I sat down with Dante for a one-on-one reading conference to see how he was progressing with the strategy of cross-checking. He had seemed to have a solid grasp of it the last time we had worked together, and I hoped that he had become even more proficient by practicing during his independent reading time. 

It became immediately apparent that instead of cross-checking, Dante had fallen back into his old habit of looking at the first letter of a troublesome word, substituting another word that began with that letter, and continuing to read, whether or not his guess made any sense. When he reached the end of the page, I asked, "What are you thinking?" He looked at me, shrugged, and sat in silence.

He had experienced such success the last time we were together that I felt completely surprised by his lack of proficiency now. 

It reminded me of the puppy training I did with our dog last year. I took Cooper to a school that specializes in snake-avoidance training. This is an important skill for dogs that live in Arizona part of the year. I was proud when he passed, but I realized the certificate was merely a piece of paper when that very same evening he went flying off my lap and charged at a rattlesnake that had made its way into our yard. 

We can't just presume proficiency because we have taught something and our students demonstrated it once or twice. And we shouldn't succumb to intense pressure to move forward, forgoing assessments that check for acquisition, circling back around to support, and providing extended opportunities to practice and internalize important skills and concepts.

I had jumped to the conclusion that Cooper would be successful on his own. I don't want to make the same mistake in my classroom, and I'm guessing you don't either.  So, let's ask ourselves:

• Have I taught in a way that enables my students to apply the skill or concept independently?
• Have I provided enough supported practice?
• Have I circled back to be sure former lessons have stuck, so new learning can be layered on successfully?

If so, we can be sure our students aren't just "passing" but are truly prepared and proficient.

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