Centre Ridge ES-parents as readers

Parents as Readers

At Centre Ridge we believe that all teachers are reading teachers first and we recognize that quality language arts instruction reflects the interrelated nature of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Since the development in one of those areas supports the development in the others, reading is taught throughout the day in all subject areas. Teachers provide a balance of reading experiences which incorporate reading to students, reading with students and reading by students. The reading approach which is used fosters a balanced emphasis on meaning, structure and visual information systems, because we support the philosophy that reading is the process of constructing meaning from written text rather than the philosophy that reading is word identification.

Fun Ways to Improve Reading A Suggested Reading List for Students

5 Finger Rule

Students are encouraged to use the five finger rule to help them to self-select an appropriate book. The five-finger rule is:

Select a book that looks interesting
Students should read a page to themselves or out loud (depending on the setting). While reading, they should put up a finger on their hand for each word that they come to that they cannot figure out on their own.
Make a decision about the book:

If there are five or less words on a page of about 100 words that the child cannot figure out, then the book is an appropriate level for them to read by themselves.

If there are just six to ten words they do not know, then this book could meet their instructional level and this is a book that the student could read with a teacher, a small reading group or a parent.

If there are more than ten words that the student cannot figure out, then the book needs to be read to them by a teacher or parent and discussed.

FCPS Literacy Stages

from Primary Purposes and Expanding Expectations

Language Arts Resource Guides, Fairfax County Public Schools

Student Behaviors Book Characteristics Examples

Emergent Literacy

Begins to use pictures to predict

Displays knowledge of concept of print

Often invents text

Sometimes matches voice to print

Identifies some known words

Locates some known words

Focuses on some print detail including letters and sounds

Consistent placement of print

Repetition of sentence patterns

Predominantly oral language patterns

Illustrations that provide high support

Familiar objects and actions

Titles & Authors

Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin

Do You Want to Be My Friend by Eric Carle

Chocolate Cake by Storybox

Shark in a Sack by Sunshine

Toot, Toot by Brian Wildsmith

Novice Literacy

Uses pictures for clues to the meaning of the text.

Begins to attend to meaning, language structure, and phonics/visual cues

Knows a few high-frequency words

Begins to monitor cues

Begins to self-correct

Repetition of two or three sentence patterns

Variation of opening and closing sentences

Predominantly oral language patterns

Illustrations that provide high support

Familiar objects and actions

Titles & Authors

Freddie the Frog by Troll

Just Like Daddy by Frank Asch

Hungry Giant by Storybox

The Chick and the Duckling by Mirra Ginsburg

Apprentice Literacy

Monitors own reading

Uses meaning, language structure, and phonics/visual cues.

Searches the print,checks, and corrects own reading more frequently

recognizes some high-frequency words

Conventional story structure

Varied sentences or repetition of three or more sentence patterns

Combination of oral and written language structures

Vocabulary reappears throughout text

Illustrations that provide moderate support

Titles & Authors

Each Peach, Pear, Plum by A & J Ahlberg

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Kraus

Mom's Haircut by Ribgy

You'll Soon Grow into Them Titch by Pat Hutchins

I Was Walking Down the Road by Sarah Barchas

Developing Literacy

Reads a representative book with at least 90% accuracy and a 1:5 self-correction rate

Uses a balance of cues

Cross-checks one cue against another

Recognizes many high-frequency words

Developed story line with little or no use of pattern

Links to familiar stories

Literary language

Some challenging vocabulary

Illustrations that provide low text support

Very easy chapter books with very simple plots, generally familiar vocabulary, and double-spaced lines of large print

Titles & Authors

Jack and the Beanstalk by Rigby

Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer

There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lovel

Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog by Cynthia Rylant

Sunflower That Went Flop by Story box

Working Dogs By Max Marquardt

Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats

Independent Literacy

Makes/confirms/revises predictions when reading

Makes connections between what is already known and what is read

Uses a balance of cues, crosschecks, and self-monitoring

Recognizes most high-frequency words

Discusses and expresses ideas about literature

Builds background knowledge by reading informational books

When reading stories, can identify: characters, setting, problem and solution

Relies on messages in print to read the story

Storyline developed through narration and dialogue

Simple sentences

Little descriptive language

Illustrations that provide minimal support

Beginning chapter books with illustrations on almost every page

Chapter books should also have double-spaced lines of large print, approximately 55 words per full page

