The needs assessment for Helen in Language Arts is as follows:

Reading: I used an ESL document from the web concerning Shakespeare because his birthday is
this week. It is a short passage about his life and works with multiple choice questions following
(her work attached in pdf). I scanned the document before administering to Helen today (4-21)
but I have to do better in the future. While checking, some questions I found to be ambiguous.
Despite this, I feel Helen responded in the best way for those questions. For example, the text
reads that Shakespeare in Love is a fictional account of Shakespeares life. The question says,
Shakespeare in Love is based on Shs life: T, F. we dont know. I myself have an issue with
that question: is it true (seems to be textually) or false (because the text includes the word
fictional). Personally, based on the reading, I would have chosen false, interpreting the
fictional but I took the web version and it is graded as true. I think Helen did a perfect job
with an imperfect assessment and I have learned to be more discerning and selective with pre-
made sources. I have concluded that Helens reading comprehension skills are level 4.
Writing: Helen was asked to respond to the prompt Is technology harmful or helpful? This was
assessed based on the holistic rubric on page 57 of the book (table 3.11). Her response is
attached in pdf. Using this rubric, Helen falls squarely into the level 3 (developing writer)
category.
Speaking: I assessed a short presentation that Helen gave that is required in all of the classes and
used the required school rubric (attached in pdf). She performed well in her presence and
demeanor, but her English skills were acceptable. I graded her visual aid as well, and the ESL
teacher agreed with the grade.
THE SPEAKI NG AND LI STENI NG DOCS ARE I N THE SAME PDF FI LE
Listening: I had a short discussion with Helen about Easter, and she was knowledgeable about it.
She knew, for example, that people receive chocolate candy in their baskets. She knew the
definition of illustration. I then asked her, based on our discussion, to tell me what children
receive in their baskets: chocolate, laughter, or a lamb. She answered each question correctly, but
her spelling is only 30% accurate. Her work is attached in pdf, along with the list and her notes.
I believe because of her reading comprehension, her comprehension of the writing task, her well-
done job on her presentation, and 100% on listening that Helen is way ahead of what she can
actually produce. I will be setting my goals along the lines of turning what Helen knows into
improved production.