Sample Pages from

Created by Teachers for Teachers and Students

Thanks for checking us out. Please call us at 800-858-7339 with questions or

feedback, or to order this product. You can also order this product online at
www.tcmpub.com.

For correlations to State Standards, please visit

www.tcmpub.com/administrators/correlations

800-858-7339 • www.tcmpub.com
Level 3

Teacher’s Guide
 Consultant(s) Publishing Credits
Erica Bowers, Ed.D. Conni Medina, M.A.Ed., Managing Editor; Robin Erickson, Production
Director; Lee Aucoin, Creative Director; Timothy J. Bradley, Illustration
California State University, Fullerton Manager; Jamey Acosta, Senior Editor; Kristina Mazaika, M.A.Ed., NBCT,
Timothy Rasinski, Ph.D. Editor; Valerie Rhodes, Assistant Editor; Marissa Rodriguez, Designer;
Hillary Dunlap, Photo Editor; Rachelle Cracchiolo, M.S.Ed., Publisher
Kent State University

Image Credits
p. 4 Corbis; p. 60 Daily News; pages 17, 108, 204 Getty Images; pages 37, 190, 212 iStockPhoto; pages 19, 244 Library of Congress
[LC-DIG-HEC-03911]; p. 268 Library of Congress [LC-USZ62-20901]; p. 164 Michael Murphy NSW OEH; p. 13 Newscom; pages 10,
14, 26, 31, 32, 33, 43, 84, 116, 148, 156, 172, 220, 236, 252, 276 Tim Bradley; all other images Shutterstock.

Standards
© 2004 Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
© 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSS)
© 2007 WIDA ELP Standards Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. WIDA is a trademark of the Board of
Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. For more information on using the WIDA ELP Standards, please visit the WIDA
website at www.wida.us

Teacher Created Materials

5301 Oceanus Drive
Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1030
http://www.tcmpub.com
ISBN 978-1-4807-4168-3
© 2014 Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use only. The reproduction of any part for
an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any
form without written permission from the publisher.

2
 Table of Contents
Welcome Lessons
Program Welcome Letters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Lesson 1: Asking and Answering
Questions: Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Research Lesson 2: Asking and Answering
Research on Reading Intervention. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Questions: Informational Text. . . . . . . . . . 59
The Need for Intervention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lesson 3: Identifying the Central Message. . . 67
Response to Intervention in English Lesson 4: Identifying the Main Idea. . . . . . . . 75
Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Lesson 5: Describing Characters. . . . . . . . . . . 83
Components of Effective Reading Lesson 6: Describing Relationships
Interventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Between Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
High-Yield Strategies for Increasing Lesson 7: Using Meaning Clues:
Student Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The Reading/Writing Connection. . . . . . . . . . 11 Lesson 8: Using Meaning Clues:
Using Technology to Improve Literacy. . . . . . 12 Informational Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Using Games to Motivate Struggling Lesson 9: Identifying Story Structure . . . . . . 115
Readers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Lesson 10: Using Text Features. . . . . . . . . . . 123
Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Lesson 11: Identifying Point of View:
Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Best Practices Lesson 12: Identifying Point of View:
Developing Key Reading Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Informational Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Word Recognition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Lesson 13: Using Visuals: Literature. . . . . . . 147
Academic Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Lesson 14: Using Visuals:
Fluency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Informational Texts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Comprehension Strategies for Lesson 15: Linking Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Informational Texts and Literature. . . . . . 20 Lesson 16: Comparing and
Differentiation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Contrasting: Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Differentiating by Specific Needs. . . . . . . . . . 24 Lesson 17: Comparing and Contrasting:
How to Use This Product Informational Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Kit Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Lesson 18: Making Inferences:
Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Lesson 19: Making Inferences:
Teaching a Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Informational Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Using the Literacy Games. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Lesson 20: Making Predictions . . . . . . . . . . . 203
How to Organize and Manage Games. . . . . . . 30
Lesson 21: Sequencing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Playing the Literacy Game Sets. . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Lesson 22: Summarizing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Playing the Digital Literacy Games. . . . . . . . . 34
Lesson 23: Comparing Characters. . . . . . . . . 227
Using the Technology Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Lesson 24: Describing the Relationship
Between Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Planning for Intervention
Pacing Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Lesson 25: Identifying Key Details . . . . . . . . 243
Lesson 26: Locating Information. . . . . . . . . . 251
Correlations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Lesson 27: Monitoring Comprehension:
Reading Level Correlations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Introduction to Correlations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Lesson 28: Monitoring Comprehension:
Informational Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Standards Correlations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Lesson 29: Understanding Characters. . . . . 275
Series Scope and Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Lesson 30: Using Key Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Appendices
Appendix A: References Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Appendix B: Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Appendix C: Digital and Audio
Resources Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide
3
Welcome
Program Welcome
Dr. Erica Bowers
California State University, Fullerton

Our students must excel at reading and writing I’m pleased to introduce the Focused Reading
to be successful in high school and beyond. Yet, Intervention program, which includes exactly this
many of them struggle despite our best efforts type of explicit instruction, guided lessons,
in the classroom. There are several reasons engaging reading passages, educational
why these students may not be proficient with games, and multiple opportunities to
grade‑level text: they did not master phonics; they practice. The program is designed to be
struggle with comprehension; they have language used by teachers who may be devoted to their
barriers; or a combination of issues. The bottom students, but may not necessarily be reading
line is we want these students to succeed, and an specialists. The teacher’s guide is formatted
effective intervention program can make the so any teacher can easily pick up the guide,
difference between struggle and success for get started, and be successful. This effective
students. intervention program includes clear easy‑to-
follow learning objectives for each lesson. It
Educators need resources tailored to meet
has bold headings that direct teachers to each
struggling students where they are and provide
element of the lesson and the suggested time
them the scaffolding to bring them to
for instruction. In addition, the first page of
grade level. We need an effective intervention
each lesson incorporates call-out boxes that list
program that is filled with research-based
all the necessary materials, so preparation is an
strategies, comprehensive assessments, motivating
easy process. The guide also provides the teacher
activities, and quality reading materials. The
with lessons for whole-class instruction,
best intervention programs are based on the
progress-monitoring opportunities, and
latest literacy research and cover the essential
suggestions for differentiation and extending
elements of reading and language arts. Research
learning. Most important, every lesson is
tells us that students who struggle with learning
designed to teach a core reading strategy that
to read need instruction that is differentiated
will empower students to comprehend and
and designed specifically to meet their needs.
critically analyze texts in the Focused Reading
Additionally, the tailored instruction needs to
Intervention program and beyond.
go beyond typical classroom lessons and offer
multiple opportunities for learning. The materials With so many practical and engaging features, I
should engage our students’ interest and include am confident the Focused Reading Intervention
fun games and hands-on lessons. program is a valuable resource that will support
you in multiple ways to meet your students’
needs!
—Erica Bowers

4 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Welcome

Dr. Timothy Rasinski

Kent State University

Students who struggle in reading often miss The Focused Reading Intervention program by
feeling the sense of accomplishment and success Teacher Created Materials provides students
that motivates more advanced readers. In my with multiple opportunities to achieve
own experience working with struggling students, success in reading. Each kit includes a variety
I’ve found that many are overwhelmed by lengthy of short, engaging passages that students
reading assignments. These students often find can read, reread, comprehend, and master in
decoding, comprehension, and fluency difficult, one instructional setting. Imagine the success
which makes reading longer texts frustrating. students will feel as they finish each lesson with
As struggling readers trudge their way through a the ability to comprehend and read a new text
long text, they often lose the author’s meaning. fluently!
A series of such frustrating experiences can cause
Reading the passages in Focused Reading
these students to develop low confidence and
Intervention, I was impressed by their quality and
avoid reading, which does nothing to build their
variety. The passages are short and complete
reading skills.
texts leveled for kindergarten through 8th
Providing readers with authentic, interesting, grade. Each text is designed to be used with the
and relatively brief reading experiences produces lessons in this program and is crafted to enable
valuable feelings of success. The brevity of the teachers to model core reading strategies.
text makes it possible for students to complete Among the passages are adventure stories,
the reading successfully and avert the sense of multicultural folk tales, informational
failure and frustration that comes from laboring texts, poems, letters, excerpts from classic
through lengthier passages. In our reading literature, and more. The illustrations are
program at Kent State University, our students designed to teach visual literacy skills that
learn to read a short, complete text daily. With aid in comprehension. These short reads will
appropriate support and practice, they are able build students’ background knowledge for
to feel the same sense of accomplishment that the longer and more complex passages they will
more advanced readers experience every day. It encounter as they continue to grow as readers.
is heartwarming to see once-struggling students Most important, the passages are highly
proudly read the texts they worked on in the clinic engaging and informative.
to their parents. Not only does their confidence
The Focused Reading Intervention program is
improve, but these readers make remarkable
a great way to help our struggling readers move
progress within short periods of instruction.
forward. I intend to use them in my own work,
and I am sure you will find them equally valuable
in your own important work with struggling
readers. These kits are wonderful additions to
any reading teacher’s toolkit.
—Dr. Timothy Rasinski

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

5
RESEARCH
Research on Reading Intervention
Reading is the cornerstone of success in More recent research (Foorman & Torgesen,
education today. The proficient reader, either 2001) found that there should be distinct
consciously or instinctively, engages in active differences between the type of instruction
thinking strategies throughout the reading provided to all students and those identified
process in order to increase comprehension. as needing extra support.
Yet, many students still struggle to read.
Additionally, some struggling students make
An effective intervention program with
gains during the school year but don’t retain
research-based strategies, exceptional
that learning over the summer. Researcher
resources, and quality reading materials
Richard Allington cites summer reading
can address struggling readers’ needs in
loss as a key barrier for some children
order to help them become proficient
in developing reading skills (2006). His
readers. But what does an effective reading
research and research conducted by others
intervention program include? Researchers
show that while students from wealthier
have focused their efforts in recent years on
homes start the year slightly ahead of where
identifying the essential elements of effective
they ended the previous year, children from
reading interventions which includes
economically disadvantaged homes start
direct and guided instruction in phonemic
the school year with a three-month gap in
awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and
their reading skills (Allington 2006, 23).
comprehension (National Reading
Thus, struggling readers from economically
Panel 2000).
disadvantaged homes who don’t attend robust
and rigorous summer school programs start
The Need for Intervention off the year much further behind than their
Today’s reading classrooms are filled with struggling reader peers from more affluent
students of varying backgrounds, reading homes who attend enrichment summer
abilities, levels of English proficiency, and camps or summer school programs that focus
learning styles. Furthermore, teaching on the skills they need to achieve. These
reading is not about merely passing on a set findings highlight the need for effective
of skills that can be memorized or replicated intervention programs to ensure that all
by students. “Learning to read is a complex students succeed.
process. Most children learn to read and
continue to grow in their mastery of this
process. However, there continues to be a “Specifically, instruction for children
group of children for whom learning to read who have difficulties learning to
is a struggle” (Quatroche 1999). read must be more explicit and
comprehensive, more intensive, and more
Since the landmark report “Becoming a
supportive than the instruction required
Nation of Readers” was published in 1984,
by the majority of children.”
schools have placed extensive focus on the
need to develop better reading skills in our —Foorman & Torgesen 2001, 206
students. In this report, the Commission on
Reading identified several characteristics of
struggling readers, asserting that struggling
readers “do not consistently see relationships
between what they are reading and what
they already know” (National Academy of
Education 1984, 55).

6 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 RESEARCH

Response to Intervention in Tier 1

English Language Arts Tier 1 students are generally making
good progress toward the standards but
In 2004, the reauthorization of the
may be experiencing temporary or minor
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
difficulties. These students may struggle
(IDEA) included language that allows a
in only a few of the overall areas of reading
school to first determine whether a student
concepts. They usually benefit from peer
can respond to “scientific, research‑based”
work and parental involvement. They also
classroom instruction to alleviate reading
benefit from confidence boosters when they
difficulties before more intensive
are succeeding. Any problems that do arise
intervention and possibly evaluation for a
should be diagnosed and addressed quickly in
learning disability is warranted (International
order to ensure that these students continue
Reading Association 2010). Although the
to succeed.
term “Response to Intervention” (RTI) was
not formally written into the law, this term is Research to Practice
what has been coined to address the levels of
Tier 1
intervention that must occur before a more
formal identification is determined. Response Use Focused Reading Intervention as a
to Intervention takes a “tiered” approach to supplement to the core curriculum. The
intervention. Depending on the levels of focused lessons provide explicit instruction
difficulty students are having with the reading in key skills that students need, with
curriculum, they are classified as Tier 1, Tier options for differentiating instruction
2, or Tier 3. Specific definitions of these tiers including reinforcing instruction for
differ from state to state, but the following on‑level learners and extending learning
are general descriptions: for students who have shown mastery of
the skill. Students who are not making
progress at this level should move to Tier 2.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

7
RESEARCH
Research on Reading Intervention (cont.)

Tier 2 Tier 3
Tier 2 students may be one or two standard Tier 3 students are seriously at risk of failing
deviations below the mean on standardized to meet the standards as indicated by their
tests. These students are struggling in various extremely and chronically low performance
areas, which affect their overall success in the on multiple measures of reading and language
reading classroom. These students can usually arts assessment. These students are often the
respond to in‑class differentiation strategies ones who are being analyzed by some type of
with focused, small-group instruction. This in-house student assistance team in order to
focused intervention may alleviate the need look for overall interventions and solutions.
for further assessment for a specific learning In the classroom, these students are having
disability. difficulties with the assignments and failing
most of the assessments. Previous tiers of
intervention have proven ineffective.

Research to Practice Research to Practice

Tier 2 Tier 3
After administering the Pretest, Teachers can use the Pretest to determine
teachers may work with a small group of students’ specific area(s) of need and
students that need focused instruction use the lessons to work one-on-one with
on a particular area of need. Teachers students. At Tier 3, extra time for each
can monitor their progress using the component of the lesson being used is
Quick Checks and informal assessment appropriate, as well as extra opportunities
opportunities embedded in each for practice and review. If a student needs
lesson. Students who do not respond to to focus on a specific component, such as
intervention should move to Tier 3. fluency, focus on this section of the lesson.
Teachers may also use various level kits.

8 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 RESEARCH

Components of Effective Direct, Sequential, and Gradually

Released Instruction
Reading Interventions
Direct skill instruction is also essential
Opportunities to Read for students to become successful readers
Researchers agree that students need to read (Allington 2006; National Reading Panel
extensively in order to improve their ability 2000; Snow, Griffin, and Burns 2005). Many
to read (Kempe, Eriksson-Gustavsson, and students think of reading as a passive activity,
Samuelsson 2011; Stanovich 1986). The especially if they struggle with gaining
more students are exposed to high-quality meaning from text while reading. However,
texts, the better. Studies about the reading reading should be an active process, and
volume of advanced and struggling readers good readers are very active when they read
showed that fifth-grade students achieving in (Pressley 2001). Pearson and Gallagher
the 10th percentile on reading achievement (1983), in a report by the Center for the
tests read an average of just 1.6 minutes Study of Reading, demonstrated how reading
per day, but students achieving in the 90th comprehension is best taught through a
percentile read 40.4 minutes (Nagy and gradual release model:
Anderson 1984). Hence, students need the • First, teachers explicitly tell students
opportunity for wide reading to provide the how to use a particular skill.
chance to develop strong reading habits.
• Then, teachers model what good
readers do to comprehend.
Research to Practice • Next, teachers guide students
through the lesson, giving them more
Opportunities to Read responsibility along the way.
Focused Reading Intervention lessons • Finally, teachers release
provide the following: responsibility over application of the
• opportunities for students to read skill to students (providing additional
engaging, high‑quality literature and support as needed).
informational texts
• focused instruction on key
foundational skills such as phonics and Research to Practice
word recognition (Levels K–5) Direct, Sequential, and Gradually
• active and rigorous application of word Released Instruction
study skills including, but not limited Every Focused Reading Intervention
to, Greek and Latin roots lesson utilizes the Gradual Release of
• multiple opportunities to read and Responsibility Model:
engage with the text • teaches students how to be active
• repeated readings of the text to build readers through explicit instruction of
fluency comprehension strategies
• reinforcement of key literacy skills • provides students with support to
through cooperative literacy games ensure the successful transfer of
reading skills from guided practice to
independent application
• follows the I Do, We Do, You Do
model of release

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

9
RESEARCH
Research on Reading Intervention (cont.)

High-Yield Strategies for Research to Practice

Increasing Student Achievement High-Yield Strategies for Increasing
Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock (2001) Student Achievement
have identified nine “high-yield” strategies Each level of Focused Reading Intervention
for improving instruction and student addresses the six levels of Marzano and
achievement: identifying similarities and Kendall’s New Taxonomy:
differences, summarizing and note taking, • Level 6: guided through the reading
reinforcing effort and providing recognition, of high-interest passages and the
homework and practice, nonlinguistic developmentally appropriate lesson
representations, cooperative learning, structure
setting objectives and providing feedback, • Level 5: developed through the
generating and testing hypothesis and assessments as well as the lesson plans
questions, cues, and advanced organizers. which encourage students to express
These nine strategies have the greatest and refine their thoughts as they read
measurable positive effect on all student
• Levels 4, 3, and 2: reinforced
achievement, regardless of grade level or
throughout the guided practice portion
subject matter. The work of these researchers
of each lesson as well as the Student
was incorporated into the development of
Guided Practice Book activities
Focused Reading Intervention
• Level 1: addressed in the Student
Additionally, Marzano and Kendall (2007) Guided Practice Book activities
developed a new taxonomy of educational
objectives, updating the classic Bloom’s
Taxonomy, which has also been incorporated
into Focused Reading Intervention. Here, In every lesson:
instruction is organized into categories, • setting objectives, reinforcing efforts,
allowing it to be more efficient while, at the and providing recognition
same time, encouraging the development of • providing practice opportunities
cognitive processes: • encouraging cooperative learning
Level 6: Self-System Thinking through literacy games

