IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT
The IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT Masterclass provides comprehensive information on various aspects, including the Teacher and Student Portals, the structure of the Bright Islands CoCo program, the Placement Centre, program navigation, content details, activity assignments, and the different types of reports. The masterclass features demonstrations and valuable insights on accessing supplementary resources. Additionally, you can find helpful answers to frequently asked questions in the Q&A section.
IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT:
Masterclass Recording
IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT:
FAQ
If you have different levels in the same class, and you are going through a reading strategy together in class, how do you do this if they are using different books/texts? How would you do the modelled teaching when you might have three different groups e.g.: level C, D + E? /
I have used the program before. It is a great resource. However, I have found it a challenge to teach the INSTRUCT lessons to different groups/students at many different levels at the same time in class. Do you have any additional advice on that?
After you have assessed your students’ IDENTIFY data, but before you conduct your Lesson, you can group your students based on the reading levels within your classroom or across multiple classrooms. This means teachers are able to deliver instruction for these groups separately. When students are grouped based on their reading levels, you will be able to conduct the lesson by introducing the strategies as these occur across all levels. You will be able to use the INTRODUCTION statement in the getting started section in each lesson.
You can pick one student from each level to volunteer to read out the question and have the students complete the answers. After the students complete their answers, you can have your students discuss the answers within their group. Every student can therefore complete work at their point of need independently.
While the students are working at their levels you then can move around the room supporting any level or student as the need arises. At this point you will be acting as a facilitator. You will be able to find more information in the Teaching Guide on how to execute the program effectively in your classroom.
If you change a student's level, would they lose their previous data or need to start the strategies again? E.g., would their Benchmarking chart suddenly look empty?
No, your student would not lose any data from the current level when you reassign. Your students would still be able to access their previous reading level and their Achievement Chart from their dashboard. As a teacher, you would still be able to access your student’s previous reading levels from their individual profile pages. If time permits you are able to allow your students to work on their Pretests in their new level. Otherwise, they can continue where they have left off. e.g., Benchmarking or Post Tests.
Can you explain Benchmaring tests a little more – do they cover all of the reading strategies?
Yes, Pretests, Benchmarking and Post Tests in the IDENTIFY assessments cover the reading strategies aligned to their reading level. These reading strategies are also emphasised in each question in the assessment. For more information, please click here.
Do we need to do a Placement Test each time we adjust a student's level if they have received a 'struggle'?
You do not need to reassign your student’s recommended level unless you feel like the student is allocated to the wrong level based on your teaching knowledge. The struggled, maintained or excelled labels are just an indicator for the teachers to compare the students’ assigned level to their starting placement level. These labels help the teacher to see whether the students moved up or down, or simply maintained, compared to their starting Placement Level. After viewing the Placement Test results, if the teacher thinks the student has ended up in a lower reading level compared to their ability, the teacher can reassign the student to an appropriate level. Otherwise, they should remain in their assigned level for the remainder of the year.
Should the students only complete the flashing lessons? Or all of them?
The flashing lessons are the lessons recommended for the students based on their Pretest results. These lessons are recommended for the students to complete in order to remediate areas that need reinforcement. Students should complete all the recommended lessons and complete the Benchmark tests to review their progress in their recommended strategies. Students will then complete the remaining lessons in order to complete a reading level.
Having said that, if you would like to follow the explicit teaching method, you can make use of the Lock Settings to overwrite the recommended lessons and help your students to focus on just the lessons being taught. For more information about the Lock Settings, please click here.
Do students normally only change levels at the end of a year?
Yes, your students change levels at the end or start of the year and your students should ideally remain in their assigned reading level for the year. However, after completing their five Pretests, if you feel like any of your students are really struggling in their strategies, you may reassign them to a lower level. We do not recommend moving your excelling students up midway through the year since the program is not about stretching them but about students being comfortable with what they are reading.
Are you able to roll over students each year with their results?
