Monster High Clawdeen Wolf Costume

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Informal Reading and Language Based Assessments For Elementary Grade Students

Informal Reading and Language Based Assessments For Elementary Grade Students


AssessMent Packet

Informal Reading and Language Based Assessments For Elementary Grade Students

Informal Reading and Language Based Assessments For Elementary Grade Students

Informal Reading and Language Based Assessments For Elementary Grade Students


Informal Reading and Language Based Assessments For Elementary Grade Students



Informal Reading and Language Based Assessments For Elementary Grade Students

Table of Contents:

AssessMent 1 The Names Test of Decoding
Assessment 2 Roswell-Chall Diagnostic Reading test
Assessment 3 Gates-McKillop-Horowitz Reading Diagnostic Test
Assessment 4 San Diego Quick evaluation or Graded Word List (Gwl)
Assessment 5 The Developmental Spelling Test
Assessment 6 Wepman Auditory Discrimination Test
Assessment 7 The Harp Free Retell
Assessment 8 Barr Rubric for writing
Assessment 9 Cloze
Assessment 10 Concepts About Print

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Assessment 1

Name of Assessment: The names Test of Decoding
Source: Phonics they use by Patricia M. Cunningham

Assessment Goal: A word decoding and word knowledge test using particular and polysyllabic first and last names

Format: The test is made up of a set of 35 first and last names (70 words in all), representing various patterns, phonetic sounds, consonant blends, vowel sounds, and syllables. It is a more natural and approved set of words to decode, for students in grades four and up. Ask the child to pretend they are the educator and they are taking morning attendance.

Scoring procedure: Use a check to indicate precise responses and write the phonetic spelling for any incorrect responses. If the student does not endeavor a name, write "no" next to that name and encourage the child to continue. For polysyllabic words, think the word precise regardless of where the student places the accent on the word. Each precise word/name is one point. However, I was not able to find what scores indicate frustration, instructional, and independent levels in Phonics they use or in my research. (See reflections below).

Time to Administer: There are no time constraints in this assessment.

Reason for administering this test: There are many word recognition and decoding tests that can be given, but according to Cunningham, " I wanted a portion of their (students) word identification capability that was not confounded but context but that was not just a list. Cunningham went on to explain that reading from a word list is unnatural and choosing the words is difficult since you risk choosing sight words they may already know. This test id more authentic and meaningful

Reflections: Since this is a qualitative test, I imagine there are no scoring levels and I might be mistaken about each word being worth one point. This test is designed to see; in what phonetic area the student needs schooling or support. This is a more authentic means of finding at a student's word charge techniques and decoding skills.

Assessment 2

Name of Assessment: Roswell-Chall Diagnostic Reading Test
Source: Florence G Roswell and Jeanne S. Chall

Assessment Goals: Designed to rate the basic word diagnosis (decoding) and word recognition skills of primary grade children. To compare student's capability to decode words with long and short vowel sounds, vowel patterns, word families, consonant blends, multi-syllabic words, and letter recognition and sounds.

Format: Section 1A - Ask student to tell you the sound the letter makes. If they cannot, ask them to tell you a word that starts with that letter. Section 1B - Repeat policy from 1A. Section 1C - Have the student to vertically read the words in each word family group. You may model the first one. Example: Read, "am", then read, "clam". Section 2A - Have the students read the words across. If they read a word incorrectly, write down what they said. This section is assessing students' capability to decode words with short vowel sounds. Section 2B - The vowels are in isolation. Ask student to tell you the long and short sound each vowel makes. Section 2C - Have the student read the two vertical words in each column. For example, show "mat/mate". This section assesses student's capability to decode words with a "silent e". Sections 3A&3B - Assessing long vowel sounds with and without vowel pAirs. Have students read the words across. Section 4 - Tell students, Here are some longer words." Model the first word, and then ask the student to read the rest of the words across.

Scoring Procedure: Each precise reply is worth one point. There is a scoring sheet. The evaluation is to help the educator plan schooling to maintain and enlarge weak areas.

Time to administer: No time constraints.

