Reading Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
Clifford the Big Red Dog
Instructions for the Teacher
The “Clifford” performance task centers on Norman Bridwell’s Clifford the Big Red Dog, an
illustrated text in which a young girl describes what life is like with her dog Clifford. The
teacher reads the text to and/or with the student, monitors comprehension, and promotes
engagement and skill scaffolding during and after the reading. The teacher then asks
students to use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to provide responses to
the story.
Read the teacher instructions, student performance task, and text, and familiarize yourself
with the tasks the student will be asked to complete. Provide students with copies the
student performance task and means (paper, pencils, crayons and/or colored pencils) to
write and/or draw their responses. The recommended time for completing the task is
under thirty minutes. Students complete the task individually, with teacher support.
Assess student performance based on the accompanying rubric.
Performance Task Skills
•
Locate the capital letter that begins a sentence, and the period, question mark, or
exclamation point that ends it
•
Distinguish kinds of sentences based on their end punctuation
•
Segment single-syllable spoken words into their component phonemes, including
consonant blends, in sequence (e.g., the initial, middle, and final sounds of glad are
/g/ /l/ /a/ /d/)
•
Decode regularly spelled grade-appropriate words (e.g., pick the word last from
last, list, lost)
•
Segment syllables in VC-CV words to decode basic two-syllable patterns in words
•
Read grade-level sight words automatically (e.g., again, could, every)
•
Identify with guidance the purpose for reading (e.g., for enjoyment, to learn
something new), and show comprehension of on-level texts by answering questions
after reading that reflect on the purpose (e.g., what parts of the story did you like
or what did you learn?)
•
Name antonyms for grade-appropriate frequently used words (e.g., before/after) in
isolation or in context
Prereading
Before introducing the reading, revisit the concept that every syllable must have a vowel
sound. With that in mind, lead students to decode the following two-syllable VC-CV words
from the book:
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Grade 1: after, biggest, catches, flowers, other, reddest. Include “Clifford” too.
Grade 2: spotted
Grade 3: matter, mistakes
Grade 4: perfect, problem
Procedure suggestion: Write the words one at a time on the chalkboard. Do not say the
word, but allow students to examine each word's parts. Then model how to use
syllabication to read the word. Use a card to cover the second syllable.
Say something like the following (starting with after). “Each syllable has a vowel sound.
There are two vowels in this word separated by two consonants. If we divide the word
between the consonants, we get af and ter.” Cover ter and pronounce “af” and then,
removing the card, pronounce “ter.” When we say these two syllables together, we
get after.
Continue by writing, one at a time, the 2-syllable words from the book. Have students
chorally read each word. Provide modeling as necessary.
Conclude by displaying this sentence from the book for students to read individually or
together: But I have the biggest, reddest dog on our street.
Part 1: Reading the Text
Introduce the task and text to the students.
Say: “Now we are going to read the story. The story is called Clifford the Big Red Dog.
First, I will read the story to the whole class. Then we will talk about it in small groups.”
Show the cover of Clifford the Big Red Dog to the students.
Say: “This story is called Clifford the Big Red Dog. What is this story called? (Wait for
student response, providing prompting and support as necessary.)
Look at the picture on the cover. What do you see? (Wait for student response, providing
prompting and support as necessary. Students will observe that there is a girl hugging a
very large dog.)
What do you think this story will be about? (Wait for student response, providing
prompting and support as necessary. Prompt the students to provide more information
after responding if necessary, e.g., “Why do you think it’s about that?”)
Read the book to the class. Then set aside time to discuss with groups of students (2 or 3
students per group).
Reintroduce the cover of Clifford the Big Red Dog to the students.
Say: “Remember that this story is called Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Can you point to the word red in the title? (Wait for student response, providing
prompting and support as necessary.) Can you point to the word dog in the title? (Wait for
student response, providing prompting and support as necessary.) Can you point to the
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word big in the title? (Wait for student response, providing prompting and support as
necessary.)
Clifford the Big Red Dog is by Norman Bridwell.
Now let’s talk about the story!”
1. Occasionally stop and encourage a student to read or reread aloud a
paragraph from the book as the student is able, monitoring the student’s
ability to read and pronounce grade-level sight words. Work with the student
to decode unfamiliar words by segmenting them into component phonemes,
including consonant blends (e.g., in words like throw, brings, play, chew, first,
small, black, brown). Pay special attention to VC-CV words (e.g., other,
matter, perfect, after, problem), working with the student to segment and
decode them as needed while reading the text.
2. Monitor each student’s comprehension and encourage engagement with the
text by periodically asking the student discussion questions. Support the
student in responding to these questions verbally. Some possible questions
include the following:
•
Who is Emily Elizabeth? What does Emily Elizabeth look like? How do
you know?
•
What pet does Emily Elizabeth have?
•
Who is Clifford? What does Clifford look like? How do you know?
•
Clifford is a big dog. If Clifford were the opposite of a big dog, what
would
he be?
•
How is Clifford different from the other dogs on the street?
•
What do Clifford and Emily Elizabeth do together? Why do the games
they play turn out differently than expected?
•
What do you notice about Clifford when he is playing hide-and-seek?
(Turn to that page.) How do you know that he likes that game?
•
How do you think Clifford feels about camping? What makes you think
this?
•
What tricks does Clifford do?
•
What are Clifford’s bad habits?
•
What sort of cat does Clifford chase? What do you notice about how that
“cat” feels and why is it unusual?
•
Clifford eats and drinks a lot. If Clifford ate the opposite of a lot, how
much would he eat?
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•
Clifford is a good watchdog. If Clifford were the opposite of a good
watchdog, what kind of watchdog would he be?
•
What does Emily Elizabeth do before she takes Clifford to the dog show?
