concept of word (cow) - university of virginia · concept of word (cow) a ﬁrm cow in text...

UPDATED ON: 1/28/2009 © 2009 by The Rector and The Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Concept of Word (COW)A firm COW in text requires the following:

1. an accurate and consistent speech-to-print match when finger-point reading a memorized text (Part A)

AND

2. the ability to remember words previously seen in context (Part B)

In order to monitor progress of both skills, the COW Quick Check is split into two parts:

Part APart A of the COW Quick Check measures a student’s ability to match speech to print. Scores on this task also reflect a student’s application of early literacy skills while interacting with text including alphabetic recognition, letter sound knowledge, beginning sound awareness, and phonemic awareness.

The format of Part A demonstrates the components of an effective concept of word lesson that should be used often with emergent readers: frequent echo and choral reading of nursery rhymes, modeling finger-pointing to words while reading aloud, self-correcting errors in pointing, and identifying individual words in text. Student progress toward COW in text can then be monitored in the classroom by using the format of the finger-point reading and Word ID tasks presented in Part A.

Part BOnce a student is able to match speech to print routinely in class and in at least three consecutive COW Quick Checks (Part A), it is recommended to check the firmness of his or her COW by administering Part B. Part B of the COW Quick Check assesses a student’s ability to recognize words from the nursery rhyme when presented in isolation on a word list.

By learning the rhyme orally, choral and echo reading the rhyme, and practicing finger-pointing to the words, students have encountered the words many times in context. Some students are then able to recognize the words from the rhyme in isolation by combining their automatic knowledge of letter sounds with their memory for the words in the context of the rhyme. Students who demonstrate the “pick up” of words on the post-test word list that were previously not rec-ognized on the pre-test have a firm COW.


COW Part B: Memory for Words Seen in Context

Materials• COW Word List, select 1–10 (for student)

• COW Text Sheet, select 1–10 (for student)

• COW Part B: Student Score Sheet (for teacher)

• COW Part B: Student Progress Chart (for teacher)

Administration Notes• The COW Quick Check is administered individually.

• The rhymes are numbered one through five and increase in difficulty.

• Part B should be administered to students who are able to match speech to print routinely in class and in at least three consecutive COW Part A Quick Checks.

• Part B includes a pre-test word list, working with the rhyme in text, and a post-test word list.

• If administering Part A before Part B, choose a different rhyme for Part B because the child has already interacted with the text.

InstructionsPRE-TEST WORD LIST 1. Show the student the Pre-test Word List. Say, “Here is a list of words. Put your finger on the first word on the list.

See if you can read each word. If you don’t know it, skip it and go to the next word.”

2. Score the Pre-test Word List on the COW Part B: Student Score Sheet.

3. Consider stopping administration if the student scores 7 or higher on the Pre-test List. Students who score 7 or high-er on the Pre-test Word List probably have a COW because they already can recognize some words.

MEMORIZING THE RHYME1. Students must know the rhyme “by heart” prior to assessment. Use the COW Picture Sheet to teach the rhyme orally

(without text). This can be done as a whole class, small group, or individual activity using the COW Picture Sheet only.

2. Say, “We’re going to learn a rhyme. Listen and watch as I say the rhyme that goes with the pictures.” Point to each picture as you say the rhyme and ask the student to (a) say the rhyme with you, (b) echo your recitation, picture by picture, and (c) say the rhyme alone. Repeat oral choral and echo recitation using the picture prompts as many times as necessary to get a verbatim recitation.

3. Show the student the COW Text Sheet and say, “Now we will read the words to the rhyme you just said. This page has the rhyme written down in printed words.”

4. Read the rhyme to the student while pointing to each word clearly as you read it.

5. Say, “Let’s read it together now. Eyes on the page. Read it with me as I point to each word.” Choral read the entire rhyme together while pointing to each word.


COW Part B: Memory for Words Seen in Context

6. Echo read the entire rhyme, line by line. Say, “Now we will take turns reading each line of the rhyme. First I’ll read a line and touch each word. Then you will read the same line and touch each word. Ready?”

7. Ask the student to touch the words while “reading” the rhyme independently. Say. “This time I want you to do what I did. Point to each word as you say the rhyme. Be sure to touch each word as you say it.”

POST-TEST WORD LIST1. Return to the list of words. Ask the student to identify any words on the list s/he knows. Say, “Now I’ll show you the

same list of words that you saw before we learned the rhyme. Put your finger on the first word on the list. See if you can read any of them now. If you don’t know a word after trying your best, skip it and go to the next word.”

2. Score the Post-test Word List on the COW Part B: Student Score Sheet.

Scoring1. Only the Pre- and Post-Test Word Lists are scored in Part B. Finger-pointing is not scored.

