One of the most common questions that educators get asked (by parents, by school leaders, by themselves!) is if their students read on grade level. To answer this, English/Language Arts teachers often conduct benchmark assessments of students’ reading abilities.
Here at Shoelace, we make this easy, by providing a Reading Comprehension Report on the Shoelace dashboard. This report highlights each player’s current Reading Comprehension Level, or RCL.
What is a Reading Comprehension Level or RCL?
RCLs are grade-level equivalents. The whole number shown represents the grade, while the number after the decimal is their progress towards the next grade. For example, a student reading at a 4.1 has a reading ability that equates with an early-year fourth grade student. A student with an RCL of 4.8 has a reading ability that equates with where a student should be near the end of their fourth grade year.
Reading Comprehension Levels are a proprietary Shoelace-designed system with breakthrough potential. Unlike other products, which often only provide a readability level for the text that students will read, Shoelace RCLs also incorporate the rigor of the reading comprehension questions that students receive. In other words, the entire student learning experience— including both reading material and questions— is combined to provide a holistic measure that fully demonstrates the difficulty of the task. Click here to learn more about our RCLs and how we deliver personalized content to each player.
Understanding the Reading Report
On the Reading Report, you’ll notice two RCLs reported for each of your students: their placement test RCL and their current RCL.
This side-by-side comparison enables you to track student progress across time. The Placement Test RCL reflects the player’s result after completing Shoelace’s diagnostic, also known as the placement test. This is normally completed in their first few days of play. However, if you have reassigned it, this column will reflect their most recent result. You can read more about the Placement Test here. The Current RCL column shows the student’s current performance. These numbers will provide you with comparative data ideal for long-term reporting.
In addition to comparing a students’ placement test against their most recent data, you can also track their full learning experience. The RCL history feature provides an ever-growing chart that logs changes to a player’s reading level. This chart shows the progression of a student’s reading ability, helping you demonstrate the value of each Shoelace play session.
Shoelace educators often tell us this report is their favorite. A sixth grade teacher from the Durham District School Board recently told us, “The RCL Report gave me great information about how my kids read and comprehend when I’m not in front of them, which is data that is usually hard to gain. Because it’s in a way that I know is engaging for them, they bought in immediately. I feel confident they were all trying their best and this data really represents them well.”
Wondering how else you can use the report? Try using it to:
- forming small groups for targeted instruction
- providing detailed report card and progress report feedback
- predicting student year-end outcomes
- substantiating reading levels calculated by other products
This is just one of the many insightful reports available on your Shoelace dashboard. Click here to log in, explore the full range of reports, and discover how they can enhance your teaching experience.