Level 5: Metacognition Throughout the series:

• identifying similarities and differences
Level 4: Knowledge Utilization
• summarizing and note-taking
Level 3: Analysis • questioning and recognizing meaning
Level 2: Comprehension and context cues
• using nonlinguistic representations
Level 1: Retrieval
• generating and testing hypotheses

10 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 RESEARCH

The Reading/Writing After students write in class, other students

can read their work, linking the reading and
Connection writing experience. Writers can also read
Reading and writing are interactive their stories aloud to the class, furthering
processes that use similar strategies. They reading practice and providing an authentic
generate communication and reinforce purpose for writing. Writers can reread
each set of skills, which improves their own work to edit and revise, and they
comprehension. Thinking is a critical part often read to gather information before
of the process, and teachers who promote writing. When writing, students need to
higher-level thinking with both reading and think about grammar, phonics, spelling,
writing processes will help develop better and vocabulary, in addition to other text
thinkers. structure skills. This reinforces important
reading skills. If students are shown the
Readers and writers engage in
connection between reading and writing,
similar processes. “Composition and
they can become better at both.
comprehension both involve planning,
composing, and revising” (Roe, Smith,
and Burns 2009, 255). Students can be Research to Practice
explicitly shown how the two processes are
connected. The Reading/Writing Connection
Lessons in Focused Reading Instruction
Readers Writers provide opportunities for students to do
• have a purpose • have a purpose the following:
for reading for writing (pre- • strengthen their reading
(before, during, writing, revising, comprehension through writing
and after and editing)
• maintain focus on a critical reading
reading)
element from each passage and
• use prior • use prior respond through the Written
knowledge knowledge when Response activity
to make writing about a • use writing to activate background
connections to a topic knowledge by creating graphic
particular topic organizers, recording predictions and
• make • provide reactions to reading, taking notes,
predictions foreshadowing and/or creating story charts
• interpret the • construct
writer’s meaning meaning
• change • change and
comprehension develop meaning
strategies while while writing
reading
• reread to clarify • rewrite to clarify
meaning

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

11
RESEARCH
Research on Reading Intervention (cont.)

Using Technology to Improve Research to Practice

Literacy Using Technology to Improve Literacy
Within the last decade there has been a Each level of Focused Reading Intervention
shift in the ways students think and process features a variety of digital resources that
information. Unlike their predecessors, allow teachers to weave technology into
students in today’s classroom have been literacy instruction:
deemed “digital natives.” They were born Audio Resources: Use the Audio CD
into a digital world and have developed as a model of fluent reading, to provide
thinking patterns that are different from those additional support for English language
of previous generations (Pressley 2001). This learners, and to build fluency. The Audio
pedagogical shift has been recognized in the CD includes professional recordings of all
flux of digital technologies offered in today’s the passages in each kit.
classroom. Moreover, according to focal
Digital Resources: Each kit includes:
points of 21st Century learning, technology
should be used widely and responsibly in • User Guide
the classroom—with the goal of enriching • PDFs of all student pages and
students’ learning of language. assessments
• Teacher resources in multiple file
Extensive research has been conducted formats
over the years to determine how effective
• PDFs of all Literacy Game Sets
technology is in improving student
performance. The following positive effects • Digital Literacy Games
have been observed: Electronic Assessments: Electronic
• increased student achievement versions of the Pretest and Posttest are
included on the Digital Resources USB
• improved higher-order thinking skills
drive.
and problem-solving abilities
Note: A detailed overview of the Digital
• enhanced student motivation and
Resources included in this kit is provided
engagement
on pages 299–301.
• improved abilities to work
collaboratively
Educators are challenged with preparing all
students for a more technologically advanced
world (Harwood and Asal 2007).

12 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 RESEARCH

Using Games to Motivate Research to Practice

Struggling Readers Using Games to Motivate Struggling
Games are a proven source of motivation. Readers
They are a fun way for students to develop, Each kit in Focused Reading Intervention
maintain, and reinforce mastery of basic includes six literacy games: three Literacy
skills. Games eliminate the tedium of Game Sets and three Digital Literacy
most reading skill drills. If students are Games. Each game provides:
motivated, they attend to instruction, strive • reinforcement of reading skills in a
for meaning, and persevere when difficulties game format
arise (Cathcart et al. 2000). And, according • engaging and age-appropriate art and
to Camille Blachowicz and Peter Fisher, themes
“word play is motivating and an important
• opportunities for individual and group
component of the word-rich classroom”
play
(2004, 220).
• immediate feedback through sound
Games are fun and collaborative, effects (digital games)
which means that more students have
opportunities for success. Attitudes are also
an important part of success. Students who
feel good about a subject and their ability to
do well in it will be motivated to learn. It
is important to provide a positive learning
environment where students are under
minimal stress; meaning and understanding
(rather than rote memorization) are
emphasized; real‑world concepts are related;
and students work in well-organized groups.
Students have multiple opportunities to
practice playing the games, depending
on the number of weeks that comprise
the Focused Reading Intervention
implementation. Specific instructions for
playing the games and managing the game
portion of the instructional period are
provided on pages 30–34.
In classrooms where competitive games
may pose a problem, rules can always be
modified so that harmony is achieved. Most
of the games in this program are considered
learning games and are not designed to
be competitive in nature. However, fair
and friendly competition can generate
excitement, determination, motivation,
independence, and challenge.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

13
RESEARCH
Research on Reading Intervention (cont.)

Assessment “When teachers know how students are

progressing and where they are having
“Monitoring and record keeping provide the trouble, they can use this information to
critical information needed to make decisions make necessary adjustments to instructional
about the student’s future instruction” approaches, or offer more opportunities
(National Center for Learning Disabilities for practice. These activities can lead to
2006, 5). The ability to properly diagnose improved student success” (Boston 2002).
and monitor students’ reading progress is
imperative in reading intervention programs. Summative assessments judge the success
Teachers must be able to provide instruction of a process at its completion. They provide
that is tailored to the needs of each student. students the opportunity to demonstrate
“Teachers can build in many opportunities to their mastery of concepts taught, which in
assess how students are learning, and then use turn also helps guide teachers’ instructional
this information to make beneficial changes in planning. This type of assessment shows
instruction” (Boston 2002). growth over time and helps set instructional
goals to address students’ needs. It also helps
Formative assessments may be used to to re-evaluate earlier strategies or steps that
help drive instruction to meet students’ needs will therefore influence what follows on a
(Honing, Daimon, Gutlohn, and Mahler, student’s instructional path (Airasian 2005).
2000).
Note: Additional research on assessment is
Noted researcher Yetta Goodman found that included in the Assessment Guide
listening to a recording of oral reading with (pages 4–5).
a student and discussing the student’s errors
with him or her is a good way to confirm the
teacher’s inferences about a student’s skills
and make the student aware of strategies
the student may be using (Goodman 1996).
Hoffman and Rasinski (2004) also found that
short oral reading assessments can be used to
develop fluency. They state that students and
teachers can make observations, reflect on,
and respond to the text during oral reading.
Progress-monitoring assessments can be
administered in formal and informal ways.
Methods such as informal observations,
classroom participation, activity sheets, and
student responses (Airasian 2005) allow
teachers the opportunity to pinpoint each
student’s specific strengths, weaknesses,
and misconceptions and to create a more
complete and balanced depiction of students’
needs. This can also help teachers plan to
maximize instructional time.

14 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 RESEARCH

Informal assessment opportunities are

Research to Practice
embedded throughout the lessons to
Assessment identify optimal times for teachers to
Each level of Focused Reading observe students’ reading behaviors
Intervention provides teachers with and skills. This data can guide future
numerous opportunities for accurate instructional decisions. Moreover, pacing
assessment. plans help teachers implement the
Formative Assessment: The Pretest program over the course of several weeks
provides teachers with the information or an entire school year.
necessary to develop a customized Summative Assessment: The Posttest
program of instruction for students. This assessment can measure students’
assessment can guide and inform future progress once all the selected lessons
instructional goals. Teachers can use have been completed. This test
the Pretest to determine which lessons provides students with the opportunity
to teach based upon the students’ skill to demonstrate their mastery of the
levels. concepts taught and helps teachers
Progress Monitoring: Each lesson reevaluate earlier strategies or steps that
in the Student Guided Practice Book will influence what follows on a student’s
includes a Quick Check that can be used academic or instructional path.
for ongoing progress monitoring. Note: The Pretest, Posttest, and oral
The Oral Reading Record provided for reading records can be found in the
each passage enables teachers to glean a Assessment Guide. The progress
detailed picture of students’ oral reading monitoring Quick Checks can be found
strengths and weaknesses. This benefits in the Student Guided Practice Book. All
students by giving them the information of these assessments can also be found on
to set goals for fluency and offers teachers the Digital Resources USB device.
useful information to make instructional
decisions.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

15
 Best Practices
Developing Key Reading Skills
Word Recognition the, was, and what, do not carry contextual
meaning. This means that students need
Word recognition is one essential component to have multiple opportunities to read and
in cultivating proficient readers. As students practice high-frequency words so that they
are introduced to and manipulate sounds and can read with ease when they encounter the
words, they gain confidence and mastery with words in text. Early reading instruction and
language. Within word recognition, there are reading intervention instruction should focus
subsections of skills: automaticity with reading on the words that students encounter most
high-frequency words, explicit teaching of frequently in print.
language conventions and patterns, and
vocabulary development.
“Rich instruction in word recognition Research to Practice
provide[s] an opportunity to teach children High-Frequency Words
that there are systematic relationships
Each lesson in Focused Reading
between letters and sounds, that written
Intervention begins with a Warm-Up
words are composed of letter patterns that
Activity that introduces the high-frequency
represent the sounds of spoken words, and
words. It is recommended that teachers
that recognizing words quickly and accurately
post the words in the room once they
is a way of obtaining meaning from what is
have been introduced. A word wall is an
read” (Linan‑Thompson and Vaughn 2007,
effective way to do this. Students will
34).
benefit from having time each day to
High‑Frequency Words practice finding, writing, and reciting the
High-frequency words are just that, words words on the word wall.
that occur in text with high frequency. The The Warm-up Activity uses Dr. Edward
100 most common words make up about 50 Fry’s list of 1,000 Instant Words, which are
percent of the words in all written material. the most common words in English ranked
The complete list of 1,000 words makes up in frequency order. Each lesson introduces
90 percent of all written material (Fry, Kress, three to five words, so that at the end of
and Fountoukidis 1993). If students can 30 lessons students will have learned 150
master these, they are well on their way to words. At the upper levels of Focused
being successful readers. Sight words are the Reading Intervention, there is some
words that good readers can easily recognize review of words taught in previous lessons,
without having to spend time decoding them. because the words from 600–1,000 are
Each reader’s sight-word bank will differ encountered with less frequency and have
and may or may not include high-frequency more difficult spelling patterns for students
words. However, just as in mathematics, to master.
where students need to learn their math facts
with automaticity, high-frequency words
should also be instantly recognizable. Many
of these words are not spelled like they
sound, and many of these words, such as

16 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Best practices

Word Study Close Reading

Word study, the integration of phonics, According to Catherine Snow and Catherine
spelling, and vocabulary instruction is an O’Connor, close reading is “an approach
essential component in developing readers. to teaching comprehension that insists
Through actively exploring orthographic students extract meaning from text by
patterns and origins of words, students learn examining carefully how language is used
the regularities, patterns, and connections in the passage itself” (2013, 2). The goal
of words needed to read and spell. In is to produce proficient readers who can
addition, word study increases students extract meaning from complex, college-level
specific knowledge of words and vocabulary and career-relevant texts, independently.
development (Bear, Templeton, Invernizzi, et What is unique about close reading is that it
al. 2007). focuses exclusively on the text at-hand and
eliminates the background knowledge, which
many say will level the academic playing
Research to Practice field and close the achievement gap between
Word Study various learning and language/literacy groups
Focused Reading Intervention lessons (Snow and O’Connor 2013). This is not to
support word study: say that close reading should replace other
• engaging word-building activities to comprehension and reading approaches.
promote word-recognition skills Ideally, close reading will be one avenue
to purposefully engage students in reading
• instruction for phonics and
complex texts.
foundational literacy skills (K–5)
• opportunities for students to discover
the patterns of language through
Research to Practice
word-study activities
Close Reading
• activities to support the development
of students’ orthographic knowledge Focused Reading Intervention lessons
of words • provide opportunities for students
• instruction for syllabication and to engage in close reading of both
identification of Greek and Latin roots literature and informational texts
• include independent readings
o The 10 lowest leveled passages
are presented as independent
first reads.
o The remaining passages offer
myriad of paths to read the text,
including partially independent,
guided, and modeled.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

17
 Best Practices
Developing Key Reading Skills (cont.)

Academic Vocabulary English language learners need context-

embedded activities that acquaint them
Research conducted over the past decades with the necessary and most central words
has consistently found a deep connection for comprehension of the content. “Direct
between vocabulary knowledge, reading instruction helps students learn difficult
comprehension, and academic success words, such as words that represent complex
(Baumann, Kame’enui, and Ash 2003). concepts that are not part of the students’
Kamil and Hiebert describe vocabulary as everyday experiences. Direct instruction of
a bridge between the “word-level processes vocabulary relevant to a given text leads to
of phonics and the cognitive processes of better reading comprehension” (Armbruster,
comprehension” (2005, 4). This is a useful Lehr, and Osborn 2001).
way to visualize the importance of vocabulary
for young or struggling readers. But meaning Students with broad vocabularies find it
does not automatically follow successful easier to comprehend more of what they read
decoding. If a word is not in a student’s oral than do students with limited vocabularies.
vocabulary, the student cannot apply word- The type of reading students encounter in
recognition strategies effectively, and reading school can be highly specialized, and the
comprehension is hindered (National Reading words they need to learn can be challenging.
Panel 2000). This type of academic vocabulary is often not
encountered in everyday life or in everyday
Vocabulary instruction is at the very core reading. Therefore, all students need an
of learning, because students cannot learn explicit introduction to and explanation of
from words that they do not understand. these vocabulary words.
All students need explicit introduction of
vocabulary words before reading a text in
order to better understand the text. The
Research to Practice
task is even more complicated for English
language learners and struggling readers. Academic Vocabulary
“Developing readers cannot be expected Each level of Focused Reading Intervention
to simply ‘pick up’ substantial vocabulary develops academic vocabulary:
knowledge exclusively through reading • focused instruction on word meaning
exposure without guidance. Specifically, • an introduction of key academic
teachers must design tasks that will increase vocabulary from the passage
the effectiveness of vocabulary learning
• opportunities to introduce new
through reading practice” (Feldman and
vocabulary prior to reading the passage
Kinsella 2005). It is not enough to give
to build conceptual understanding of
students a list of words and have them
words
look up the definitions in dictionaries or
glossaries. Students who are struggling with • instruction to meet the needs of
learning a language are not going to find the multiple learning styles
process easier by simply being given more • additional opportunities for vocabulary
words to sort through (Echevarria, Vogt, development in the Student Guided
and Short 2004). Struggling readers and Practice Book

18 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Best practices

Fluency Research to Practice

The National Reading Panel (2000) examined Fluency
scientifically based research in the field of Each Focused Reading Intervention lesson
reading and acknowledged five critical factors includes the following:
that are vital to effective reading instruction.
• professional recordings of each passage
These factors, also found in the No Child Left
Behind Act and the Reading First Federal • a fluency activity
Initiative, are phonemic awareness, phonics, • opportunities to engage in repeated
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Of readings
these areas, teachers often struggle most to • oral reading records for each passage
incorporate fluency instruction. Leading Note: For additional information on oral
researchers are emphasizing the importance reading records and how to assess fluency
of fluency. Wolf says, “Fluency is more see the Assessment Guide.
complex and essential than most people
ever realize (and) the stakes are very high
if children do not become fluent readers”
(2005). Moreover, Timothy Rasinski adds,
“Although reading fluency has been on the
back burner of reading programs for many
years, it is finally being recognized as essential
to students’ reading success” (2006).
Rasinski (2006) defines fluency as “the ability
to accurately and effortlessly decode the
written words and then to give meaning to
those words through appropriate phrasing
and oral expression of the words.” Fluency
is now seen as directly affecting reading
comprehension (Kuhn and Stahl 2000).
“Comprehension is the hoped-for end, not
rapid reading. To achieve that goal, we
need to build increased automaticity” (Wolf
2005). Fluency bridges the gap between
word recognition and comprehension for
readers. “Moreover, when readers read
with fluency, they give evidence through
their oral interpretation of the text that they
are constructing meaning while they read”
(Rasinski 2006). When text sounds like
natural speech, students are better able to
apply their knowledge and experiences to new
learning. Becoming a fluent reader is a skill
that develops gradually and requires practice.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

19
 Best Practices Comprehension Strategies for
Informational Texts and Literature
Each Focused Reading Intervention lesson focuses on a single comprehension strategy.
These effective research-based strategies serve as a resource for strengthening student
comprehension of informational text and literature. Teachers may use these strategies before,
during, and/or after reading.
Using Text Features In addition to reading the main body of a text, good readers use
headings, captions, diagrams, and other text features to fully comprehend and navigate
the text. Referencing these features throughout the reading process helps students make
predictions, understand, remember, and comprehend the content.
Informational Texts Literature
Students use the table of contents, chapters, Students reference the title, cover
glossary, index, titles, headings, labels, illustration, back-cover copy summarizing
captions, photographs, sketches, diagrams, the book, table of contents, chapter titles,
charts, graphs, maps, tables, figures, time illustrations, and captions to understand a
lines, cross-sections, insets, sidebars, bold novel, poem, or drama.
words and graphic organizers to increase
comprehension of nonfiction texts.

