Matching Books and Readers

Matching Books and Readers When is a child ready to move from one TC group to another? A Guide Sheet for Teachers

It’s important for teachers to assess the skills and strategies a child uses as she reads to determine whether or not a child is ready to move on to the next level of “just right” texts. This chart is designed to be a tool for helping teachers make this determination. The left side column contains a description of the text characteristics in each of the levels, and the right side column lists skills and strategies that you want to see your students using consistently when reading books within that level. When a child does demonstrate mastery of and consistency with the skills and strategies within a level, the child is most likely ready to move on to the next level. The child may need support as she moves to a new level of difficulty, and one of the best ways to offer support is to provide a book introduction. These can be incorporated into guided reading sessions or given when the child takes new books at the new level for independent reading workshop time.

Reading Level Behaviors/Skills/Strategies (Level A) Children reading Level A books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, and Books at this level are designed to assist children in behaviors: looking at print and matching the words that they read with the words on the page. That is, the child  Uses the cover (title, illustrations, a look at some learns to say one word as she points to one word. of the pictures in the book, etc.) to get ready to Often the child knows what the page says because read. Students form a general idea of what the book is the text is patterned. Also, the words are supported about using this information. by the picture, so the reader’s job is one-to-one  Matches spoken words to printed words. match, not decoding text. The books are highly If the text says, “I see a plant,” and the child reads, “I see a predictable, and children benefit from knowing the flower,” matching words correctly, she has met the criteria at this level. We will deal with the mismatch of letter- title and using this plus the cover of the book to get sound in the next group of books. the “big idea” of what the book will be about. In  Moves from left to right when reading. most cases the pattern on the first page will be  Use the illustration and the story as a source of repeated throughout the book. This provides information. enough support so that the child can do the job of  Locates known word(s) in text. matching the sentence of text to the picture and the  Reads with fluency? Reading with fluency is not an spoken words to the written ones. The text is most issue at early levels. We expect quick, crisp pointing often comprised of one-syllable words to avoid and quick recognition of high frequency words with added difficulty with one-to-one matching. If there repeated reading of the same books. is a multisyllabic word, it’s usually at the end of a sentence of text. When children read books in Level A and consistently demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move them to Level B books.

A child reads Can I Have A Pet, which has the pattern, “Can I have a ****?” On page 4, he reads, “Can I have a lion!” (The sentence in the book says, “Can I have a tiger?”) Has this child mastered the characteristics of Level A and should he move on to group 2? The answer is, “Yes!” He has mastered all the above behaviors. He substituted a furry animal for another furry animal, and may not have seen a lion. However, he did insert something that made sense with the illustration. He’s ready to go on to Level B where he can learn to deal with two lines of print on a page and multiple syllable words in a sentence. Reading Level Behaviors/Skills/Strategies (Level B) Children reading Level B books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, and Books at this level continue to assist children in behaviors: refining their skills of looking at print and matching the words that they read with the words on the page.  Uses the cover (title, illustrations, a look at some That is, the child learns to say one word as she points of the pictures in the book, etc.) to get ready to to one word. The repeated pattern in the text read. Students form a general idea of what the book is continues to support the reader as well as the fact that about using this information. After reading the entire the unknown content words are supported by the book, a student should be able to retell the events in the picture. The reader’s job continues to be one-to-one book, and talk about the general idea of what the book was about. matching, recognizing known words, using the story  Matches spoken words to printed words. and illustrations for meaning. The student still is not In Best Friends the text says, “We like to slide,” and the required to decode text using letter sound child reads, “We like to hug,” matching words correctly, relationships. The books continue to be highly she has met the criteria at this level—the boys in the predictable, and children should be encouraged to illustration are hugging. We will deal with the mismatch continue using the title plus the cover of the book to of letter-sound in the next group of books. get the “big idea” of what the book will be about. In  Moves from left to right when reading. Mastering most cases the pattern on the first page will be this behavior often requires a student to make a return repeated throughout the book, but there is often a sweep to the beginning of the next line in Level B book, slight pattern change at the end of Level B books. because they may have two or more lines of print. Most often the sentence structure for this change in  Use the illustration and the story as a source of pattern begins with known high frequency words. information. In the example above (We like to hug.), Two big changes occur in Level B books. Often there the student did use the illustration to read something are two (sometimes three) lines of text, requiring the meaningful for the word “slide” in the book. student to make a return sweep to the beginning of  Locates known word(s) in text. the line. In addition, multiple syllable words often  Reads with fluency? Reading with fluency is not an issue at early levels. We expect quick, crisp pointing and occur in the middle of a sentence requiring the quick recognition of high frequency words with repeated student to hold her finger on the word until she says reading of the same books. the whole word. If not, one-to-one matching is often incorrect. It is more critical than ever to make sure When children read books in Level B and consistently the student is pointing under the words and noticing demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move them to the words she knows in Level B books. Level C books. A wise teacher will take some of the books which the students were reading words that did not match the text (i.e. We like to hug, instead of We like to slide), and show them how to use first letter to predict a word that fits the illustration and the letter sound match. Remember this kind of teaching is not done until the student is ready to exit this level, and it sets them up for the expectation of using sound/letter match in Level C books.

A child reads Can I Have A Pet, which has the pattern, “Can I have a ****?” On page 4, he reads, “Can I have a lion!” (The sentence in the book says, “Can I have a tiger?”) Has this child mastered the characteristics of Level A and should he move on to group 2? The answer is, “Yes!” He has mastered all the above behaviors. He substituted a furry animal for another furry animal, and may not have seen a lion or tiger. However, he did insert something that made sense with the illustration. He’s ready to go on to Level B where he can learn to deal with two lines of print on a page and multiple syllable words in a sentence. Children reading Level C need to learn and consistently (Level C) use the following strategies, skills, and behaviors:

Books in Level A and B have already enabled the  Use the some of the letters in a word (moving children to learn to look at print and match what they toward using the final letter) along with meaning are reading to the words on the page. Books in Level and word order sources of information. The child C are designed to require children to begin using first attends to beginning letter and then graphophonic (letter/sound) sources of information progresses to using final letter. In the book Laundry Day, a slight pattern change occurs along with the attention to meaning that was fostered on page 5 when the children begin to take clothes out of by the teaching in Level A-B books and the other the dryer—Out come the socks. Previously the student components of the balanced literacy program. The read, In go the *** over three pages. If a student reads reason children need to rely on letters to help them page 5 as, “Out go the socks,” when the text says, “Out discern what a word says is because the pictures are come the socks.” The student would be prompted to use less supportive, the stories and sentences become the first letter in “come” to predict a word other than more complex, and the text is formatted in different “go.” places on the page. It is very important to make sure  Make return sweep on more than one line of print. the students’ pointing under words shifts to pointing  Read known words in text automatically. under the word and under the beginning letter to  Uses the pattern of the text as a source of assure that they will attend to graphophonic/visual information to assist in reading the book. features in the word. Eventually, the students’ will  Begin to integrate sources of information: making slide their finger under the word to check the sure it makes sense, sounds right and looks right. beginning and ending letters while attending to the The beginning sound of the word that the child reads story, illustrations and what they know about the matches the first letter in the word; later the beginning and topic they are reading. This orchestration of ending sounds of words the child reads must match the behaviors leads them to integrate sources of first and last letter of the word. When the text on page 6 of information. These books also demand that children Mom Is A Painter says, “She paints a blue balloon,” and have a small set of known words that assist them in the child instead reads, “She paints a blue ball,” he was reading across a longer sentence. using the first letter and so it looked right. When he went back and read, “She paints a blue balloon,” he made sure his reading made sense, sounded right, and looked right by checking the final letter “n.”  Retells the story, keeping story events in order, making inferences about story happenings when possible. In Laundry Day, infers that the people are going home because their clothes are washed, dried and folded.

When children read books in Group 2 with at least 96% accuracy and understanding, and they demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move them to Level D books.

A child is reading Pass the Present. The text says, “Pig takes off the green paper” but the child reads, “Pig took off the green paper.” She made the return sweep on two lines of text correctly. She was able to locate known words “cat” and “the.” She used meaning from the story and the picture to get the message that animals were taking paper “off” the present. She used a verb (took) for the verb (takes). The beginning sound of “took” matches the beginning sound in “takes.” Is she ready to move on to Level D books? The answer is, “NO!” This child is searching and using multiple sources of information, but she needs more work in checking the ending letter(s) in words before you would move her to Level D books. (Level D) Children reading Level D books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, and Books in A-B have already enabled the children to behaviors: look at print and match what they are reading to the words on the page. Books in Level are designed to  Use the some of the letter(s) of a word require children to begin using graphophonic (including some of the final letters) along with (letter/sound) sources of information at the meaning and word order sources of beginning and endings of words. The books in information. The child first attends to Level D continue to have a pattern with more beginning letter(s) and then progresses to using changes possibly after the first page and on the last final letter(s) If a child reads, “I slam a goal,” in the book I Play page with the internal part of the book having the Soccer instead of “I score a goal,” his reading would be same pattern. Words with consonant blends and acceptable because you are teaching for matching first digraphs are added to the processing required of the letter(s) and the student is not noticing the “sc” blend. student. Later, you would not accept this reading and teach him Therefore, the teacher needs to assess whether her also to check the final letter(s), too. Students are held students knows the sounds for consonant blends accountable for inflectional endings on words (-s, -ed, (i.e. br, cl, etc.) and diagraphs (sh, ch, etc.). -ing). Inflectional endings are common. Students may  Make return sweep on more than one line of have been reading –s at the end of words in earlier print. books, but these types of endings become very  Read known words in text automatically. common in Level E and onward. Then she can  Begin to integrate sources of information: hold them accountable for checking the beginning making sure it makes sense, sounds right and and ending of words in Level D books. looks right. On page five of My Cat Muffin (Scholastic), the text reads, “My cat Muffin is smart.” The student read, “My cat Muffin is smiling.” The student’s prediction of the word smiling makes sense with the picture —the cat’s mouth is formed into a smile. He is using structure/syntax, because the word “smiling” fits into the order of words in the sentence. But, the word does not “look right” because it does not match the graphophonic/visual information at the end of the word. A teacher could prompt two ways: the word “art” is at the end of “smart.” Art is a word that is in vocabulary of most primary students. She could also ask the student to blend the “rt” letters into an ending sound, getting the student to notice that the cat is reading a book. A cat that can read is “smart.”  Analyzes story to comment on events or characters and make inferences. In I Play Soccer, the student comments that the red team is happy because they won the game, but the blue team is not happy because they lost. When children read books in Level D with at least 96% accuracy and understanding, and they demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move them to Level E books.

