Phonemic Awareness
- Expand word knowledge - roots, inflections, suffixes, prefixes, homophones, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms
Accuracy
- Independently read aloud unfamiliar Level P books with 95 percent or better accuracy of word recognition (self-correction allowed)
Fluency
- Independently read aloud from Level P books (see above) previewed silently on their own, using intonation, pauses, and emphasis that signal the meaning of the text
- Easily read words with irregularly spelled suffixes (for example, -ous,-ion,-ive)
- Use cues of punctuation as a guide in getting meaning and in reading aloud fluently from increasingly complex texts
- Use pacing and intonation to convey the meaning of the clauses and phrases of sentences
Self-Monitoring and Self-Correcting
- Monitor reading, noticing when sentences or paragraphs are incomplete or when texts do not make sense
- Use knowledge of syntax to help determine meaning
- Analyze and connect different parts of a text
Comprehension
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- Recognize generalizations about text (for example, identifying appropriate titles, assertions, or controlling ideas)
- Capture meaning from figurative language (for example, similes, metaphors, poetic images)
- Cite important details from text
- Compare one text to another text
- Discuss why an author might have chosen particular words
- Raise questions about what the author was trying to say and use the text to help answer the questions
- Use background knowledge to make connections to the text
- Explain the relationship among the story elements (character(s), setting, events, problem, attempts to solve the problem, conflict and resolution, solution)
- Distinguish between major and minor characters; identify and describe main characters’ physical and personality traits
- Use the structure of informational text to retrieve information: basic transition words, table of contents, glossary, bold or italicized text, headings, graphic organizers, charts, graphs, illustrations
- Use information from the text to answer questions related to explicitly stated central ideas or details
- Analyze the causes, motivations, sequences, and results of events
- Understand concepts and relationships described in text
- Use reasoning and information from within and outside the text to determine fact or opinion
- Relate new information from a nonfiction text to prior knowledge and organize new information to show understanding (graphic organizers)
- Follow instructions or directions in more complex functional texts
- Make basic inferences about central ideas that are relevant, drawing conclusions, forming judgments/opinions, causes and effects
Reading Standard 3: Reading Habits Students will demonstrate the ability to:
Reading a Lot
- Read at least 25 chapter books or book equivalents per year, independently or with assistance: documented in reading logs, reading journals, or Accelerated Reader Program reports (E1a)
- Read and hear texts read aloud from a variety of genres, including narrative accounts, responses to literature, informational writing, reports, narrative procedures, retellings, memoirs, poetry, and plays
- Read multiple books by the same author and be able to identify differences, similarities, and recurring themes (E5a)
- Reread some favorite books or parts of longer books, gaining deeper comprehension and knowledge of author’s craft
- Read their own writing and the writing of classmates
- Read functional and instructional messages seen in the classroom environment
Being Read To
- Listen to quality literature from a variety of genres which models the language and craft of good writing
- Listen to, discuss, or respond daily to at least one text that is longer and more difficult than what can be read independently or with assistance
Discussing Books
- Demonstrate comprehension during book discussions
- Note and talk about author’s craft during book discussions: word choice, voice, leads, conclusions, plot, and character development
- Use comparisons and analogies to explain ideas
- Refer to knowledge built during discussion
- Use information that is accurate, accessible, and relevant
- Restate their own ideas with greater clarity when a listener indicates lack of understanding
- Ask other students questions requiring them to support their claims or arguments
- Indicate when their own or others’ ideas need further support or explanation
Vocabulary
- Notice and show an interest in understanding unfamiliar words in texts
- Recognize an unknown word and use a variety of strategies to gain meaning
- Use strategies to help identify the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary by using knowledge of word structure, base words, prefixes, suffixes, context clues, dictionary, glossary, prior knowledge
- Talk about the meaning of new words encountered in independent and assisted reading
- Know how to talk about what words mean in terms of function (for example, “Water is for drinking.”), features (for example, “Water is wet.”), and category (for example, “Water is a liquid.”)