Understanding Text Structure Students need to be aware of the way text structure
influences meaning and how authors use the structure of a text to evoke a desired effect
in the reader. Students should understand how ideas in a text relate to one another and
how information is organized. Readers who understand the structure of a text can use this
knowledge to make predictions and understand the author’s purpose more easily.

Informational Texts Literature

Students recognize a variety of nonfiction Students identify the genre and structure
text types such as instructional, compare and of a literary text, noting whether a piece is a
contrast, cause and effect, and problem and mystery, poem, drama, etc. Students analyze
solution. Students understand how each part how components of a text such as paragraphs,
of a text contributes to the whole. chapters, scenes, and stanzas relate to each
other.

Using Graphic Organizers Graphic organizers provide students with concrete ways to
visualize information found in a text. Organizers come in a wide variety of formats. They
can, for example, help students capture the sequence of events, compare and contrast,
summarize, make connections, and identify areas of confusion.
Informational Texts Literature
Students use graphic organizers to analyze Students use graphic organizers to
arguments, summarize data, and show the summarize character traits, review plot
relationship between key details in the text. points, and analyze themes and other literary
elements.

20 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Best practices

Asking Questions Students who ask questions throughout the reading process are engaged
and actively reading. Allowing students to form their own questions provides an authentic
purpose for reading. Model how to ask inferential questions, and let students practice
forming their own who, what, when, where and why questions. Encourage students to use
evidence in the text to answer their questions.
Informational Texts Literature
Students use text features such as headings, Students ask questions regarding characters,
captions, graphs, and visuals to inspire plot, text structures, symbols, metaphors, and
questions about the main ideas of a text. word choice. Questions may include:
Questions may include: • “Who is telling the story?”
• “What information is explained in the • “Who is the main character and what is
text?” he or she like?”
• “What is the author saying about the • “What is the author’s central message?”
main subject?” • “How does the author use elements
• “What evidence does the author present of fiction to express his or her
to persuade the reader?” message?”
• “Am I convinced by the author’s
argument?”

Paraphrasing and Summarizing When students know how to paraphrase and summarize,
their overall comprehension improves. Paraphrasing involves reading the material and
creating a shorter version of the text in one’s own words. Summarizing requires distilling
the main ideas and important details from the overall text, and then putting them in a logical
order. Encourage readers to summarize both during and after reading.

Informational Texts Literature

Students use text features such as titles, Students review the title; chapter titles;
chapter titles, bold words, captions, and illustrations; main events in the beginning,
diagrams to identify the main ideas and key middle, and end; central characters; key
details of a text. Summaries should reflect details; the tone; and the structure of the text
the structure of the text. For example, if to summarize the main idea and key details.
the text is a compare/contrast text, then the
summary should follow the same format, but
be condensed.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

21
 Best Practices Comprehension Strategies for
Informational Texts and Literature (cont.)

Using Prior Knowledge Good readers use their prior knowledge and experiences to help
them understand new information they encounter during reading. They think about their
own experiences (comparing text to self), other texts they have read (comparing text to text),
or the world around them (making text to world connections). Teachers can encourage
this practice through discussions, bringing in realia, paging through the text to look for
connections, or by providing a hands‑on experience.
Informational Texts Literature
Students reference prior experiences and Students draw on prior knowledge to
information from other texts to understand understand new characters, foreign settings,
new concepts, relate to distant time periods, or unfamiliar words.
and access technical information.

Monitoring Comprehension To avoid gaps in comprehension, good readers monitor their

progress during the reading process. Encourage students to ask themselves, “What words
or ideas are difficult to understand?” and revisit those concepts. Strategies such as word-
level decoding; looking at the root word; nearby words or context clues; rereading; reading
on; asking a friend; or looking up a word or concept in a dictionary or encyclopedia can also
clarify meaning.
Informational Texts Literature
Students pause to reflect upon and clarify Students pause to reflect upon and clarify
how key concepts relate to each other, key plot points, actions taken by characters,
rereading or reviewing when needed. dialogue, and themes.

Using Mental Images Making mental images, or a “mind movie,” during reading enhances
the reading experience. Mental “images” include visuals, as well as sounds, smells, tastes,
and feelings. Encourage students to make reading a complete sensory experience. Discuss
sensory clues provided explicitly in a text, as well as the details that can be inferred based on
setting, characters, and context clues.

Informational Texts Literature

Students use maps, photographs, and Students use sensory clues provided explicitly
diagrams to clarify or confirm geographical in a text, as well as the sensory details that
relationships, procedures, and other data can be inferred based on setting, characters,
explained in the text. and context clues.

22 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Best practices

Establishing a Purpose Determining an authentic purpose for reading increases student

engagement and comprehension. Before students read, encourage them to think about their
reasons for reading each text. What do they want to know? What are the main ideas they
want to understand?

Informational Texts Literature

Students set a purpose for reading, such Students set a purpose for reading, such as
as learning more about a particular topic, learning more about a topic, understanding
acquiring information that can be presented an author’s point of view, or using one’s
to others, or answering questions the reader imagination to escape into a great book.
has about the text.

Previewing Text Previewing the text is often referred to as a “text walk.” Before reading,
the reader may go through the text to glance at the text features, understand the text
structure or genre, and gather some information about the big ideas in the text. This is the
reader’s chance to browse through the book.

Informational Texts Literature

Students page through to preview the Students skim the cover, illustrations, chapter
diagrams, headings, bold words, topic headings, and select sentences within the text
sentences, main ideas, and organization of a of a book.
text.

Making Predictions Throughout the reading process, good readers make predictions about
what will happen next. Before reading, students can make predictions based on the cover
art, back-cover copy, chapter headers, and interior illustrations. During reading, predicting
what will happen helps students stay interested in the text. After reading, students should
confirm or update their predictions.

Informational Texts Literature

Students make specific predictions about the Students make predictions about plot,
information they will learn in the text and characters, and themes based on the title,
how reliable it will be based on the chapter chapter titles, cover, illustrations, captions,
titles, headings, illustrations, captions, and and key details in the text.
other text features.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

23
 Best Practices
Differentiation
Differentiating by Specific Research to Practice
Needs Below-Grade-Level Students
Today’s classrooms are filled with students Every lesson in Focused Reading
of varying backgrounds, reading abilities, Intervention provides rich support
levels of English proficiency, and learning for below-grade-level students by
styles. A teacher’s ability to differentiate reteaching key concepts and skills. These
instruction and respond effectively to the activities are designed to encourage
needs of a variety of learners is critical to active involvement in the reading
the success of any program (Henry and process and provide repeated practice
Pianta 2011, 311). Two factors influence without losing engagement. Each
a teacher’s ability to use a program: having lesson has differentiation built into
instructional options that meet the needs it through engaging games, targeted
of various students within the program, and skills instruction, and access to multiple
having the confidence and skill to modify the learning modalities. At this level students
instruction based on those needs. Focused are supported through partner work,
Reading Intervention takes these issues into open-ended questions that enable
account. Each lesson plan includes a variety students with limited literacy experiences
of instructional strategies to reach students to respond within their comfort or
who are not yet achieving their potential, experiential level, kinesthetic (hands-on)
those who are performing on level, those activities, and active involvement in the
who are learning English, and those who reading process.
have mastered the standards.
Below-Grade-Level Students English Language Learners
“Developing readers cannot be expected Intervention programs must support the
to simply ‘pick up’ substantial vocabulary literacy development of English language
knowledge exclusively through reading learners, and meeting their needs can be
exposure without guidance. Specifically, more complex than meeting the needs
teachers must design tasks that will increase of native-language struggling readers.
the effectiveness of vocabulary learning Intervention for English language learners
through reading practice” (Feldman should engage students in meaningful
and Kinsella 2005, 3). Without making activities, as well as cognitively demanding
adjustments in instruction, struggling content, while scaffolding the content to
readers quickly disengage and do not ensure that students will learn successfully
actively participate in the reading process. (Diaz‑Rico and Weed 2002). Scaffolding
Struggling readers need teachers who can in lessons, modeling effective strategies for
make in‑process instruction adjustments learners to use, and vocabulary development
while continually analyzing student learning instruction are vital for English language
(Kibby and Klenk 2000). Below-grade-level learners. It is important to preteach the
students need concepts to be made more words that are critical to understanding
concrete for them. They typically need the text so that students are provided with
extra support with vocabulary and writing a variety of ways to learn, remember, and
activities. Without making adjustments use the words (Echevarria, Vogt, and Short
in instruction, struggling readers quickly 2004). It is not enough to simply expose
disengage and do not actively participate in English language learners to language-rich
the reading process. classrooms; they need “intensive instruction
24 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials
 Best practices

of academic vocabulary, and related Extending Learning

grammatical knowledge must be carefully “The ultimate goal of teaching is the
orchestrated across the subject areas for development of a self-regulated learner—a
language minority students to attain rigorous student with the capacity to guide and
content standards” (Feldman and Kinsella monitor his own learning on different
2005). tasks for different purposes” (Dorn and
In addition to direct, explicit instruction, Soffos 2005). Further, above-grade-
interactive teaching that uses techniques level readers can use this foundation for
such as modeling and guided practice reading increasingly complex narratives and
helps students master requisite skills more informational text. Providing rich resources
effectively (Goldenberg 2010, 27–29). for reading helps inspire students to utilize
and stretch their reading skills. Students
performing above grade level have the
Research to Practice metacognitive ability to apply new concepts
and vocabulary to independent work quickly
English Language Learners and effectively; however, they sometimes
Each lesson in Focused Reading face the risk of boredom in the classroom
Intervention begin with a language if not challenged. Research has shown that
objective in addition to the focus students need to be pushed just beyond
objectives. The instruction in high- their independent levels for real learning to
frequency words, academic language take place (Csikszentmihalyi 1990).
related to the story, and elaborations on
vocabulary in the before reading portion
of each lesson are particularly suited Research to Practice
to English language learners. During
the reading and rereading instruction, Extending Learning
activities such as paired reading can be The lessons in Focused Reading
added for more practice in developing Intervention provide the foundation for
oral fluency. The open-ended questions rich vocabulary development, writing
provide opportunities to relate to students experiences, and extended learning
from varying backgrounds. Additionally, opportunities. The various patterned
each lesson includes a specific language stories are ideal for budding writers to
support component. The Audio CD create, read, and share new or elaborated
includes professional recordings of the stories. The before, during, and after
books, which provide a powerful model reading portions of each lesson provide
for fluency. opportunities to think critically about
the author’s and illustrator’s roles in
story development. Teachers may use
the activities in this section to challenge
students while reinforcing the skills taught
in the lesson.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

25
 HOW TO USE
THIS PRODUCT Kit Components
Teacher’s Guide Digital and Audio Resources

30 easy-to-use, standards-based lesson plans

3 Digital Literacy Games

Digital Literacy Games focus on key
word-recognition skills, language conventions,
and comprehension strategies
Student Guided Practice Book
Full-color reading passages and student
activities

Digital Resources
• PDFs of all student materials (passages,
Assessment Guide game sets, activity sheets, assessments,
Includes a pretest, posttest, and oral reading etc.)
record • PDFs of teacher resources (graphic
organizers, rubrics, pacing plans, etc.)
• Digital Literacy Games
• Electronic versions of the Pretest and
Posttest and recording tools

3 Literacy Game Sets

Each game set includes a game board,
directions, answer key, and game pieces.
#21901—Focused Reading Intervention, Reef Race Punchouts

directions

How to Win!
Be the first player
to race to your
finish line!
Setting Up!
Reef Race game
board
4 pawns
cards
answer key

1. Place the game

board in the
2. Shuffle the cards middle of all
and place them players.
3. The shortest facedown on
player their game board
the boats. Then, goes first, chooses a pawn, space.
play moves to and places it
the left. on one of
Game Time!
1.For each turn,
draw a card
the group. from the top
of the stack
2. If you and read it aloud
name the correct to
move forward synonym or
one space. If antonym for
on the answer not, stay in the the word on
key if needed. same space. the card,
3. The first Check answers
#21901—Focuse

player to reach
© Teacher Created Materials

player reaches their finish line

a finish line, wins!
Note: Place the player closest If time runs out before
used cards in to one wins. a
them if you a separate stack.
run out of cards Shuffle these
during the game. cards and use
Name a syn
d Reading

onym
for shout. Name an
Intervention,

antonym
for shout. Name a syn
ony
for gratefu m
Reef Race

#21902 (i9566)—Focu
sed Reading
Intervention

l.
Punchouts

1 © Teacher Created
Materials

Name an
antony 3

for gratefu m Name a syn

l. onym
for leave. Name an
antonym
for leave.
4

Name a syn
© Teacher

ony 6

for ancien m Name an

Created Material

t. antony
for ancien m Name a syn
t. onym
for kind.
s

26 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 HOW TO USE
Getting Started THIS PRODUCT
1. Prior to instruction, administer the 2. Determine the most appropriate pacing
Pretest. This assessment covers all the plan for students. Use or modify the
comprehension skills and objectives pacing plans located on pages 36–39 to
for this level of the program. It can best meets the needs of your students
be used to determine which concepts within instructional context.
have already been mastered by each
individual student, as well as which planning for
intervention
planning for
intervention Pacing Plans

lessons concepts still need to be taught. Option 1: Sample Six-Week Pacing Plan
2 hours/day, 5 days/week
This pacing plan shows how this product can be used over a six-week intervention program.
Option 2: Sample Four-Week Pacing Plan
2 hours/day, 5 days/week
This pacing plan includes 20 key lessons to be taught over a four-week intervention program.
Teachers can adjust the pacing plan to best meet the needs of their students.
Six-Week Program (2 hours/day) Four-Week Program (2 hours/day)
Week Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Week Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Note: Use the Pretest Item Analysis

Asking and Asking and Identifying the Identifying the Describing
Answering Answering Central Message Main Idea Characters 1 Asking and Identifying the Identifying the Describing Using Meaning
1 Questions: Questions: (pages 67–74) (pages 75–82) (pages 83–90) Answering Central Message Main Idea Characters Clues: Literature
Literature Informational Text Questions: (pages 67–74) (pages 75–82) (pages 83–90) (pages 99–106)
(pages 51–58) (pages 59–66) Informational
Describing the Using Meaning Using Meaning Identifying Story Using Text

(filenames: pretestanalysis.doc;
Text
Relationship Clues: Literature Clues: Structure Features
2 Between Ideas (pages 99–106) Informational (pages 115–122) (pages 123–130) (pages 59–66)
(pages 91–98) Text 2 Using Meaning Using Meaning Using Meaning Identifying Story Using Text
(pages 107–114) Clues: Clues: Clues: Structure Features
Identifying Identifying Using Visuals: Using Visuals: Linking Ideas Informational Literature Informational (pages 115–122) (pages 123–130)
Point of View: Point of View: Literature Informational (pages 163–170) Text (pages 99–106) Text

pretestanalysis.pdf, pretestanalysis.xls)
3 Informational Literature (pages 147–154) Text (pages 107–114) (pages 107–114)
Text (pages 139–146) (pages 155–162)
(pages 131–138)
3 Identifying Comparing and Making Making Summarizing
4 Comparing and Comparing and Making Making Making
Contrasting Plots Contrasting Texts Inferences: Inferences: Predictions Point of View: Contrasting Inferences: Inferences: (pages 219–226)
(pages 171–178) (pages 179–186) Literature Informational (pages 203–210) Literature Texts Literature Informational
(pages 139–146)

to help monitor which skills are the

(pages 187–194) Text (pages 179–186) (pages 187–194) Text
(pages 195–202) (pages 195–202)
5 Sequencing Summarizing Comparing Describing the Identifying Key 4 Describing the Identifying Key Locating Monitoring Monitoring
(pages 211–218) (pages 219–226) Characters Relationship Details
Relationship Details Information Comprehension: Comprehension:
(pages 227–234) Between Events (pages 243–250)
(pages 235–242) Between Events (pages 243–250) (pages 251–258) Literature Informational
(pages 235–242) (pages 267–274) Text
6

most difficult for students and need to

Locating Understanding Monitoring Monitoring Using Key
Information Characters Comprehension: Comprehension: Words
(pages 275–282)
(pages 251–258) (pages 259–266) Literature Informational (pages 283–290)
(pages 267–274) Text
(pages 275–282)

be focused on.
© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide
37 38 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

Name:__________________________________ Date: _________________

Pretest
Questions 1–7: Read the passage. Then, answer the questions.