A child is reading The New Baby (Rigby PM). When the mother, father, and grandmother are in the hospital waiting for the new baby to arrive, Tom must stay home with the Grandfather. When Tom comes home from school, the Grandfather tells him, “I am staying home with you.” The student reading the book blocks on the word “staying.” She made the return sweep on the lines of text correctly. She was able to read known words “is, at, the, said, with, here and you” quickly and confidently. She used meaning from the story and the picture to get the message that no one was home to greet him but Grandfather. But she does not use this meaning to help her predict the word “staying,” and she doesn’t even voice the “st” at the beginning of the word. Is she ready to move to Level E. The answer is “No.” This student must do a better job saying beginning blends and linking a known word “day” to assist her in saying the next part of “staying.” She also needs to notice inflectional endings (-s, -ed, and –ing) on words. Children reading Level E books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, and behaviors: (Level E)  Notice errors and cross-checks with unused source of information. Books at this level are designed to require children to In the book In the Mountains, if a student reads page 9 as “I orchestrate their strategies using all the sources of saw a lizard slide by fast,”and the text reads “I saw a lizard information, graphophonic, meaning, and syntax slither by fast.” The student should have learned in Level D to check the ending and notice that slide matches the (word order). The challenges of Level E books are beginning letters, but not the ending letters in slither. that the illustrations are less supportive, the sentences (Notice how the student should monitor and correct below are more complex, and book (literary) language is the next bullet point. more prevalent, such as dialogue statements, unusual  Monitor for all sources of information: language structures, and shifts from the predictable checking to make sure what has been read patterns that were so common at the earlier levels. makes sense, sounds right, and looks right Often these pattern shifts and story endings Notice that the student in the example above is using communicate a subtle meaning that must be structure/syntax in that he replaces a verb with a verb. He is also using meaning, because he substitutes a word that tells interpreted from the story. Word work at Level E how a lizard moves (i.e. slides). But, his substitution does requires students to be skilled at checking beginnings not “look right” since it does not match the letters at the end. and endings of words and they should be beginning This student should use the consonant(s) plus the next two to look at internal parts of words. A good way to strategy (sl+ith). Notice that the student includes “three” teach for this shift is to teach students to check the letters because /th/ is a consonant digraph. He could take the “ith” he knows from “with” and blend it with the “sl” to consonant letter(s) plus the next two letters. When say /slith/ then add the /er/ to say slither. Notice how blocked on the word “loose,” a student would check teaching for this kind of reading work would allow students the (l+oo). The /oo/ sound from the word “too” or to use their sense of meaning along with graphophonic/visual “boo” plus the /l/ would get the student saying /loo/. information to learn new vocabulary words. If they add this to the meaning from the story, that  Use internal parts of words—with beginnings character has a loose tooth, they can problem solve and endings. the word by monitoring for all sources of Notice how the example above illustrates the use of the beginning consonants plus the next two letters. If letters information. within the next two are vowel digraphs or diphthongs (e.g. ai, ea, oi) or consonant digraphs or blends (e.g. th, sh, br, cl), two letters count as one of the next two, asking the student to look at the next three letters.  Track print with eyes, and uses finger only at points of difficulty.  Retells and summarizes, making inferences, and commenting on story events. In the book In the Mountains, the student states that even though they saw a lot of interesting animals, they decide to leave the forest when they see a bear. The other animals were not dangerous, but a bear is dangerous.  Begins to read with fluency and phrasing on repeated readings of the same text. See the chart on evaluating fluency that follows on page 8. Children reading Level E books should be at Level 2 of Oral Reading Fluency. When children read books in Level E with at least 90% accuracy and understanding, and they demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move them to Level F. A child reads a book in which a snake has a sore head, and the other animals do things to help him feel better. She reads, “And he funned Snake with his tail.” She is not using her finger to track print, but she uses her fingers to mark off the first 3 letters in “fanned.” She says, “an…fan” (restructuring the word as f+an+ned) then self-corrects, saying, “He fanned snake with his tail.” You ask why she changed “funned” to “fanned,” and she says, “I saw the ‘an’ after the ‘f.’ I knew it didn’t sound right to say ‘he funned,’ and snake had a sore head, so Peacock was fanning him to make him feel better.” Is this child ready to move on to Level F books? “YES! She cross-checked her error with several sources of information. She is no longer tracking with her finger, except to help in analysis, and she is able to verbalize her use of all sources of information. If this processing is consistent, move her on to Level F. (Level F) Children reading Level F books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, Level F books require children to integrate all and behaviors: sources of information while reading to understand the author’s story or message.  Read increasingly more difficult words, These books have minimal repetition of letter by word part. familiar sentence patterns requiring children to Words as well as names are easier for these children. For instance, scrubbing is read correctly, because they can attend to more complex story patterns with process it letter by word part scr + ubb + ing = scrubbing. more difficult vocabulary and story elements.  Use parts from known words to read For example, stories have multiple episodes unknown words. that students must recall and blend together Students use the sound of /ow/ in know to read blow. when retelling the sequence of events. These  Begin to monitor, cross-check sources of events must be compared and contrasted to get information and self-correct at the point of the big idea of what is happening in the story. error. Some rereading or skipping to go on Thus, characters are more developed and more may be necessary. inferences must be made about story content. As children read more difficult texts, their self- For example, on page 12 of Car Wash, corrections should occur closer and closer to the point of students must infer why the car wash attendant error. So in Level F we are not concerned if the child is shocked to see the family coming back to must sometimes reread to self-correct. We do, however, expect self-corrections to begin happening at or near the have their car washed a second time. Texts point of error. contain more literary language—long dialogue • Integrate sources of information: statements that are often split by containing Monitoring--checking to make sure what the speaker identification in the middle of the has been read makes sense and sounds right statement made by the speaker. Syntactically as well as looks right sentences are longer and more complex. Some The child matches the letter sound patterns in words. sentences have two clauses conjoined by and  Retells and summarizes keeping story with embedded prepositional phrases, events in order to analyze story content and adjectives. In word work, students must make inferences. continue to deal with internal parts of words After reading Ruby’s Whistle, the student infers that the bird and are becoming aware of irregular spelling really didn’t teach Ruby to whistle. She practiced whistling patterns (-ight in right), inflectional endings, so much with her father, her mother and herself that she finally was able to whistle. plurals, contractions, and possessives. Pronoun  Read with more fluency and phrasing on reference and identification of demonstrative repeated readings of the same text. words (here, there, etc.) should be under See the chart on evaluating fluency that follows on page control. 8. Children reading books in Level F should be at Level 3 of Oral Reading Fluency.

When children read books in Level F books with at least 96% accuracy and understanding, and they demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move them to Level G..

(KEY: What the child says/what the text says.) A child is reading, Maisy’s Bedtime, which describes the things Maisy does before going to bed. The child reads, “Maisy close/closes her bedroom closet/curtains.” If errors such as these are common for this child, are Level F books appropriate for him? The answer is, “No.” Even though it may be the child’s syntax (language) to say, “Maisy close her…” This child is not checking word endings. He gets the “cl” in “closes,” but does not monitor to see that there is no “cl” when he says “closet” for “curtains.” Also, it is quite obvious in the illustration that Maisy is closing curtains on the window. The child is not attending to meaning, and is not looking at the consonant plus the first two letters (e.g. cur). If the child is making many errors and his accuracy in Level F books drops below 96%, he should be in Level E books. If the closet/curtain miscue is a one-time occurrence, possibly because he is making a connection with There’s a Monster in My Closet, move him to Level G books and teach for checking word more carefully. When the text is too hard for children, they miss so many words because they do not have syntax (word order) to support them, which can cause them to lose meaning. Thus, they are left to guess from graphophonic/visual information. (Level G) Children reading Level G books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, and behaviors:  Read increasingly more difficult words, letter Level G books expose students to a wider range by word part with an understanding of of texts that include simple animal fantasy, irregular spelling patterns. realistic fiction, and some traditional Reading difficult words as well as names is becoming literature in the form of folktales. These easier for these children. For instance, in Fancy Dance, books require children to integrate all students read the word feathers and breath correctly, sources of information while reading to because they know that the /ea/ can the “ea” in bread or the “ea” in speak. The solve the word fringe by reading understand the author’s story or message. letter by part fr + in + ge. Yet solving both of these words There is minimal repetition of familiar requires the student to attend to what is going on in the sentences patterns, requiring children to story (e.g. these are parts of the costume Joe wears for the attend to more complex story patterns with fancy dance). more difficult vocabulary and story  Use parts from known words to read elements. The books have three to eight unknown words. lines of print on the page, but size of font Solving the word whirls requires the student to use the /wh/ from “when” plus the /ir/ from “sir” plus the /l/ and /s/ to begins to decrease. Early reading get whirls. Attending to meaning tells the student that this behaviors are automatic allowing students word describes something Joe does when he is dancing in to focus on the more complex vocabulary, the book Fancy Dance. words with irregular spelling patterns and  Begin to monitor, cross-check sources of more complex stories. Word solving information and self-correct at the point of requires the students reading this level to error. Some rereading or skipping to go on have a full range of word solving strategies may be necessary. (e.g. automatic letter-sound analysis, As children read more difficult texts their self-corrections making connections between unknown and should occur closer and closer to the point of error. So in Level G we are not concerned if the child must sometimes known words, and using word parts across reread to self-correct. We do, however, expect self- the word) all with attention to meaning and corrections to begin happening at or near the point of error. sentence structure to aid in word solving. • Integrate sources of information: Fluency should be increasing with Monitoring--checking to make sure what has automatic word recognition, quick been read makes sense and sounds right as problem-solving of unknown words, well as looks right attention to meaning to allow reading in On page 4 of Frog’s Lunch, students read, “Along came a phrases with intonation and expression. fly. “Mmmm, XXXXX,” said Frog. They use the word order in the sentence (structure) to figure out that the word names something. They use the “unch” from munch to get the /unch/ sound (graphophonic/visual), and they use meaning knowing that frogs eat flies to predict the word “lunch.”  Read with more fluency and phrasing on repeated readings of the same text. See the chart on evaluating fluency that follows on page 8. Children reading books in Group 4 should be at Level 3 of Oral Reading Fluency.