Yes, student’s results are rolled over automatically. After completing the student rollover, the school administrator can submit a bulk reassign request to automatically reassign your students to their next level. For more information about bulk reassign request, please click here.
Is it common to see a student do so many tests to get a placement?
Yes, it happens quite often.
There will be a couple of students taking more tests than others based on individual ability. The time consumed for each student varies based on each student's comprehension ability. A student not being placed in a level means their results are still inconclusive and therefore the student needs to take more Placement Tests to determine a suitable reading level. It could also be an indicator that they are struggling in their Placement Test.
It would also be worthwhile to review the placement test settings with your school administrator if you have observed your students are getting discouraged with the required number of tests that need to be taken, please click here.
In such cases, if you know your student has a short attention span and has already spent a lot of time in the Placement Test, you may reassign the student to a reading level directly based on your teacher's knowledge. For more information about reassigning a reading level, please click here.
Evidently, we've seen students quickly achieve a reading level if the initial placement level is set right for the students at the start. Instead of setting a higher level, starting at a lower level would be recommended since the student would go up a placement level if they could grasp the initial placement level.
So as a teacher can I decide placement settings? Or does the school do this?
The School Curriculum Leaders or Heads of Literacy can make the decision, and teachers with the School Administrator role can modify Placement Test settings for students.
Is it possible to jump into a kid's view from a teacher account to use their lessons for explicit instruction?
You may use a different browser to login to your student portal. Due to security reasons, the program would not allow you to access the teacher and student portal from the same browser at the same time.
If a student completes the lessons and struggles with a particular strategy, do you reset the lesson or set the lesson above or below?
If your school has only IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT subscription, you may activate the INTERVENE subscription for your student to enable concentrated practice to reinforce key reading strategies. For more information about INTERVENE, please click here. Otherwise, you may reset the particular INSTRUCT or INTERVENE lessons to provide additional practice.
If a student sits the Placement Test and is on Level C, and then throughout the year they complete the lessons and want to re-sit the Placement Test, would you then re-set the Placement Test for them?
Generally, the student should be moving up to D as they have completed Level C. After they have completed their INSTRUCT lessons in C you would be able to assess their mastery with the Post Tests. Based on these results, you would be able to move them to the higher level without having your student sit the Placement Test again.
We are using it in high school (junior years), and it is hard to fit the program in the timetable. What should the minimum number of lessons be per week to be effective in the long run?
We do have a pacing chart provided in your teaching guides to help you to plan your lessons. Generally, it is recommended to complete one strategy lesson per week, focusing on one of the five learning pods of the lesson each day. This would help you complete the entire reading level within a year. If you have time limitations, you may allocate one learning pod of the lesson for a week, however, students would not be finished within the year that way. If you have really limited resources, and do not have enough time to complete the reading level, you may only want to find out their weakest strategies so you can allow the student to work on them as a priority.
Does that mean that when you give the modelled lesson you read from the lowest level? Or the highest? Or would you need to do it in 3 different groups? Which level do you think is best to model from if you have those three different levelled groups?
Ideally, it would be three different groups if you have sufficient resources at the school. You can model your lessons from the lowest to the highest level. However, if there are time constraints, you may get the best results by focusing work on the middle level.
It takes good classroom management to guide them all through different texts and levels at the same time even if the instructions and strategies are the same.
Would you reset their level for INSTRUCT to group them in 2–3 groups manually through every individual student?
You do not need to reassign or reset levels. You may simply group the students doing the same levels together within your classroom or across the classrooms from the same year level.
Is there a way to see an overall, individual student success rating for the entire program, rather than just the different strategies?
Student success ratings can be measured with student participation and reading strategy results. To review student performance as a whole, if you have a teacher account with school administrator access rights you may refer to the school performance report and if you have a teacher account you may refer to the class performance report. To learn about Bright Islands CoCo reporting capability, please click here.
Do you know how effective the program is on slow internet connections?