Reason for giving this assessment: To resolve the student's capability to decode words that are made up of different sounds and blends and to resolve if the student understands vowel patterns and rules such as "silent e", and differences in long and short sounding vowels and vowel pAirs. It also helps to rate basic word diagnosis (decoding) and word recognition skills.

Reflections: This is a basic evaluation that builds on phonemic awareness. Also, if a student is not thriving in completing all sections and schooling is designed to enhance weak skills, retesting would show any correction the student makes.

Assessment 3

Name of evaluation and source: Gates-McKillop-Horowitz Reading Diagnostic Tests: Second edition, Teachers College Press, 1981
(Auditory Blending and Auditory Discrimination)

Assessment Goals: "Assess the strengths and weaknesses in reading and linked areas of a particular child." Auditory blending and discrimination tests are given to furnish the educator with insight towards the student's capability to understand that words are comprised of phonemes. Both subtests also compare students' auditory (listening) comprehension. To diagnose reading problems requires evaluation in phonemic awareness and word recognition.

Format: Auditory Blending-Teacher is to accurately speak the phonemes of each word. The student upon listening to the word shall put it together and say what they hear. The student is allowed a second endeavor if they are incorrect in their first identification.

Auditory Discrimination-Turn the student nearby and have their back facing the instructor. The educator may furnish the student with a sample such as showing a pen and pencil and asking either they are the same or different. The educator reads two words and the student, without looking, is to reply either if the words are the same or different.

Scoring Procedure: Auditory Blending-The educator is to write exactly what the student says. A raw score is constructed giving1 point for precise on the first try, and half a point for precise on the second try. Then, the score is compared to the average.

Auditory Discrimination-The student is given one trial and the raw score is comprised of how many precise answers the student gets. The score is then compared to an mean thought about score.

Time to administer: These portions of the test are relatively quick to tests to administer. There are no time restrictions or constraints.

Ways evaluation guides instruction: These tests compare the student's receptive and auditory abilities. Quite often, reading difficulties come from a child not able to distinguish sounds or individual phonemes, or are unable to put them together. The test will help explain where those difficulties lie, so as medicinal schooling can be given.

Reflections: Often when a young child had many ear infections while sensitive language acquisition sTAGes, they may suffer a degree of hearing loss. The child may have strangeness deciphering certain sounds or unit phonemes. This test may pick up on a hearing issue that can impact on language linked skills.

Assessment 4

Name of Assessment: San Diego Quick evaluation or Graded Word List (Gwl)
Source: Ekwall, e., & Shanker, J.L. (1988). diagnosis and remediation of the disabled reader (3rd edition). Boston, M.A: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., pp. 102-103

Assessment Goals: The San Diego Quick evaluation is a set of graded word lists that you can use to resolve the learner's word recognition ability. It also helps to compare speed and automaticity of word identification.

Format, scoring procedure, time to administer: Put each of the following word lists on a 3x5 inch index card. Hint: On the back of the card put-

--. Pre-primer level
-. Primer
. First Grade level
. Second Grade Level
... Third Grade Level, etc.

The conjecture for labeling is that if you drop the cards, you can sort them in order, but an older student cannot effortlessly tell what grade level he or she is reading on. It is recommended to laminate cards or insert them in plastic sleeves.

Directions: Tell student "There are ten words on each card. I would like you to try every word on this card." Give the student one card at a time. Write words mispronounced. The test begins with the card of the words that are two levels below the actual grade level of the student. The cards are read while the administrator notes which words have been missed. Once the student misses three on a list, the test is compete and the testing goes no further.

1 word missed = Independent Level

2 words missed = Instructional Level

3 words missed = frustration Level

Reason for giving this test: This evaluation serves as a tool to gain an approximate evaluation of the student's reading level, but does not portion insight or the capability of the student to define the words. It serves as an indicator to either more testing is appropriate.

Reflections: Although this test is quick to administer and gives a snapshoot into a child's word recognition, other assessments need to be given to get a full picture of the child's abilities.

Assessment 5

Name of Assessment: The Developmental Spelling Test
Source: J. Richard Gentry & Jean Wallace Gillet, 1993

Assessment Goals: The Developmental Spelling Test was designed to help teachers resolve the definite sTAGe of spelling development at which a child, in primary grades K-2, is functioning at. The five stages are Precommunicative, Semiphonetic, Phonetic, Transitional, and Conventional.