Difficult storybooks with increasing amount of challenging vocabulary

Titles & Authors

The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

Nate the Great by Marjorie Sharmat

Ronald Morgan Goes to Bat by Patricia Reilly Giff

The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr

Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie

Snakes by Lucille Recht Penner

Whales, the Gentle Giants by Joyce Milton

Hungry, Hungry Sharks by Joanna Cole

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Arthur's Pet Business by Marc Brown

Expanding Literacy

Makes and justifies predictions

Reads for meaning and focuses on details of print only when meaning is lost

Uses a balance of cues, cross-checks, and self-corrects, often silently

Begins to adjust reading pace to accomodate difficulty of material

Asks questions to clarify when reading

Uses some fix-up strategies to aid comprehension

Uses books to provide answers to questions

Makes inferences from text and illustrations

Compares froms of literature

When reading informational books, students can identify topics or main ideas and some supporting details

Storyline developed through narration and dialogue

Extended sequential story

Combination of simple and complex sentences

Varied vocabulary and literary language

Descriptive language

Developed characters

Illustrations enhance the text but do not support the reader

Easy chapter books should have: one or two illustrations per chapter, short chapters, smaller print with approximately 130 to 175 words per full page

Titles & Authors

Pee Wee Scouts by Judy Delton

Pinky and Rex by James Howe

Marvin Redpost by Louis Sachar

My Great Aunt Arizona By Gloria Houston

Cam Jansen by David Adler

The Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Pobert Bulla

Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat

Animals Do the Strangest Things by Hornblow

The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron

Crocodiles & Alligatiors by Kate Petty

Maturing Literacy

Makes predictions about content of reading material by using the title, pictures, and/or headings

Reads to support predictions with information in the text

Uses additional information from the reading to revise predictions

Notices and self-corrects reading errors by using all three cueing systems: meaning, language structure, and phonics/visual

Complex sentence structures

Rich Vocabulary

Picture books contain difficult concepts or require a great deal of background knowledge

Medium chapter books that have: a problem developed through multiple episodes, longer chapters - usually 8 to 10 pages, figurative language & extended descriptions, characters developed & more complex, few illustrations

Informational books have: illustrations, and captions that support understanding, challenging vocabulary related to topic

Titles & Authors

Lyle Finds His Mother by Bernard Waber

Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen

The Skates of Uncle Richard by Carol Fenner

The Littles by John Peterson

Caroline Zucker Gets Even by Jan Bradford

No Bean Sprouts, Please by Constance Hiser

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

The Wump World by Bill Peet

Harry and Chicken by Dyan Sheldon

Go Fish by Mary Stolz

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

Lon Po Po by Ed Young

Boxcar Children by Gertrude C. Warner

The Magic School Bus by Joanna Cole

The Chocolate Touch by Partick S. Catling

Whales by Gail Gibbons

The Puffins Are Back by Gail Gibbons

Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol

Amazing Frogs & Toads by Barry Clarke

Supportive Literacy

Makes predictions about content of reading material by using the title, pictures, and/or headings

Reads to support predictions with information in the text

Uses additional information from the reading to revise predictions

Notices and self-corrects reading errors by using all three cueing systems: meaning, language structure, and phonics/visual

Characters and setting relate to student's lives

Characters and plot develop in series books

Stories are developed through action and some character thought

Supporting context for new vocabulary or concepts

Concepts and theme familiar to students' lives, such as friendship in the neighborhood or at school

Realistic fiction

Humor and fantasy in realistic settings

Books in length of less than 200 pages

Pictures are sometimes used to introduce each chapter

Print size is similar to medium chapter books

Titles & Authors

Babysitter's Club by Ann Martin

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Class President by Johann Hurwitz

The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

My Teacher Flunked the Planet by Bruce Coville

Racing the Sun By Paul Pitts

Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor

Sideways Stories from Wayside School By Louis Sachar

Stone Fox by John Gardiner

War with Grandpa by Robert Smith

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

Challenging Literacy

Reads more difficult texts and materials.

Students will still need guidance and daily discussion about what they are reading

Contain more complex characters and plot development

Use of time shifts, such as flashbacks

Large amount of challenging vocabulary

Developed use of figurative language, humor, or fantasy

Themes that begin to explore mature subject matter

Specialized historical contexts which students need to read about in order to build their knowledge

Characters and or settings removed from students' background experience within familiar genre

Smaller print size than used in simple series books

Often longer stories, from 200 to 300 pages

Titles & Authors

Bailey's Window by Anne Lindberg

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson

Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry

The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Goodby, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Bao Lord

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

M. C. Higgins the Great by Virginia Hamilton

Morning Girl By Michael Dorris

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

My Brother Sam is Dead by Lincoln and James Collier

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Sarah Bishop by Scott O'Dell

Star Fisher by Laurence Yep

A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyui Choi

Advanced Literacy
Students in this level of literacy are reading more advanced children's literature and some young adult titles. Teacher and parent discretion should help guide title selection to ensure that only appropriate content material is read for elementary students. Many young adult titles in FCPS school libraries are marked as such for aid in title selection.

