SAMPLE TEACHING POINTS by LEVEL of READER

SAMPLE TEACHING POINTS by LEVEL OF READER

Level A Readers Level B Readers  Readers recognize sight words  Readers recognize when a text quickly problem solving unknown carries a pattern and figures out words only. those words quickly.  Readers slowly say the sounds of  Readers use both the first sound of a each letter and then quickly blend word and the picture to figure out an those sounds together. unknown word.  Readers reread to problem solve.  Readers use meaning to guess  Readers read left to right across one unknown words and then use the line. first letter sound to monitor their  Readers match one spoken to one choice. written word.  Readers read left to right across and  Readers make predictions based on then sweep back to read the next pictures and prior knowledge. line of print.  Readers share opinions about text  Readers touch the words as they and illustrations. read to help hold their place.  Readers ask questions when they are confused.  Readers discuss the text after reading.

Level C Readers Level D Readers  Readers recognize sight words  Reader quickly problem-solving unknown s take apart CVC words by sounds of words only. individual letters.  Readers check the last sound of a  Readers self-monitor using known word to confirm their guess. words, letter sounds, and word  Readers make connections, parts. recognizing when words start the  Readers understand text with same, end the same, or share a dialogue (even when the speakers spelling pattern. are tagged with pronouns).  Readers can identify who is talking  Readers recall and retell important in the text (when the speakers are events in sequence. named).  Readers identify and read some  Readers use details when discussing phrases as word groups. text after reading.  Readers change their voice to reflect  Readers can recall the sequence of the punctuation. events in the text.  Readers make predictions based on  Readers notice and reflect ending information from the text. punctuation in their voice as they  Readers make connections between read. texts.  Readers consider how the text is  Readers infer and discuss characters’ connected to the title. feelings and motivations.  Readers share opinions about the  Readers identify and appreciate the text and illustrations. humor in stories. Level E Readers Level F Readers  Readers use long and short vowel  Readers remove the endings from sounds to aid in solving unknown base words to solve new words. words.  Readers use onsets and rimes (word  Readers use known word parts to parts) to solve words. help solve unknown words.  Readers reread and self-correct close  Readers take apart compound words to the point of error. to solve them.  Readers reread to search for info or  Readers reread in order to sound confirm meaning. like they are talking when they read.  Readers use text features such as  Readers recognize attributes of titles, headings, and table of contents recurring characters. to grow their understanding.  Readers talk about schema (what  Readers scan text to search for they know about books) prior to specific acts in informational text. reading.  Readers reflect meaning in the way  Readers infer causes and effects as they read a text. implied in the text.  Readers reflect meaning in the way  Readers identify fiction vs. they read a text. nonfiction.  Readers can differentiate true and  Readers discuss how print layout make believe events. and features reflect meaning.  Readers express opinions about characters and events.

Level G Readers Level H Readers  Readers use letter clusters to solve  Readers demonstrate flexible ways unknown words. to solve unknown words, using  Readers use labels for pictures to multiple strategies at once. support their understanding.  Readers read fast by not following  Readers understand who is speaking along with their finger. in texts with split dialogue.  Readers use context to figure out  Readers demonstrate appropriate word meaning. stress on words or phrases to reflect  Readers break longer words into meaning. syllables to decode.  Readers support predictions with  Readers realize when more info is evidence. needed to understand a text.  Readers identify what the writer has  Readers use graphics, table of done to make the text surprising, contents, and pictures to gain funny, or interesting. meaning.  Readers identify the point in a story  Readers summarize narratives. when the problem is resolved.  Readers demonstrate awareness of  Readers can differentiate between the function of all punctuation. realistic fiction and fantasy.  Readers discuss whether they agree or disagree with the ideas in a text. Level I Readers Level J Readers  Readers change the pace of their  Readers use chapter titles to predict reading based on the ease or content. difficulty of the text.  Readers recognize chapters as  Readers make predictions based on logical places to pause and resume genre or type of story. reading.  Readers recognize and apply  Readers notice and use graphics and attributes of recurring characters. diagrams.  Readers use new information to  Readers read silently to increase confirm or refute predictions. fluency and comprehension.  Readers acknowledge changes in  Readers can identify the problem ideas after reading. and solution.  Readers infer causes of problems or  Readers can identify traits of their possible solutions. characters in their book (and across  Readers agree or disagree with ideas books) and provide evidence for in a text and give reasons. those traits.  Readers understand and discuss text  Readers infer cause and effect in structure (description, compare/contrast, influencing characters’ feelings and etc.) motive.  Readers notice how layout and print  Readers notice the way the writer features are used for emphasis. assigns dialogue.  Readers identify the genre of the  Readers hypothesize about how a book they are reading and change text could have gone differently. their reading to reflect that genre.