Format: The educator calls out each spelling word on the list, followed by the provided sentence, and then repeats the spelling word again. The educator should, "explain that the action will not be graded as right or wrong, but will be used to see how children think certain difficult words should be spelled. Be encouraging, and make the action challenging, playful, and fun" (Gentry, 1993). Teachers are finding for inventive spelling.

Example of word list:

1. Monster I do not like to Watch monster movies.
2. United You live in the United States.
3. Dress The girl wore a new Dress.
4. Bottom A big Fish lives at the bottom of the lake.
5. Hiked We hiked to the top on the hill.
6. Human Miss Piggy is not a human.
7. Eagle An eagle is a remarkable bird.
8. Closed The limited girl concluded the door.
9. Bumped The car bumped into the bus.
10. Type What type of pet do you want?

Scoring Procedure:

Precommunicative spellers randomly string letters together to form words: spelling does not correspond to sound. (Example: rtes for monster)
Semiphonic spellers know that letters rehearse sounds, but normally abbreviate the spelling in a way that either leaves off first and/or final sounds. (Example: m for monster)
Phonetic spellers spell the words as they sound, though spelling may ne unconventional. (Example: mostr for monster)

Reason for administering this test: To see where the child places in spelling and to create schooling that will enlarge the student's skills. It can be used as a portion of increase as we. finding where the student needs help, for example with end sounds, schooling and activities can do done that focus on the ending sounds of words.

Reflection: It is helpful to let the child know that this spelling test is not a graded test but that the student is helping you, the educator learn how children think when they are attempting to spell unfamiliar words. It is also good to catch potential spelling difficulties early adequate to teach proper spelling patterns and rules that would be helpful as the student enters the upper grades.

Assessment 6

Name of Assessment: Wepman Auditory Discrimination Test
Source: Joseph M. Wepman (Revised 1973)

Assessment Goals: To resolve the capability of students to identify the fine differences that exist between the phonemes used in English speech. This evaluation can be given to students and to adults as well.

Format, scoring procedure, and time to administer: The examiner's sheet consists of thirty word pAirs differing in a particular phoneme in each pAir and ten word pairs which do not differ. Thirteen out of the thirty word pairs differ in first consonants, other thirteen word pairs differ in final consonants and four word pairs differ in the medial vowels. The test is administered orally to one student at a time. The student is seated so that he or she cannot see the examiner's mouth or the words on the examiner's word sheet. The investigator reads each word pair only once, and the student indicates either the investigator read the same word twice of read two different words. The investigator records the student's responses on the exam sheet. The test takes practically five minutes to administer. After the test has been completed, the investigator tallies all errors made in both the "x" and "y" columns and writes the sums in the boxes labeled "x" and "y" scores at the bottom of the test sheet.

Reason for administrating the test: Similar to the Gates-McKillop-Horowitz , the Wepman test was designed to compare a person's capability to identify limited differences in sounds of words that are close in resonance.

Ways evaluation guide instruction: Assessing where a question lies helps in planning instruction. Again, as a result, hearing problems can be detected.

Reflections: This is a very approved test and the scoring varies according to the age of the man being tested. Phonemic awareness is very foremost for early readers and this test is a good indicator if a child can hear individual unit sounds.

Assessment 7

Name of Assessment: Harp Free Retell
Source: The Handbook of literacy evaluation and evaluation. Harp, B. (2000).

Assessment Goals: Using definite rubrics for the description Retelling Checklist and the Expository Retelling Checklist, teachers can gage the insight level of the student based on the student's capability to orally recite a story he or she has read.

Format, scoring procedure, and time to administer: The description Retelling Checklist is an evaluation set up like a checklist asking students to identify story elements, disagreement and key ideas, and question resolution. All narratives share elements such as character, setting, plot or problem, turning points or key episodes, and end with a resolution to the question or issue. The checklist accounts for aided and unaided, oral and written retellings. Rubric scores points from 4 down to 1 (4 being the most thriving retelling). This is not a timed assessment.

Reason for administering this test: To help young readers identify story elements and main ideas, which aid in comprehension. Teachers can portion the level of information a student uses when retelling a narrative, or foremost and main concepts, sequencing events, utilization of charts, graphs, and maps in an expository piece.