Shawn’s Saturday planning for

“Hey, Dad!” Shawn shouted. “I’m going to play basketball with Pete.” intervention
Shawn’s dad came into the kitchen. “Have you finished cleaning the garage?”
Shawn tried to decide whether to admit the truth. His dad would notice the Option 3: Sample 24-Week Pacing Plan
garage hadn’t been cleaned, but Shawn wanted to play basketball. 1 hour/day, 2 days/week
Shawn’s dad understood his silence. “You haven’t even started, have you? You This pacing plan shows how the program can be used in a six-month, after-school program or
promised you’d take care of it first thing this morning.” pull-out intervention that meets for one hour twice a week. Since each lesson is two hours
Shawn complained, “Why do I have to clean the garage anyway?” in length, one-half of a lesson is completed each class. Some lessons are excluded to fit the
24-week program. Teachers can adjust the pacing plan to best meet the needs of their students.
“Because you said you would, and you need to follow through with what you say.”
“But Dad,” Shawn protested, “I promised Pete.” Week Day 1 Day 2
1 Lesson 1 (pages 52–56, Warm- Lesson 1 (pages 57–58,
Soon, his dad’s face brightened. “Let’s go out to the garage for a minute.”
Up Activity, Word Work, Whole Differentiated Instruction,
Puzzled, Shawn followed his father into the garage. His dad pointed to the dull, Group Lesson) Writing, Fluency)
gray cement walls. “What if you ask Pete to come over here? If you and Pete 2 Lesson 2 (pages 60–64) Lesson 2 (pages 65–66)
clean up thoroughly, then you can paint murals on those two walls.” 3 Lesson 3 (pages 68–72) Lesson 3 (pages 73–74)
“What about playing basketball? Pete is expecting me.” 4 Lesson 4 (pages 76–80) Lesson 4 (pages 81–82)
His dad said thoughtfully, “If Pete stays over tonight, then I will drive you two 5 Lesson 5 (pages 84–88) Lesson 5 (pages 89–90)
over to play basketball after supper.” 6 Lesson 6 (pages 92–96) Lesson 6 (pages 97–98)
“Can we order pizza?” 7 Lesson 7 (pages 100–104) Lesson 7 (pages 105–106)
“Absolutely,” his dad grinned. 8 Lesson 8 (pages 108–112) Lesson 8 (pages 113–114)
Shawn raced back into the kitchen to call Pete. 9 Lesson 9 (pages 116–120) Lesson 9 (pages 121–122)
10 Lesson 10 (pages 124–128) Lesson 10 (pages 129–130)
1. At the beginning of the story, 2. What lesson does Shawn learn?
11 Lesson 11 (pages 132–136) Lesson 11 (pages 137–138)
the author wants the reader to A It takes two people to clean a 12 Lesson 12 (pages 140–144) Lesson 12 (pages 145–146)
understand _____
garage. 13 Lesson 13 (pages 148–152) Lesson 13 (pages 153–154)
A Shawn wants to play instead B Rules are made to be 14 Lesson 14 (pages 156–160) Lesson 14 (pages 161–162)
of clean the garage. broken. 15 Lesson 15 (pages 164–168) Lesson 15 (pages 169–170)
B Shawn wants to paint a C Painting a garage is 16 Lesson 16 (pages 172–176) Lesson 16 (pages 177–178)
mural. dangerous. 17 Lesson 17 (pages 180–184) Lesson 17 (pages 185–186)
C Shawn likes to clean and D Compromise can help solve 18 Lesson 18 (pages 188–192) Lesson 18 (pages 193–194)
organize the garage. disagreements. 19 Lesson 19 (pages 196–200) Lesson 19 (pages 201–202)
D Shaun always does what he 20 Lesson 22 (pages 204–208) Lesson 22 (pages 209–210)
says he will do. 21 Lesson 25 (pages 212–216) Lesson 25 (pages 217–218)
Go On
18 © Teacher Created Materials
22 Lesson 26 (pages 220–224) Lesson 26 (pages 225–226)
23 Lesson 28 (pages 228–232) Lesson 28 (pages 233–234)
24 Lesson 29 (pages 236–240) Lesson 29 (pages 241–242)

Pretest © Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

39

Level 3—Pretest Item Analysis

Directions: Type lowercase x's into cells to indicate where students have missed questions. Add up the totals. You can then view totals of:
1) how many students missed each question; 2) how many questions were missed per student; and 3) the total number of questions missed in the diagnostic test.

Correlated Lesson 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 16 18 21 22 23 28 27 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 24 25 26 29 30 # of
Question # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 questions
missed per
Answers A D C B C A B D C C A D B A C D B A D B C B A D A B D C A C student
Student Name
Sample Student x x x x x x x x 8

# of students missing
each question

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

27
 HOW TO USE
THIS PRODUCT Teaching a Lesson
Teacher’s Guide
Each eight‑page lesson is organized in a consistent format for ease of use. Teachers may choose
to complete some or all of the lesson activities in order to best meet the needs of their students.
Each lesson includes:

• an overview page with key information for planning

• a key English Language Arts standards
• a Skill Overview providing background information

• a copy of the passage from the Student Guided Practice Book

• a Warm-Up Activity to build students’ automaticity in reading
high-frequency words
• time markers to indicate the approximate time for instruction

• a Word Work section focusing on foundational language and

vocabulary skills
• use of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model in the
Whole-Group Comprehension section

• a Written Response activity that ties to the reading skill

• fluency practice activities to build oral reading skills
• differentiation strategies to support and extend learning
• literacy learning games to motivate students to develop and
reinforce mastery of basic skills

28 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 HOW TO USE
THIS PRODUCT
Student Guided Practice Book
Each lesson in the Teacher’s Guide has six corresponding student pages in the Student
Guided Practice Book:

• a high-interest reading passage to engage students
• a variety of text types to meet the rigor and text complexity
requirements

• Word Work activities to reinforce foundational reading skills

(Levels K–5) and language conventions (Levels 6–8)
• activities that support vocabulary acquisition and language
development

• comprehension activities that reinforce skills and prompt

students to use the text when supporting their responses

• a Written Response activity to extend and enrich students’

reading/writing connection

• a Quick Check to easily monitor students’ progress

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

29
 HOW TO USE
THIS PRODUCT Using the Literacy Games
How to Organize and Manage Options for Grouping Students
Games While the teacher meets with groups of
students during differentiated instruction,
To play the games, divide the class into the remaining students can be divided into
groups of four. You may wish to create groups of two to four students to play the
heterogeneous groups of students at various Literacy Game Sets. Individual students can
levels of proficiency. Or you may choose play the Digital Literacy Games.
to create homogeneous groups of similarly
• Two to four players are needed
leveled students. In this arrangement, you
can provide additional assistance to one or for each Literacy Game Set, for a
maximum of 12 students in a single
more groups.
rotation.
To prepare for each game, set up three game • Digital Literacy Games are designed
stations throughout the classroom. Each for individual play, for a maximum of
station will have a Literacy Game Set that three students in a single rotation.
includes all the materials needed to play the
Alternatives to the Literacy Games
game (game board, directions, answer key,
game cards, and game markers or pawns). You might wish to alter some of the activities
Prior to game play, review the directions that students participate in each day by
for each game with the class. Answer any providing other activities either instead of,
questions students may have. As students or in addition to, the games. Suggestions
play, move around the room to monitor for for these alternative centers include the
understanding. following:
• Encourage independent or partner
In addition to the three Literacy Game Sets,
reading time using leveled classroom
there are three Digital Literacy Games that
can be played on stand-alone computers, library readers.
interactive whiteboards, or laptops. • Provide independent writing time.
• Create a listening center using the
professional recordings of the reading
passages provided on the Audio CD
or have students record themselves
and make the recordings available in a
center.
• Have students make up their own
games by creating new game cards for
the existing game boards.

30 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 HOW TO USE
Playing the Literacy Game Sets THIS PRODUCT

Protect the Hive: Prefixes and Suffixes

directions

How to Win!
Be the player with the mo
st bee markers at the end
of the game!
Setting Up!

Protect the Hive game boa

rd
game markers
cards
answer key

1. Place the game board in the

middle of all players.
2. Shuffle the “A” and “B” car
ds and stack them facedown
board spaces. on their game
3. The tallest player goes firs
t. Each player chooses a set
and its matching hive. of game markers

Game Time!
1. For each turn, draw an “A”
and “B” card and read eac
to combine the “A” card pre h card aloud. Try
fix or suffix with the “B” car
make a real word. d root word to
2. If you’ve made a real word,
say a sentence aloud using
a marker on your hive. Oth the word and put
erwise, play continues to the
answers on the answer key left. Check
if needed.
3. The first player to collect 10
markers wins! If time run
player collects 10 markers, s out before a
the player with the most ma
Note: Place used cards in rkers wins.
a separate stack. Shuffle the
them if you run out of cards se cards and use
during the game.
#21902—Focused Read

-ed #21140 (i9557)—Focused Read

-er
ing Intervention, Protect

ing Intervention

-ing © Teacher Created Materials

1
the Hive Punchouts

2
3

re- dis- un-

4
5
6
© Teacher Created M

-ed
© Teacher Created Materials
-er
21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide
31
-ing
 HOW TO USE
THIS PRODUCT Playing the Literacy Game Sets (cont.)

Market Madness: Possessive Nouns

directions

How to Win!
Be the first player to cross
the finish line!
Setting Up!
Market Madness game boa
rd
4 pawns
cards
answer key

1. Place the game board in the

middle of all players.
2. Shuffle the cards and place
them facedown on their gam
3. The oldest player goes firs e board space.
t, chooses a pawn, and pla
Then, play moves to the left ces it on Start.
.
Game Time!
1. For each turn, draw a card
from the top of the stack and
sentence aloud to the group. read the
2. If you choose the correct pos
sessive noun, move forward
If not, stay in the same spa one space.
ce. Check answers on the
needed. ans we r key if
3. The first player to cross the
finish line wins! If time run
player reaches Finish, the s out before a
player closest to Finish win
Note: Place used cards in s.
a separate stack. Shuffle the
them if you run out of cards se cards and use
during the game.
#21903—Focused Read

When we go skiing,
we always stay at m My _____ soccer te Fall was _____ fav
y am orite
____#219 has been on a winn season because sh
_ 03ca bin
(i957 . ocused Reading Intervention str
5)—F ing e
eak. lov eder to wa tch
ing Intervention, Mark

© Teach Created Mate rials the

a. grandparents’s leaves change color
a. brothers’s .
b. grandparents’
b. brother’s a. Frances’s
et Madness Punchouts

1
2 b. Frances’
The basketball ____
_ That summer we all
3

new line up was be Our _____ new

tter took turns riding __
than ever. ___ skatepark is the siz
speedboat. e of
a football field!
a. teams’s
b. team’s a. Lukes’
b. Luke’s a. cities
4 b. city’s
5
_____ three favorite 6

things were surfing Did you know that

Guide , the _____ orbit is
32 21168—Level
sle3—Teacher’s
eping, and science
© Teacher
The ____ _ musicCreated Materials
© Teacher Crea

. was
elliptical? much too loud.
 HOW TO USE
THIS PRODUCT

Reef Race: Synonyms and Antonyms

directions

How to Win!
Be the first player to race
to your finish line!
Setting Up!
Reef Race game board
4 pawns
cards
answer key

1. Place the game board in the

middle of all players.
2. Shuffle the cards and place
them facedown on their gam
3. The shortest player goes firs e board space.
t, chooses a pawn, and pla
the boats. Then, play moves ces it on one of
to the left.
Game Time!
1. For each turn, draw a card
from the top of the stack and
the group. read it aloud to
2. If you name the correct syn
onym or antonym for the wo
move forward one space. rd on the card,
If not, stay in the same spa
on the answer key if needed ce. Check answers
.
3. The first player to reach the
ir finish line wins! If time
player reaches a finish line runs out before a
, the player closest to one
Note: Place used cards in win s.
a separate stack. Shuffle the
them if you run out of cards se cards and use
during the game.
#21901—Focused Read

Nam#219
e 02a(i956sy nonym ing InterventionName an anto
6)—Focused Read
nym
ing Intervention, Reef

for shout. N©am eCreaatedsy

Mateno
rials nym
for shout. Teacher

for grateful.
Race Punchouts

1
2
3

Name an antonym
Name a synonym
for grateful. Name an antonym
for leave.
for leave.
4
5
6

© Teacher Created
NamMaterials e a synonym 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide
33
© Teacher Crea

Name an antonym
for ancient. Name a syno
 HOW TO USE
THIS PRODUCT Playing the Digital Literacy Games
Using the Digital Literacy Games
Each level of Focused Reading Intervention includes three Digital Literacy Games that attend to the
key word recognition, language conventions, and comprehension skills addressed in the kit. Use the
Digital Literacy Games to guide students toward independent skill application while engaging them in
a fully interactive experience.
The Digital Literacy Games can be used in a variety of instructional settings and help support
numerous literacy and learning goals.

Carrot Crunch: Prefixes and Suff ixes

This game uses a playful multiple-choice format
to target the most common prefixes and suffixes.
Students will identify affixes in two ways: within
the context of a sentence and by definition. Each
game keeps score of a student’s progress, question
by question. Your students may play this game
again and again by choosing the “New Game!”
option at the end of each activity.

The Wonderful Word Widget: Syllables

Decoding multisyllabic words has never been so
fun! Students will practice breaking up words by
syllable using The Wonderful Word Widget. Each
correct response will unlock a hidden picture
that relates to the multisyllabic word. After five
correct responses, the hidden pictures will turn
into a cheerful animation. Like Carrot Crunch,
students may play this game multiple times by
choosing the “New Game!” option at the end of
the activity.

Friendly Fiends: Making Inferences

Ghosts, mummies, and monsters, oh my! This
ghoulish game invites students to practice their
inference making skills in the silly atmosphere of
a haunted house. Students will meet a variety of
“spooky” narrators who will describe their dire
daily lives. Students will then be asked to respond
to these tales by answering inference-based
questions.

34 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 HOW TO USE
Using the Technology Options THIS PRODUCT

Using the Audio CD Using the Digital Assessments

Use the Audio CD as a model of fluent The electronic versions of the Pretest and
reading, to provide additional support for Posttest assessments are a way for a teacher
English language learners, and to build to collectively administer and record scores
fluency. The Audio CD includes professional electronically. The assessment contains
recordings of all the passages in this kit the same questions as the print versions
and provides students with a model for of the Pretest and Posttest. Additionally,
appropriate phrasing, intonation, and these assessments are designed to extend
expression. Play the audio tracks of the student exposure to electronic formats of
passages to support fluency development as standardized test platforms. Once students
a prereading and/or rereading activity, during have completed the Pretest and Posttest, a
and after reading, during fluency instruction, teacher has the ability to gather individual or
and/or in a listening center. class scores, allowing greater ease to assess
and plan for instruction.
Note: A more detailed overview of the
Electronic Assessments is provided in the
Assessment Guide.

Using the Digital Literacy

Games Sample Electronic Assessment

Each level of Focused Reading Intervention

includes three Digital Literacy Games that
focus on the key word recognition, language
conventions, and comprehension skills
addressed in the kit. Use the Digital Literacy
Games to guide students toward independent
skill application while engaging them in a
fully interactive experience. The Digital
Literacy Games can be used in a variety Teacher Reporting Options
of instructional settings and help support
numerous literacy and learning goals. Using the Digital Resources
For a detailed overview of the Digital The Digital Resources include PDF files of
Literacy Games, see page 34. the Student Guided Practice Book pages,
Literacy Game Sets, teacher resources,
and assessments. Additionally, the Digital
Literacy Games and electronic assessments
are also provided. All digital resources are
found on the Digital Resources USB device.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

35
planning for
intervention Pacing Plans
When planning the pacing of a curriculum program, analyze student data to determine
standards on which to focus. Once a pacing plan is selected or created based on known
needs of the students and/or the results of the Pretest, teachers can focus on the lessons that
correlate with the items for which students did not demonstrate mastery. The Pretest is
designed to determine which concepts students have already mastered and which concepts
need to be mastered. Teachers can use this information to choose which lessons to cover
and which lessons to skip. Even after making these data-driven decisions, teachers may still
have to accelerate or decelerate the curriculum in order to meet the needs of the students in
their classes. The following are a few easy ways to change the pace of the curriculum within a
whole-class setting.
Ways to Accelerate the Curriculum:
• Certain skills may come more easily to some students. If this is the case, allow less
time for the practice and application of those skills and move on to the next lesson in
the program.
• Skip those lessons or concepts for which students have demonstrated mastery on the
Pretest.
• Reduce the number of activities that students complete in the Student Guided
Practice Book.
Ways to Decelerate the Curriculum:
• If the concepts in a particular lesson are very challenging to the students, allow more
time for each component of the lesson—modeling, guided practice, independent
practice, and application games and activities.
• Use more pair or group activities to allow students to learn from one another while
reinforcing their understanding of the concepts.
• Review all the Quick Check pages with students and have them resolve the incorrect
items.
The following pacing plans show three options for using this complete kit. Teachers should
customize these pacing plans according to their students’ needs.
Option Instructional Time Frequency Material Notes
Option 1 6 weeks(2 hours/day) Daily small-group 30 passages All lessons
reading instruction covered
Option 2 4 weeks (2 hours/day) Daily small-group 20 passages 20 key lessons
reading instruction covered
Option 3 24 weeks (60 min./day) Twice a week 24 passages 24 key lessons
covered
Note: To further adapt the program to instructional time frames, it is highly recommended
that teachers give the Pretest (Assessment Guide pages 18–27) to determine which standards
students have not mastered. Teachers can then use the Pretest Item Analysis (Assessment
Guide page 7) to analyze their students’ results and select lessons to target.

