Reading Essential Learning Outcomes
- follow words from left to right, top to bottom and page to page.
- name all the upper and lower case letters.
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recognize rhyming words.
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count, say, blend and break apart words that are spoken.
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identify the front cover, back cover and title of a book.
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read kindergarten sight words, e.g. the, of, you, are.
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recognize and say the sounds of the letters.
- recognize and find first grade sight words on the word wall and in reading.
- identify fiction and nonfiction books.
- retell a story with characters, setting, and major events.
- describe the experiences and feelings of a character.
- compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters.
- use various text features to find information, i.e. table of contents, index.
- tell the main idea and details.
- use words and pictures to retell information.
- use “because” to tell reasons for the information the author included in the text.
Foundational Skills
- ask questions about what is read.
- compare and contrast information from two different texts.
- hear and say the difference between long and short vowels.
- read consonant-vowel-consonant words, telling the beginning, middle and ending sounds.
- hear and say the sounds for /ch/, /th/, /sh/, wh/.
- read long vowel words, with silent e endings, and two vowels together.
- read words that end in -er, -ed, -est, -ing.
- read accurately, with expression and self-correct to help understand the story.
- write a story map that includes setting, characters, a problem, solution, and an ending.
- verbally retell the story.
- answer who, what, when, where, and how questions with detail after reading a selection.
- describe a character using character traits.
- compare and contrast different versions of the same story.
- identify the table of contents, index, and glossary.
- support the main idea of a selection with 3-5 details.
- differentiate between long and short vowels sounds.
- ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text.
- determine the central message of a story using details from the text.
- describe character traits
- determine the meaning of words.
- compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories.
- determine the main idea of a text by using key details.
- use text features to locate relevant information.
- use information to demonstrate understanding.
- compare and contrast the most important points of a piece of text.
- apply third grade phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
- read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
- refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
- summarize text and identify a theme of a story, drama or piece of poetry.
- use specific details in a story to describe a character, setting or event.
- Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated.
- explain what a piece of nonfiction teaches by referring to details and examples in the text.
- determine the main idea in a piece of nonfiction by thinking about the details in the text and summarize the piece in the student's own words.
- interpret and use information from charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations or other internet presentations to understand nonfiction across fourth grade content areas.
- use phonics to help decode and read fourth grade words.
- read fourth grade texts with fluency and accuracy to support comprehension.
By the end of fifth grade students will be able to:
Literature
- accurately quote and draw inferences when reading from a text.
- summarize and reflect on the theme of a story, drama or piece of poetry.
- compare and contrast characters, settings, or events.
- understand figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
- describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences a story.
Informational
- find the main idea and its supporting details, then summarize what was read.
- compare and contrast two texts that tell about the same idea.
- explain how authors support ideas by noting the similarities and difference in the point of view they represent.
- understand and use content area vocabulary.
- accurately quote and draw inferences when reading from a text.
Foundational Skills
- use phonics to help decode and read fifth grade words.
- read fluently and accurately to support comprehension.
READERS' WORKSHOP
The Readers’ Workshop method for teaching reading emphasizes the interaction between reader and text. Students learn to ask questions, make connections between what they are reading and previous experiences, make connections among multiple texts, and self-check their comprehension when confusion arises. There may be some variation at different grade levels, but there are several components of readers’ workshop that are consistent throughout.
Mini lesson – A short lesson (10 -15 minutes) on a reading strategy or some aspect of literature or other type of text.
Independent reading time *- Students choose books at their reading level and read them. While reading they keep a journal and respond to what they are reading. The teacher conferences with individual students and groups of students. During these conferences there is instruction in reading strategies and discussions about what the students are reading. Teachers can also engage in guided reading with groups of students who need additional support.
Sharing – Students share their journals with each other and discuss what they are reading. These discussions are sometimes more teacher directed and sometimes more student lead, depending on the objective for the lesson.
*Several studies including one by Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding investigated a broad array of activities and their relationship to reading. They found that the amount of time students spent in independent reading was the best predictor of reading achievement and also the best predictor of the amount of gain in reading achievement made by students.