Bright Islands CoCo runs in a web browser connected to the Internet, so we would suggest an adequate internet connection to get the optimal experience. However, the program does not require a lot of data to be loaded. Some settings can be adjusted for older devices, which could also help on slower connections.
How many classes per week is usually recommended?
Generally, it is recommended to complete one strategy lesson per week, focusing on one of the five learning pods of the lesson each day. We do have a pacing chart provided in your teaching guides to help you to plan your lessons.
Is there any evidence of effectiveness in remote Indigenous education settings?
We do have a few Remote Community Schools using the program. We can definitely connect you to these schools to share their teaching and learning experiences as part of our cohesive Bright Islands CoCo community. Send us an email via the contact form. Also, you may wish to join our Facebook Group.
I did the placement test, and my kids were all placed on level G when they are starting Year 6 this year. Is level G meant to be Year 7 level?
The Bright Islands CoCo is based on reading comprehension ability, not year level. The table below maps Bright Islands reading level roughly to approximate year level based on text complexity alone. Note that they are spans with the implication being that students at the lower end of the span would be able to engage with the text in that level, but with students at the higher end of the span being able to do so with greater ease. This is only meant to serve as a rough guide, with the results of the Placement Centre and the teacher’s own judgement taking precedence.
| Bright Islands Level | Approximate Year Level |
|---|---|
| AA | Towards Foundation / Foundation |
| A | Foundation-1 |
| B | 1-2 |
| C | 2-3 |
| D | 3-4 |
| E | 4-5 |
| F | 5-6 |
| G | 6-7 |
| H | 7-8+ |
The Placement Centre evaluations test individual students’ comprehension levels and place them in the appropriate IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT level based on their ability to engage with the sample text given. More than one level may be represented within your class. The program was designed with this in mind, making it possible to teach multiple levels within the one classroom.
For more information about the Placement Centre, please click here.
Does the review lesson also have five learning pods?
The five learning pods are featured only in the reading strategy lessons. In the review lesson, you can expect two learning activities for reading levels B-H and one for reading levels AA and A.
Can you do a lesson for the whole class when they are on different reading levels? Which teacher guide should I choose?
You can group your students based on the reading level(s) within your classroom or across multiple classrooms. This means teachers are able to deliver instruction for these groups separately. When students are grouped based on their reading levels, you will be able to conduct the lesson by introducing the strategies as these occur across all levels. You can model your lessons using the teaching guides from the lowest to the highest level.
Can you do a bulk print of class pretest results for each individual student?
Absolutely, the IDENTIFY: Student Summary Report provides the option to generate the Summary Report for the entire class with a single click. For more information, please click here.
How does INTERVENE fit with/support IDENTIFY/INSTRUCT?
INTERVENE is a series designed to provide both reinforcement in the key reading strategies for on-level readers, and targeted intervention for struggling readers and English-language learners (ELL). This reading-strategy series provides practice for students based on the same strategies appearing in IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT but focusing on only one strategy at a time.
How long should students take to complete an IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT lesson, and how long should each session take?
Generally, your students would complete one strategy lesson per week. Lessons are divided into five learning pods, each of which takes 30 to 45 minutes to complete.
Can students bookmark a lesson?
Students can bookmark a page from a INSTRUCT and INTERVENE lesson by clicking the Bookmark button. On the My INSTRUCT Lesson Bookmark and My INTERVENE Lesson Bookmark pages, it displays the students' favourite pages and gives them quick access to often-used bookmarks.
How can we fit this into our curriculum with everything else?
You may use the pacing chart provided in your teaching guides to help you to plan your lessons to fit them into your curriculum. Generally, you would complete one strategy lesson per week, focusing on one of the five learning pods of the lesson each day. This would help you complete the entire reading level within a year.
Do students need supervising for the placement test?
Students do not need to be supervised for the Placement Test. However, teachers should make sure students are taking time to read the passage and answer the questions properly.