When children read books in Level G with at least 96% accuracy and understanding, and they demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move them to Level H. A student reading Moving Day Surprise reads the first page and comes to the word apartment. She quickly solves the word saying this is somewhere these people live. They live in an a+part+ment=apartment. She reads the name of the fish as Fl+ ip + er=Flipper. She does the same kind of analysis with “tickles,” comments that Grandma is tickling the boy in the picture. At the end of the story, she states that the boy is happy, because they moved to an apartment in the same building, and he will not need to leave his friends or his school. Should this student be moved to Level H books? The answer is, “YES!” She is demonstrating all the strategies and behaviors required at this level and is ready to move on to books that provide a greater challenge. (Level H) Children reading Group 5 books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, and Books at this level contain more complex literary behaviors: (story) language, more complex vocabulary, and, often, more technical vocabulary, especially in o Envision the story to compensate for low informational books. Picture support is minimal, picture support. and requires readers to make clear mental images Children demonstrating this processing can tell you what and connections to their own experiences in life or was happening in the story (or content of the non-fiction in other books. In earlier books, episodes were piece) that enabled them to read the tricky part correctly. A repeated, but in Level H there is less repetition of student reading Pran’s Week of Adventure would make a connection to own experience of taking the wrong bus and episodes, requiring the student to keep the events of ending up in the wrong place to explain that they the story in order and relate the happenings to each understand how Pran and his mother ended up at the beach other to get the big idea of the story. In addition to on page 5. much more dialogue between characters, readers o Keep the accumulating story events (or find that plots and characters are more elaborate. content) in mind. There is a shift from the need for When this child retells a story (or tells about non-fiction) graphophonic/visual analysis to a greater need for the retelling contains all the “big events” (important information). A student reading Silent Sam would realize comprehension and meaning analysis. However, that Gus’ attempts to teach the parrot Sam to talk were readers do encounter more polysyllabic words with successful—because Sam told that Gus knocked over the inflectional endings , plurals, contractions and plant. The student would related the parts of the story possessives. Early behaviors and a large number of together to realize that Sam was just being difficult when he high frequency words (at least 100) need to be refused to talk in the beginning of the story. Process more complex vocabulary and processed with automaticity, freeing the reader to o focus on meaning as well as problem-solving more literary structures including non-fiction. • Children demonstrating this processing can tell you what difficult words on the run so they can reading with a word means even if they don’t pronounce it correctly. fluency. • Children demonstrating this processing can carry information from the beginning of a complex sentence to the other part: They marched because… (They are able to tell you that the second part of the sentence tells you why the people marched, and this is signaled by the word “because.”) • Children demonstrating this processing can make inferences about subtle events in a story that are not directly stated. In the book Silent Sam, they can infer why Gus wants Sam to be silent at the end of the story. o Stop and self-correct at the point of error. o Read with fluency. See the chart on evaluating fluency that follows on page 8. Children reading books in Group 5 should be at Level 3 and hopefully 4 of Oral Reading Fluency. When children read books in Group 5 with at least 90% accuracy and understanding, and they demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move them to Group 6 books.

(KEY: What the child says/what the text says.) A child reads as follows: “On the bus, the children talked about the zoo animals that they liked the best. Joe and Carlos wanted to see the lion, king of the beast/beasts. Maria and Angel/AngelaSC wanted to see the chimps. Maria thought they act/acted a lot like people. When they got to the zoo, their teachers dived/divided the children into four groups.” Does the child’s reading of this text suggest that she belongs in Group 5 books? Should you move her to group 6? The answer is a double, “NO, NO!” She is not consistently demonstrating any of the behaviors expected in Group 5. Even though she self-corrects using word endings (Angel/AngelaSC), she says “act/acted” and “beast/beasts.” The “dived/divided” error suggests that she is not attending to meaning, even though she did choose a verb suggesting attention to syntax (word order.) If you asked her to retell the story, she might begin talking about “swimming” instead of a trip to the zoo. Children reading Level I books need to learn and (Level I) consistently use the following strategies, skills, and behaviors: Books at this Level I are longer (6-18) pages and some short chapter books are o Envision the story to compensate for low introduced at this level (40-60 picture support. Children demonstrating this processing can tell you what was pages). Students must develop skill happening in the story (or content of the non-fiction piece) that in attending and accumulating enabled them to read the tricky part correctly. information across a story. Longer, more complex sentences, such as o Keep the accumulating story events (or content) in mind. “It’s bump after bump in the pickup When this child retells a story (or tells about non-fiction) the truck as dust begins to rise,” retelling contains all the “big events” (important information). require the reader to accumulate information across the phrases of a o Process more complex vocabulary and literary sentence to envision the scene in the structures including non-fiction. story. Level I books often contain o Children demonstrating this processing can tell you what a word means even if they don’t more complex literary (story) pronounce it correctly. language, more complex o Children demonstrating this processing can carry vocabulary, and, often, more information from the beginning of a complex sentence to the other part: They marched technical vocabulary, especially in because… (They are able to tell you that the informational books. Picture second part of the sentence tells you why the support is minimal, requiring people marched, and this is signaled by the word readers to make clear mental “because.”) o Children demonstrating this processing can make images and connections to their inferences about subtle events in a story that are own experiences in life or in other not directly stated. books. There is a shift from the need for graphophonic/visual o Stop and self-correct at the point of error. analysis to a greater need for o Read with fluency. comprehension and meaning See the chart on evaluating fluency that follows on page 8. analysis. However, some words Children reading books in Group 5 should be at Level 3 and have irregular spelling patterns, hopefully 4 of Oral Reading Fluency. polysyllabic words, and many words with inflectional endings, When children read books in Level I with at least contractions and possessives. 96% accuracy and understanding, and they demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move Being able to process these words them to Level J books. quickly and effectively frees the reader’s processing to focus on comprehension and fluent reading.

In the book The Blue Mittens, a student reading it says, “The blue mittens will fit the little girl now, because the Grandmother made them for the Father 30 years ago. Thirty years ago, the Father was a little boy about the size of the girl. I hope the Father has bigger gloves now.” She comes to the word “address” and says, “ad + dress =address,” that’s the thing you put on an envelope. Initally when she read, “She saw red paper. Something was wrapped in it,” she hesitates on the word “wrapped.” Then she says /w/ + /r/. But then she looks at the picture and appears to be rereading the previous sentence. She reads on and says, “Something was wrapped in it.” Is this student ready for Level J Books? The answer is, “Yes.” She is doing excellent word work at the point of error. She is thinking about the story and making inferences about story events. She is demonstrating the behaviors and strategies listed above and she deserves to move to a higher level. Level J Children reading Level J books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, and behaviors: While books at this Level J are similar in length and type to Level I, students  Communicate understanding of the text. are exposed to new genre at this In the book Punched Paper, a student communicates understanding of the text when he says, “Maria gives Andy a level: non-fiction, simple funny look on page 14, because he takes all the credit for making biographies, and some traditional the banner of punched paper. Maria helped him a lot. She looks folktales. Longer, more complex happier on page 15 when Andy admits that Maria helped.” Notice how the student had to feedback in the story to make the sentences, such as How could I inference about the “funny look” Maria gives him. forget,” said her dad, “There is  Independently integrate all sources of nothing better than a snowy day.” information during reading. illustrating the need to read and While reading Mud Tortillas a student comes to the word comprehend split dialogue. ‘comal,” and stops. He reads the first part of the word using a known word “no” as /co/ then says the remaining part of the Picture support continues to be word /mal/. He reads on to page 17, and says, minimal, requiring readers to make ”Oh, a comal is something you use to bake the tortillas; it’s like a clear mental images and baking sheet.” Here the student used graphophonic/visual to say the word. He used structure/syntax to figure out that “comal” is connections to their own the name of something. He used meaning to determine that they experiences in life or in other were going to cook the tortillas on the comal. This is integration books. There is a shift from the of all sources of information, and a strategy students can use to learn the meaning of new vocabulary words. This is a critical need for graphophonic/visual strategy for ELL students. analysis to a greater need for  Word solve with control and independence, at comprehension and meaning the point of error analysis. However, words have a (if the word is in the child’s vocabulary). full range of difficulty factors that  Read with fluency and phrasing on longer must be quickly and efficiently passages of text. solved: multiple syllable words with See the chart on evaluating fluency that follows on page 8. Children reading books in Group 6 should be at Level 4 of inflectional endings, suffixes, Oral Reading Fluency. prefixes, plurals, contractions and possessives. Being able to process When children read books in Level J with at least these words quickly and effectively 96% accuracy and understanding, and they frees the reader’s processing to demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move focus on comprehension and fluent them to Level K books. reading.

