Unit 10 — End of Year Celebration

• Running records and reading fluency checks
• Comprehension questions about diverse texts
• Student writing samples across all genres taught
• Oral language demonstrations and collaborative discussion participation

End of year portfolio assessment demonstrating growth across reading, writing, listening, speaking, and foundational skills standards

Year-end benchmark assessment reflecting mastery of New Jersey Student Learning Standards for kindergarten

Students may demonstrate phonological awareness and decoding skills through oral response, picture matching, or teacher-led one-on-one assessment in place of written or independent tasks. Visual supports such as letter cards, picture cards, or sound mats may be provided to support skill demonstration.

As students demonstrate their year-long growth through portfolio work, reading checks, and writing samples, provide scaffolds that honor varied output modes — such as allowing oral responses in place of written ones, offering picture-supported prompts, or scribing student-dictated writing so the focus remains on what students know and can communicate. Running records and fluency checks may be conducted in a low-distraction setting with extended time, and comprehension questions can be posed verbally rather than in written form. Where reading or writing tasks span multiple steps, break them into smaller, sequenced pieces and use visual cues or graphic supports to help students track their progress and reflect on their learning.

Ensure students have access to a low-distraction space and additional time for end-of-year assessments such as running records, writing samples, and portfolio reviews. Preferential seating during collaborative discussions and oral language demonstrations supports sustained focus and full participation in culminating activities.

Throughout end-of-year celebrations and portfolio reflection activities, support multilingual learners with visual references — such as picture word banks or vocabulary charts built across the year — that help students articulate their growth in English. Allow students to respond in their home language when sharing reflections, and use simplified, direct language when explaining reflection prompts or portfolio tasks so students can demonstrate the full range of skills they have developed. Connecting their growth to concrete examples, such as early versus recent writing samples, gives meaning to the reflection process.

For students who need additional entry points during culminating activities, emphasize familiar routines and previously mastered skills to build confidence as they demonstrate growth. Portfolios and performance tasks can be structured around the skills each student has shown the most progress in, rather than only areas of ongoing challenge, to ensure a positive and accurate picture of learning. Oral sharing and hands-on demonstrations offer meaningful alternatives to written evidence and allow all students to participate fully in end-of-year celebrations.

Invite advanced students to take a more reflective and analytical role in the end-of-year process — for example, by articulating not only what they learned but how their thinking about reading, writing, or language has changed over the year. Portfolio work can be extended to include student-selected pieces with written or oral justifications that demonstrate higher-order thinking about their own literacy development. Encourage these students to set ambitious, self-directed goals for first grade that go beyond grade-level benchmarks, drawing on their deepest areas of strength and curiosity.