36 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 planning for
intervention

Option 1: Sample Six-Week Pacing Plan

2 hours/day, 5 days/week
This pacing plan shows how this product can be used over a six-week intervention program.
Six-Week Program (2 hours/day)
Week Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
Asking and Asking and Identifying the Identifying the Describing
Answering Answering Central Message Main Idea Characters
1 Questions: Questions: (pages 67–74) (pages 75–82) (pages 83–90)
Literature Informational Text
(pages 51–58) (pages 59–66)
Describing the Using Meaning Using Meaning Identifying Story Using Text
Relationship Clues: LiteratureClues: Structure Features
2 Between Ideas (pages 99–106) Informational (pages 115–122) (pages 123–130)
(pages 91–98) Text
(pages 107–114)
Identifying Identifying Using Visuals: Using Visuals: Linking Ideas
Point of View: Point of View: Literature Informational (pages 163–170)
3
Literature Informational Text (pages 147–154) Text
(pages 131–138) (pages 139–146) (pages 155–162)
4 Comparing and Comparing and Making Making Making
Contrasting Plots Contrasting Texts Inferences: Inferences: Predictions
(pages 171–178) (pages 179–186) Literature Informational (pages 203–210)
(pages 187–194) Text
(pages 195–202)
5 Sequencing Summarizing Comparing Describing the Identifying Key
(pages 211–218) (pages 219–226) Characters Relationship Details
(pages 227–234) Between Events (pages 243–250)
(pages 235–242)
6 Locating Monitoring Monitoring Understanding Using Key
Information Comprehension: Comprehension: Characters Words
(pages 251–258) Literature Informational (pages 275–282) (pages 283–290)
(pages 259–266) Text
(pages 267–274)

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

37
planning for
intervention Pacing Plans (cont.)

Option 2: Sample Four-Week Pacing Plan

2 hours/day, 5 days/week
This pacing plan includes 20 key lessons to be taught over a four-week intervention program.
Teachers can adjust the pacing plan to best meet the needs of their students.
Four-Week Program (2 hours/day)

Week Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

1 Asking and Identifying Identifying the Describing Using Meaning

Answering the Central Main Idea Characters Clues:
Questions: Message (pages 75–82) (pages 83–90) Literature
Informational (pages 67–74) (pages 99–106)
Text
(pages 59–66)
2 Using Meaning Using Meaning Using Meaning Identifying Story Using Text
Clues: Clues: Clues: Structure Features
Informational Literature Informational (pages 115–122) (pages 123–130)
Text (pages 99–106) Text
(pages 107–114) (pages 107–114)

3 Identifying Comparing and Making Making Summarizing

Point of View Contrasting Inferences: Inferences: (pages 219–226)
(pages 139–146) Texts Literature Informational
(pages 179–186) (pages 187–194) Text
(pages 195–202)
4 Describing the Identifying Key Locating Monitoring Understanding
Relationship Details Information Comprehension Characters
Between Events (pages 243–250) (pages 251–258) (pages 267–274) (pages 275–282)
(pages 235–242)

38 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 planning for
intervention

Option 3: Sample 24-Week Pacing Plan

1 hour/day, 2 days/week
This pacing plan shows how the program can be used in a six-month, after-school program or
pull-out intervention that meets for one hour twice a week. Since each lesson is two hours
in length, one-half of a lesson is completed each class. Some lessons are excluded to fit the
24‑week program. Teachers can adjust the pacing plan to best meet the needs of their students.
Week Day 1 Day 2
1 Lesson 1 (pages 52–56, Warm- Lesson 1 (pages 57–58,
Up Activity, Word Work, Whole Writing, Fluency, Quick Check,
Group Lesson) Differentiated Instruction, )
2 Lesson 2 (pages 60–64) Lesson 2 (pages 65–66)
3 Lesson 3 (pages 68–72) Lesson 3 (pages 73–74)
4 Lesson 4 (pages 76–80) Lesson 4 (pages 81–82)
5 Lesson 5 (pages 84–88) Lesson 5 (pages 89–90)
6 Lesson 6 (pages 92–96) Lesson 6 (pages 97–98)
7 Lesson 7 (pages 100–104) Lesson 7 (pages 105–106)
8 Lesson 8 (pages 108–112) Lesson 8 (pages 113–114)
9 Lesson 9 (pages 116–120) Lesson 9 (pages 121–122)
10 Lesson 10 (pages 124–128) Lesson 10 (pages 129–130)
11 Lesson 11 (pages 132–136) Lesson 11 (pages 137–138)
12 Lesson 12 (pages 140–144) Lesson 12 (pages 145–146)
13 Lesson 13 (pages 148–152) Lesson 13 (pages 153–154)
14 Lesson 14 (pages 156–160) Lesson 14 (pages 161–162)
15 Lesson 15 (pages 164–168) Lesson 15 (pages 169–170)
16 Lesson 16 (pages 172–176) Lesson 16 (pages 177–178)
17 Lesson 17 (pages 180–184) Lesson 17 (pages 185–186)
18 Lesson 18 (pages 188–192) Lesson 18 (pages 193–194)
19 Lesson 19 (pages 196–200) Lesson 19 (pages 201–202)
20 Lesson 22 (pages 220–224) Lesson 22 (pages 225–226)
21 Lesson 25 (pages 244–248) Lesson 25 (pages 249–250)
22 Lesson 26 (pages 252–256) Lesson 26 (pages 257–258)
23 Lesson 28 (pages 268–272) Lesson 28 (pages 273–274)
24 Lesson 29 (pages 276–280) Lesson 29 (pages 281–282)

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

39
planning for
intervention Correlations
Reading Level Correlations
Teacher Created Materials takes great care to maintain the integrity of authentic text while
leveling it to make the text accessible for all students. In this way, each of our passages provide
rich and robust nonfiction and fiction reading experiences from which students can learn and
be ready for the complexity of college- and career-level reading.
The Teacher Created Materials leveling system is coded by grade level and month. For
example, level 1.6 equates to first grade, sixth month of the school year. Every grade level and
month adheres to established guidelines. These guidelines were created under the guidance
of Dr. Timothy Rasinski and a team of reading specialists.
To preserve the authenticity of these reading experiences, it is crucial to maintain important
academic and content vocabulary. To support leveled instruction, new and challenging terms
are used repeatedly and defined in context so as to promote understanding and retention.
The charts on pages 40–42 contain specific information on the reading levels of the passages
included in this kit. Note: Reading levels vary from program to program, and levels among
the programs do not correlate exactly.

Teacher Created Materials (TCM) Levels

TCM TCM TCM TCM
Passage Title Reading Word Passage Title Reading Word
Level Count Level Count
Al’s Choice 2.7 300 When Guinea Pigs 2.6 266
On the Run 3.4 267 Multiply
Love Like Salt 2.8 300 Bad Breath 3.4 227
Lincoln’s Hat 3.5 243 It’s About Time 2.7 295
Peter Pan and Hook 3.0 222 Dear Dr. Janet 3.4 228
How Erasers Work 3.5 220 The Fox and the Crow 2.6 291
“Did You See?” 2.5 164 Alice’s Adventures in 3.5 294
Wonderland
Legless, Fearless 3.5 217
The Three Behrs 3.5 286
My Life: The Fruit Fly’s 2.5 294
Story The Merry Adventures of 3.3 294
Robin Hood
On the Wire 3.5 208
The Myth of the Minotaur 3.5 195
“Don’t Throw It Away!” 2.5 134
It’s in the Mail 3.5 297
Pink for Girls and Boys 3.1 268
Keep on Turning 3.4 146
Midnight Rendezvous 2.5 235
The Tale of Peter Rabbit 3.5 196
Going Batty 3.4 207
Flying into Adventure 3.5 300
Pretty in Pink 3.5 219
The Boy Who Loved Books 3.5 272
The Bottom Line 3.2 161

40 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 planning for
intervention

Reading Level Correlations (cont.)

Lexile® Levels Guided Reading Levels
Lexile®
Lexile® Guided Reading
Passage Title Word Passage Title
Level Level
Count
Al’s Choice 520L 300 Al’s Choice N
On the Run 510L 267 On the Run N
Love Like Salt 600L 300 Love Like Salt P
Lincoln’s Hat 620L 242 Lincoln’s Hat Q
Peter Pan and Hook 530L 232 Peter Pan and Hook Q
How Erasers Work 520L 220 How Erasers Work N
“Did You See?” 790L 164 “Did You See?” S
Legless, Fearless 480L 217 Legless, Fearless M
My Life: The Fruit Fly’s 130L 252 My Life: The Fruit Fly’s F
Story Story
On the Wire 530L 273 On the Wire N
“Don’t Throw It Away!” 240L 143 “Don’t Throw It Away!” I
Pink for Girls and Boys 600L 268 Pink for Girls and Boys P
Midnight Rendezvous 140L 215 Midnight Rendezvous F
Going Batty 730L 206 Going Batty R
Pretty in Pink 570L 220 Pretty in Pink O
When Guinea Pigs 560L 266 When Guinea Pigs O
Multiply Multiply
Bad Breath 610L 227 Bad Breath Q
It’s About Time 500L 296 It’s About Time M
Dear Dr. Janet 650L 210 Dear Dr. Janet Q
The Fox and the Crow 590L 291 The Fox and the Crow P
Alice’s Adventures in 610L 294 Alice’s Adventures in Q
Wonderland Wonderland
The Three Behr’s 620L 285 The Three Behr’s Q
The Merry Adventures of 670L 294 The Merry Adventures of Q
Robin Hood Robin Hood
The Myth of the Minotaur 510L 228 The Myth of the Minotaur N
It’s in the Mail 540L 295 It’s in the Mail O
Keep on Turning 710L 261 Keep on Turning Q
The Tale of Peter Rabbit 780L 196 The Tale of Peter Rabbit S
Flying into Adventure 580L 300 Flying into Adventure P
The Boy Who Loved Books 400L 272 The Boy Who Loved Book K
The Bottom Line 470L 222 The Bottom Line M

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

41
planning for
intervention Correlations (cont.)

Reading Level Correlations (cont.)

Developemental Reading Assessment (DRA) Early Intervention Levels
Early
Passage Title DRA Level Passage Title Intervention
Level
Al’s Choice 30 Al’s Choice 21
On the Run 30 On the Run 21
Love Like Salt 34 Love Like Salt 22
Lincoln’s Hat 38 Lincoln’s Hat 23
Peter Pan and Hook 30 Peter Pan and Hook 21
How Erasers Work 21 How Erasers Work 30
“Did You See?” 44 “Did You See?” 26
Legless, Fearless 28 Legless, Fearless 20
My Life: The Fruit Fly’s 10 My Life: The Fruit Fly’s 10
Story Story
On the Wire 30 On the Wire 21
“Don’t Throw It Away!” 16 “Don’t Throw It Away!” 16
Pink for Girls and Boys 34 Pink for Girls and Boys 22
Midnight Rendezvous 10 Midnight Rendezvous 10
Going Batty 40 Going Batty 25
Pretty in Pink 34 Pretty in Pink 22
When Guinea Pigs 34 When Guinea Pigs 22
Multiply Multiply
Bad Breath 38 Bad Breath 23
It’s About Time 30 It’s About Time 21
Dear Dr. Janet 38 Dear Dr. Janet 23
The Fox and the Crow 34 The Fox and the Crow 22
Alice’s Adventures in 38 Alice’s Adventures in 23
Wonderland Wonderland
The Three Behrs 38 The Three Behrs 23
The Merry Adventures of 38 The Merry Adventures of 23
Robin Hood Robin Hood
The Myth of the Minotaur 30 The Myth of the Minotaur 21
It’s in the Mail 34 It’s in the Mail 22
Keep on Turning 40 Keep on Turning 24
The Tale of Peter Rabbit 44 The Tale of Peter Rabbit 26
Flying into Adventure 34 Flying into Adventure 22
The Boy Who Loved Books 28 The Boy Who Loved Books 20
The Bottom Line 28 The Bottom Line 20

42 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 planning for
intervention

Introduction to Correlations McREL Compendium

We use the Mid-Continent Research
Teacher Created Materials is committed for Education and Learning (McREL)
to producing educational materials that are Compendium to create standards
research- and standards-based. In this effort, correlations. Each year, McREL analyzes
we have correlated all of our products to state standards and revises the compendium.
the academic standards of all 50 U.S. states, By following this procedure, McREL is able
the District of Columbia, the Department to produce a general compilation of national
of Defense Dependent Schools, and all standards. Each lesson in this product is
Canadian provinces. We also have correlated based on one or more McREL standards.
to the Common Core State Standards. The charts on the following pages list each
How To Find Standards Correlations standard taught in this product and the page
To print a customized correlation report of number(s) for the corresponding lesson(s).
this product for your state, visit our website WIDA Standards
at http://www.tcmpub.com and follow the on- The lessons in this book promote English
screen directions. If you require assistance language development for English language
in printing correlation reports, please contact learners. The World-Class Instructional
Customer Service at 1-800-858-7339. Design and Assessment (WIDA) standards
Purpose and Intent of Standards listed on the following page support the
Legislation mandates that all states adopt language objectives presented throughout the
academic standards that identify the skills lessons.
students will learn in kindergarten through
grade 12. Many states also have standards
for Pre-K. This same legislation sets
requirements to ensure the standards are
detailed and comprehensive.
Standards are designed to focus instruction
and guide adoption of curricula. Standards
are statements that describe the criteria
necessary for students to meet specific
academic goals. They define the knowledge,
skills, and content students should acquire at
each level. Standards are also used to develop
standardized tests to evaluate students’
academic progress.
Teachers are required to demonstrate how
their lessons meet state standards. State
standards are used in the development of all
our products, so educators can be assured
they meet the academic requirements of
each state.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

43
planning for
intervention Correlations (cont.)

Standards Correlations
The chart shows the correlation to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Mid-Continent
Research for Education and Learning (McREL) standards, and World-Class Instructional
Design and Assessment (WIDA) standards.
Standard Lesson
Foundational Skills—Phonics and Word Recognition
Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels. (Grade 2) Lesson 13 (p. 147)
Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes. (Grade 2) Lesson 2 (p. 59)

Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences. (Grade 2) Lesson 11 (p. 131)
Know sound-spelling correspondence for additional common vowel teams. (Grade 2) Lesson 12 (p. 139)
Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes. Lesson 1 (p. 51); Lesson 3
(p. 67); Lesson 4 (p. 75);
Lesson 25 (p. 243)
Decode words with common Latin suffixes. Lesson 5 (p. 83)
Decode multisyllable words. Lesson 6 (p. 91); Lesson 22
(p. 219); Lesson 28
(p. 267)
Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.. Lesson 7 (p. 99); Lesson 27
(p. 259)
Foundational Skills—Fluency
Common Core State Standards—Reading

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. All lessons
Literature—Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the Lesson 1 (p. 51); Lesson 18
text as the basis for the answers. (p. 187); Lesson 20 (p. 203)
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the Lesson 3 (p. 67); Lesson 22
central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. (p. 219)
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how Lesson 5 (p. 83); Lesson 29
their actions contribute to the sequence of events. (p. 275)
Literature—Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing Lesson 7 (p. 99)
literal from nonliteral language.
Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using Lesson 9 (p. 115); Lesson
terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on 21 (p. 211); Lesson 27 (p.
earlier sections. 259)
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator’s or those of the characters. Lesson 11 (p. 131); Lesson
23 (p. 227)
Literature—Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the Lesson 13 (p. 147)
words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author Lesson 16 (p. 171)
about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).
Informational Text—Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the Lesson 2 (p. 59); Lesson 19
text as the basis for the answers. (p. 195)
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the Lesson 4 (p. 75); Lesson 25
main idea. (p. 243)
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, Lesson 6 (p. 91); Lesson 24
or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, (p. 235)
and cause/effect.

44 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 planning for
intervention

Standards Correlations (cont.)

Standard Lesson
Common Core State Standards—Reading

Informational Text—Craft and Structure

Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a Lesson 8 (p. 107)
text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate Lesson 10 (p. 123);
information relevant to a given topic efficiently. Lesson 26 (p. 251);
Lesson 30 (p. 283)
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. Lesson 12 (p. 139)
Informational Text—Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to Lesson 14 (p. 155);
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). Lesson 28 (p. 267)
Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., Lesson 15 (p. 163)
comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on Lesson 17 (p. 179);
the same topic.
Language—Conventions
Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their Lesson 17 (p. 179)
functions in particular sentences.
Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns. Lesson 10 (p. 123);
Lesson 20 (p. 203)
Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). Lesson 16 (p. 171)
Form and use regular and irregular verbs. Lesson 9 (p. 115)
Common Core State Standards—Language

Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses. Lesson 18 (p. 187)
Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement. Lesson 15 (p. 163);
Lesson 29 (p. 275)
Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between Lesson 21 (p. 211)
them depending on what is to be modified.
Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. Lesson 23 (p. 227)
Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences. Lesson 26 (p. 251)
Capitalize appropriate words in titles. Lesson 19 (p. 195)
Use commas in addresses. Lesson 19 (p. 195)
Form and use possessives. Lesson 24 (p. 235)
Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syl- Lesson 8 (p. 107); Lesson
lable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words. 14 (p. 155); Lesson 30 (.
283)
Language—Knowledge of Language
Choose words and phrases for effect. Lesson 1 (p. 51); Lesson 10
(p. 123); Lesson 27 (p. 259)
Language—Vocabulary Acquisition
Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. Lesson 2 (p. 59); Lesson 16
(p. 171); Lesson 26 (p. 251)

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

45
planning for
intervention Correlations (cont.)