A child is reading The Frog Princess (Level J). Beginning at page 8 the child reads: So there was a gr+long and/grand SC wedding. But the third prince was not very happy. The prince carried (with long a)/carried SC the frog (repeats) The prince carried the frog princess (repeats) princess to ro/really/royal meetings on a b+ee+long a+tiful/beautiful/SC green cush-cushion. Etc. Overall the child read with 95% accuracy, a 1:3 self-correction ratio, and fluency, and she retold the story with accuracy and detail. This child is ready to transition into the next level, Level K books. Prompts for Skills, Strategies, and Habits at Levels M-Z

(Level K) Children reading Level K books need to learn and consistently use the following strategies, skills, and Books at Level K encompass an even larger range of behaviors: genre: realistic fiction, animal fantasy, traditional literature, some simple biographies, and more  Solve difficult words with relative ease, self- difficult informational books. Chapter books are correcting at the point of error. more common with some of the books in a series While reading, “Rainbow Joe,”a student reads, “Honey, a /bl/in/d man can’t mix colors.” He stops, says that doesn’t about the same topic or character. Multiple make sense, and goes back. He tries the other sound of the characters are introduced in the story with little vowel saying, “/blind/. Yes, he states. The guy, Joe, is wearing character change. Unassigned dialogue statements dark glasses, so I think he is blind.” are introduced requiring students to understand how  Discovers new vocabulary words by attending dialogue is formatted (e.g. a new line starts each time to the story, illustrations (if any), and his/her a different character speaks). Concepts and ideas are own background of experience. introduced that require readers to think about a When the student read My Steps, and comes to the sentence, “At the top of my steps is the stoop where I play with my different time, space or a culture unlike their own. friend Essie,” she says, “I know what a stoop is. It’s the Content specific words and some technical words tax place at the top of the steps where the girl is sweeping. their word solving skills and are often new You cross this before you go into the house.” vocabulary words. Silent reading is necessary so  Read with fluency, intonation and phrasing students can increase the volume of their reading. communicating understanding of new The overall characteristic is that from here onward material. students will be reading more complex reading See the chart on evaluating fluency that follows on page 8. material. Extended descriptive language, more Children reading books in Group 7 must be at Level 4 of Oral Reading Fluency, or fluency was not taught for and complex chapter books, and challenging, unusual stressed at earlier levels. vocabulary are a few of the changes introduced. Illustrations are non-existent, and if they do appear, When children read books in Level K with at least they are not located in close proximity to the text 96% accuracy and understanding, and they being read. Therefore, teaching students to envision demonstrate these behaviors and strategies, move and accumulate text across a story are critical skills. them to Level L books.

While reading the Blind Men and the Elephant, a student reads, “The third man grabbed the elephant’s sm-oo-th, smooth ivory t-us-k, tusk. ‘Why, an elephant is as sharp as a sper…no…/ea/ says /ee/, spear.’ Yes, these men are blind so they are feeling the elephant and telling what parts of it feel like. I know a ‘spear’ is sharp on the end. This white thing he is touch is a ‘tusk’ and it is sharp on the end. I’m sure I’ve read it correctly.” Is this student ready to move to Level L books? The answer is, “Yes.” She is monitoring her reading, solving new words by using parts of known words and irregular vowel rules. She is thinking about the story to make meaning by thinking across the story, envisioning, and deciding what the story is all about. This student is demonstrating the behaviors and using the strategies that are necessary for the challenge of reading Level L books.

Based on Fountas & Pinnell’s Leveled Books K-8 TCRWP Fall 2007 Prompts for Skills, Strategies, and Habits at Levels M-Z

A Quick Way to Assess Accuracy: Two-Handed Running Record

1. Mark 100 words in a leveled text. 2. As the child reads put your finger down each time the child makes an error. 3. If you use 5 fingers—5 errors in 100, the text is independent (96-100% accuracy). 4. If you use your other five fingers—10 errors in 100, (the text is instructional (90-95% accuracy). 5. If you run out of fingers, the text is too difficult (below 90% accuracy).  What did you notice? Did the errors make sense? Did the error begin with the right letter, but make no sense?  Can the child tell you what the story was about?

A Quick Way to Assess Accuracy: Calculator Method (if the book or text sample doesn’t have 100 words)

1. Count the number of errors the child makes while reading the book. 2. Punch the number of words in the selection into your calculator. 3. Hit minus and punch in the number of errors. 4. Hit the equals sign. 5. Hit the divide sign and punch in the number of words in the selection again. 6. Hit the equal key, and the accuracy level appears in the window of your calculator.

Prompts for Skills, Strategies, and Habits to Teach Students Reading Books A-L (Prompts are listed from the highest level of teacher support to the lowest level of support.)

Note: The suggested behaviors and strategies on each level are cumulative. When you move from one level to another, the behaviors and strategies from the previous level should be under control and used without prompting unless repeated.

Uses cover (title, illustration, Uses one to one matching: Uses meaning to figure out etc.) to get ready to read o Let me show you how I point words: o Watch how I read the title, under the words… o What would make sense here? look at the illustration, and o Point under the words. o What’s going on here? think, “What might this book o Does it match? be about?” o Were there enough words? Understands the book o Think about the cover to get o Check it. o After I finish a book, I think your mind ready to read. about it. Watch me as I do this. Uses and locates known words: o What’s the whole book about? Uses illustration as a source of o Is there a word you know? o So what happened? info to figure out words: o What words do you know? o What are you thinking? o Watch how I use the story and o Point at and read the words you Reads with fluency the picture and think about know. the story to help me figure out o Notice how I touch under a the word… word, read it, and move o Look at the picture and think quickly to the next word. about the story to help you. o Are you moving quickly from o (teacher taps the picture) word to word? o What could help you figure o Compliment reading in a voice that out? slow enough to demonstrate crisp pointing under each word without long pauses.

Name: Name: Name:

Uses cover (title, illustration, Uses one to one matching: Uses meaning to figure out etc.) to get ready to read o Let me show you how I point words: o Watch how I read the title, under the words… o What would make sense here? look at the illustration, and o When I come to the end of one o What’s going on here? think, “What might this book line, watch how I move to the be about?” beginning of the next one. Understands the book o Think about the cover to get o Notice how I keep my finger o After I finish a book, I think your mind ready to read. on a word until I say each part about it. Watch me as I do of it this. o Point under the words. o What’s the whole book about? Uses illustration as a source of o Does it match? o So what happened? info to figure out words: o Were there enough words? o What are you thinking about o Watch how I use the story and o Check it. what happened in this book? the picture and think about the story to help me figure out the Reads with fluency word…make a prediction Uses and locates known words: o Notice how I touch under a about what will happen…talk o Is there a word you know? word, read it, and move about the character’s feelings. o What words do you know? quickly to the next word. Look at the picture and think o o Point at and read the words you o Are you moving quickly from about the story to help you. know. word to word? o (teacher taps the picture) o Expect and compliment reading o What could help you figure in a voice slow enough to that out? demonstrate crisp pointing under each word without long pauses.

Name: Name: Name:

Uses graphophonic info: Uses the pattern as a source of Reads with fluency o Use the first letter of the word info: o Listen as I read this part to help you. o Watch how I read and listen for smoothly…now you try it. o Check the picture and use the the pattern because that helps o Reread that part in a smooth first letter of the word to help me with the words. voice. you. o Use the first part of the o Make it sound smooth. o Think about what’s happening sentence to predict the next o Can you try reading it without in the book right now and use word(s). your finger? This will help you the first letter of the word to o Notice the repeating read more smoothly. help. words/pattern in this story. o Could it be (child’s miscue)or o How does this story go? Retells and summarizes (actual text)? o Let’s think about the title and o Does that look right and make Uses pictures, story, or personal look back through the pages to sense? experiences to make help us think about what o Expect and compliment predictions. happened in the story… slowing down to solve a word, Integrates sources of o Can you predict what will then picking up speed again. information: happen after reading this far in o Notice how I make a prediction the story? Uses and locates known words: about what will happen next o What happened in the story? o What word(s) do you know by using…(picture, story, or What was the book about? heart? personal experience). o Expect and compliment instant o Look at ______and make a Making Inferences recognition of easy high prediction about what will o Watch how I find information frequency words when reading. happen next. in the story (or pictures) to o What do you think will happen support my idea about this Integrates sources of next? story. information: o Why did you say that? Show o Read it again and see if it me evidence on this page. sounds like book language. o Show me evidence that tells o Read it again and see if it why you have that idea. makes sense. o Does that sound right and make sense? o Does that look right and make sense?

Name: Name: Name:

Uses graphophonic info: o Does that sound right and Reads with fluency o Use the first letter(s)/last make sense? o Listen as I read this part letter(s) of the word to help o Does that look right and make smoothly without using my you. (Consonant blends and sense? finger…now you try it. digraphs are more common at o Notice how I use the the beginning and endings of Uses the pattern as a source of punctuation to stop (.), raise words in Level D.) info: my voice at the end (?), sound o Check the picture and use the o Watch how I read and listen excited (!). first letters/last letters of the for the pattern because that o Reread that part in a smooth word to help you. helps me with the words. voice using just your eyes. o Think about what’s happening o Notice how I use the other o Make it sound smooth. in the book right now and use words in a sentence to predict the first letters/last letters of the what the next word would be. Retells and summarizes word to help. o Notice the repeating o Let’s think about the title and o Could it be (child’s miscue)or words/pattern in this story. look back through the pages to (actual text)? o How does this story go? help us think about what o Does that look right and make happened in the story… sense? Analyzing story to comment on o What happened in the story? events or characters. o What was the book about? Uses and locates known words: o Notice how I talk about this o Expect and compliment instant part of the story to show why it Making Inferences recognition of easy high is funny, happy, sad, etc. o Watch how I find information frequency words when reading. o What did you think about this in the story (or pictures) to part of the story? support my idea about this Integrates sources of Find a part of the story you story. information: thought was ______. o Why did you say that? Show o Read it again and see if it me evidence on this page. sounds like book language. Show me evidence that tells why o Read it again and see if it you have that idea. makes sense.

