1. Cory Gillette Literacy Coordinator Darien Public Schools
Understanding how reading levels ‘band’ together can transform your reading instruction
Cory Gillette
Literacy Coordinator
Darien Public Schools

2. The History of How the ‘Bands’ Came to Be
F and P books could not support teachers as they yearned for specific instruction in how levels differ from each other
An in-depth study of levels K-V
The finding of the ‘bands’

3. K L M Plot Problem - Solution I want a bike. I get a bike Character
Accumulate information about your character Feelings change, not the inside
Central Problem
Goes throughout book Keep the problem in mind as you read
Tricky
Unknown words
Use the context to figure out the meaning of unknown words

4. N O P Q Plot Problem - Resolution
I want a bike - I learn how to be a good friend More than 1 problem Issues around plot (poverty, loss, family issues)
Character
Infer & accumulate Characters change
Tricky
Phrases (figurative language)

5. R S T Plot Multiple plot lines Character Minor characters matter more
Tricky
Pages may not make sense (rereading does not help….reading on to try to solve)
Setting
Plays a role in the story (acts as another character, mimic the feelings of the character, cause of a problem, connected to the problem)
Symbolism & Metaphor
Symbolism & metaphor are supported & repeated throughout the story

6. U V
Plot
"Tragic injustices" Plot does not follow the Disney plot line. Things are not always good at the end.
Stories continue to be layered with multiple social issues.
Character
Many characters change (not just the main character)
Ex: Tangerine (main characters parents change, his brother changes)

7. U V Continued…
Tricky
As a reader you may have a sense something is going on, but may not quite understand what it is.
-You have to 'hold onto it' & read on to figure out what it is.
-You should have Ohhh…that's what that was! or Ohhh...now I get it! moments as you read forward.
Lots of metaphor/symbolism with multiple possible meanings.
Big events or featured objects often stand for something else.
Ex: A landslide represents the feelings of the family and the town.

8. How can this change my teaching?
It helps me know when to do guided reading?
It helps me figure out why kids are stuck on certain levels.
It reminds me that readers need foundational skills in order to read more complex texts.
It supports me when I do book introductions
It supports me as I do assessments.
It helps me create a stack of benchmark assessment books

9. Predictable Problems Around Bands
Library books get banded
We find books that are outliers
It does not always work with all readers
I forget to teach reading skills and strategies …