How often would you recommend the students complete the Benchmarking tests?
Benchmarking tests can be issued after teaching strategies that require improvement across your class. Benchmarking tests need not be completed consecutively and can be administered throughout the year to monitor student progress.
If you get a subscription from second semester, does it go across into next year?
Bright Islands CoCo provides short-term 3-month, mid-term 6-month and full-term 12-month subscription plans tailored to your needs, so you can select the option you think will be best for you.
What is the best way to train other staff?
If you could please contact us via the contact form, we can arrange for PD for your school. Our help centre also has user guides with helpful articles based on your individual roles to assist you with using Bright Islands CoCo. Please click here to access the Bright Islands Help Centre.
What would you describe as "struggling" with a pretest?
A student can be said to be struggling if they scored less than 50% in most of the strategies in their 5 pretests.
INTERVENE
The INTERVENE Masterclass delves into various aspects, such as the Teacher and Student Portals, INTERVENE program structure, reading levels, program navigation, content details, activity assignments, and report types. Participants will have the opportunity to witness demonstrations and receive valuable insights on accessing supplementary resources. Additionally, you can find helpful answers to frequently asked questions in the Q&A section.
INTERVENE:
Masterclass Recording
INTERVENE:
FAQ
How does INTERVENE work with IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT?
INTERVENE is a module designed to provide both reinforcement in the key reading strategies for on-level readers, and targeted intervention for struggling readers and English-language learners (ELL). This reading-strategy series provides practice for students based on the same strategies appearing in IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT, but focusing on only one strategy at a time.
Does INTERVENE recommend specific lessons based on the needs of individual students?
If subscribed to the bundle plan (IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT + INTERVENE), your students will be assigned up to three reading strategies that require reinforcement based on their IDENTIFY Pretest results from the same reading level. Teachers are able to assign the same IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT level for INTERVENE to provide concentrated practice and reinforce key reading strategies. Learn more
Can I use INTERVENE without IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT?
Absolutely. You will be able to use the INTERVENE module alone by purchasing an INTERVENE subscription for your teacher and student accounts. The INTERVENE module provides both reinforcement in the key reading strategies for on-level readers, and targeted intervention for struggling readers and English-language learners. It can be used as a stand-alone program.
How does INTERVENE complement IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT?
After your students have completed their 5 IDENTIFY Pretests, and worked on the specific INSTRUCT lessons suggested for them, you may find that they require extra practice in one or more of the six key reading strategies. This is where an INTERVENE subscription for those specific students comes in.
INTERVENE subscription is also useful for students who have completed instruction in the highest currently available level of Bright Islands CoCo, Level H, but who may require further practice or useful reinforcement.
Is it possible to use INTERVENE if I am currently an IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT user and like INTERVENE as an intervention program?
Absolutely. In this scenario you would be able to use both INTERVENE and IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT modules at the same time. If you have an active IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT subscription on your teacher account, you would just need to purchase INTERVENE subscription separately to be activated on your teacher account.
Moving forward, you might choose a bundle subscription with both (IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT + INTERVENE) for your teacher and student accounts as this option would save you or your school up to 30%.
When should I begin using INTERVENE in the classroom?
If you are using INTERVENE as a stand-alone program, you can start using it immediately by assigning the appropriate INTERVENE level for your students.
If you are using the IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT modules, classroom teachers would be able to assign the same IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT level for INTERVENE, after students have completed their Pretests, to provide concentrated practice and reinforce key reading strategies.
How should I teach INTERVENE in the classroom?
Once your students have completed the five IDENTIFY Pretests, you, as the classroom teacher, have the opportunity to assign the corresponding IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT level in INTERVENE. This will allow for concentrated practice and reinforcement of key reading strategies.
After the completion of the IDENTIFY Pretests, up to three specific reading strategies that require reinforcement will be automatically recommended for each student in INTERVENE. This personalised approach aims to address and remediate areas that need additional support.
