Oral Language | Reading | Writing
Meet Kenji
Kenji is a 17 year old foreign exchange student from Japan attending 11th grade in a medium sized Midwest town. Kenji loves that his American host family’s home is much larger than the homes in Japan. His host family lives outside the city on several acres of farmland, and have two cows and a donkey. This makes living with his host family even more interesting.
Compared to his current American high school school, Kenji’s school in Japan provides more classes for students to study together. In addition, high school in Japan is three years and he finds that many of the Japanese instructors are unmotivating. Some things that makes American instructors more interesting is that they help him understand the lecture by having stopping points to ask if he has any questions.
When Kenji is not studying, he enjoys drawing cartoons. His keeps a special journal for his drawings. Since he enjoys anime such as Naruto Shippuden, he tends to draw characters that he would love to see on the show. His career is to become a professional animator.
Kenji really enjoys learning English because he is able to make more friends and connect with others. His official English language proficiency level is 2.1 (WIDA). In order to build his English vocabulary and proficiency, his teachers encourage him to converse more with others and increase his reading.
Reading Samples
Directions: Download and print the Running Record Forms below. Complete the form as you view the videos of the student’s reading below. Review the comprehension Q&A’s. Then complete the Running Record Evaluation Google Forms below.
Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers
1. Who were the two groups fighting each other in the war?
[Correct Answer: The British and the Colonists]
Kenji: “The British, and the Loyalists”
2. Who were the Loyalists loyal to?
[Correct Answer: The British King ]
Kenji: Um, to the judges?
3. It says that many of the Loyalists were people of more modest means? What does “more modest means” mean?
[Correct Answer: poor, not rich]
Kenji: Not too much.
4. Why did the Loyalists choose the side of the King of Britain?
[Correct Answer: They thought Britain would win the war, and wanted to avoid punishment, or be protected and rewarded by the King]
Kenji: Um, … [looking through text], I don’t know.
Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers
1. Who is this story about?
[Correct Answer: a man called Kwaku Ananse]
Kenji: Annan? Annas?
2. Who did Ananse live with?
[Correct Answer: his wife and son]
Kenji: his wife, and his son.
3. What did Ananse have?
[Correct Answer: All the wisdom in the world]
Kenji: A lot of wisdom
4. Why did the story say that Ananse is selfish?
[Correct Answer: He didn’t want to share the wisdom]
Kenji: He didn’t share something anybody else. Didn’t share his wisdom.
5. What did Ananse do with the Wisdom?
[Correct Answer: He hid the wisdom in a pot, and put it on top of a tree]
Kenji: Did put him in the pot.
6. And then where did he go?
[Correct Answer: To the forest, to hide the pot in the top of a tree]
Kenji: Um, I don’t know. [Looks back at the text] He going to the forest.