Ways in which results can be used in planning instruction: Activities to promote comprehension, focus on story elements, and recalling ideas would be activated if the student's retelling are weak. Illustrated organizers, look backs, think alouds, five 'W's and the 'how' are ways in which a student can visually see the foremost facts needed in a thriving retelling.

Reflections: I tried to get more information about this evaluation by searching on the Internet, but did not find whatever further. This evaluation seems self-exclamatory and I think as a qualitative test, it is the up to the examiner's judgment to figure out where the student needs maintain and help.

Assessment 8

Name of Assessment: Barr Rubric for writing (Writing Scale 1, Grades K-3: Becoming a writer)
Source: Assessing literacy with the learning record; A handbook for teachers, Grades K-6: The learning description evaluation Systemä.

Assessment Goal: A guide for teachers to focus on the characteristics of developing student writers, from the corporeal act of putting oral language on paper, chalkboard, or Computer screen to actual use of writing to recite meaning.

Format: The scale integrates the transcription and composing aspects of writing as one supports and reinforces the other. The scale describes six stages of development:

1. Starting writer

2. Early writer

3. Developing writer

4. Gently fluent writer

5. Fluent writer

6. Exceptionally fluent writer

Scoring Procedure: Scores from one to six description writers in varying levels of dependence to independence in their writing.

Time to administer: Students should accumulate their writing all year in portfolios of their work. A range of writing for various purposes, on both assigned and self-chosen topics, can be samples periodically for signs of enlarge and information for instruction.

Reason for administering this test: To see where the student is as a writer and to get ready schooling and maintain to take the student to the next level of writing. Using the rubric will pinpoint areas that need to be addressed and drive schooling in those areas.

Reflections: Students can look at their own work and resolve what should go into the portfolio. They can portion their own success in writing and can strive for improvement. Teachers can focus on the parts of writing that needs work. The educator and the student are partners in working together in option of the work and in conferencing about pieces of writing.

Assessment 9

Name of assessment: Cloze
Source: Dr. Seidenberg; Classroom discussion

Assessment Goals: A quantitative evaluation that will furnish a estimate score to compare reading comprehension

Format: Cloze is a method by which you systematically delete every fifth word, after the first sentence of a 300 to 500 word passage, and rate students' capability to correctly furnish the deleted words using context clues and drawing from their own vocabulary. The last sentence in the text remains intact. Therefore, a 500-word piece would have 100 deletions. A 300-word piece would have 60 deletions.

Scoring the Cloze: Every word the student matches exactly is thought about correct.
Score Levels:

58-100 Independent
44-57 Instructional
0-43 Frustration

Reason for giving the Cloze and implications for instruction.
A score of 58 percent or higher indicates student read the tube with competence. Reading individually will not be difficult for the student.
A score between 44 and 57 percent indicates the tube can be read with some competence by the student; however, reading with some guidance would be beneficial.
A score below 43 percent will probably be too difficult for the student. A great deal of guidance will be needed, or other material should be substituted.

This is a means of assessing the insight level of the student, therefore aiding in preparing schooling or support, for example, working with improving vocabulary, context clues, and providing background knowledge.

Reflections: My student found this to be a fun activity. It is more interactive for the child and is arresting being able to faultless the story as if the student was helping the author write it. A fun postponement for this evaluation is a Mad Libs activity. While it is not the same as Cloze, it is helpful in teaching parts of speech and the results are humorous or nonsense stories, which children seem to enjoy.