How does Clifford feel about this, and how do you know?
•
What does Emily Elizabeth use to “comb” Clifford’s hair?
•
What happens at the dog show?
•
How does Emily Elizabeth feel about what happens at the dog show?
•
How does Emily Elizabeth feel about Clifford? How do you know?
3. Ask the students to point to the beginning and end of sentences on a given
page. Ask each student how he or she knows it is the beginning or end of the
sentence, and what effect the capital letter and period have on how the text is
read. Demonstrate or ask each student to show the difference between
reading two sentences in succession, observing the period and not observing
the period dividing them.
4. Draw the students’ attention to the last sentence in the story. Ask how this
sentence is different from the other sentences in the book. Ask the students
what punctuation mark it ends with, and why. Ask each student to answer the
question: Would he or she keep Clifford? Encourage the student to explain his
or her answer with details from the text.
Part 2: Culminating Activity
Introduce the culminating activity to the students.
Say: “We just read the story Clifford the Big Red Dog. Now I am going to ask you a few
questions about the story. You can answer the questions by writing words and drawing
pictures. I can help you with the spelling of some words if you like, but it’s all right to
work on your own too. Then you will show me your paper and tell me about what you
wrote and drew.”
Make sure each student has the student performance task, a pencil, and a set of crayons
or colored pencils to write and draw responses. Allow the student to refer to the book as
he or she responds to each question.
Direct the students as follows. (Allow each student adequate time to respond to the
direction, observing and evaluating the student responses based on the rubric before
moving on to the next one).
1. Say: “Draw a picture showing how Clifford is different from other dogs. Below
your picture, write some words that describe Clifford.”
2. Say: “Clifford does lots of things with Emily Elizabeth. Draw a picture showing
an activity that the two of them do. Write what the activity is below your
picture.
3. Say: “Clifford has some bad habits. Draw a picture showing which habit you
think is the funniest. Write what Clifford is doing under your picture.”
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4. Say: “Think about your favorite part of the book about Clifford. Write down
what it is. Tell why you like it.”
After observing and evaluating the students’ written responses, have each student discuss
his or her responses, explaining the drawings and words as needed. (As the student
responds, provide additional prompting and scaffolding if needed. For example, “I see you
drew a picture of [x]. Why did you like that part? Did you think it was funny? What about
it made you laugh? Which picture in the book did you like best? Why?”)
As the student responds to the question in spoken and/or written form, use the rubric to
monitor and evaluate his or her written, pictorial, and spoken responses to the question.
Score
4
3
Print Concepts
Phonics and
Word
Recognition
Phonological
Awareness
Fluency
Vocabulary
Student
consistently:
Student
consistently:
Student
consistently:
Student
consistently:
• Locates the
capital letter
that begins a
sentence, and
the period,
question mark,
or exclamation
point that ends
it, as
demonstrated
by reading
and/or writing
about the story
without errors
• Segments
syllables in
VC-CV words
to decode
basic twosyllable
patterns in
words, as
demonstrated
by reading
and/or
discussing the
story using
these words
without errors
• Decodes all
regularly
spelled gradeappropriate
words, as
demonstrated
by reading,
writing about,
and/or
discussing the
story without
errors
• Thoroughly
• Names
and
antonyms
accurately
for gradeanswers
appropriate
questions
frequently
after the
used words
reading that
reflect on
the purpose
(e.g., what
parts did you
like?)
Student
frequently:
Student
frequently:
Student
frequently:
Student
frequently:
Student
frequently:
• Locates the
capital letter
that begins a
sentence, and
the period,
question mark,
or exclamation
point that ends
it, as
demonstrated
• Segments
syllables in
most VC-CV
words to
decode basic
two-syllable
patterns in
words
• Decodes most
regularly
spelled gradeappropriate
words
• Mostly
thoroughly
and
accurately
answers
questions
after the
reading that
reflect on
the purpose
• Names
Student
consistently:
• Reads all
grade-level
sight words
automatically,
as
demonstrated
by reading,
writing about,
and/or
discussing the
story without
errors
•
Reads most
grade-level
sight words
automatically
antonyms
for gradeappropriate
frequently
used words
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by reading
and/or writing
about the story
with few errors
2
Student partially:
Student
partially:
Student
partially:
Student
partially:
Student
partially:
• Segments
syllables in a
some VC-CV
words to
decode basic
two-syllable
patterns in
words
• Decodes some
regularly
spelled gradeappropriate
words
• Provides
some
answers to
questions
after the
reading
• Names some
Student
minimally:
Student
minimally:
Student
minimally:
Student
minimally:
Student
minimally:
• Locates few or
no cues to
indicate the
beginning or
ending of
sentences
• Segments
syllables in
few or no VCCV words
• Decodes few
or no regularly
spelled gradeappropriate
words
• Answers
questions
after the
reading, but
the answers
are
incomplete,
unclear,
and/or not
related to
the story or
purpose
• Names few
• Locates some
cues to indicate
the beginning or
ending of
sentences
1
(e.g., what
parts do you
like?)
• Reads some
grade-level
sight words
automatically
• Reads few or
no grade-level
sight words
automatically
antonyms
for gradeappropriate
frequently
used words
or no
antonyms
for gradeappropriate
frequently
used words
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Instructions for the Student
1. Draw a picture showing how Clifford is different from other dogs. Below your
picture, write some words that describe Clifford.
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2. Clifford does lots of things with Emily Elizabeth. Draw a picture showing an
activity they do. Write what the activity is below your picture.
3. Clifford has some bad habits. Draw a picture showing which habit you think is
the funniest. Write what Clifford is doing under your picture.
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4. Think about your favorite part of the book about Clifford. Write down what it
is. Tell why you like it.
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