Name: Name: Name:

Attends to internal parts of Crosschecks with emphasis on Reading with fluency words: meaning: o You don’t need your finger. o Take a closer look at ____ (prompts for when student is not Use your eyes. (teacher determines the part of using this source of information) o Listen to me read it. Now you the word to which the student o Use what is happening in the try it. (Demonstrate must attend, e.g. use the story with the picture to help appropriate stress on words, consonants plus the next two you. voice change for punctuation, letters). o Think more about the phrasing, pausing and o Do you see a part you know in story/picture/character to help intonation for meaning.) this word? you figure it out. o Read this book just like you o Move your eyes across that o Does that make sense? read ______(name an easier word letter by part. o Are you right? text or a shared reading text the child knows well.) Crosschecks with emphasis on Integrates sources of o Say it like the character would graphophonic information: information: say it. (prompts for when student is not o Read it again and see if it using this source of information) sounds like book language. Retells and summarizes o Could it be (child’s miscue) or o Read it again and see if it o Let’s think about the title and (actual text)? makes sense. look back through the pages to o Take a closer look at ____ o Could it be (child’s miscue)? help us think about what (teacher determines the part of happened in the story… the word to which the student Self-corrects/crosschecks near o What happened in the story? must attend.) point of error/miscue: o What was the book about? o Does that look right? o Go back and read so it makes o Are you right? sense/sounds right/looks right. Making Inferences o Check that. o Watch how I find information Crosschecks with emphasis on o Why did you stop there? in the story (or pictures) to structure/syntax: o How did you know that? support my idea about this (prompts for when student is not story. using this source of information) Analyzing story to comment on o Why did you say that? Show o Read it again and make sure it events or characters: me evidence on this page. sounds like it would in a book.. o Notice how I talk about this Show me evidence that tells why o Could it be ______? part of the story to show why it you have that idea. o Does it sound like it would in a is funny, happy, sad, etc. book? Name: Name:o What did you think about this Name: o Are you right? (Ask this even part of the story? when the student is correct. Find a part of the story you This motivates self- thought was ______. monitoring.)

Name: Name: Name:

Reads increasingly more o This is like another story we’ve o This is a scary (funny, silly, difficult words using letter by read, remember ______? etc.) part of the story. Reread word parts: o You are thinking about the this and make your voice tell o You read the consonant letter(s) story, are you checking the what is happening in the story. and the next part. Now move illustrations? (Teacher models if necessary.) on to the next. (Teacher might o You are checking the o Make your reading sound like show student how to segment illustrations, are you thinking you are telling a story. parts of the word on paper or a about the story? small white board.) o What do you know that can Analyzing story to comment on o Did you check across the word help you here? (Could be events or characters. to make sure all parts are something student knows about o Notice how I talk about this correct? topic, genre, author, series, part of the story to show why it o Move your eyes across the character, etc.) is funny, happy, sad, etc. word checking each part. o What picture did you have in o What did you do to help Begins to self-correct at point your mind that helped you to yourself? of error using sources of think about what happened in information: this part of the story? Uses parts from known words o Read this again and see if you o Can you ask yourself a to read unknown words: can fix this word before you question such as, “What o You know ______(teacher read on (teacher points to the happened to me that would writes word on a small white tricky word). make me feel like this board changing the initial o You reread and fixed this word. character does now?” OR consonants). See if that helps. What helped you? (If the “What do I know about this o You know ______. Use that child’s response suggests that kind of situation that would word to help you read this one. he could have SCed at the point help me to know if the story o Take a closer look at this part. of error, discuss what he/she is…(happy, sad, funny, etc.)? (Teacher points to the familiar needed to do.) o Find a part of the story you part). o Something wasn’t quite right. thought was______. o Use a word you know to help Go back and see if you can find you. it. Making Inferences o You fixed this word o Watch how I find information Uses context to figure out immediately. Tell me what in the story (or pictures) to unfamiliar words or happened. support my idea about this vocabulary: story. (Character’s actions, o Go back to the beginning of the Retells and summarizes theme, perspective, making sentence, think about what is o Let’s think about the title and judgments, personal opinion.) going on in the story, then look back to help us think o Can you think about something predict what the word might be. about what happened in the you know that would help you o Think about what’s going on in story. to talk about what is happening this part to figure out what that o Retell the story (using qualities in the story here? How does word means. of good retelling) that help you to understand… o What does that mean? o Is that a “big event” in the story (the character, the situation, or a “little detail”? the mood of the story, etc.)? Integrates sources of meaning: o What happened in the story? o Why did you say that? Show o (Stop the child at the end of a o What was the book about? me evidence on this page. page and ask what is happening o Show me evidence that tells at that point of the story. Reads with fluency and why you have that idea. Discuss what sources of phrasing: meaning he/she was attending o Listen to me read it. Now you to.) try. o Teacher gets an easier book the child does read fluently.

Discuss what his/her reading sounds like after reading the easy book, and encourage the same reading on another text.

Reads increasingly more o You are thinking about the o Teacher gets an easier book the difficult words using letter by story. Are you checking the child does read fluently. word parts: illustrations and making Discuss how attending to o Use letter/sound analysis (letter pictures in your mind about meaning and syntax helps us to by part) across the word to what is happening in the story? read as if we are telling a story. solve it. o What do you know that can o Make your reading sound like o Did you check across the word help you here? (Could be you are telling a story. to make sure all parts are something student knows about correct? topic, genre, author, series, Analyzing story to comment on o Move your eyes across the character, etc.) events or characters. word checking each part. o What picture did you have in o What did you do to help Begins to self-correct at point of your mind that helped you to yourself? error using sources of think about what happened in information: this part of the story? Uses parts from known words o Read this again and see if you o Can you ask yourself a to read unknown words: can fix this word before you question such as, “What o You know ____ (teacher writes read on (teacher points to the happened to me that would word on white board) See if tricky word). make me feel like this that helps. o You reread and fixed this word. character does now?” OR o Take a closer look at this part What helped you? “What do I know about this (teacher points to the familiar o Something wasn’t quite right. kind of situation that would part). Go back and see if you can find help me to know if the story o Use a word you know to help it. is…(happy, sad, funny, etc.)? you. o You fixed this word o Find a part of the story you immediately. Tell me what thought was ******. Uses context to figure out happened. unfamiliar words or Making Inferences Retells and summarizes vocabulary: o Can you think about o Let’s think about the title and o Go back to the beginning of the something you know that look back through the pages to sentence and think about what’s would help you to talk about help us think about what going on in this part to figure what is happening in the story happened in the story. out what that word means. here? How does that help you o Retell the story (using qualities o Did you ever see that word to understand… (Character’s of good retelling) before in a story or somewhere actions, theme, perspective, Is that a “big event” in the story you’ve visited? o making judgments, personal or a “little detail”? o What does that mean? opinion.) o What happened in the story? o Why did you say that? Show Integrates sources of meaning: o What was the book about? me evidence on this page. o This is like another story we’ve o Show me evidence that tells read, remember ? Reads with fluency and why you have that idea. phrasing: o (Stop the child at the end of a This is a scary (funny, silly, page and ask what is happening o at that point of the story. etc.) part of the story. Reread Discuss what sources of this and make the words tell meaning he/she was attending what is happening in the story. to.) (Teacher models if necessary.)

Deals with more complex Stops and self-corrects at point Keeps the accumulating story vocabulary/unfamiliar words: of error: events (or content) in mind: o Did you try all the different o Read this again and see if you o Are you making a picture in sounds of the letter/letters to can fix this word before you your mind of what this is help you with that word? read on (teacher points to the about? o You are checking across all parts tricky word). o Stop the child at the end of of the word, but think about o Something wasn’t quite right. several paragraphs or pages what is going on in the text to Go back and see if you can and ask what is happening at figure out what it is. find it. that point of the story. o What does the author tell you in o You fixed this word o This part is like another story the story that helps you know immediately, good going! Tell we’ve read, remember what that word (group of words, me what happened. ______. (Teacher tells the or concept) means? story part.) (Use a similar o Do you know a word like that Reads with fluency and prompt for attending to one (point to word) that means phrasing: illustrations, story content, or the same thing? o Use the punctuation in this part text connections.) to help you read this like you o Is that a “big event” in the Deals with literary structures are telling a story. story or a “little detail”? including nonfiction: o Read this part again o Let’s think about this section o We’ve read a text (name it) that remembering to read in and look back through the was written just like this part. phrases. pages to help us think about o What do we know about the o Make a picture in your mind what happened so far in the information in the beginning part about what is going on in this story. of the sentence, when the author part of the story, then reread uses the word “but?” (Same for this and make the words tell Retells and Summarizes pronouns, however, thus, and, what is happening in the story. o Is that a “big event” in the so, furthermore, because, then, o Does your reading sound like story or a “little detail”? here this etc.) you are telling a story? o What happened in the story? o Think about how this kind of o What was the book about? text goes…how does that help Envisions the text to you understand? compensate for lower picture Making Inferences o This is a problem/solution support o Find a part of the story that format, how can that help you to o Because there’s no illustration, made you feel a certain way. read this? (Same for other let’s get a picture in our mind Tell me why. (Character’s nonfiction structures.) for what’s going on. I’ll actions, theme, perspective, start… making judgments, personal o Stop and picture what’s going opinion.) on here… o Why did you say that? Show o What are you thinking? me evidence on this page.

Deals with more complex Stops and self-corrects at point Keeps the accumulating story vocabulary/unfamiliar words: of error: events (or content) in mind: o Did you try all the different o Read this again and see if you o Are you making a picture in strategies we use to figure out can fix this word before you your mind of what this is the word? (Consonants + the read on (teacher points to the about? next two, taking the word apart, tricky word). o Stop the child at the end of a using letter sequence, thinking o Something wasn’t quite right. several paragraphs or pages what the word might mean, etc.). Go back and see if you can and ask what is happening at o You are checking across all parts find it. that point of the story. Ask of the word, but think about o You fixed this word student to predict what would what is going on in the text to immediately, good going! Tell come next. figure out what it is. me what happened. o This part is like another story o What does the author tell you in we’ve read, remember the story that helps you know Reads with fluency and ______. (Teacher tells the what that word (group of words, phrasing: story part.) (Use a similar or concept) means? o Use the punctuation in this part prompt for attending to o Do you know a word like that to help you read this like you illustrations, story content, or one (point to word) that means are telling a story. text connections.) the same thing? o Read this part again o Is that a “big event” in the remembering to read in story or a “little detail”? Deals with literary structures phrases. o Let’s think about this section including nonfiction: o This is a scary (funny, silly, and look back through the o We’ve read a text (name it) that etc.) part of the story. Reread pages to help us think about was written just like this part. this and make the words tell what happened so far in the o What do we know about the what is happening in the story. story. information in the beginning part o Make a picture in your mind of the sentence, when the author about what is going on in this Retells and Summarizes uses the word “but?” (Same for part of the story, then reread o Is that a “big event” in the pronoun reference, there, here, this and make the words tell story or a “little detail”? where, this, however, thus, and, what is happening in the story. o What happened in the story? so, furthermore, because, then, o Does your reading sound like o What was the book about? etc.) you are telling a story? o Think about how this kind of Making Inferences text goes…how does that help Envisions the text to o Can you think about you understand? compensate for lower picture something you know that o How can we think about those support would help you to talk about words (e.g. I can’t nail him o Because there’s no illustration, what is happening in the story down.) to see what they really let’s get a picture in our mind here? How does that help you mean? for what’s going on. I’ll to understand… (Character’s o This is a problem/solution start… actions, theme, perspective, format, how can that help you to o Stop and picture what’s going making judgments, personal read this? (Same for other on here… opinion.) nonfiction structures.) o Can you ask yourself a o Why did you say that? Show o Instead of “said Dad,” this question that will help you me evidence on this page. author used “yelled Dad.” How picture this part of the story? o Show me evidence that tells does that help you understand [e.g. How does this character why you have that idea. Dad’s feeling in this part of the (or situation) compare to me story? when I experienced the same thing?] o What are you thinking?