Assessment 10

Name of Assessment: Concepts About Print by Marie Clay

Materials used: Concepts About Print; What children learned about the way we print language? and (C.A.P) Concepts about print story Booklet, Stones by Marie Clay

Assessment Goals: Especially relevant to the evaluation of pre-reading or emergent literacy competencies such as:
Book orientation knowledge
Principles arresting the directional arrangement of print on the page
The knowledge that print, not the pictures, contain the story
Understanding of foremost reading terminology like word, letter, Starting of the sentence, top of the page.
Understanding of simple punctuation marks

Format:

Very scripted as outlined below:

Use one of the C.A.P Booklets by Marie Clay such as Stones, Sand, effect Me, Moon, or No Shoes. Or use a simple, Illustrated children's book that the student has not seen before.
Hand the student the book, with the spine facing the child and say, "Show me the front of the book."
Open the book directly to the place where print in on one page and a picture on the other. Then say, "Show me where I begin reading." Make sure the child shows the exact place.
Stay on the same set of pages and after the child points to the spot where you begin reading, say, "Show me with your finger where I go next." Then ask, "Where do I go from there?"
Turn to a new page and say, "Point to the Starting of the story on this page>" Then say, "Point to the end of the story on this page."
Turning to other pair of pages and say, "Show me the bottom of the page," (page 8) and then "Show me the top of the page.' Point to the picture and say, "Show me the bottom of the picture," and then, "Show me the top of the picture." (page 7)

On the same page, point to a capital letter with your pencil and say, "Show me a limited letter that is the same as this one." (I on page 6) Next, point to a lowercase letter and say, "Now point to the capital letter that is the same as this one." (t on page 12) You may wish to repeat this policy with other pairs of letters.
Turn to a page that has a period, an exclamation point, a question mark, a comma, and a set of quotation marks. Point to each in turn and ask, "What is this? What is it for?"

Scoring Procedure:

Observe and notate the child's responses on the Concepts About Print Score sheet using the Quick Reference for Scoring Standards, assigning one point for each item scored. A scale of 1 to 9 (Stanines) are provided for age groups between 5 and 7 in order to see how children compare with other children in their age groups.

Time to Administer:

As far as I could see, there was no timed element to this test and some children may reply more at once than others.

Reasons I chose this assessment: I feel it is foremost to compare and maintain young emergent readers by building a foundation for them to institute literacy skills and strategies. The basics come first and we as teachers should not take for granted that every child entering a school environment (pre-school or kindergarten) knows these basic concepts about print. Once we are assured that they are comfortable with the concepts, we can teach supplementary skills for thriving readers and writers.

Ways in which results can be used in planning instruction:

After assessing the child's knowledge of print, teachers plan schooling and teach the unknown concepts. Retesting should be done to compare and monitor growth.

Reflections:

It is hard to reflect on this evaluation because I have never administered it. However, as I stated above it is more foremost and age approved to compare young children's belief of print, rather than the pressure that has recently been applied for children to memorize all their letters and some words as a part of being literacy ready. Children need to understand the concepts of print before they can make sense of reading and writing.

Informal Reading and Language Based Assessments For Elementary Grade Students

Thursday, April 12, 2012

The Post-Interview Thank You Letter: Getting It Right

The Post-Interview Thank You Letter: Getting It Right


It's overwhelming how many Job-seekers don't know about the necessary post-interview thank you letter. When associates have interviewed several talented candidates, the thank-you letter is an easy way to detach wheat from chaff. In other words, failing to send a thank-you letter can, all by itself, knock you out of the running for a Job you want, and are considerable for! So don't overlook this foremost step.

The Post-Interview Thank You Letter: Getting It Right

The Post-Interview Thank You Letter: Getting It Right

The Post-Interview Thank You Letter: Getting It Right


The Post-Interview Thank You Letter: Getting It Right



The Post-Interview Thank You Letter: Getting It Right

Send a thank-you letter to everyone you met in your interviews. This is why it's necessary to get a company card from everyone you meet with. If you miss one or two of the company cards, take a guess at the person's email adDress (for instance, if everyone else you met with uses the covention cjones@apex.com or cindy_jones@apex.com, then take a occasion with that custom for the folks whose email adDresses you didn't get) or call your Hr contact and ask for the ones you missed.

Send your thank-you letters by email. Not long ago, the thorough wisdom was that a hand-written note is best. I'd say that's no longer the way to go. For one thing, unless your handwriting is unusually readable and elegant, these handwritten notes often look cramped and amateurish. It's hard to be able to write adequate to carry any cogent Mental without using up more than one notecard. And, it's harder for the reader to make out your handwritten notecard than an email message. So use email.