Whether you are implementing INTERVENE with individual students or in larger groups, the introductory process remains the same. Each module begins with a Preview that includes teacher-directed, 'Explore' and Learning Preview sections. The 'Explore' section introduces the reading strategy to the students, while the 'Learning Preview' demonstrates the thinking process for answering the selected-response questions.
Following the initial introduction, students are encouraged to work independently through the twenty lessons to practice the specific reading strategy. For each lesson, students should read the directions and the accompanying reading passage. They are then expected to answer the selected-response questions and constructed-response questions either individually, in pairs, or in small groups.
To facilitate further learning, the answers to the questions can be discussed with the whole class, in a large group, or in pairs, small groups, or individual settings. This collaborative approach allows for comprehensive comprehension and reinforcement of the reading strategy.
Once students have completed each set of five lessons, it is recommended to have them complete the appropriate self-reflection activity. The students can then discuss their performance and areas of improvement individually or in small groups. Similarly, when students have finished all twenty lessons, they should complete Self-reflection 5 and engage in discussions about their performance either individually or in small groups.
By following these steps and utilising the INTERVENE program, you can effectively reinforce key reading strategies and support your students in their literacy development.
What is the suggested schedule for INTERVENE in the classroom?
The INTERVENE module is designed for flexibility in the classroom and can be used effectively in several ways depending on your needs. How you choose to allocate time for the strategy lessons depends on how you interpret the needs of your students.
You can adjust the times as needed in the included Suggested Pacing Chart to accommodate your daily schedule of instruction.
If you have time constraints, you can use the lock settings and instruct your students to work on just the specific reading strategies that need reinforcement.
How can ELL students benefit from the INTERVENE series?
INTERVENE module is designed to provide both reinforcement in the key reading strategies for on-level readers and targeted intervention for struggling readers and English-language learners (ELL)
INTERVENE module includes all lessons for each of the six key reading strategies. Each lesson contains one reading passage, four strategy-based selected-response questions and one strategy-based constructed-response writing question. Passage Genres are both fiction and nonfiction and include genres such as personal narrative; realistic fiction; folktale; fable; legend; article; letter; book report; journal entry; biography; textbook lesson; and instructions.
How should I organise IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT + INTERVENE with the limited time the students have at school?
If your school has time constraints it is advisable to do IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT during school hours so students can practise INTERVENE as homework, to enhance their growth in the key reading strategies.
My school has already invested a lot of money on IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT but there is no budget to purchase the INTERVENE subscriptions, what should I do?
If budgetary concerns are an issue, please email our accounts department at [email protected] and they will try and work out something for you.
You could also purchase INTERVENE subscriptions only for certain students and teachers.
Can I purchase INTERVENE subscriptions for certain students, or should I purchase for the whole class/school?
Absolutely, you could purchase for certain students only. That being said, bundle plans are available that are a cheaper go-to option to save roughly about 25% for students and 30% for teachers.
We love the INTERVENE module, but we find it text heavy for the students. What should we do?
If your students find the INTERVENE module too text-heavy, it is recommended that you assign these students to a lower reading level.
After my students have completed the IDENTIFY Pretests, there are no INTERVENE recommended lessons.
There could be a number of reasons why this could be happening. You may not have assigned the same INTERVENE level for your students as you did for IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT.
Or this may mean that the students have simply done well in all the six key strategies. Therefore, the system will let the students work on any strategies in any order.
Can I restrict my students to work on the recommended lessons only?
Absolutely, if you would like to restrict your students to work on the INTERVENE recommended lessons only you may enable restrictions by switching on the RESTRICT TO RECOMMENDED LESSONS: INTERVENE button in the student edit page.
If you are teaching areas at your own pace you can use the lock settings to lock or unlock strategies as they become appropriate.
Are there any plans to increase the number of strategies in the INTERVENE module?