Level K Readers Level L Readers  Readers search for clarifying or  Readers notice new words and additional information in graphics actively add them to their speaking that accompany text. vocabulary.  Readers process long sentences,  Readers infer the meaning of content using surrounding sentences to specific words using text features support meaning. and graphics.  Readers understand a wide range of  Readers report important ideas in a dialogue, including some unassigned. text orally or in writing.  Readers infer characters’ feelings  Readers infer possible themes. and motivations through their  Readers notice underlying dialogue. organizational structures in  Readers can discuss possible big informational texts. ideas or themes of the book.  Readers notice variety in layout  Readers notice writing techniques or (chapter length, format, etc.) craft of the author.  Readers judge the text quality and  Readers understand the relationship explain. between setting and plot.  Readers notice and discuss descriptive and figurative language.  Readers find connections between books in a series. Level M Readers Level N/O/P/Q Readers  Readers prepare themselves to  Readers identify important ideas in encounter vocabulary words specific the text and recall them in an to the topic or time period of the organized way. text.  Readers mentally form categories of  Readers use the back of the book and related information and revise these the chapter titles to support their categories as new information is understanding of the main plot line. acquired across the text.  Readers notice when things start to  Readers keep track of changing appear over and over again in text perspectives as events in a story and consider possible reasons for unfold. this repetition.  Readers follow multiple characters  Readers self-correct oral intonation in different episodes, inferring their when it does not reflect meaning. feelings about each other.  Readers search for and use info to  Readers form theories about confirm or refute predictions. characters based on the actions of  Readers generate or react to those characters. alternative understandings of the  Readers recognize when characters text. act in a way other than what is  Readers identify how significant expected and consider what that events relate to the problem or might mean about the character or solution. the theme of the book.

Level N/O/P/Q Readers Level N/O/P/Q Readers  Readers notice aspects of genres  Readers notice and interpret (realistic and historical fiction, figurative language passages. biography and other nonfiction,  Readers pay attention to the ways an fantasy) and adjust their reading author builds interest or suspense. accordingly.  Readers notice the author’s  Readers demonstrate understanding qualifications to write informational of characters (their traits, how and text and form an opinion about the why they change), using evidence to author’s credibility. support their statements.  Readers notice when an author  Readers consider that problems may combines genres to create a hybrid have multiple causes and can no text. longer draw a single line from  Readers keep track of assigned and cause(s) to problem/effect. unassigned dialogue.  Readers offer opinions about a text  Readers assess whether a text is and use evidence to support them. authentic or consistent with life  Readers differentiate between the experiences or prior knowledge. minor problems in a story and can  Readers identify words with identify the central problem. multiple meanings and select the  Readers keep track of new learning precise meaning within the text. as they read a text.  Readers use knowledge from one text to help in understanding diversity of cultures and settings in new text. Level R/S/T Readers Level R/S/T Readers  Readers apply problem-solving  Readers notice new and interesting strategies to challenging technical words and actively add them to their words or proper nouns. vocabulary.  Readers bring background content  Readers consider perspectives that knowledge to understanding a wide may be unfamiliar in interpreting range of nonfiction and fiction. characters’ motives and themes.  Readers recognize when minor  Readers infer the big ideas and characters end up having themes and discuss how they apply significance. to people’s lives today.  Readers recognize changes in setting  Readers speculate on alternative and consider the impact of those meanings of words or phrases. changes.  Readers identify point of view.  Readers recognize when they need  Readers notice how authors use additional information about the words or pictures to create mood. historical setting and seek  Readers demonstrate changing information from other sources. perspectives as story events unfold.  Readers mentally form categories of  Readers form theories about the related information and revise as symbolism in a story. new information is added.

Level U/V/W Readers Level U/V/W Readers  Readers infer causes of outcomes in  Readers use other sources of fiction and nonfiction. information to assess authenticity.  Readers notice and interpret  Readers discuss whether social figurative language. issues and cultural groups are  Readers notice aspects of a writer’s authentically represented. craft across texts.  Readers infer characters’ thinking  Readers notice the writer’s choice to and struggles at key decision points. use words that are not English and  Readers infer themes and discuss reflect how those words add how they apply to people’s lives meaning to the text. today.  Readers notice the way writers use  Readers critique a text as a regional dialect and discuss how it representation of the genre. adds authenticity.  Readers assess the author’s  Readers recognize the use of qualifications to write nonfiction. figurative language (irony).  Readers distinguish between fact  Readers identify the mood of a piece and opinion. of writing.  Readers infer the meanings of  Readers understand use of language symbols. to convey irony and satire. Level U/V/W Readers Level U/V/W Readers  Readers find evidence to support an  Readers form implicit questions and argument or claim. search for answers while reading.  Readers infer multiple causes of a  Readers construct concise problem. summaries.  Readers acquire knowledge about  Readers use genre characteristics as diverse cultures, times, and places. a source for predictions.  Readers identify events and how  Readers make and continually revise they relate to the problem or predictions. solution.  Readers use knowledge from one  Readers use other sources to check text to help understanding of authenticity of text. cultures and settings encountered in  Readers infer character traits, new texts. motivation, and changes.  Readers connect characters across  Readers follow texts with complex texts by circumstances, traits, or plots (flashbacks, stories within actions. stories, etc.)  Readers acquire new perspectives  Readers identify multiple points of through text about diverse cultures, view. times, and places.

Level X/Y/Z Readers Level X/Y/Z Readers  Readers differentiate between  Readers process sentences with internal and external conflict. archaic or regional dialects.  Readers identify use of exaggeration,  Readers make connections between imagery, and personification. modern social issues and those  Readers critique the biographer’s presented in fiction, biography, and presentation of a subject. fantasy.  Readers notice bias.  Readers recognize and understand  Readers critique the integration of satire, parody, allegory, and illustrations and print. monologue and their purposes and  Readers critique texts in terms of the characteristics. writers’ bias or use of propaganda.  Readers notice how the suthor uses  Readers derive the author’s purpose language in a connotative way. even when not stated.  Readers analyze works of fantasy to  Readers of historical fiction evaluate notice classic motifs such as “the authenticity of details, setting, and quest”, “the hero”, and symbolic reporting of events. good and evil.  Readers engage in critical thinking about an author’s body of work.

Distributed at the MAISA Unit Summer Institute, August 2013; source unknown