Standards Correlations (cont.)

Standard Lesson
Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known Lesson 3 (p. 67)
word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell). (Grade 2)
Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known Lesson 17 (p. 179);
word (e.g., care/careless, heat/preheat). Lesson 25 (p. 243)
Common Core State Standards—Language

Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root Lesson 4 (p. 75); Lesson 18
(e.g., company, companion). (p. 187); Lesson 23
(p. 227); Lesson 28
(p. 267)
Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the Lesson 5 (p. 83); Lesson 12
precise meaning of key words and phrases. (p. 139); Lesson 19 (p. 195)
Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take Lesson 6 (p. 91); Lesson 24
steps). (p. 235); Lesson 30
(p. 283)
Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are Lesson 7 (p. 99); Lesson 13
friendly or helpful). (p. 147); Lesson 20 (p. 203)
Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and Lesson 11 (p. 131)
closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny). (Grade 2)
Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees Lesson 8 (p. 107); Lesson
of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered). 14 (p. 155); Lesson 21
(p. 211)
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and Lesson 9 (p. 115); Lesson
domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal rela- 15 (p. 163); Lesson 22
tionships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them). (p. 219); Lesson 29 (p. 275)
Monitor own reading strategies and makes modifications as needed (e.g., recognizes when Lesson 19 (p. 195)
he or she is confused by a section of text, questions whether the text makes sense).
Make, confirm, and revise simple predictions about what will be found in a text (e.g., use Lesson 20 (p. 203)
McREL Standards

prior knowledge and ideas presented in text, illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words,
and foreshadowing clues).
Understand elements of character development in literary works (e.g., differences between Lesson 21 (p. 211)
main and minor characters; character’s point of view; stereotypical characters as opposed to
fully developed characters; changes that characters undergo; the importance of a character’s
actions, motives, and appearance to plot and theme)
Summarize and paraphrase information in texts (e.g., include the main idea and significant Lesson 22 (p. 219)
supporting details of a reading selection)
English language learners communicate for Social and Instructional purposes within the All lessons
school setting.
English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for All lessons
academic success in the content area of Language Arts.
WIDA Standards

English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for Lesson 2 (p. 59); Lesson 10
academic success in the content area of Mathematics. (123); Lesson 16 (p. 171);
Lesson 18 (p. 187); Lesson
25 (p. 243); Lesson 29 (p.
275); Lesson 30 (p. 283)
English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for Lesson 6 (p. 91); Lesson 9
academic success in the content area of Science. (p. 115); Lesson 17 (p. 179);
Lesson 26 (p. 251)
English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for Lesson 4 (p. 75); Lesson 15
academic success in the content area of Social Studies. (p. 163); Lesson 29 (p. 275)

46 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 planning for
Series Scope and Sequence intervention

Language Arts Standards: Informational K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Key Ideas and Details
Ask and Answer Questions
Uses key details in a text I R R E E E E E E
Uses the 5Ws and how to understand key details I
Explicitly uses the text I R R E E E
Uses text to draw inferences I R E E E
Cites and quotes accurately from a text I R E E
Analyzes text I I I
Main Ideas and Supporting Details
Identifies and retells main ideas and key details I R E E E E E E E
Explains how details support main idea I R R E E E
Summarizes text I R R E E
Analyzes the main ideas of the entire text I R
Making Connections
Describes connections between two individuals, events,
I R E E E E E E E
ideas, and pieces of information
Describes connections between historical events, scientific
I R E E
ideas, and steps in technical procedures
Explains procedures, causes, and effects I R
Analyzes key individuals, events or ideas I R E
Language Arts Standards: Informational K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Craft and Structure
Vocabulary
Asks and answers questions about unknown words I R E E E E E E E
Determines the meanings of academic and domain-
I R R E E E
specific words
Uses and identifies figurative language, connotative
I E E
meanings, and technical meanings
Analyzes impact of words choices on meaning and tone I I
Text features
Identifies parts of a book I
Uses text features to locate key facts or information I R E E E E E E
Uses search tools I R R R R R
Describes and uses parts of a text I R E E E
Analyzes detail and structure that contribute to the
I R E
development of ideas
Point of View and Purpose
Defines and distinguishes between author illustrator role I I
Identifies the main purpose of text I
Distinguishes own point of view from authors point of view I R E E E E
Compares and contrasts firsthand and secondhand
I E E E E
accounts of the same events
Determines and analyzes author’s point of view in
I R E
informational text

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

47
planning for
intervention Series Scope and Sequence (cont.)

Language Arts Standards: Informational K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Visual Features
Connects illustrations to the text I R E E E E E E E
Uses visual features to describe key ideas I R R E E E E E
Uses visual features to construct and interpret meaning I R E E E E
Draws visual feature from multiple sources to understand
I E E E
text
Compares and contrasts texts of different mediums I R
Evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of using
I
different mediums
Identifying Reasons
Identifies author’s reason I R E E E E E E E
Describes the logical connections between particular
I
sentences and paragraphs in a text
Explains author’s reasons to support points I R E E E
Traces and evaluates an argument in a text I R E
Delineate and evaluate the arguments and specific claims in
I
a text
Compare and Contrast
Compares and contrasts two texts on the same topic I R E E E E E E E
Compares and contrasts most important points in texts I R E E E E E
Integrates information from two texts on the same topic I R E E E
Compares and contrasts on author’s presentation of event
I
with that of another
Analyzes at two authors’ presentation of evidence on a topic I R

48 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 planning for
intervention

Language Arts Standards: Literature K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Key Ideas and Details
Ask and Answer Questions
Uses the 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, why) and How I I I
Uses evidence from text to support answers I R E E E E
Uses text to draw inferences I R E E E
Uses quotes accurately from a text I R E E
Evaluates evidence I
Main Ideas and Supporting Details
Sequences events in text as they occur I R
Retells events in the text accurately I R R E E E E E
Identifies central message I R E E E E E E
Uses key details to enhance comprehension I R R E E E
Determines theme a story, drama, or poem I I R E E
Summarizes the text I R E E E
Analyzes development of theme I R
Characters and Events
Identifies and describes characters, settings, and events I I R R R E E E E
Identifies relationships between characters and events I R R E E E E
Uses details of story to describe characters and events I E R E E
Compares and contrast characters and events I
Describes plot and resolution I R R
Analyzes story elements and dialogue I I
Language Arts Standards: Literature K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Craft and Structure
Meaning Clues
Uses picture clues I
Uses words and phrases I R E E E E E E
Determines differences between literal and nonliteral language I R E E E E
Uses and identifies figurative language and connotative
I I R R
meanings
Analyzes the impact of meaning and tone I R R
Text Structure
Recognizes genre I I
Describes story structure I I R E E E E
Knows structural patterns or organization of narrative texts I R R E E E
Compares and contrasts story structure I
Point of View and Purpose
Defines illustrators role I
Identifies narrator I R R E E E E E
Identifies different points of views I R E E E E E
Explains how point of view influences events I I R E
Analyzes different points of views I I

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide

49
planning for
intervention Series Scope and Sequence (cont.)

Language Arts Standards: Literature K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Visual Features
Connects illustrations and visual features to the text I R E E E E E E E
Uses visual features to describe characters, settings, plots,
I R E E E E E E
and events
Analyzes how multimedia elements contribute to meaning,
I
tone, or beauty of a text
Compares and contrasts text to other mediums I R E
Analyzes visual presentations to narrative I
Compare and Contrast
Compares and contrasts characters I I R R R R R R R
Compares and contrasts stories I R E E E E E
Compares and contrasts themes, settings, and plots I R E E E E
Conducts author study I
Compares and contrasts stories in similar and different
I I E
genres
Compares and contrasts historical accounts and myths I I
Analyzes how past fiction is applicable to the present I

50 21168—Level 3—Teacher’s Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Lesson

Understanding Characters 29

Addition Strategies
Learning Objectives
Materials
Language Conventions: Ensure subject-verb and pronoun- • Student Guided
antecedent agreement. Practice Book
(pages 174–179)
Vocabulary: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate
conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words • The Boy Who Loved
and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal Books (filename:
relationships (e.g,. After dinner that night, we went looking for theboy.pdf)
them). • Audio CD (Track 29)
• Literacy Game Sets
Reading Literature: Describe characters in a story (e.g., • Digital Literacy Games
their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their
actions contribute to the sequence of events. • construction paper
• crayons or markers
Writing: Write an argument in favor of or against becoming • lined paper
an inanimate object.

Progress Monitoring Skill Overview:

The Student Guided Practice Book pages below can be used
Understanding
to formally and informally assess student understanding of the
concepts.
Characters
Analyzing characters allows
readers to understand how a
character’s choices, motivations,
and character traits influence
the plot or sequence of events
in a story. Readers are required
to understand all aspects of a
character. Then, they are able to
understand a character and how
his or her decisions influence a
story. In The Boy Who Loved
Books, students will delve into
Hector Quarto’s character, which
is both explicitly and implicitly
stated through his reading
behaviors and the types
of books he enjoys.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Focused Reading Intervention, Level 3

275
 Lesson
29 Understanding Characters (cont.)
Addition Strategies

by Dona Herweck Rice

Hector Quarto loved Hector’s body got
books. He looooved books. straighter. And stiffer. And
He L-O-V-E-D them. then, very still.
Mystery and adventure
kept him company. Science Until one day, as Hector
fiction and comics were his sat in the library, a tall man
friends. If you saw Hector, slowly wheeled a cart by
you saw a book. He was him. The librarian reached
never without one. out and grabbed Hector
as though he weighed
Have you ever noticed nothing and placed him
how very good friends start on the bookshelf. Hector
to look like each other? was thrilled to be on the
It was no surprise when shelf with his very good
Hector’s spine began to pals the books. In fact, he
stiffen. His skin took on a sat next to Harry Potter
paper-ish quality. And his and the Hobbit, two dear
hair hung like the tassels of old friends. Hector looked
a bookmark. When asked up with glee and saw his
a question, Hector’s mind reflection in the library
riffled through his thoughts window. But Hector’s face
like the pages of a book. wasn’t reflected back. He
saw just the image of books
Hector was becoming in a row, waiting to be
quite bookish. chosen and read. Hector
shook his head in wonder
As the years went by,
and saw one of the books on
Hector’s round edges began
the shelf wiggle just a bit.
to square off. His skin
image credits: tim bradley, shutterstock

became leathery like the old Hector closed his eyes

books on the library shelves. and sighed a happy sigh.
In fact, Hector spent a lot He would live forever with
of time there in the library. his books.
He just sat and stared at the
shelves. He longed to be Forever and ever.
with the books he loved.

Warm-Up Activity min.

Remind students that high-frequency words are the most commonly used words
in texts. Repeated exposure and memorization of these words is essential to fluent
reading. Write the words on the board. Read each word aloud. Write each word on
a piece of construction paper. Ask students to sit at their desks. With one group of
students, have one student stand behind another student who is sitting. Flash a sight
word card. Whichever of those two students says the word first will move on to the
next student. The student who makes it back to his or her own desk first is the winner.
If time permits, repeat with another group of students.
book friends kept slowly years

21168—Focused Reading Intervention, Level 3 © Teacher Created Materials

276
 Lesson

Understanding Characters (cont.) 29

Addition Strategies
Word Work
Nouns and Pronouns min.
1. Say, “Nouns can be a person, place, thing or idea. Sometimes when we speak or write,
we use pronouns in place of nouns to provide variety. Pronouns are words that replace or
stand in for nouns.”
2. Write the following words and definitions on the board. Noun: a person, place, thing, or
idea and pronoun: a word that replaces a noun, such as he, she, him, her, they, and it.
3. Write the following sentence on the board: Hector Quarto loved books.
4. Say, “Pronouns replace nouns. In this sentence, Hector Quarto is a noun. We can
replace the noun with a pronoun: He loved books.”
5. Have students complete Part 1 of the Word Work activity sheet (Student Guided Practice
Book, page 169) for additional practice with nouns and pronouns.

Language and Vocabulary min.

1. Explain to students that we will be looking at signal words. These words tell the reader
information about time. These words signal when something happens. The author
chooses the best word to be sure the reader has the right information.”
2. Display the chart below. Authors use these words to tell the reader when something
happens. These words help us put events in order.

Time Signal Words

after already before
during earlier final
next now once
soon today when
3. Have students complete Part 2 of the Word Work activity sheet (Student Guided Practice
Book, page 169) for additional practice with language and vocabulary.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Focused Reading Intervention, Level 3

277
 Lesson
29 Understanding Characters (cont.)
Literature

Whole-Group Lesson
Before Reading min.

I Do
1. Explain to students that it is important to understand characters. Understanding
a character means that you know their character traits and feelings and the type of
person that he or she might be. Say, “For example, if I read that a character helps his
or her friend who’s hurt, I can infer, or conclude, that the character is compassionate
and kind. When you understand a character, you are better able to make accurate
predictions about what he or she might do in certain situations. You can also
understand why characters make the choices that they do.”
2. Have students turn to the passage, The Boy Who Loved Books (Student Guided
Practice Book, page 168). You may wish to display the PDF version.
3. Say, “We will be analyzing the main character. As I read the title, The Boy Who
Loved Books, I’m thinking he’s a boy who loves to read. Today, we will look at Hector
Quarto’s character. We will look for things right in the text and others we have to infer
based on what the passage says about him.”

We Do
1. Say, “What can we infer or predict about the character from the illustrations?”
2. Allow students to first share their responses with their neighbors. Then ask students to
share with the class.

You Do
1. Ask students to work in pairs. Have them record their predictions about the main
character. Use the illustrations and the title to guide predictions about his character
traits.

21168—Focused Reading Intervention, Level 3 © Teacher Created Materials

278
 Lesson

Understanding Characters (cont.) 29

Literature
Whole-Group Lesson (cont.)

During Reading min.

Language Support
Provide students with a sentence frame to help them
discuss the passage, using academic language. Hector is
_____ (character trait here). I know this because in the
passage, it stated _____.

I Do 1. Have students first read The Boy Who Loved Books (Student Guided Practice Book,
page 174) independently. As they read, ask them to look for character traits and
feelings in the passage. Say, “When you come to something that tells about Hector,
the main character in the story, put a dot in the margin.”
2. Guide students in a second reading of The Boy Who Loved Books. You may choose
to read the passage aloud or play the professional recording from the Audio CD.
3. Say, “As we read, we are going to underline Hector’s character traits and feelings.
These will help me understand what kind of person Hector is. In the second
sentence, it says, He looooved books. I’m going to underline this, because this tells
me explicitly about the main character, Hector. As I read the next two sentences, I
can infer from the types of books he likes to read that Hector is adventurous, curious,
and a problem solver, so I’m going to underline mystery and adventure and science
fiction and comics.”

We Do
1. Continue reading along with students, pointing out key details about Hector, such as
If you saw Hector, you saw a book and Hector’s spine began to stiffen.
2. Read through the story, underlining and calling attention to all the descriptions about
Hector (Hector spent a lot of time there in the library = committed, determined,
persistent; He longed to be with the books he loved = passionate).

You Do
Have students complete the Descriptions! activity sheet (Student Guided Practice
Book, page 176).

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Focused Reading Intervention, Level 3

279
 Lesson
29 Understanding Characters (cont.)
Literature

Whole-Group Lesson (cont.)

After Reading min.

I Do
1. Explain to students that we try to understand characters for many reasons.
Understanding characters allows us to predict and understand their actions and explain
their behaviors. Discuss an example of this. Say, “I know that Student X (insert child’s
name) always does his or her homework. That tells me he or she’s dependable. When
I assign a new project to be done, I know he or she will complete it on time. His or
her past actions inform my impression and expectation of him or her today and in the
future.”
2. Say, “In The Boy Who Loved Books, we got to know Hector. We understood him as
a character. We learned that he was loyal when we read his very good pals the books
and happy when we read Hector looked up with glee. Now, let’s think about how his
character traits and feelings contributed to the plot.”

We Do 1. Ask, “Why do you think Hector spent so much time at the library?” Allow students to
think about the question, then turn to share their thoughts with a neighbor. Encourage
students to use evidence from the text to explain their responses. They can use
sentence frames such as I think Hector spent so much time at the library because ____.
I know this because in the text, it stated that _____.
2. Continue asking students questions about the plot and how it revolves around Hector
as a character. Other questions may include, Why didn’t Hector go anywhere without
a book? Why did he begin to look like a book? Do you think he was happy with the
books?
3. Say, “Turn to your neighbor and tell him or her what you’ve learned about Hector
Quarto’s character after reading The Boy Who Loved Books.”