Deals with more complex o Read this again and see if you Reads with fluency and vocabulary: can fix this word before you read phrasing: o Read back and read ahead a bit on (teacher points to the tricky o Use the punctuation in this to see if it helps you figure out word). part to help you read this like what that word says/means. o Something wasn’t quite right. you were telling a story. o Have you ever seen that word Go back and see if you can find o Show that you can somewhere you have visited? it. demonstrate reading with o What does the author tell you o You fixed this word appropriate stress on words, in the story that helps you immediately, good going! pausing and reading in know about that word (group phrases, using proper of words, or concept)? Communicates understanding of intonation on words, phrases o Do you know a word like that the text: and sentences, and responding one (point to word) that means o (Ask child to retell the text/a part to punctuation. the same thing? of the text just read) o Read this part again trying to o How can you help yourself o What are you picturing as you read in longer phrases. (Same understand what that read? for stress on words, means/says? o How did your ideas (about intonation, and punctuation.) character(s), the situation, the o Read that again and try to Deals with literary structures: mood, etc.) change as you read sound like that character. (A o We’ve read a text (name it) through the text? similar prompt could be used that was written just like this o Stop and think about what’s with any story element to part. going on in the story. encourage fluent reading.) o What do you know already o Predict what is going to happen o Does your reading sound like about how this kind of text next in the story. (Student uses you are telling a story? tends to go? text structure, personal o Think about how this kind of experiences, content knowledge, Making Inferences text goes…how does that help or knowledge of similar stories.) o Can you think about you understand? o What is the big message the something you know that author is trying to give us in this would help you to talk about Word solving is under control text? what is happening in the story and independent—at the point o What was the problem in this here? How does that help you of error (if the word is in the story and how was it solved? If to understand… (Character’s reader’s vocabulary): the problem was not solved, why actions or motives, story o Let me remind you how we wasn’t it? theme, perspective, making break a word into parts (e.g. o What does the author what us to judgments, personal opinion.) wondering = won+der+ing). think/feel/believe about the o Why did you say that? Show o How does meaning change story/character/information? me evidence on this page. when you add –er or –est to a o Show me evidence that tells word (e.g. happy, happier, why you have that idea. happiest)?

Deals with more complex Word solving is under control Reads with fluency and vocabulary: and independent—at the point of phrasing: o Read back and read ahead a bit error (if the words are in the o Use the punctuation in this to see if it helps you figure out reader’s vocabulary): part to help you read this like what that word says/means. o Every syllable in a long word you were telling a story. o What does the author tell you has a vowel. Let me show you o Read this part again trying to in the story that helps you how that can help you take apart read it in longer phrases. know about that word (group a word. (excitement = o Read that again and try to of words, or concept)? ex/cite/ment) sound like that character. (A o Do you know a word like that o Read this again and see if you similar prompt could be used one (point to word) that means can fix this word before you read with any story element to the same thing? on (teacher points to the tricky encourage fluent reading.) o How can you help yourself word). o Think about what’s happening understand what that o Something wasn’t quite right. in this part and read it with the means/says (e.g. using Go back and see if you can find meaning in your voice. sentence context, graphics, it. o Does your reading sound like envisioning, or definitions o You fixed this word you are telling a story? embedded in text)? immediately, good going! Making Inferences Deals with literary structures: Communicates understanding of o Can you think about o We’ve read a text (name it) the text: something you know that that was written just like this o Did you use the title (and blurb would help you to talk part. on the back of the book if any) about what is happening in o What do you know already to help you predict what this the story here? How does about how this kind of text story would be about? that help you to tends to go? How did what o Ask student to retell the text/a understand… (Character’s you know about this genre part of the text just read. Did you actions or motives, story help you to understand this blend all the little details into theme, perspective, making story? one episode, then another, then judgments, personal o When you read things such as, another across the story? opinion.) “The boat cut deep waves in o What are you picturing as you o Did you think about what that the lake.” “I can land my own read? character was like by what he fish.” o Stop and think about what’s said, by what he thought, by ”My sister is fond of fish.” going on in the story. What do what he did, or by what other How can you figure out what you think will happen next? characters said about him? the words (cut, land, and fond) o Did you change your opinion o Can you think about really mean? about some aspect of this text as something you know that o “And they wrapped the bird in you read to the end? Why? would help you to talk about grapevine leaves, and put it in o How might the character have what is happening in the story the ground.” There is no behaved differently in this story? here? How does that help you picture on this page. Did you o What is the big message the to understand… (character’s use all the parts of the sentence author is trying to give us in this actions or motives, story (e.g.. embedded prepositional text? theme, perspective, making phrases) to envision what was o What does the author want us to judgments, personal opinion.) happening in this part of the think/feel/believe about the o Why did you say that? Show story? story/character/information? me evidence on this page. o “I thought I’d take him for a o Show me evidence that tells walk,” said D.W. “But when why you have that idea. he saw the leash he went wild!” Remember, D.W. is still saying the second part of the quotation, because it is all

on the same line. o Think about how this kind of text goes…how does that help you understand?

Deals with more complex Notice the irregularity that the Reads with fluency and vocabulary: silent e does not create a long phrasing: o Read back and read ahead a bit vowel. o Use the punctuation in this to see if it helps you figure out When a word has double part to help you read this like what that word says/means. consonant letters in the middle, you were telling a story. o What does the author tell you you usually divide between the o Read this part again trying to in the story that helps you two consonants (drummer = read it in longer phrases. know about that word (group durm/mer). o Read that again and try to of words, or concept)? o When a word has double sound like that character. (A o Do you know a word like that consonant letters in the middle, similar prompt could be used one (point to word) that means you usually divide between the with any story element to the same thing? two consonants (drummer = encourage fluent reading.) o How can you help yourself drum/mer). o Think about what’s happening understand what that o Sometimes the open/closed in this part and read it with the means/says (e.g. using syllable rule will help you with a meaning in your voice. sentence context, graphics, word. To read the word o Does your reading sound like envisioning, or definitions “shaded” try (shad-ed) or (sha- you are telling a story? embedded in text)? ded), then think about the story. “The big tree sha-ded the Making Inferences Deals with literary structures: house.” It sounds right, looks o Can you think about o We’ve read a text (name it) right, and makes sense. something you know that that was written just like this o Read this again and see if you would help you to talk part. can fix this word before you read about what is happening in o What do you know already on (teacher points to the tricky the story here? How does about how this kind of text word). that help you to tends to go? How did what o Something wasn’t quite right. understand… (Character’s you know about this genre help Go back and see if you can find actions or motives, story you to understand this story? it. theme, perspective, making o Someone asked Harry if he o You fixed this word judgments, personal was going to go on a dangerous immediately, good going! opinion.) ride. Harry’s fist froze with o Did you think about what that fear. Did his hand really get Communicates understanding of character was like by what he “icy?” the text: said, by what he thought, by o Since you are reading more o (Ask child to retell the text/a part what he did, or by what other difficult books, not all lines of of the text just read) characters said about him? people talking are marked with o What are you picturing as you o Can you think about “said ***.” You must read? something you know that remember that every time a o Stop and think about what’s would help you to talk about new line of dialogue starts going on in the story. what is happening in the story another person is talking. o What is the big message the here? How does that help you author is trying to give us in this to understand… (character’s Word solving is under control text? actions or motives, story and independent—at the point o What does the author what us to theme, perspective, making of error (if the words are in the think/feel/believe about the judgments, personal opinion.) reader’s vocabulary): story/character/information? o Why did you say that? Show o Every syllable in a long word me evidence on this page. has a vowel. Let me show you o Show me evidence that tells how that can help you take why you have that idea. apart a word. (insurance = in/sur/ance)

Level M

Deals with more complex and Deals with longer chapters and Begins to think about more sometimes technical few illustrations abstract themes/universal vocabulary o Ask student to retell the themes o What is happening in the part just read o What is the big problem story right? How does this o How does this part go with that is at the heart of this word fit in to this part of the the page before? And the story? How does this story (or idea or group of page before that? problem exist in the real words)? o So there’s no picture on world? o What’s another word or these pages. Tell me what o What feels real about the group of words that would you’re picturing in your problems that the characters make sense here? mind right here. are dealing with? Where o How can you help yourself o What’s the big thing that’s have you seen similar understand what that happening in this chapter? situations? means/says? How does it fit in with what o What issues are the you’ve read so far? characters dealing with in Reads with fluency and this book? How do they phrasing deal with them? o Read this part again trying Uses literary features of the to read it in longer phrases. text to understand and track o Read that again and make it multiple characters sound like you’re in a o What do you know about movie. this character? Show me a o Think about what’s part where you thought that happening in that part and about this person. read it with meaning in o Read this part where the your voice. character talks – read it in o Read this part out loud the way you think this using your best story voice, person would say it. then re-read silently, but o What do other characters in hear it the same way in your the book think about [name head. Now read on and character]? hear every sentence that o How do you expect this way. character to change [if in the beginning] OR how has Word solving is under control this character changed [if in and independent – at the point the middle or end]? of error (if the word is in the reader’s vocabulary) o Read this again and see if you can fix this word before you read on. o Something wasn’t quite right. Go back and see if you can find it. o You fixed this word immediately. Good! Go!

