How To Make The Most Of Progress Monitoring Data

Are you collecting phonics progress monitoring data because you have to — or are you making the most of it? A good progress monitoring process makes data collection easy and efficient, but it goes beyond data collection sheets. You need a simple, consistent way to collect data, a system for storing that data so that you can find what you need quickly, and a plan to use the progress monitoring data to support students in your classroom. 

Using data collection sheets

So what kinds of data collection sheets do you need? I use student pages for different activities, teacher recording sheets for the same activities, and a summary sheet. Phonics progress monitoring sheets look like this:

• Assessment summary sheet to score individual items
• Teacher recording sheet for oral activities
• Teacher recording sheet for spelling and reading activities
• Student reading card
• Student recording sheet for spelling activities

Data collection sheets provide consistency, but also flexibility. You can use data collection sheets to collect data for all students or some depending on your needs. 

Want to get started with data collection sheets? Try these free phonics progress monitoring data sheets. Just fill in the form below to grab them now!

Setting up progress monitoring data folders or binders

Before you start creating data collection sheets, set up a system to manage your forms. If you don’t organize your progress monitoring data collection sheets, they won’t do you any good.

Setting up data folders or binders will keep data available and useful. Data binders are a great way to keep all your progress monitoring data handy in one place. (We’ll talk about using the data you collect next, but know that for it to be useful information, you need to have it at your fingertips when you need it.) 

In addition to teacher-use data binders, you can also create progress monitoring folders for student use. This can help students see their own goals and progress. 

What to do with progress monitoring data 

At the beginning, I asked if you collected progress monitoring data because you have to, and that may be a piece of the puzzle. As teachers, we collect the data we are required to collect, but we also collect data because it’s useful.

Phonics progress monitoring data helps you:

• Identify students who may be struggling with certain phonics concepts. 
• See if your teaching program or intervention is working for the class or for individual students.
• Understand what you may need to reteach. 
• Create small groups of students with similar practice/review needs 
• To be prepared for parent-teacher conferences
• Support concerns you have or recommendations for students. 

Get started with progress monitoring data today

If you don’t have a good system to collect progress monitoring data, it’s time to set one up. Here’s an easy way to get started: the Phonics Monitoring Progress Bundle. The bundle includes all of the assessments and student data tracking sheets you will need to quickly and easily track your students’ mastery of phonics skills, including: 

• CVC Words
• Beginning Blends
• Ending Blends
• Digraphs
• Alternative Spellings for Long Vowels
• R Controlled Vowel Sounds

You get ready to print pages and detailed instructions for using the tracking sheets and the assessments. Get started with phonics progress monitoring now!