Here's what you say in the thank-you note: something smart! Don't waste space saying "thanks for meeting with me about the Marketing Director Job, it was spirited to talk with you." Duh! Use the thank-you letter to do these three things:

a) carry to the reader that you absolutely understood the company's challenges in the area of his or her personel focus;

b) also carry that you are well-equipped, by background, talents and temperaMent, to surmount these challenges; and

c) add one pithy, insightful plan that Didn'T come out at the interview, to show that you're still mental straight through the company's opportunities and challenges.

Let's say you are interviewing for an internal recruiter position. Among other things, the company is paying too much money per new hire, because of its heavy confidence on quest firms. They need to start an laborer referral program, and take other steps to sell out hiring costs. So, in your letter, you'll say:

Dear Ms. Jones,

Thanks for meeting with me on Tuesday to speak about your Internal Recruiter opportunity. I was especially intrigued by our consulation of alternatives to quest firm recruiting - as I view my experiences implementing thriving laborer Referral and buyer Referral recruiting programs at Motorola and John Deere Inc. To be among my most necessary accomplishments. (Not only did we sell out recruiting costs and cycle time, but delighted a large amount of employees and customers, to boot!)

Since our meeting, I've been mulling over the internal communication issues we discussed, particularly the challenges of getting the word out to current employees about openings throughout the company. I have some ideas for using mass voicemail blasts, departmental Recruiting liaison/evangelists, and the companywide Administrators Network to make sure the employees are aware of what's open in departments other than their own. I think we could have fun getting everyone on board to bring talent into the company (and make some money at the same time).

I look transmit to further conversations -

yours,

Tracy Beeler

The Thank-You letter is not a tidy bit of paperwork to show your good breeding. It's an necessary follow-on marketing piece that shows how you processed what you heard in the interview, the potential of your thinking, and the brilliance and insight you'll bring the Job if you are hired. It's as foremost to get the letter right as it is to shine at the interview.

But wait a second, you're mental - as far as I can tell, no one even reads these follow-up letters. Why should I waste my problem-solving neurons on reading a letter that might not ever be read? It's a good question. But you have to do it, anyway. As a 25-year corporate Hr person, I can tell you what happens. The company interviews a few good candidates, and then everyone (everyone in the set of new-hire decision-makers, that is) gets busy with other things. A week later, they can't absolutely remember Candidate A from Candidate B. That's just when your pithy and verbalize letter arrives, and - presto! your resume can vault to the top of the heap.

In some cases, it's true, no one in the company takes the time to read thank-you letters, and so your Pulitzer-prize-worthy letter doesn't do you any good. But it doesn't do you any harm, either. And failing to send it in the first place is a mistake that could make the difference between getting a second interview - or an offer - and getting to spend next week trolling Monster.com. Your choice!

The Post-Interview Thank You Letter: Getting It Right

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

John Ratzenberger and His Roles in Pixar Movies

John Ratzenberger and His Roles in Pixar Movies


John Ratzenberger is an actor most renowned for his role as a mailman named Cliff Claven in the 1980s sitcom Cheers. This was the place for his funnyman lines, being the sort of Know-it-all guy with an inflated ego.

John Ratzenberger and His Roles in Pixar Movies

John Ratzenberger and His Roles in Pixar Movies

John Ratzenberger and His Roles in Pixar Movies


John Ratzenberger and His Roles in Pixar Movies



John Ratzenberger and His Roles in Pixar Movies

Ratzenberger's got a unique voice and Pixar has kind of regarded him as their good luck charm. They create a character for him to voice if one hasn't been integrated into the story at the time.

Of all the Pixar roles Ratzenberger's gotten to play, the one that's his beloved is P.T. Flea, the hot-headed ringmaster of the Circus Bugs. John loves this character because he's so on edge and unpredictable.

What are the other characters he plays in Pixar films? Let's go straight through the list and find out.

Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 (coming June 2010): John Ratzenberger's Pixar movie role in the Toy Story movies is Hamm the piggy bank. Hamm is pals with Mr. Potato Head and they do well together with their sarcastic wit. Hamm's a bit of a pessimist and likes to take pot shots at his fellow toys, often jumping to the wrong conclusions about them too quickly.

