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Characteristics of Leveled Reading Book	Reading Tips	20 minutes of reading	Improving Your Child's Thinking skills
Developmental Reading Stages	Developmental Writing Stages	How to help my child with reading at home	Report Card Explanation

Schedule

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Classroom Expectations

20 Minutes of Reading

Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!

Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 minutess/week
Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes

Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.
Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.

Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year
Student A reads 3600 min. in a school year.
Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.

Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year. Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.

By the end of 6th grade if Student A and Student B maintain
these same reading habits, Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days.

One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so, undoubtedly, will school performance. How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?

Some questions to ponder:

Which student would you expect to read better?
Which student would you expect to know more?
Which student would you expect to write better?
Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary?
Which student would you expect to be more successful in school....and in life?

Reading "Just Right Books"

Goldilocks tried the Three Bears' porridge, chairs, and beds. She found the ones that were "just right" for her. The books your child reads can be thought of in the same way.

A book that is "just right" is one that your child can read independently. It is not too hard and it is not too easy. It's a good fit - it's "just right". The best learning happens when children have this perfect fit.

The Five Finger Rule

While reading the first page of a book or a short book with few words for early readers, count the unknown words (using fingers to keep track is fine). If there are five or more, the book is too hard for now. Read that book together!

Another important consideration - some first graders have learned to read many words. They even may be reading "chapter books". However they might not be understanding what's been read.

Ask your child lots of questions about the story in general and about specific pages to see if he really understands what was read. It also is important to monitor your child's choices for appropriate content.

It is my goal to keep children reading books that are "Just Right" in the classroom. I will be doing reading assessments on a regular basis. Watch the letter codes on the back of the homework books to keep track of how your child is progressing.

Characteristics of leveled books

The leveling that I use is based on work by Irene Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell. It is an alphabetic coding system with A being the easiest. The following explains characteristics of levels of books and the approximate grade level associated with it.

Level A-B (kindergarten level)

8 pages
1-2 lines on a page
large print, well spaced
one illustration per page, direct match of text
and illustrations
repetition of high frequency words, 1-2 word changes
per page
simple natural language patterns
predictable story line
pattern change on last page

Level C-D (beginning first grade) books

generally 8 pages, some 12-16
1-4 lines per page
placement of text varies
return sweep
one illustration per page
story line found in text as well as pictures
2-3 or more word changes on each page
some use of past tense, inflected endings
(ing, ed, s)
compound words, multi-syllabic words

Level E, F, G (middle first grade)

8-16 pages

less than 180
wide range of punctuation
illustrations provide moderate support
text carries most of the meaning
challenging vocabulary
4 or more word changes, or the entire pattern changes
sentences may carry over to the next page
moderately complex story structures with problem/solution emphasized
event continue throughout book and over more than one page
higher level comprehension strategies, inferences

books

Level H, I, J (beginning second grade)

16-24 words per page
less than 300 total
3-8 lines per page
various font sizes
illustrations used to confirm and support text, create interest
challenging and specialized vocabulary
compound words
limited repetition and predictability
several episodes in one book
character descriptions are involved
variety of text features and genres

Level K, L: ( second grade)

longer, slightly more complex chapter books
longer picture books
more characters
usually between fifteen and seventy-five pages long
some shorter books but with more difficult vocabulary
more challenging contest
more complex themes
includes realistic fiction, fantasy, informational text
fables and legends
black and white illustrations that enhance enjoyment and visualization of characters, setting and action
less dependence on illustrations

Level M, N, O, P: (third grade)

topics vary widely
brand new subjects
longer chapter books, about 100 pages, short chapters
complex ideas and language
more complex themes; issues of respect for differences, loneliness, independence, ethical treatment of animals etc., real life problems (preadolescents and early adolescents)
more biographies
subtle meanings that require interpretation and background knowledge
readers need strategies for understanding plot and theme, and to learn the meaning of new vocabulary words
readers are beginning to use books to gain the vicarious experiences that will help them understand their world
long texts requiring reader to sustain interest and meaning over many days

Level Q and above:

increase in vocabulary
increase in complexity of themes, plots and issues
increase in need for higher level thinking and comprehension skills