- Talk about words as they relate to other words: synonyms, antonyms, or word choice (which word is more precise)
- Learn new words daily
- Write daily
- Generate their own topics
- Extend and rework pieces of writing
- Routinely rework, revise, edit, and proofread their work
- Write for specific purposes of their own
- Take on specific elements of a favorite author’s craft to refine their own work
- Apply both personal and public criteria to judge the quality of their writing
- Polish at least ten to twelve pieces of work throughout the year
- Introduce the topic, sometimes providing a context
- Have an organizational structure, using transition words when appropriate
- Exclude extraneous information
- Communicate ideas through facts, details, concepts, and other information using the Big6™ research model
- Use diagrams, charts, or illustrations as appropriate to the text
- Have a sense of closure to the writing
- State a focus (purpose) when responding to a given question
- Make inferences about content, events, characters, or setting
- Organize ideas, using basic transition words (for example, first, next, then, finally) and have a concluding statement
- Support an interpretation by making specific references to the text
- Provide enough detail from the text so the reader can understand the interpretation
- Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate text (plot/ideas)
- Compare two works by an author
- Discuss several works that have a common idea or theme
- Make connections between the text (plot/ideas) and their own ideas and lives
- Create a setting that engages the reader
- Create a believable world and introduce characters through the precise choice of detail
- Create a sequence of events that unfolds naturally
- Provide pacing
- Develop a character by providing motivation for action and having the character solve the problem
- Develop a plot or tell about the event by describing actions and emotions using descriptive details, dialogue, and other story strategies
- Add reflective comments
- Use the writing process
- Provide a sense of closure to the writing
- Establish the purpose or function for the piece
- Identify the topic
- Show steps in considerable detail
- Include relevant information
- Use language that is straight-forward and clear
- Use pictures to illustrate steps
- Provide a guide that anticipates the reader's need
- Provide a sense of closure
Style and Syntax
- Use a variety of syntactic patterns appropriately
- Incorporate transitional words and phrases
- Use phrases and modifiers that make their writing lively and graphic
- Enhance their writing with a strong, individual voice
- Recognize and write a variety of complete simple and compound sentences
- Use varying sentence patterns and lengths (declarative, exclamatory, interrogative)
- Reproduce sentence structures from various genres
Vocabulary and Word Choice
- Use words from their speaking vocabulary, including words from reading and class discussions
- Make word choices that reflect their growing vocabulary
- Take on the language of authors
- Make word choices on the basis of accurate meaning
- Extend their writing vocabulary by using specialized or content-related words
Spelling
- Produce writing that contains correctly spelled high frequency writing words (see Educator to Educator)
- Notice when words do not look correct and use strategies to correct the spelling
- Correctly spell words with short vowels and common endings
- Correctly spell most inflectional endings, including plurals and verb tenses
- Use correct spelling patterns and rules such as consonant doubling, dropping e and changing y to i
- Correctly spell most derivational words (for example, -tion, -ment, -ly)
Conventions
- Use punctuation, capitalization, and other conventions
- Use capital letters at the beginnings of sentences and for proper nouns
- Use end punctuation correctly
- Approximate the use of quotation marks and commas
- Use contractions
- Begin to indicate paragraphs
- Use reference materials
- Use word book, dictionary, word wall, thesaurus, Spell-Check
- Talk with confidence about what they think, read, or experience
- Explain or speak from another person’s perspective
- Initiate and sustain a lengthy conversation with relevant exchanges
- Use comparisons and analogies
- Confirm understanding by paraphrasing an adult’s direction or suggestions
- Talk in small groups for collaboration
- Talk in front of a group on a regular basis
- Talk aloud to make plans, guide behavior, or monitor thinking
- Imitate the language of adults
- Recite facts to confirm what has been memorized
- Restate their own ideas with greater clarity
- Note and discuss author’s craft: word choice, figurative language, story elements, character development
- Compare one text to another
- Understand concepts and relationships within the text including sequence, inference, cause and effect
- Relate a story or information from nonfiction text to real-life experiences or prior knowledge
- Use information that is accurate, accessible, and relevant
- Use reasoning and information to determine fact or opinion
- Follow instructions or directions in functional texts
- Independently give a lengthy, richly detailed account in which the actual sequence of events is clear even though events may deliberately be told out of order to build anticipation or through use of flashbacks
- Engage the listener’s attention
- Describe information and evaluate or reflect on it
- Describe internal reactions as well as external events
- Develop characters fully by clearly stating their goals and motivations, including resolution by the story’s end
- Include quotations
- Mark the end of the story directly
- Use multiple resources for information such as libraries, governmental and professional agencies, the Internet, and identified experts
- Conduct firsthand interviews
- Give increasingly elaborate and extended descriptions of objects, events, and concepts
- Support opinions or provide specific examples to support generalizations
- Give a short prepared speech or report
- Tutor others in new and somewhat complicated tasks
- Listen to, comprehend, and carry out multi-step directions with increasing complexity
- Ask (or answer) specific questions to clarify an unfamiliar task
- Give multi-step directions for technically complex tasks
- Describe alternate ways to complete a task or reach a destination
- Use visual aids
- Participate in extended conversations, listening to arguments and solutions
- Disagree with another person’s argument and then generate and promote alternative solutions to reach agreement
- Collaborate by seeking out peers to solve problems, handling disagreements diplomatically
- Attend to more challenging performances that go beyond entertainment or present unfamiliar material
- Describe their reaction to a performance, giving details to support opinions
- Draw from a rehearsed repertoire to give a brief performance such as reciting a poem or famous speech
- Conduct and/or make lengthier presentations to the class or take part in full-length performances in front of larger groups or unfamiliar audiences
- Give an author performance, reading aloud from their own material
- Consistently observe politeness conventions
- Hold themselves and others accountable to the rules by using verbal reminders
- Speak one at a time, look at and listen to the speaker, signal for a chance to speak, adjust volume to the setting, and hold the floor and yield when appropriate
- Play with alliteration, tongue twisters, and onomatopoeia
- Use double meanings or multiple meanings of words for riddles and jokes
- Understand the intended meaning of idiomatic expressions
- Use parts of speech correctly
- Build vocabulary by connecting acquired words to relevant categories
- Use specialized vocabulary related to school subjects
- Provide definitions of words they know and learn new words from definitions
- Demonstrate flexibility by choosing from word options to show precision or effect
- Develop a basic awareness of meaningful word parts and identify how they relate to certain words (for example, prefixes, suffixes)
- Increase vocabulary of verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to speak fluently and exercise options in word choice
- Use and explain metaphoric language
- Understand and produce antonyms, synonyms
Comment and reflect on how things were resolved