A Bug's Life: In the second Pixar film, as Mentioned, Ratzenberger's role was that of P.T. Flea, ringmaster for the troupe of Circus Bugs. He's greedy, demanding and obsessed with money. Being a highly irritable bug, he fires the troupe after they failed the "Flaming Death" performance.

Monster's Inc.: In 2001, John Ratzenberger's role in Monsters Inc. Was for The Abominable Snowman, a monster who had been banished from Monstropolis some time ago. Mike and Sulley were also banished when they discovered Henry Waternoose's schedule and were sent to the Snowy Himalayan mountains where they meet Mr. Abominable. Looming and frightening at first, he swiftly greets the two with "Welcome to the Himalayas!" and is a hospitable, gentle creature. Personally, he is my beloved Ratzenberger-voiced character!

Finding Nemo: The role John plays in this film is unique; it's not a particular character, but a school of moonFish. Marlin and Dory cross paths with the school of moonFish as they quest for a way to get to Sydney, Australia. The moonfish swim together with distinguished precision and can make pictures of such shapes as an octopus and the Sydney Opera House. They poke fun of Marlin by manufacture his shape and lively his mouth as he explains something to Dory, whom he's upset. In the end, the moonfish make a brilliant, flashing arrow, pointing the way to the East Australian Current, the superhighway direct to Sydney.

The Incredibles: Stick around to the very end for The Incredibles, because John Ratzenberger's minor role doesn't occur until, literally, the end of the film. After the Parr family (The Incredibles) defeat the Omnidroid and Syndrome, they think they're back into a life of normal routine. As the family is leaving the track event Dash just finished, a villain named The Underminer breaks straight through the outside of the parking lot in an vast drilling machine. He's a mole-like monster who declares war on peace and happiness. The Incredibles family don their masks, ready for the challenge of defeating a new bad guy.

Cars: Big, lovable and loyal, Razenberger's role on this Pixar film is Mack, a 1985 Mack Semi-Hauler who wears the red and white Rust-Eze cap and pulls the fancy, state-of-the-art holder for Lightning McQueen. Even when the rest of McQueen's crew quit on him for being so arrogant and obnoxious, Mack sticks by him. McQueen later demands that Mack drive all straight through the night to get to La for the tiebreaker race of the Piston Cup. Mack can barely stay awake though, and finally dozes off when a gang of street racer cars put on some pretty music. This is when the trailer door opens and Lightning McQueen's adventure begins.

Ratatouille: Ratzenberger's role for Ratatouille is in a restaurant full of colorful characters. He plays Mustafa, the head water of Gusteau's in Paris, France. Mustafa is a plump man with a thin mustache. He's great at taking orders, but only if they're off the Menu. When the feared Food critic Anton Ego snidely tells Mustafa to "Serve me some fresh perspective," the waiter looks like a deer caught in the headlights, icy with fear and confusion. What's that supposed to mean, he wonders.

Wall-E: John plays John in Wall-E. John is one of the passengers aboard The Axiom starliner who is lost in his own world with holographic screens and a sedentary lifestyle. Robots wait on him every moment of the day and in the movie John mistakes Wall-E for a drink-bot and falls out of his chAir. This is what "wakes" him up and the small robot introduces himself to John. Later on, John meets Mary, someone else passenger who has been awakened from the oblivion around her. Together they Watch Eve and Wall-E space dancing outside and then they consideration one another, feeling an attraction. They help one someone else save babies when Auto tries to take over the ship and John shows some real leadership qualities.

Up: Ratzenberger's role in this Pixar film is Tom, a building worker on the site surrounding Carl Fredricksen's home. John relates to Tom because he used to be a house framer before his vocation in acting took off. Tom is amiable toward the old man Carl, and makes an offer on the house on profit of his boss. But his talk is met with a face full of wind as Carl points the leaf Blower at him. Carl then takes Tom's megaphone and insults his boss, to which Tom shouts back urgently that he's not with him. Poor Tom!

These are the Pixar Roles that John Ratzenberger has played thus far. I hope that Pixar continues this tradition along with the many other fun traditions in their lively films. The characters and roles Mr. Ratzenberger shall play in time to come films will be so much fun to listen for as we sit in the theater immersed in a great Pixar story.

John Ratzenberger and His Roles in Pixar Movies