Mature themes and increasingly complex concepts developed in a young adult or adult world

A complex historical, fantasy, science fiction, or mythical context created

The beginning qualities of an epic developed with complex episodes of several groups of characters

Foreshadowing and flashback

Satirical humor

Usually longer than novels that support or challenge students, sometimes up to and over 300 pages.

Titles & Authors

A Door in the Wall by Marguerite DeAngeli

Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis

Holes by Louis Sachar

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Curator: Pat Wilson - pawilson@fcps.edu
Last Updated: August 8, 2006

Student Behaviors	Book Characteristics	Examples
Emergent Literacy Begins to use pictures to predict Displays knowledge of concept of print Often invents text Sometimes matches voice to print Identifies some known words Locates some known words Focuses on some print detail including letters and sounds	Consistent placement of print Repetition of sentence patterns Predominantly oral language patterns Illustrations that provide high support Familiar objects and actions	Titles & Authors Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Do You Want to Be My Friend by Eric Carle Chocolate Cake by Storybox Shark in a Sack by Sunshine Toot, Toot by Brian Wildsmith
Novice Literacy Uses pictures for clues to the meaning of the text. Begins to attend to meaning, language structure, and phonics/visual cues Knows a few high-frequency words Begins to monitor cues Begins to self-correct	Repetition of two or three sentence patterns Variation of opening and closing sentences Predominantly oral language patterns Illustrations that provide high support Familiar objects and actions	Titles & Authors Freddie the Frog by Troll Just Like Daddy by Frank Asch Hungry Giant by Storybox The Chick and the Duckling by Mirra Ginsburg
Apprentice Literacy Monitors own reading Uses meaning, language structure, and phonics/visual cues. Searches the print,checks, and corrects own reading more frequently recognizes some high-frequency words	Conventional story structure Varied sentences or repetition of three or more sentence patterns Combination of oral and written language structures Vocabulary reappears throughout text Illustrations that provide moderate support	Titles & Authors Each Peach, Pear, Plum by A & J Ahlberg The Carrot Seed by Ruth Kraus Mom's Haircut by Ribgy You'll Soon Grow into Them Titch by Pat Hutchins I Was Walking Down the Road by Sarah Barchas
Developing Literacy Reads a representative book with at least 90% accuracy and a 1:5 self-correction rate Uses a balance of cues Cross-checks one cue against another Recognizes many high-frequency words	Developed story line with little or no use of pattern Links to familiar stories Literary language Some challenging vocabulary Illustrations that provide low text support Very easy chapter books with very simple plots, generally familiar vocabulary, and double-spaced lines of large print	Titles & Authors Jack and the Beanstalk by Rigby Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lovel Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog by Cynthia Rylant Sunflower That Went Flop by Story box Working Dogs By Max Marquardt Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
Independent Literacy Makes/confirms/revises predictions when reading Makes connections between what is already known and what is read Uses a balance of cues, crosschecks, and self-monitoring Recognizes most high-frequency words Discusses and expresses ideas about literature Builds background knowledge by reading informational books When reading stories, can identify: characters, setting, problem and solution Relies on messages in print to read the story	Storyline developed through narration and dialogue Simple sentences Little descriptive language Illustrations that provide minimal support Beginning chapter books with illustrations on almost every page Chapter books should also have double-spaced lines of large print, approximately 55 words per full page Difficult storybooks with increasing amount of challenging vocabulary	Titles & Authors The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza Nate the Great by Marjorie Sharmat Ronald Morgan Goes to Bat by Patricia Reilly Giff The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie Snakes by Lucille Recht Penner Whales, the Gentle Giants by Joyce Milton Hungry, Hungry Sharks by Joanna Cole The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister Arthur's Pet Business by Marc Brown
Expanding Literacy Makes and justifies predictions Reads for meaning and focuses on details of print only when meaning is lost Uses a balance of cues, cross-checks, and self-corrects, often silently Begins to adjust reading pace to accomodate difficulty of material Asks questions to clarify when reading Uses some fix-up strategies to aid comprehension Uses books to provide answers to questions Makes inferences from text and illustrations Compares froms of literature When reading informational books, students can identify topics or main ideas and some supporting details	Storyline developed through narration and dialogue Extended sequential story Combination of simple and complex sentences Varied vocabulary and literary language Descriptive language Developed characters Illustrations enhance the text but do not support the reader Easy chapter books should have: one or two illustrations per chapter, short chapters, smaller print with approximately 130 to 175 words per full page	Titles & Authors Pee Wee Scouts by Judy Delton Pinky and Rex by James Howe Marvin Redpost by Louis Sachar My Great Aunt Arizona By Gloria Houston Cam Jansen by David Adler The Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Pobert Bulla Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat Animals Do the Strangest Things by Hornblow The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron Crocodiles & Alligatiors by Kate Petty