L evel N

Deals with longer descriptive Word solving is under control Notices and thinks about the words and some figurative and independent – at the point important human problems in language of error (if the word is in the the text o This word seems to be reader’s vocabulary) o What is the big problem describing ____. What else o Read this again and see if that is at the heart of this do you know about _____ you can fix this word before story? Why is it an that can help you you read on. important problem? understand what this word o Something wasn’t quite o What feels important about means? right. Go back and see if the problems that the o This word (or phrase) you can find it. characters are dealing with? doesn’t make sense if we o You fixed this word o What important issues are think about what it usually immediately. Good! Go! the characters dealing with means. What’s another in this book? What makes meaning that would work these issues important in the for this word (or phrase) Deals with longer chapters and world? here? few illustrations (same as M) How did you read this part o o Ask student to retell the and make it make sense to part just read you? o How does this part go with the page before? And the Reads with fluency and page before that? phrasing (Most same as M) o So there’s no picture on o Notice this part, where the these pages. Tell me what word is cut in two because you’re picturing in your it doesn’t fit on the line. mind right here. Practice reading so that you o What’s the big thing that’s don’t slow down when you happening in this chapter? hit the end of the line. How does it fit in with what o Read that again and make it you’ve read so far? sound like you’re in a movie. Uses literary features, Think about what’s o including some descriptive and happening in that part and figurative passages, to read it with meaning in understand multiple your voice. characters Read this part out loud o o Read this part where the using your best story voice, character talks – read it in then re-read silently, but the way you think this hear it the same way in your person would say it. head. Now read on and o What do other characters in hear every sentence that the book say about this way. character? What do they mean? o What does this description tell us about the character or the character’s life? o This passage is a comparison. (point out a simile or a metaphor). What is the author comparing here and why? o How do you expect this character to change [if in the beginning] OR how has this character changed [if in the middle or end]?

Level O

Deals with more complex Notices and thinks about vocabulary and words with Deals with longer chapters and important problems, some of secondary meanings few illustrations (same as M) them serious in scale and tone o Is there part of this word o Ask student to retell the o What is the big problem that you’ve seen part just read that is at the heart of this somewhere before? Use o How does this part go with story? Why is it an that part to make some the page before? And the important problem? sense of what this word page before that? o What feels important about means. o So there’s no picture on the problems that the This word (or phrase) o these pages. Tell me what characters are dealing with? doesn’t make sense if we you’re picturing in your o What important issues are think about what it usually mind right here. the characters dealing with means. What’s another o What’s the big thing that’s in this book? What makes meaning that would work happening in this chapter? these issues important in the for this word (or phrase) How does it fit in with what world? here? you’ve read so far? o What does the author want How did you read this part o us to think/feel/believe and make it make sense to Uses literary features to about the issues in this you? understand characters with story? good and bad traits who Reads with fluency and change over time phrasing o When has this character Notice this part, where the o done or said something that word is cut in two because you think was a good idea? it doesn’t fit on the line. Show me that part. Practice reading so that you o When has this character don’t slow down when you done or said something that hit the end of the line. you didn’t agree with? Notice that this part of the o Show me that part. dialogue is a question. o How has this character Read that part again and shown you that he or she is make your voice go up at not all good or all bad? the end to show that it’s a o This part tells us a lot about question. the setting. How is this o This punctuation mark setting important to what’s (colon, dash, semicolon) happening right now? means that there is more to o How has this character the sentence, but that there become a better person or a is a little break first, to worse person so far in the prepare us for something story? new. Read this sentence again, stopping just a little bit at that punctuation mark.

Word solving is under control and independent – at the point of error (if the word is in the reader’s vocabulary) o Read this again and see if you can fix this word before you read on. o Something wasn’t quite right. Go back and see if you can find it. o You fixed this word immediately. Good! Go!

L evel P

Deals with figurative language Deals with difficulty in Uses literary features to and idioms that are essential to decoding unfamiliar words understand characters whose understanding the text (Same as O) family and peer relationships o This word (or phrase) o Start at the beginning of change over time doesn’t make sense if we this word – what does the o What is this character’s think about what it usually first part sound like (use relationship like with his or means. Read back a couple finger to show where first her family? Show me a part of paragraphs. Picture syllable ends)? Now the that lets you know that. what’s happening right here next part? (teacher points o How does this character get in the story. Read forward again) And the last part? along with the other people one paragraph. What’s Now let’s put it together. his or her age? Show me a happening now? Now o Try saying the first part of part that lets you know that. think: what does that word the word, then the next, o How do other characters fit or phrase probably mean? then the end. into the story? Why are Have you heard this phrase o o Some explicit teaching of they important to before? Where and when tricky spellings may be understanding the main did you hear it? What did necessary. character’s life? you think it meant? o This book takes place in a o How did you read this part setting that’s very different and make it make sense to Deals with longer books, and from here. Show me a you? few or even no illustrations place where you really felt o Ask student to retell the you started to understand Reads with fluency and part just read what it would be like to live phrasing (Same as O) o How does this part go with in the world of this book. Notice this part, where the o the page before? And the o How have the relationships word is cut in two because page before that? in this book changed since it doesn’t fit on the line. o I notice that this book you started reading it? Practice reading so that you doesn’t have illustrations, don’t slow down when you except for on the cover [and Notices and thinks about hit the end of the line. at the beginning of a important problems, some of Notice that this part of the o chapter, etc.]. Tell me how them from an unfamiliar dialogue is a question. you’re picturing the main perspective Read that part again and character – [coach to o What is the conflict at the make your voice go up at prompt for details]. Keep heart of this story? Why is the end to show that it’s a reading, keeping up that it a big issue for the question. detailed image in your characters? o This punctuation mark mind. o Sometimes characters have (colon, dash, semicolon) o What’s the important ideas that we either don’t means that there is more to problem that’s at the heart agree with or have not the sentence, but that there of this story? How has it thought about before. Is is a little break first, to developed across the book there a character in your prepare us for something so far? [Have student turn book that thinks in a new. Read this sentence to beginning of each different way from you? again, stopping just a little chapter] What did you find Show me the part where bit at that punctuation mark. out in this chapter [coach to you first noticed this. say it one sentence]? Now o What important issues are this chapter? Etc. the characters dealing with in this book? What makes these issues important in the world? o What does the author want us to think/feel/believe about the issues in this story? Do you agree or disagree with this point of view?

Level Q

Deals with figurative language Deals with longer books, and Reflects on themes that require and idioms that are essential to few or even no illustrations interpretation; is able to see understanding the text (Same (same as P) more than one side of the as P) o Ask student to retell the issues in the text (some o This word (or phrase) part just read strategies same as P) doesn’t make sense if we o How does this part go with o What is the conflict at the think about what it usually the page before? And the heart of this story? Why is means. Read back a couple page before that? it a big issue for the of paragraphs. Picture o I notice that this book characters? what’s happening right here doesn’t have illustrations, o Sometimes characters have in the story. Read forward except for on the cover [and ideas that we either don’t one paragraph. What’s at the beginning of a agree with or have not happening now? Now chapter, etc.]. Tell me how thought about before. Is think: what does that word you’re picturing the main there a character in your or phrase probably mean? character – [coach to book that thinks in a Have you heard this phrase o prompt for details]. Keep different way from you? before? Where and when reading, keeping up that Show me the part where did you hear it? What did detailed image in your you first noticed this. you think it meant? mind. o What does the author want How did you read this part o o What’s the important us to think/feel/believe and make it make sense to problem that’s at the heart about the issues in this you? of this story? How has it story? Do you agree or developed across the book disagree with this point of Reads with fluency and so far? [Have student turn view? phrasing, dealing with many to beginning of each o How do different characters compound words and words chapter] What did you find in this book have different with 3+ syllables out in this chapter [coach to points of view about the o This is a long word. Let’s say it one sentence]? Now issues they’re facing? practice reading across the this chapter? Etc. Which character’s whole word, bit by bit. viewpoint do you feel the Then reading it again until Uses knowledge of content most connected to and it feels easy to say. (history, geography, etc.) and why? Notice how this word is actually literary features to understand two words put together? Say the more complex characters and first word… now say the second settings word… now put them together. o This is a setting that takes Now say it faster. place at a different time in history. What do you know Deals with difficulty in about this time period? decoding unfamiliar words Let’s read together and see (Same as O) how that information helps o Start at the beginning of us understand the characters this word – what does the and the world they’re in. first part sound like (use o Books at this level have finger to show where first passages that leave out syllable ends)? Now the details and expect the next part? (teacher points reader to fill them in. Can again) And the last part? you show me a part where Now let’s put it together. you had to fill in to make o Try saying the first part of the picture in your mind the word, then the next, complete? Tell me what then the end. you added in your mind. Some explicit teaching of tricky spellings may be necessary.

