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Guided repeated oral reading procedures that include guidance from teachers, peers, or parents had a significant and positive impact on word recognition, fluency, and comprehension across a range of grade levels.
National Reading Panel , 2000 |
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In any classroom, there are so many different interests and abilities. I have always struggled to find materials that were relevant, interesting, and appropriately leveled. Thanks to you, I am now able to find materials that help all my students feel like successful readers.
Beverley Holoboff; Third-Grade Teacher; Grand Centre Elementary School; Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada
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I have been using your books in my classroom for two years now, and my students’ reading scores are on the increase. I am excited to be able to send books home with my children, books they can keep to practice.
Sara Lundh; Kindergarten Teacher; Garrett Primary; Lufkin, TX
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Guided Reading
Guided reading uses small-group instruction and developmentally appropriate books called leveled readers. This approach recognizes that a wide range of reading ability exists within any grade level or age group, and that reading at the appropriate levels ensures success. Each session, 15 to 25 minutes, begins with introducing a book, eliciting prior knowledge, and building background. A child is placed in a small group with other children of similar ability and given a developmentally appropriate book to read. The teacher monitors and guides the reading of each child as needed. Discussion of the book follows, and the child keeps the book to read repeatedly. Subsequent lessons at the lower levels usually use an entirely new book.
Leveled Books
Leveled books are the key component in a guided reading program. Reading A-Z leveled books are not selected from a collection of books and then leveled. Rather, Reading A-Z leveled books have been carefully written in accordance with standardized criteria for each level, then quality checked with custom software. Reading A-Z has specific leveling criteria for each of 27 reading levels. The books are graduated, meaning they get increasingly difficult with each succeeding level.
List of Leveled Readers
Lesson Plans
Each leveled book is accompanied by a multiple-page lesson plan. The lessons include strategies for introducing the book and building background, strategies to use while students read, strategies and questions for after-reading discussions, and a bank of ideas for teaching a variety of skills, including phonological awareness, phonics, high-frequency words, word structure, grammar, and mechanics. Lessons also include extension activities that link to writing and other curriculum areas, such as math, science, and social studies.
Worksheets
Each guided reading lesson is accompanied by up to four worksheets on comprehension and skills. The comprehension worksheet is often a graphic organizer designed to engage the reader in the reading process. The skills worksheet focuses on one of the skill-building strategies covered in the lesson.
Stages of Development
Typically, children go through specific stages of development as they progress from nonreaders to fluent readers. In guided reading, books are written to various levels of difficulty, gradually introducing developing readers to new challenges. The stages of reading development are commonly separated as follows:
- Early Emergent Readers (Reading A-Z levels aa-C)
- Emergent Readers (Reading A-Z levels D-J)
- Early Fluent Readers (Reading A-Z levels K-P)
- Fluent Readers (Reading A-Z levels Q-Z)
Leveling Criteria
Reading A-Z’s leveling criteria are based on the scientific measurement of accepted leveling strategies.
Correlations
Reading Recovery, Fountas & Pinnell, and DRA levels are not official levels assigned to Reading A-Z books by those leveling systems. Rather, those levels are approximate correlations based on a comparison of attributes in Reading A-Z leveled books with equivalent books that have been assigned official levels by Fountas & Pinnell, Reading Recovery, and DRA. For your convenience, we have correlated Reading A-Z levels to Reading Recovery, Fountas & Pinnell, and DRA, and we have compiled a complete correlation chart. A correlation chart specific to each leveled reader appears on the copyright page of each book.
Assessment
Reading A-Z provides a variety of assessment tools as part of its leveled reading program.
Benchmark Books are used with running records to help assess the appropriate developmental level for guided reading sessions.
Running Records allow the recording of a child’s reading behavior as she or he reads from the book.
Fluency Passages are used by teachers to evaluate reading fluency and by students to practice oral fluency.
Retelling Rubrics provide universal tools for quick and easy assessment of comprehension.
Comprehension Quick Checks are a fast, easy way to quiz students on how well they are absorbing their reading.
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