," "has,"
"down," "where," "after,"
"let," "little," "did," and
"what."

PART III. MULTISENSORY STRATEGIES (15 points)

In the charts below, choose one multisensory strategy from the assigned readings in this course
and cite where you read about it. You may need to review previous modules. Choose a different
strategy for each of the listed needs. Informal APA formatting is fine. Ex: Module 4 PPT, slide
xx.

Provide specific examples of phonemes, graphemes, and/or words that would be appropriate for
Joaquin. Keep a narrow focus rather than trying to solve every need at once.
Explain each procedure in your own words using bullet points. Be concise but provide enough
details for Mrs. Garcia, who is unfamiliar with these strategies. (10-15 bullet points, starting
with explicit instruction (I DO), then doing the multisensory strategy together (WE DO), and
ending with application (YOU DO) in connected text (words, sentences, books)

Priority 1 Consonant Digraphs

Multisensory Word Tapping
Strategy
Citation Churchwell, C. (2016). Foundations-How to "Tap" Words [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcY91jdaDQM
Sample I DO (Explicit Instruction):
phonemes,  Alright, let's break it down. We are going to tap out sounds in words.
words, etc.  Watch me. I say "ship" and tap like this: /sh/ - /i/ - /p/.
 Each tap is a different sound.

WE DO (Multisensory Strategy Together):

 Now, let's try some words with digraphs, like "shop," "chop," and
"wish."
 I say them, we both tap the sounds together.
 Your turn to tap. Don't worry, I'll help if you need it.

YOU DO (Application in Connected Text):

 Now, let's read sentences like "The ship is in the choppy sea."
 Read it loud and tap each word's sounds by yourself.
 Keep doing this when you read, it helps with tricky words.

Description The tapping technique can help students segment words into individual
of Procedure phonemes, including those represented by consonant digraphs. By using
kinesthetic actions such as tapping, Joaquin can engage multiple senses while
learning and reinforcing the sounds associated with consonant digraphs, which
might help in his recognition and pronunciation of these letter combinations.

Priority 2 Short Vowel Words

Multisensory Vowel Gestures
Strategy
Citation Module 3 PPT: Writing Foundation

Sample I DO (Explicit Instruction):

phonemes,
words, etc.  Alright, guys, today we're going to learn about short vowels like a, e, i,
o, and u.
 So, short vowels make quick sounds, like "a" in cat, "e" in bed, "i" in
pig, "o" in dog, and "u" in bus.
 Now, to make it stick better, we're going to add some cool gestures to
help us remember each short vowel sound.
 Check it out, for "a" we'll do a quick chopping motion like this
(demonstrate), got it?
 WE DO (Multisensory Strategy Together):

 Let's all try making the gestures together while saying the short vowel
sounds out loud.
 Grab those flashcards with the short vowel gestures and sounds. Here,
let's practice:
o "a" - chopping motion - "a" like in cat.
o "e" - pointing to your eye - "e" like in bed.
o "i" - pointing to your nose - "i" like in pig.
o "o" - making a circle with your hand - "o" like in dog.
o "u" - making a thumbs-up - "u" like in bus.
 Awesome! Keep it up!

YOU DO (Application in Connected Text):

 Alright, Joaquin, now it's your turn to show what you've got. Let's read
this sentence together: "The cat sat on the mat."
 Use those gestures we practiced to help you remember the short vowel
sounds as you read.
 Now, try reading this word: "bed." Remember the gesture for "e" and
say the sound.
 Nice job! You're getting the hang of it. Let's try one more: "pig."
What's the short vowel sound? That's right, "i" like in pig.
 Keep practicing with more words and sentences, and soon you'll be a
short vowel pro!

Description Short vowel gestures" is a fun way to teach short vowel sounds. Students learn
of Procedure to associate each short vowel sound with a specific gesture, making it easier to
remember. Through guided practice, students reinforce their understanding of
short vowels in a multisensory way.

Priority 3 High-Frequency Words

Multisensory Most Common Words Flashcards
Strategy
Citation Reading A-Z. (2023). High Frequency Words.
https://www.readinga-z.com/high-frequency-words/
Sample I DO (Explicit Instruction):
phonemes,
words, etc.  Alright, let's dive into some important words, Joaquin. These are called
high-frequency words, and they're super common in what we read.
 First off, we'll start with a set of flashcards featuring the 220 most
commonly used words. These are words we see a lot in books and
stories.
 I'll show you each flashcard, and we'll say the word together, making
 sure you recognize it.

WE DO (Multisensory Strategy Together):

 Now, let's go through the flashcards together. I'll show you a word, and
you tell me what it is. If you're not sure, that's okay, we'll practice it
together.
 We'll use some fun ways to remember these words, like clapping out
the syllables or making a motion for each word.
 For example, when we see the word "the," we can make a big circle
with our hands like we're holding a ball, because "the" is a very
important word, just like a ball is important in a game.

YOU DO (Application in Connected Text):

 Now, let's try using these words in some sentences. I'll read a sentence,
and you tell me if you spot any of the words we practiced on the
flashcards.
 For instance, in the sentence "The cat sat on the mat," we see the word
"the" twice. Can you point to where you see it?
 Awesome job! Now, let's read a short book together and see if we can
find some of our high-frequency words in there. Ready?

Description Common words flashcards can help Joaquin with sight word recognition. The
of Procedure procedure involves presenting the flashcards one by one, showing each word
and encouraging students to recognize and say it aloud. This helps build
fluency in reading and can increase Joaquin’s foundation in high-frequency
words.

PART IV: DISCUSSION (5 points)

Please respond to the following prompts in a short answer format.

1/ Explain to Mrs. Garcia why you think Joaquin would (or would not) benefit from explicit
instruction in sequential blending at this point in his phonics development. In your response,
consider which of Ehri’s reading stages best describes Joaquin. (1-2 paragraphs, with citations
from assigned readings)

Joaquin would likely benefit from explicit instruction in sequential blending given his current
phonics needs. Ehri's reading stages might mean that Joaquin is in the letter-name-alphabetic
stage, where readers rely on “letter-sound” to decode words. However, Joaquin struggles with
phonetically irregular words and decoding, which means that he might be still be transitioning
from the pre-alphabetic stage.

I think sequential blending instruction can help bridge this gap by teaching Joaquin how to
blend individual phonemes together to form words, which might help him get to the next
 reading stage. Ehri points out that systematic and explicit phonics instruction is super
important for developing accurate and efficient word decoding skills.

2/ Explain to Mrs. Garcia how and why to teach onset-rime blending when Joaquin is ready. (1-2
paragraphs, with citations from assigned readings)

When Joaquin is ready, teaching onset-rime blending can help develop his phonemic
awareness and decoding skills. In onset-rime blending, students identify the initial consonant
sound (onset) and the remaining vowel and consonant sounds in a syllable or word (rime),
allowing them to decode familiar word families.

This approach can help Joaquin understand the patterns within words and help his ability to
decode unfamiliar words by recognizing common phonogram patterns. This kind of explicit
instruction in phonemic awareness, including onset-rime blending, is will really help with his
reading outcomes, since he will be able to better recognize and manipulate the individual
sounds within words.

PART V: REFERENCES
List your references in alphabetical order by author last name. Do not worry about precise APA
formatting or hanging indent.

Module 3 PPT: Writing Foundations

Reading A-Z. (2023). High Frequency Words. https://www.readinga-z.com/high-frequency-

words/

Churchwell, C. (2016). Fundations-How to "Tap" Words [Video].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcY91jdaDQM