4th & 5th Grade Coffee January 27, 2009

Levels are determined by benchmarking, MAP testing, anecdotal notes and MCAS. Assessment informs instruction. Assessment is ongoing. Progress is growth based upon individual needs. Assessments

Reading Levels 4th Grade 5th Grade

Reader's Workshop  Mini Lesson  Guided Reading Groups  Independent Reading  Read Aloud  Comprehension Activities

Daily Mini Lesson o Inference o Main Idea o Author's Purpose o Cause & Effect o etc. A mini lesson is a short, focused lesson on a specific strategy or skill:

Guided Reading Teacher meets with students in small groups using instructional level text. Lessons focus on vocabulary development, fluency, and comprehension of text.

Independent Reading Students read books from a variety of genres at their independent reading level. Students record book choices and identify genres in their reader's notebook. Students complete an assignment at the end of an independent reading book (letters to teacher, projects, etc).

Read Aloud Listening to text being read aloud provides students with effective modeling strategies. Students are encouraged to participate in the discussion of text. This provides students with an opportunity to enjoy text in a variety of levels and genres.

Comprehension Students are encouraged to move beyond literal comprehension to critical thinking. In moving beyond the literal meaning, they apply, analyze and synthesize text. Students are also encouraged to ask their own questions, make predictions and connections to the text.

Reading Response The purpose of a written response is to have students see the connection between reading and writing: To understand how to respond to a prompt that has multiple components. To incorporate effective writing strategies which include use of a topic sentence, supporting details and a concluding sentence. All of these skills can be applied in formal(MCAS) and informal testing situations.

What makes a good paragraph? Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence - determines what the paragraph will be about Supporting Details - coherent information about the topic which includes: effective word choice, descriptions, facts and examples Closing or Concluding Sentence - rephrases the topic sentence

Fluency Raz-Kids.com o an online program that allows the students to pick a book at their independent reading level, listen to it, record themselves reading the story aloud and play back their voice o Student self monitor their fluency by listening to their own recording. o Teachers and parents can also review a child's recording for fluency. Reader's Theater o a group of students reading a play focusing on annunciation, flow and volume Poetry Reading books at an independent level aloud.

Read aloud to your children to model fluency. Have siblings read aloud to one another. Reread text for meaning. Reread comprehension questions to ensure that all components have been answered. Asking the right questions Home-School Connection