INTERVENE is designed to specifically cover the six key reading strategies for extra practice and reinforcement.
However, if there are any changes to the scope of the reading strategies covered in INTERVENE we will keep you informed. Please sign up to our mailing list for any news on INTERVENE.
Do you think it would be appropriate to assign INTERVENE level H for the students who have completed IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT H? What should the students do after completing IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT Level H?
There will be times when your students have completed IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT Level H and are looking for extra practice or reinforcement. This is the perfect time to activate INTERVENE subscription for those specific students.
How does INTERVENE fit into a normal 'English' program in a high-school class?
The INTERVENE module is designed to provide reinforcement in the key reading strategies for on-level readers, and targeted intervention for struggling readers and English-language learners.
It can be used in high-school classes as a complementary program to provide additional practice or reinforcement in the key reading strategies, whether your students are already using the IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT module or not.
If your students are already using the IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT module then classroom teachers are able to assign the same IDENTIFY & INSTRUCT level for INTERVENE, after students have completed their five Pretests, up to three specific reading strategies will be automatically recommended for them in INTERVENE to remediate areas that need reinforcement.
INTERVENE subscription is also useful for students who have completed instruction in the highest currently available level of Bright Islands CoCo, Level H, but who may require further practice or useful reinforcement.
INTERVENE can also be used as a stand-alone program, where you can start using it immediately by manually assigning the appropriate INTERVENE level for your students according to their year or class. You may also refer to the suggested pacing chart found in the INTERVENE teaching guides to help your plan your timetable.
GUIDED BY OUR VALUES
At Bright Islands Education, we believe that it's not fair to have high expectations for students if we don't have them for ourselves.
Bright Islands Education cares deeply about education. Our core company values guide the team in everything they do, from supporting implementations and data reviews to designing professional development exercises and addressing technical concerns.
PICK A PLAN NOW
At Bright Islands Education, we recognise that every individual has unique requirements. That's why we have developed subscription plans that cater to short-term, mid-term, and full-term goals, with durations of 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months respectively. Our tailored plans are designed to assist you in achieving your objectives.
HERE'S WHAT PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS ARE SHARING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES
This differentiated program allows students to read texts which are at a level suitable for their current ability and leads to students being more engaged in reading lessons. As a result, they can experience success and improve their reading and comprehension abilities. Bright Islands Complete Comprehension is an important part of the English program and we are seeing fantastic improvement across all years in students' reading and comprehension abilities.
Linda Samardali
Head of Department from Kinross College
I've found Bright Islands Complete Comprehension has really helped in improving my children's reading skills. The skills were all clearly presented with a lot of samples and practice opportunities. The student report also gives the parents a clear guide as to which areas need reinforcement and which areas each child is strong in.
Shannon Zhao
Parent from Sydney
I have found Bright Islands Complete Comprehension very beneficial, especially during our time teaching and learning remotely. The ability to track live what the students are doing was helpful to ensure that they were remaining on task and to provide feedback.
Brent Ritchie
Teacher from Haileybury
Now that I understand how to use the online program and utilise the tools correctly, I am enjoying using Bright Islands Complete Comprehension. The ability to locate and download the different reports is phenomenal!
Amber Rains
Teacher from Kambala
I am a bit of a technophobe but using Bright Islands Complete Comprehension has certainly made life easier and the kids have found it easy to navigate.
Jo Oram
Teacher from Prescott College Southern
Bright Islands Complete Comprehension has become a very useful tool for my staff to implement effective teaching and learning programs. Having a tool that gives timely assessment results, meets students at their level of need and allows them to see exactly what students are working on in real-time is time effective and impacts on future goals.
The detailed assessment data generated by Bright Islands Complete Comprehension informs the specific direction of their reading and comprehension teaching. Students report they enjoy the tasks and feel a real sense of accomplishment as they work through the lessons and assessments at their own pace.
Craig Brown
Principal from Toongabbie Public School