Maturing Literacy Makes predictions about content of reading material by using the title, pictures, and/or headings Reads to support predictions with information in the text Uses additional information from the reading to revise predictions Notices and self-corrects reading errors by using all three cueing systems: meaning, language structure, and phonics/visual	Complex sentence structures Rich Vocabulary Picture books contain difficult concepts or require a great deal of background knowledge Medium chapter books that have: a problem developed through multiple episodes, longer chapters - usually 8 to 10 pages, figurative language & extended descriptions, characters developed & more complex, few illustrations Informational books have: illustrations, and captions that support understanding, challenging vocabulary related to topic	Titles & Authors Lyle Finds His Mother by Bernard Waber Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen The Skates of Uncle Richard by Carol Fenner The Littles by John Peterson Caroline Zucker Gets Even by Jan Bradford No Bean Sprouts, Please by Constance Hiser Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe The Wump World by Bill Peet Harry and Chicken by Dyan Sheldon Go Fish by Mary Stolz Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary Lon Po Po by Ed Young Boxcar Children by Gertrude C. Warner The Magic School Bus by Joanna Cole The Chocolate Touch by Partick S. Catling Whales by Gail Gibbons The Puffins Are Back by Gail Gibbons Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol Amazing Frogs & Toads by Barry Clarke
Supportive Literacy Makes predictions about content of reading material by using the title, pictures, and/or headings Reads to support predictions with information in the text Uses additional information from the reading to revise predictions Notices and self-corrects reading errors by using all three cueing systems: meaning, language structure, and phonics/visual	Characters and setting relate to student's lives Characters and plot develop in series books Stories are developed through action and some character thought Supporting context for new vocabulary or concepts Concepts and theme familiar to students' lives, such as friendship in the neighborhood or at school Realistic fiction Humor and fantasy in realistic settings Books in length of less than 200 pages Pictures are sometimes used to introduce each chapter Print size is similar to medium chapter books	Titles & Authors Babysitter's Club by Ann Martin Charlotte's Web by E.B. White Class President by Johann Hurwitz The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary My Teacher Flunked the Planet by Bruce Coville Racing the Sun By Paul Pitts Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor Sideways Stories from Wayside School By Louis Sachar Stone Fox by John Gardiner War with Grandpa by Robert Smith The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Challenging Literacy Reads more difficult texts and materials. Students will still need guidance and daily discussion about what they are reading	Contain more complex characters and plot development Use of time shifts, such as flashbacks Large amount of challenging vocabulary Developed use of figurative language, humor, or fantasy Themes that begin to explore mature subject matter Specialized historical contexts which students need to read about in order to build their knowledge Characters and or settings removed from students' background experience within familiar genre Smaller print size than used in simple series books Often longer stories, from 200 to 300 pages	Titles & Authors Bailey's Window by Anne Lindberg Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden Goodby, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan Hatchet by Gary Paulsen In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Bao Lord Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis M. C. Higgins the Great by Virginia Hamilton Morning Girl By Michael Dorris Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien My Brother Sam is Dead by Lincoln and James Collier Number the Stars by Lois Lowry On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Sarah Bishop by Scott O'Dell Star Fisher by Laurence Yep A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyui Choi
Advanced Literacy Students in this level of literacy are reading more advanced children's literature and some young adult titles. Teacher and parent discretion should help guide title selection to ensure that only appropriate content material is read for elementary students. Many young adult titles in FCPS school libraries are marked as such for aid in title selection.	Mature themes and increasingly complex concepts developed in a young adult or adult world A complex historical, fantasy, science fiction, or mythical context created The beginning qualities of an epic developed with complex episodes of several groups of characters Foreshadowing and flashback Satirical humor Usually longer than novels that support or challenge students, sometimes up to and over 300 pages.	Titles & Authors A Door in the Wall by Marguerite DeAngeli Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep The Giver by Lois Lowry The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis Holes by Louis Sachar Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi Redwall by Brian Jacques