2. To score the Pre- and Post-test Word Lists, mark a check in the box beside the word if the student identified it correctly. Write down incorrect answers or leave the box blank.

3. Calculate the COW Word List score by adding the Pre-test and Post-test Word List scores together.

4. The maximum possible score for Part B is 20.

5. Write the date and record the student’s score on the COW Part B: Student Progress Chart.


COW Part B: Student Progress Chart

Student Date Range

Teacher Date Mastered

COW

Mem

ory

for W

ords

Sco

re*

Date

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Part B

Firm COW

*The COW Memory for Words score includes both the Pre-test and Post-test Word List scores.

Rhyme: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Rhyme: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Rhyme: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Rhyme: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Rhyme: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________


COW Part B: Student Score Sheet

Student

1: Twinkle, Twinkle Date: ______

Word List Pre-test Post-test

star

how

you

twinkle

up

high

little

sky

what

like

TOTAL /10 /10

______ + ______ = ___________ /20Pre-test Post-test Part B Total

5: Alligator Pie Date: ______


pie

take

sky

alligator

please

how

away

grass

love

green

TOTAL /10 /10


2: Teddy Bear Date: ______


bear

ground

teddy

light

say

turn

goodnight

touch

around

the

TOTAL /10 /10


Part B, 1–5

4: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring Date: ______


and

morning

get

old

up

went

bed

he

man

raining

TOTAL /10 /10


3: On Top of Spaghetti Date: ______


top

cheese

lost

somebody

on

poor

all

meatball

my

when

TOTAL /10 /10



COW Part B: Student Score Sheet

Student

10: Little Miss Muffet Date: ______


sat

down

away

came

her

little

on

eating

and

spider

TOTAL /10 /10


9: Kookaburra Date: ______


of

must

is

king

old

bush

sits

tree

gum

he

TOTAL /10 /10


6: Hush Little Baby Date: ______


ring

baby

sing

bird

that

you

if

little

say

don’t

TOTAL /10 /10


Part B, 6–10

7: Little Boy Blue Date: ______


horn

Blue

fast

corn

haystack

meadow

sheep

boy

little

where

TOTAL /10 /10


8: Way Down South Date: ______


bananas

toe

South

way

elephant

grow

size

grasshopper

down

tears

TOTAL /10 /10


COW

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COW: Text Sheet

1

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.


COW: Word List

Part B, 1

star

how

you

twinkle

up

high

little

sky

what

like

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2


COW: Text Sheet

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around.

Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground.

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn out the light.

Teddy bear, teddy bear, say goodnight!

2


COW: Word List

bear

ground

teddy

light

say

turn

goodnight

touch

around

the

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3


COW: Text Sheet

On top of spaghetti

All covered with cheese,

I lost my poor meatball

When somebody sneezed!

3


COW: Word List

top

cheese

lost

somebody

on

poor

all

meatball

my

when

Part B, 3

COW

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4


COW: Text Sheet

It’s raining, it’s pouring,

The old man is snoring.

He bumped his head, and went to bed,

And couldn’t get up in the morning.

4


COW: Word List

and

morning

get

old

up

went

bed

he

man

raining

Part B, 4

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5


COW: Text Sheet

Alligator pie, alligator pie,

Oh, how I love my alligator pie!

Take away the green grass, take away the sky,

But please don’t take away my alligator pie!

5


COW: Word List

pie

take

sky

alligator

please

how

away

grass

love

green

Part B, 5

COW

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6


COW: Text Sheet

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word.

Mama’s gonna buy you a mocking bird.

If that mocking bird don’t sing,

Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.

6


COW: Word List

ring

baby

sing

bird

that

you

if

little

say

don’t

Part B, 6

COW

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7


COW: Text Sheet

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn.

The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.

Where is the boy who looks after the sheep?

He’s under the haystack, fast asleep.

7


COW: Word List

horn

Blue

fast

corn

haystack

meadow

sheep

boy

little

where

Part B, 7

COW

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ture

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8


COW: Text Sheet

Way down South where bananas grow,

A grasshopper stepped on an elephant’s toe.

The elephant cried, with tears in his eyes,

“Pick on someone your own size!”

8


COW: Word List

bananas

toe

South

way

elephant

grow

size

grasshopper

down

tears

Part B, 8

COW

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ture

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9


COW: Text Sheet

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.

Merry, merry king of the bush is he.

Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra,

Gay your life must be!

9


COW: Word List

of

must

is

king

old

bush

sits

tree

gum

he

Part B, 9

COW

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ture

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10


COW: Text Sheet

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet

Eating her curds and whey.

Along came a spider who sat down beside her,

And frightened Miss Muffet away.

10


COW: Word List

sat

down

away

came

her

little

on

eating

and

spider

Part B, 10

concept of word (cow) - university of virginia · concept of word (cow) a ﬁrm cow in text...

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