You Do 1. Have students complete the Hector and the Plot activity sheet (Student Guided
Practice Book, page 177) either now or during the Differentiated Instruction portion
of the lesson.

21168—Focused Reading Intervention, Level 3 © Teacher Created Materials

280
 Lesson

Understanding Characters (cont.) 29

Literature
Writing min.
Tell students to think about the passage and something that they love as much as Hector
loves books. Then, read aloud the prompt from the Written Response activity sheet (Student
Guided Practice Book, page 178).

Fluency Practice min.

Model how a reader would read a sentence with punctuation, including commas and ending
punctuation such as exclamation points or question marks. Begin by pointing out the
punctuation marks in the first paragraph of the passage. Then, model appropriate intonation
as you read aloud the paragraph. Ask students to repeat after you. Repeat this process with
the remaining paragraph.

Progress Monitoring min. Assessment Opportunity

1. Have students complete the Quick Check activity Have students complete a
sheet (Student Guided Practice Book, page 179) to timed reading of the passage.
gauge student progress toward mastery of the Learning This passage has 300 words.
Objectives. The fluency goal is 114
2. Based on the results of the Quick Check activity words per minute. See pages
sheet and teacher observations during the lesson, 16–17 of the Assessment
organize students into groups and continue with the Guide for instructions and
Differentiated Instruction support and the Literacy the fluency rubric.
Games.

© Teacher Created Materials 21168—Focused Reading Intervention, Level 3

281
 Lesson
29 Understanding Characters (cont.)
Literature

Differentiated Instruction min.

While the teacher meets with each group below, the remaining students will play the Literacy
Games.

Reteach Literacy Games

1. Discuss character traits and feelings.
Divide students into groups. Assign each
Explain that some character traits are
group to one game. For instructions on
explicitly stated, such as He looooved books,
how to organize, manage, and play the
and other times, we can infer character
literacy games see pages 30–34.
traits using hints and evidence from the
text, such as Hector was a good reader,
because he reads so often.
2. Reread the passage and highlight character
traits and feelings for Hector. Have
students explain how the character traits
influenced the plot. Provide feedback as
needed.

Reinforce
Literacy Game Sets
1. Ask students to list some of Hector’s
character traits and feelings.
2. Have students think about how these
influenced the plot. Why do you think the
author chose to have Hector turn into a
book? Tell three reasons why you think the
author used Hector’s characteristics to turn
him into a book and someone who gets to
live in a library.
Digital Literacy Games

Extend Learning
1. Think about the passage. Have students brainstorm characteristics that
describe their teacher (or a celebrity or other known character).
2. Next, have them tell a short story to a partner telling what this person would
turn into based upon their character traits. Tell students to remember to use
the character traits to decide the sequence of events.

21168—Focused Reading Intervention, Level 3 © Teacher Created Materials

282
Lesson 29

Hector Quarto loved books. He looooved books. He

L-O-V-E-D them. Mystery and adventure kept him
company. Science fiction and comics were his friends. If
you saw Hector, you saw a book. He was never without one.
Have you ever noticed how very good friends start to
look like each other? It was no surprise when Hector’s
spine began to stiffen. His skin took on a paper-ish
quality. And his hair hung like the tassels of a bookmark.
When asked a question, Hector’s mind riffled through his
thoughts like the pages of a book.
Hector was becoming quite bookish.
As the years went by, Hector’s round edges began to
square off. His skin became leathery like the old books
on the library shelves. In fact, Hector spent a lot of time
there in the library. He just sat and stared at the shelves.
He longed to be with the books he loved.
Hector’s body got straighter. And stiffer. And then,
very still.
Until one day, as Hector sat in the library, a tall man slowly
wheeled a cart by him. The librarian reached out and grabbed
Hector as though he weighed nothing and placed him on the
bookshelf. Hector was thrilled to be on the shelf with his very
good pals the books. In fact, he sat next to Harry Potter and
the Hobbit, two dear old friends. Hector looked up with glee
and saw his reflection in the library window. But Hector’s face
wasn’t reflected back. He saw just the image of books in a
row, waiting to be chosen and read. Hector shook his head in
wonder and saw one of the books on the shelf wiggle just a bit.
Hector closed his eyes and sighed a happy sigh. He
would live forever with his books.
Forever and ever.

#21177 Focused Reading © Teacher Created Materials

174
Name:__________________________________________________ Date:__________________ Lesson

Word Work 29
Part 1: Nouns and Pronouns
Directions: Read the sentences below. Replace each underlined noun or
phrase with a pronoun from the Pronoun Word Bank.
Pronoun Word Bank
he she his her them they it

1 Mystery and adventure kept him company. _________________

2 Hector’s skin took on a paper-ish quality. _________________

3 We decided to check out all of the comics. _________________

4 The librarian reshelved the books we returned. _________________

Part 2: Language and Vocabulary

Directions: Read the sentences below, and rewrite them to include a signal
word that tells when.
Signal Word Bank
after during before now today once

1 Hector read books.

Hector read books after school.
_________________________________________________________

2 He liked to go to the library.

_________________________________________________________

3 Hector spent a lot of time at the library.

_________________________________________________________
© Teacher Created Materials #21177 Focused Reading
175
B
Lesson Name:__________________________________________________ Date:__________________

29 Descriptions!
Directions: How would you describe Hector? Use evidence from the text
to describe Hector’s character traits.

Trait 1 ______________________ Trait 2 ______________________

______________________________ ______________________________

______________________________ ______________________________

______________________________ ______________________________

______________________________ ______________________________

Hector

Trait 3 ______________________ Trait 4 ______________________

______________________________ ______________________________

______________________________ ______________________________

______________________________ ______________________________

______________________________ ______________________________

Challenge: Write a summary sentence of Hector’s character.

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ .
#21177 Focused Reading © Teacher Created Materials
176
Name:__________________________________________________ Date:__________________ Lesson

Hector and the Plot 29

Directions: Below are events from the story. Tell how Hector’s traits and
feelings caused these events.

______________________________
He began to Why did
look like a he begin to ______________________________
book. look like a
book?
______________________________

Hector spent _______________________________

a lot of time Why did
at the library. he spend _______________________________
His skin began time at the
to look like a library?
book. _______________________________

Hector was Why was

put on the _______________________________
Hector put on
shelf with the shelf with
the other the books? _______________________________
books. He Why did he
lived there become a _______________________________
forever. book?

© Teacher Created Materials #21177 Focused Reading

177
Lesson Name:__________________________________________________ Date:__________________

29
Written Response
Directions: Hector loved books so much that he turned into a
book! Is there something you love enough to want to become it?
Write an argument in favor of or against becoming a thing the way
Hector did.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

#21177 Focused Reading © Teacher Created Materials

178
Name:__________________________________________________ Date:__________________ Lesson

Quick Check 29

1 Bill just got a new bike. 2 Which signal word says

Which pronoun is the best something happened last?
choice to replace Bill? A first
A You B finally
B I C during
C They D then
D He

3 What can you predict about 4 Which sentence gives you a

the main character from the clue about whether Hector
title The Boy Who Loved Quarto likes books?
Books? A Hector closed his eyes
A The main character likes and sighed a happy sigh.
math. B He looooved books.
B The main character is C Hector’s body got
female. straighter.
C The main character likes D He would live forever
to read. with his books.
D The main character lives
in a big house.

© Teacher Created Materials #21177 Focused Reading

179
Level 3

Assessment Guide
 Consultant(s) Publishing Credits
Erica Bowers, Ed.D. Conni Medina, M.A.Ed., Managing Editor; Robin Erickson, Production
Director; Lee Aucoin, Creative Director; Timothy J. Bradley, Illustration
California State University, Fullerton Manager; Jamey Acosta, Senior Editor; Sheila Sunukjian, M.A.T., Editor;
Timothy Rasinski, Ph.D. Valerie Rhodes, Assistant Editor; Marissa Rodriguez, Designer; Hillary
Dunlap, Photo Editor; Rachelle Cracchiolo, M.S.Ed., Publisher
Kent State University

Image Credits
p. 24 iStockPhoto; All other images Shutterstock.

Standards
© 2004 Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
© 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSS)
© 2007 WIDA ELP Standards Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. WIDA is a trademark of the Board of
Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. For more information on using the WIDA ELP Standards, please visit the WIDA
website at www.wida.us

Teacher Created Materials

5301 Oceanus Drive
Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1030
http://www.tcmpub.com
ISBN 978-1-4807-4461-5
© 2014 Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use only. The reproduction of any part
for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded
in any form without written permission from the publisher.

2
 Table of Contents
Research.........................................................................................................................................4
Research on Assessment................................................................................................................. 4
Why Assessment Is Important.................................................................................................. 4
Why Text Variety Is Important................................................................................................. 4
Types of Assessments................................................................................................................ 5
Using the Assessment Options...................................................................................................6
Pretest and Posttest......................................................................................................................... 6
Using the Electronic Assessments.................................................................................................. 8
Teacher Options ..................................................................................................................... 9
Progress Monitoring........................................................................................................................ 11
Oral Reading Records..................................................................................................................... 12
Pretest............................................................................................................................................18
Posttest...........................................................................................................................................28
Oral Reading Records.................................................................................................................38
Appendix A: References Cited..................................................................................................68
Appendix B: Answer Keys...........................................................................................................69
Pretest Answer Key and Correlation to Lessons..................................................................... 69
Posttest Answer Key and Correlation to Lessons.................................................................... 70
Student Guided Practice Book Key......................................................................................... 71
Appendix C: Assessment Resources Chart.............................................................................. 85

3
RESEARCH
Research on Assessment
Why Assessment Is Important
Assessment is an integral part of good Reading Informational Text
instruction and should be conducted When assessing student reading development,
regularly. “Assessment is the collection it is important to be aware of the specific
of data such as test scores and informal features of informational reading materials.
records to measure student achievement, Some of these features include the following:
and evaluation is the interpretation and the
analysis of this data. Evaluating student • specialized vocabulary
progress is important because it enables • partnership between texts and visuals
the teacher to discover each student’s • variety of text structures, including
strengths and weaknesses, to plan instruction sequence, cause and effect, and
accordingly, to communicate student progress detailed descriptions
to parents, and to evaluate the effectiveness • organizational features, including
of teaching strategies” (Burns, Roe, and Ross tables of contents, subheadings, and
1999). indexes
Many different types of assessment tools • supplementary visuals, including
are available for teachers, including but photographs, maps, and illustrative
not limited to standardized tests, reading icons
records, anecdotal records, informal reading • graphic organizers, including tables,
inventories, portfolios, etc. While each type charts, and diagrams
of assessment serves a different purpose, the • labels and captions
true purpose of assessment is to help teachers
Reading Literature
make good decisions about the kind of
instruction students need in the classroom. Likewise, assessment of student reading
development involving literature also covers
In this Assessment Guide, the tools provided specific elements. Stories are used to
are formative or placement assessments, reveal important information and entertain
progress-monitoring assessments, and audiences. They can make difficult content
summative assessments for measuring student more accessible by engaging readers both
progress. intellectually and emotionally. Stories can
also prepare readers for new life experiences
Why Text Variety Is Important and introduce them to new people, places,
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and ideas. Some features specific to fiction
establish the expectation for students to literature to be aware of include:
build knowledge, broaden their perspectives, • elaborations and descriptions
explore possibilities and gain insights through • entertainment purposes
reading. Students are expected to be able • facts and exaggerations
to read challenging informational texts in a
• use of imagination
range of subjects as well as a varied array of
classical and contemporary literature. Engaging stories encourage the repeated
readings that help young learners build
literacy skills while they enjoy the oral
discussion prompted by interactive reading of
the stories and guided instruction.

4 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 RESEARCH

Types of Assessment
Formative Assessments Progress-Monitoring Assessments
Teachers use formative assessments to help Progress-monitoring assessments can be
them make good decisions about the kind administered in both formal and informal
of instruction their students need (Honig et ways.
al. 2000). Formative assessment is usually
Formal assessment methods, such as unit
an ongoing process. The Pretest offered
and chapter tests, provide teachers with
at each level can be used to determine
information needed to make administrative
which concepts have already been mastered
decisions about grouping, promoting, and
and which still need to be addressed. It is
placing students, in addition to suggesting any
available on pages 18–27 as well as in the
accommodations needed (Airasian 2005).
Digital Resources.
The oral reading records and multiple-
Summative Assessments choice Quick Checks provide opportunities
According to Airasian, the purpose of for teachers to formally monitor students’
summative assessment is “to judge the progress in oral reading and comprehension.
success of a process at its completion”
(2005). It provides students the opportunity Informal assessment methods, such as
to demonstrate their mastery of concepts informal observation, classroom participation,
taught, which in turn also helps guide activity sheets, and student questions
teachers’ instructional planning. This type of (Airasian 2005), allow teachers to pinpoint
assessment shows growth over time and helps each student’s specific strengths, weaknesses,
set instructional goals to address students’ and misconceptions. These methods can also
needs. It also helps to determine how to help teachers get a detailed picture of the
re-evaluate earlier strategies or steps that instructional needs of the class as a whole.
will, therefore, influence what follows on This knowledge eliminates guesswork and
a student’s academic or instructional path. increases instructional time because teachers
The Posttest offered at each level can be do not spend time going over things that
administered to measure student progress students already know. Multiple measures of
toward mastery of the comprehension skills learning are the most reliable and helpful for
addressed in the kit. planning instruction. This type of evaluation
produces multifaceted information and a
more complete and balanced picture than
a B+ or an 86 percent. The assessments in
this kit provide teachers with the important
information needed to evaluate students in a
meaningful and effective way.
Each lesson in the Student Guided Practice
Book features multiple opportunities for
informal assessment. Several assessment
checkpoints are embedded throughout the
instructional sequence, giving teachers cues
about what behaviors to look for to help guide
instruction. The Student Guided Practice
Book activity sheets also provide options for a
quick assessment of student learning.
© Teacher Created Materials 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide
5
 Using the
assessment options Pretest and Posttest
The included Pretest (pages 18–27) and Posttest (pages 28–38) encompass all of the
comprehension objectives taught in this level of Focused Reading Intervention and serve as
tools for planning instruction and monitoring students’ growth.

• The Pretest should be given before teaching the first lesson. This assessment covers
all the comprehension skills in the kit and is used to determine which concepts have
already been mastered by each individual student. You can then make informed
decisions about which lessons need to be taught as they are written and which need to
be accelerated or decelerated.

Pretest Answer Key and appendiX B

Correlation to Lessons
Name:__________________________________ Date: _________________
Literature
Pretest Question Answer Lesson
or
Standard
Informational
Questions 1–7: Read the passage. Then, answer the questions. Text
1. A 1 L Asking and Answering Questions
Shawn’s Saturday
2. D 3 L Identifying the Central Message
“Hey, Dad!” Shawn shouted. “I’m going to play basketball with Pete.”
3. C 5 L Describing Characters
Shawn’s dad came into the kitchen. “Have you finished cleaning the garage?”
4. B 7 L Using Meaning Clues
Shawn tried to decide whether to admit the truth. His dad would notice the
5. C 9 L Identifying Story Structure
garage hadn’t been cleaned, but Shawn wanted to play basketball.
6. A 11 L Identifying Point of View
Shawn’s dad understood his silence. “You haven’t even started, have you? You
promised you’d take care of it first thing this morning.” 7. B 13 L Using Visuals

Shawn complained, “Why do I have to clean the garage anyway?” 8. D 16 L Comparing and Contrasting Texts

“Because you said you would, and you need to follow through with what you say.” 9. C 18 L Making Inferences
10. C 21 L Sequencing
“But Dad,” Shawn protested, “I promised Pete.”
11. A 22 L Summarizing
Soon, his dad’s face brightened. “Let’s go out to the garage for a minute.”
12. D 23 L Comparing Characters
Puzzled, Shawn followed his father into the garage. His dad pointed to the dull,
gray cement walls. “What if you ask Pete to come over here? If you and Pete 13. B 28 L Understanding Characters

clean up thoroughly, then you can paint murals on those two walls.” 14. A 27 L Monitoring Comprehension

“What about playing basketball? Pete is expecting me.” 15. C 2 I Asking and Answering Questions

His dad said thoughtfully, “If Pete stays over tonight, then I will drive you two 16. D 4 I Identifying the Main Idea

over to play basketball after supper.” 17. B 6 I Describing Relationships Between Ideas

“Can we order pizza?” 18. A 8 I Using Meaning Clues

“Absolutely,” his dad grinned. 19. D 10 I Using Text Features

Shawn raced back into the kitchen to call Pete. 20. B 12 I Identifying Point of View
21. C 14 I Using Visuals
1. At the beginning of the story, 2. What lesson does Shawn learn? 22. B 15 I Linking Ideas
the author wants the reader to A It takes two people to clean a 23. A 17 I Comparing and Contrasting Texts
understand _____
garage. 24. D 19 I Making Inferences
A Shawn wants to play instead B Rules are made to be 25. A 20 I Making Predictions
of clean the garage. broken. 26. B 24 I Describing the Relationship Between Events
B Shawn wants to paint a C Painting a garage is 27. D 25 I Identifying Key Details
mural. dangerous. 28. C 26 I Locating Information
C Shawn likes to clean and D Compromise can help solve 29. A 29 I Monitoring Comprehension
organize the garage. disagreements. 30. C 30 I Using Key Words
D Shaun always does what he © Teacher Created Materials 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide
69
says he will do.
Go On
18 © Teacher Created Materials

Pretest Pretest Answer Key

• The Posttest should be given after instruction of the final lesson. It is meant to show
teachers what concepts have been mastered and whether students are ready for the
content of the subsequent levels.