Level R (“Extends the skills needed for Level Q across a wider variety of texts”)

May have to deal with Increases stamina: is able to keeps coming back? That technical vocabulary, in hold longer, more complex usually means it’s worth addition to more figurative stories in mind from chapter to stopping and asking – what is language and idioms. chapter across longer books that image standing for in this o This word seems to be very o In the beginning of a book: book? How does it show specific to ______“This is a longer book than something important about the (name content that applies. what you’ve been reading. characters or their world? Ex: “Silo” seems to be Let’s plan out how your specific to farming.) What reading life can go so that is happening with you can finish it this week.” Reflects on themes that require ______right here in Plan out using log to make interpretation; is able to see the story? Let’s use that to self-assignments. more than one side of the think about what this word o In the middle of a book: issues in the text (same as Q) could mean. Wow, it seems like a lot has o What is the conflict at the o This seems to set up a happened so far. This feels heart of this story? Why is comparison. Why is the like a good time to stop and it a big issue for the author comparing these two think back to the most characters? images or ideas? important parts you’ve read. o Sometimes characters have What’s the big problem that ideas that we either don’t Reads with fluency and the main character is agree with or have not phrasing, dealing with many facing? Jot that on a post- thought about before. Is compound words and words it. Now underneath, write a there a character in your with 3+ syllables (same as Q) few parts you remember book that thinks in a o This is a long word. Let’s that show how this problem different way from you? practice reading across the has been getting worse. Show me the part where whole word, bit by bit. Read on expecting a you first noticed this. Then reading it again until change. o What does the author want it feels easy to say. o At the end: us to think/feel/believe Notice how this word is actually How do you think about the issues in this two words put together? Say the differently about the story? Do you agree or first word… now say the second characters now than you did disagree with this point of word… now put them together. in the beginning? view? Now say it faster. o How do different characters Deals with a variety of literary in this book have different Deals with difficulty in features, sometimes including points of view about the decoding unfamiliar words a shifting narrative voice issues they’re facing? (Same as O) and/or parts of the text that Which character’s o Start at the beginning of function as symbols. viewpoint do you feel the this word – what does the o Who is the narrator in this most connected to and first part sound like (use story? Are there any parts why? finger to show where first in this book where the syllable ends)? Now the narrator changes how he or next part? (teacher points she is telling the story? [ex: again) And the last part? diary entries or notes that Now let’s put it together. appear inside of the major o Try saying the first part of narrative] Let’s read that the word, then the next, part and think: how is this then the end. helping me understand this Some explicit teaching of tricky story? spellings may be necessary. o Sometimes there is an image, either of an object or a place, that repeatedly appears throughout a story. Does your story have an image like that – one that

Level S

Deals with words that present Synthesizes across connected Reflects on themes that require many shades of meaning.. short stories [if in such a book] interpretation; is able to o [Find an example in the o This book is made up of connect the themes in the book book by looking through] many short stories. to other texts with this theme This part is tricky. This Although the stories are and/or to real-world events in word [or phrase] could different, the author has the past and present mean many things. Based included them together for a o What is the conflict at the on everything you know reason. Having read a heart of this story? Where about this [character or couple of these stories, have you seen this conflict event or setting] so far, what are you finding that in other books or in what does is most likely the stories have in movies? How does this mean? common? It could be a book present this problem? o Books at this level often character or a setting, or an How did the other books or include words that have idea that shows up in every movies? more than one possible story. o What does the author want meaning. Can you find a us to think/feel/believe place where a word like that about the issues in this came up? How did you Deals with a variety of literary story? How is this the same solve the problem of features, often including parts or different from what we deciding what it meant? of the text that function as were expected to think symbols. (Most same as R) about the issue in another Reads with fluency and o Who is the narrator in this text? phrasing, dealing with many story? Are there any parts complex proper nouns and in this book where the o some archaic or rare narrator changes how he or terminology she is telling the story? [ex: Listen to how I read this word. diary entries or notes that It’s not one you’ve heard before, appear inside of the major and it’s pretty tricky. When narrative] Let’s read that reading words like this out loud, part and think: how is this do your best at sounding out helping me understand this each part. When it feels like story? you’ve said it right, say it a few o Sometimes there is an times more to hold onto it. If it’s image, either of an object or an important name, write it out a place, that repeatedly so that the spelling matches how appears throughout a story. you say it and keep that in the Does your story have an book as you read. image like that – one that keeps coming back? That usually means it’s worth stopping and asking – what is that image standing for in this book? How does it show something important about the characters or their world?

L evel T

Deals with words that are Synthesizes across connected Reflects on controversial presented in dialect or in a short stories [if in such a book] themes that have many sides, foreign language o This book is made up of themes such as war, prejudice o This part seems to be many short stories. and racism, growing up, etc. written in a very particular Although the stories are o The issues this book tackles voice. Let’s read a bit of it different, the author has are pretty big – they seem out loud. If we hear how it included them together for a to be problems that never sounds it will help us figure reason. Having read a get solved in the world. out what the words mean. couple of these stories, How has reading this book [Read a bit out loud] Now, what are you finding that made you think about these what do you think this is the stories have in issues? What reaction have saying? As you read, keep common? It could be a you had so far? that accent in your head and character or a setting, or an o What does the author want use the sound of the voice idea that shows up in every us to think/feel/believe to help you figure out story. about the issues in this words or phrases that are story? How is this the same unknown. or different from what we o Books at this level often Analyzes and reflects on were expected to think include words that have character development. about the issue in another more than one possible Recognizes and thinks through text? meaning. Can you find a symbolic passages in terms of place where a word like that their significance to the came up? How did you characters. solve the problem of o In books at this level, not deciding what it meant? only the main character, but other characters as well, Reads with fluency and change over time. What phrasing, dealing with some have you been noticing passages written in dialect and about the characters and some foreign words or phrases change? Have they o Listen to how I read this changed emotionally? part. Do you hear how it’s Physically? written in a particular o This passage seems to be voice? Try the same part about something else – it with me. Now don’t look at seems to have a different the book. Use the accent setting altogether from the and repeat the phrase we’ve main part of the book. It been reading. Practice must be connected to our hearing this accent as you main character, though. keep reading, when this What about this part does voice is present. connect to a character you o Did you notice that this know well or an issue that word/phrase was in italics? character is dealing with? That means that it is from How does this change your another language. Even if thinking about that you don’t know that character or issue? language, it’s worth trying to say the word as best you can. That way you won’t interrupt the reading in your head.

Level U

o Deals with technical words Follows subplots and is able to Notices and reflects on more that require background connect them back to the abstract themes that allow for knowledge and are not defined primary plot multiple interpretations. in the text o This chapter seems to o Books like this often offer o This part seems to be present a different problem. us a chance to think deeply written in a very particular How does this fit with about our lives and ask big voice. Let’s read a bit of it what’s been going on in the questions like, why is there out loud. If we hear how it other chapters? life? Why is there death?. sounds it will help us figure o This chapter is told from a Are there any big questions out what the words mean. different character’s point that this book has made you [Read a bit out loud] Now, of view. How does it add to think about? Or have any what do you think this is or change your thinking of the characters asked big saying? As you read, keep about the story? questions. that accent in your head and use the sound of the voice to help you figure out Thinks about the multiple words or phrases that are dimensions of characters, unknown. using symbolism and other o Books at this level often literary devices to make more include words that have meaning. more than one possible o Often in books like this the meaning. Can you find a author gives us hints about place where a word like that the character by writing came up? How did you about an object or a place solve the problem of that’s important to the deciding what it meant? character. We can notice if there is an object or a place Reads with fluency and that is important to a phrasing, dealing with some character and ask, “What passages written in dialect and does it say about this person some foreign words or phrases that he/she is so attached to o Listen to how I read this this?” part. Do you hear how it’s written in a particular voice? Try the same part with me. Now don’t look at the book. Use the accent and repeat the phrase we’ve been reading. Practice hearing this accent as you keep reading, when this voice is present. o Did you notice that this word/phrase was in italics? That means that it is from another language. Even if you don’t know that language, it’s worth trying to say the word as best you can. That way you won’t interrupt the reading in your head.

Level V

Deals with technical words Holds onto meaning inside of Uses thinking about multiple that require background complex story structures: characters to elaborate on the knowledge and are not defined flashback, story-within-story, themes in the book. Themes in the text etc. continue to become more abstract and to reflect more mature concerns and issues. o The themes or big ideas in a Reads with fluency and Deals with longer stretches of story don’t grow from only phrasing, dealing with some descriptive language, and one character’s experiences passages written in dialect and continues to notice how and thinking; we have to some foreign words or phrases symbolism adds to notice how all the o Listen to how I read this understanding of the characters relate to the part. Do you hear how it’s characters and their conflicts themes of the book. Talk a written in a particular little about how one voice? Try the same part character connects to a with me. Now don’t look at theme you’ve been the book. Use the accent noticing. Now talk about and repeat the phrase we’ve how a different character been reading. Practice connects. hearing this accent as you keep reading, when this voice is present. o Did you notice that this word/phrase was in italics? That means that it is from another language. Even if you don’t know that language, it’s worth trying to say the word as best you can. That way you won’t interrupt the reading in your head.

Level W

Deals with technical words Holds onto meaning inside of Uses background knowledge of that require background complex story structures: political and social issues is to knowledge and are not defined flashback, story-within-story, fully interpret some themes; in the text etc. recognizes adolescent themes that require mature interpretations

Reads with fluency and In Fantasy and SciFi phrasing, dealing with much especially, but also in some longer sentences and Realistic Fiction: Recognizes embedded phrases and clauses some “larger-than-life” type o Use the commas in long characters who represent the sentences to tell you where symbolic struggle of good and to pause. Sometimes you evil may have to re-read to the beginning of a sentence to be sure you’ve understood how the whole sentence fits together. Try this one… Now try again, and read it faster. o Use your voice to indicate where phrases begin and end.

Level X

Deals with many archaic Notices and reflects on unusual Uses prior experience and words. story structures when present prior reading experience to o How does the structure of think critically about the this story go with some of themes presented in the book the big ideas that you’re Reads with fluency and having or that the characters phrasing, dealing with much are having? longer sentences and embedded phrases and clauses o Use the commas in long sentences to tell you where In Fantasy and SciFi to pause. Sometimes you especially, but also in some may have to re-read to the Realistic Fiction: Recognizes beginning of a sentence to some “larger-than-life” type be sure you’ve understood characters who represent the how the whole sentence fits symbolic struggle of good and together. Try this one… evil Now try again, and read it faster. o Use your voice to indicate where phrases begin and end.

Level Y/Z

Deals with words that have Understands the conventions Uses prior experience unusual or invented of the genre and recognizes connotations “classic” elements of that and prior reading genre easily experience to think critically about the Reads with fluency and themes presented in the phrasing, dealing with much Deals with sophisticated book longer sentences and literary devices such as irony embedded phrases and clauses and satire o Use the commas in long sentences to tell you where to pause. Sometimes you may have to re-read to the beginning of a sentence to be sure you’ve understood how the whole sentence fits together. Try this one… Now try again, and read it faster. o Use your voice to indicate where phrases begin and end.

Based on Fountas & Pinnell’s Leveled Books K-8 TCRWP Fall 2007