Name:__________________________________ Date: _________________ appendix B Posttest Answer Key and

Posttest Correlation to Lessons
Questions 1–7: Read the passage. Then, answer the questions. Literature
or
Question Answer Lesson Standard
Snow Day Informational
Text
Bryan opened his eyes slowly and looked at the clock next to his bed. It was
1. A 1 L Asking and Answering Questions
only six thirty, but he was already full of energy. He slipped quietly out of
bed and glanced nervously at Patrick. He was in luck; Patrick was still asleep. 2. D 3 L Identifying the Central Message

Bryan tiptoed over to the window and saw that the weather report had been 3. C 5 L Describing Characters
right. There was new snow on the ground! Now he’d finally be able to use the 4. B 7 L Using Meaning Clues
sled he’d gotten for his birthday. 5. C 9 L Identifying Story Structure
Just then Bryan heard a voice behind him. “What are you doing?” Patrick 6. A 11 L Identifying Point of View
mumbled from his bed. 7. B 13 L Using Visuals
“Just looking out the window,” Bryan said, turning to face his brother. 8. D 16 L Comparing and Contrasting Texts
“Why? What’s so special about the window?” Patrick asked as he sat up 9. C 18 L Making Inferences
in bed. 10. C 21 L Sequencing
“Nothing. Just looking,” Bryan answered curtly. 11. A 22 L Summarizing
Patrick hopped out of bed and went to the window. “Hey, it’s snowing out 12. D 23 L Comparing Characters
there!” he shouted happily. “Now we can use the sled!” 13. B 28 L Understanding Characters
That was exactly what Bryan hadn’t wanted—his annoying little brother using 14. A 27 L Monitoring Comprehension
his sled. Now what was he going to do? 15. C 2 I Asking and Answering Questions
16. D 4 I Identifying the Main Idea
17. B 6 I Describing Relationships Between Ideas
1. Which sentence tells you what 2. The author writes, “That was
18. A 8 I Using Meaning Clues
Bryan’s problem is? exactly what Bryan hadn’t
19. D 10 I Using Text Features
A “Now we can use the sled!” wanted—his annoying little
brother using his sled.” What 20. B 12 I Identifying Point of View
B “He was in luck; Patrick was does this tell us about the main 21. C 14 I Using Visuals
still asleep.” idea of this story? 22. B 15 I Linking Ideas
C “That was exactly what A Bryan doesn’t want to share 23. A 17 I Comparing and Contrasting Texts
Bryan hadn’t wanted—his the sled with Patrick. 24. D 19 I Making Inferences
annoying little brother using 25. A 20 I Making Predictions
his sled.”
B Patrick is a very light
26. B 24 I Describing the Relationship Between Events
sleeper.
D “Bryan opened his eyes 27. D 25 I Identifying Key Details
slowly and looked at the
C Bryan and Patrick dislike
28. C 26 I Locating Information
clock next to his bed.” snow.
29. A 29 I Monitoring Comprehension
D Patrick took Bryan’s sled. 30. C 30 I Using Key Words

Go On 70 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials

28 © Teacher Created Materials

Posttest Posttest Answer Key

6 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Using the
assessment options

Pretest and Posttest Item Analysis

Analyzing the Pretest and Posttest
After giving the Pretest or Posttest, grade each student’s test using the Answer Key (pages 69–70).
Then you can complete the Item Analysis (pretestanalysis.pdf or posttestanalsysis.pdf). In this
chart, each item on the assessment is correlated to one lesson in the program. The charts are
also provided as both Microsoft Word® files (pretestanalysis.doc and posttestanalysis.doc) and
Microsoft Excel® files (pretestanalysis.xls and posttestanalysis.xls). Teachers can use the files
directly on the computer, or you can print the pages and analyze students’ work using paper and
pencil.

Level 3—Posttest Item Analysis

Level 3—Pretest Item Analysis Directions: Type lowercase x's into cells to indicate where students have missed questions. Add up the totals. You can then view totals of:
1) how many students missed each question; 2) how many questions were missed per student; and 3) the total number of questions missed in the diagnostic test.
Directions: Type lowercase x's into cells to indicate where students have missed questions. Add up the totals. You can then view totals of:
1) how many students missed each question; 2) how many questions were missed per student; and 3) the total number of questions missed in the diagnostic test.
Correlated Lesson 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 16 18 21 22 23 28 27 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 24 25 26 29 30 # of
Question # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 questions
Correlated Lesson 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 16 18 21 22 23 28 27 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 17 19 20 24 25 26 29 30 # of missed per
Question # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 questions Answers C A C B A D C C B C D A B A A B C D D B A C A D B C A C D B student
missed per
Answers A D C B C A B D C C A D B A C D B A D B C B A D A B D C A C student Student Name

Student Name Sample Student x x x x x x x x 8

Sample Student x x x x x x x x 8

# of students missing
each question
# of students missing
each question

Pretest Item Analysis Posttest Item Analysis

To complete the chart:

• Write or type students’ names in the far- • For each student, record an X in the
left column. You may need more than column if the student has the item
one copy of this form, or you may need to incorrect. If the item is correct, leave the
add rows. column blank.
• The question numbers are across the top • If you’re using the Excel file, results will
of the chart. Each question correlates be automatically generated. If you’re
with one of the lessons in the Teacher’s using the Word file or you’ve printed the
Guide. Each lesson addresses one skill. PDF, you’ll need to compute the results.
The Answer Keys (pages 69–70) for the Count the Xs in each row and column
Pretest and Posttest include the lesson and fill in the correct boxes.
numbers and skills assessed by each test • Then, use the results to determine which
question. skills are the most difficult for your
students and should be focused on in
class.

© Teacher Created Materials 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide

7
 Using the
assessment options Using the Electronic Assessments
Teachers may choose to have students take
the multiple-choice tests in electronic form
directly from the Electronic Assessments
folder on the Digital Resources USB device.
From the launch screen, have a student
choose the appropriate test, enter his or her
name and choose his or her class. Then, have
the student click the Start Test button.
The assessment will show a reading passage
on the left. On the right, one at a time, a test Launch Screen
item and the corresponding answer choices
will appear. He or she will click on an answer
choice for each multiple-choice item and
then click the Next button. The student has
the ability to return to previous questions to
check and revise answers as needed.
At the conclusion of the test, the student will
see his or her test results. Results will include
how many questions were wrong and what
percentage that is. The student can also see
which questions were answered correctly and
incorrectly. Clicking on an incorrect answer Passage and Multiple-Choice Questions
will present a pop-up box that shows the
question, the chosen answer, and the correct
answer. After reviewing answers, he or she
can click the Done button to return to the
launch screen.

Student Test Results

8 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Using the
assessment options

Teacher Options
Teachers can use the Teacher Options provided in the Electronic Assessments folder on the
Digital Resources USB device to analyze student and class data. The teacher can set up his
or her profile, view a list of students who have taken the assessments, preview the pretest and
posttest assessments, and view reports to help with planning. The Teacher Options can be
accessed by clicking the Teacher button on the Launch screen. The password is teacher.

• Teacher Profile: The teacher profile screen allows the teacher

to input his or her name, school name, and class name. Multiple
classes can be created if needed. All of this information will help to
organize and record student assessment data.

• Student List: The student list is a list of students that have taken
at least one of the assessments. It gives a quick glance of who has
taken a test and can be used to determine who has yet to take an
assessment.

• Assessment Preview: The assessment preview allows you to click

through the test to see it as the students will. Answers on each test
will be highlighted.

• Reports: There are five reports that can be generated to show

student and class data. See page 10 for more information.

© Teacher Created Materials 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide

9
 Using the
assessment options
Using the Electronic
Assessments (cont.)
Reporting Options
1. Pretest Student Report: This report 4. Posttest Class Report: This report
shows an individual student’s Pretest shows the results of all students in a
results. It shows which questions were class that have taken the Posttest. It
answered correctly and which were includes all of the information provided
answered incorrectly. For incorrect in the student report. It also includes
answers, a lesson correlation is provided the average score for the class and
for focused review and reteaching. provides how many students missed
each question to quickly identify
questions that multiple students
answered incorrectly.

Pretest Student Report

2. Pretest Class Report: This report
shows the results of all students in a Posttest Class Report
class that have taken the Pretest. It
includes all of the information provided
5. Pretest/Posttest Comparison Report:
in the student report. It also includes
This report shows an individual student’s
the average score for the class and
pretest and posttest results side by side.
provides how many students missed
This report can be used to determine
each question to quickly identify
how a student has improved as well
questions that multiple students
as where he or she may still need
answered incorrectly.
additional support.

Pretest Class Report

Pretest/Posttest Student Report
3. Posttest Student Report: This report
shows an individual student’s Posttest
results. It shows which questions were
answered correctly and which were Please refer to the User’s Guide
answered incorrectly. For incorrect PDF (filename: usersguide.pdf)
answers, a lesson correlation is provided located in the Electronic
for focused review and reteaching. Assessments folder for step-by-
step directions on how to use
the Electronic Assessments,
including the Teacher Options.

Postest Student Report

10 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials
 Using the
Progress Monitoring assessment options

Formal Progress Monitoring

Each lesson includes an Oral Reading Record in the Teacher’s Guide and a Quick Check
activity sheet in the Student Guided Practice Book. Teachers can track student progress in oral
reading fluency by using the Oral Reading Record Chart provided on the Digital Resources
USB device. Teachers can gauge student progress toward mastery of the learning objectives
by having students complete the Quick Check activity sheet after each Whole-Group Lesson.
Based on the results of the Quick Check activity sheet and observations teachers make during
the lesson, students can be organized into groups to reteach or reinforce the skills addressed in
the lesson with the Differentiated Instruction and the Literacy Game Sets and Digital
Literacy Games.
Lesson Asking and Answering
1 Questions
Literature

Oral Reading Record By Sharon Coan

Name: ______________________________ Date: _________________

Assessor: ___________________________________________________

Word Count Codes

176 E = errors SC = self-corrections M = meaning S = structure V = visual

Cues Used
Text E SC
E SC

Al stopped in his tracks. The movie he wanted

to see was finally out. And he even had money
to buy a ticket. Well, the money was supposed
to be for the baseball trip. That’s where he was
headed—to sign up for the trip. The money
was right there in his pocket.

As soon as he heard about the trip, Al had

begged to go. But his mom said they couldn’t
afford it. Al was so disappointed. He had
spent the next couple of days sulking around the
house.“I see how unhappy you are,” Al’s mom had
finally said. “Let’s figure out a way to get the money.”
So his mom scrimped and saved for weeks, and to do
his part, Al spent his spare time helping neighbors.

At the end of each week, Al and his mom counted

the money until, finally, there was enough. Al was
remembering all this as he stared at the movie
theater. He couldn’t spend the money on the movie.
His mother trusted him to do the right thing.

TOTALS

Error Self-Correction Accuracy Time:

38 Rate: Rate: Percentage:

Oral Reading Records Sample Quick Check

Informal Progress Monitoring

Lessons also include four activity sheets in the Student Guided Practice Book. Teachers can
use these to monitor progress informally as students complete the activities. Gauge student
progress toward mastery of the learning objectives by having students complete these activity
sheets.
Teachers may use the embedded Assessment Opportunities provided in each lesson for
ongoing progress monitoring.

Activity Sheets from Assessment Opportunity

Student Guided Practice Book within each lesson

© Teacher Created Materials 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide

11
 Using the
assessment options Oral Reading Records
Timing
Teachers may choose to use the records at the first reading and/or after students are familiar
with the book. There are two schools of thought regarding oral reading records. Some say
that they should be used only with books that students have never before read. Others say
that they are best used with books with which students are familiar. It is up to the teachers’
discretion to determine the best use for their students.
Frequency
Oral reading records may be used with any or all of the books in this kit. Traditional use
suggests a selection of one book from each reading level to use as a marker for that level as a
whole. Reading records are most commonly used every two to six weeks. Of course, teachers
may use them when and how they feel will best serve their classroom needs.
Format
The oral reading records in this guide are designed in a standard format. To use the records,
refer to the marking conventions chart on page 14, which includes standard coding symbols.
Use these or other symbols, as appropriate.
For more detailed information about using oral reading records, refer to Guided Reading:
Good First Teaching for All Children (Fountas and Pinnell 1996).

Lesson Identifying
11 Point of View
Literature

Oral Reading Record Don’t Throw

It Away
!
Clean it,
Lend it,
Change it,
by Dona Herweck
Rice

Mend it,
Paint it,
Stitch it,
Clear it,
Fix it,
Glue it,
Patch it, Try one of these,

Name: ______________________________ Date: _________________

Tune it, Try two or three.
Mask it, It’s up to you,
Calk it, It’s up to me.
Shape it, Reuse, repurpose,
Give it, Recycle right now!
Tape it, It’s easy to do,
Wash it, You can learn how!
There’s no need for
Seal it, waste.
There’s no need for
Wax it, delay.
There’s so much you
Heal it. can do
Wrap it. To keep landfills at
bay.
Choose it. You can do it with
ease!
Sew it. You can do it today!
Use it. But whatever you
do,

Assessor: ___________________________________________________
Shape it. Don’t just throw it
away!
Wear it.
Craft it.
Share it.
Mix it.
Blend it. These flowers were
made out
Tweak it. of old plastic bottles.
Send it.

Word Count Codes

134 E = errors SC = self-corrections M = meaning S = structure V = visual

Cues Used
Text E SC
E SC

Clean it, Lend it, Change it, Mend it,

Paint it, Stitch it, Clear it, Fix it,
Glue it, Patch it, Tune it, Mask it,
Calk it, Shape it, Give it, Tape it,
Wash it, Seal it, Wax it, Heal it.
Wrap it. Choose it. Sew it. Use it.
Shape it. Wear it. Craft it. Share it.
Mix it. Blend it. Tweak it. Send it.
Try one of these, Try two or three.
It’s up to you, It’s up to me.
Reuse, repurpose, Recycle right now!
It’s easy to do, You can learn how!
There’s no need for waste.
There’s no need for delay.
There’s so much you can do
To keep landfills at bay.
You can do it with ease! You can do it today!
But whatever you do, Don’t just throw it away!

TOTALS

Error Self-Correction Accuracy Time:

Rate: Rate: Percentage:

48

Sample Oral Reading Record Sample Passage from

Student Guided Practice Book

12 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Using the
assessment options

Using Oral Reading Records

When taking an oral reading record, it may be useful to employ some or all of the following
tips:
• Position yourself next to the student in such a way that you can hear the student easily,
see the text clearly, and watch the student’s eye and finger movements while he or she
is reading.
• As the student reads, mark the oral reading record form with the conventions on the
included coding chart on the following page.
• Errors to be marked include substitutions, omissions, insertions, and having to be told
a word by the teacher.
• Self-corrections occur when a student realizes an error on his or her own and corrects
it.
• Note where the errors and self-corrections are made via meaning, structure, or visual
cues (defined below).
• If the student begins to read too quickly for you to follow, simply ask him or her to
pause for a moment while you catch up with the record.
• Interrupt and intervene as frequently as possible in order to create the truest record.
• Wait several seconds when a student gets stuck before reading a word aloud for the
student.
• If a student misreads a word, be sure to write the word he or she said above the
correct word on the record form.
Meaning, Structure, and Visual Cues
Meaning: When the reader uses background knowledge and the context to identify words, he
or she is using meaning (or semantic cues). On the oral reading record, mark these cues with
an M.
Structure: When the reader applies knowledge of language structure in order to identify
words, he or she is using structure (or syntax) cues. On the oral reading record, mark these
cues with an S.
Visual: When the reader applies knowledge of letter and sound correspondence, including the
look of the letter, letters, and the word itself, he or she is using visual (or graphophonic) cues.
On the oral reading record, mark these cues with a V.

© Teacher Created Materials 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide

13
 Using the
assessment options Oral Reading Records (cont.)

Marking Conventions Chart

Behavior Marking Convention Example

(check mark) above each word ✓ ✓ ✓

Accurate reading
read This is big.

✓ ✓ -bag
Substitution Word read above actual word
This is big.

✓ —­ ✓
Omission — (long dash)
This is big.

very
Insertion ^ and the inserted word
This is ^ big.

Repetition of word (no R (one repetition) R

error) R2 (two repetitions) This is big.

Repetition of phrase (no R with line and arrow at point R

error) where reader returned This is big.

bag/SC
Self-correction (no error) SC after error
This is big.

A
Appeal (Student appeals
A over word where appeal
for help either verbally or
occurred This is big.
nonverbally.)

Told (Student is asked to try T

again but ultimately must be T over word student was told
told the word.) This is big.

b/✓
Beginning sound read
Beginning sound above word
separately and then word
followed by mark for correct This is big.
read correctly.

14 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Using the
assessment options

Scoring an Oral Reading Record

Teachers will use the information gathered while observing the student and marking the
record in order to calculate rates of accuracy, error, and self-correction. The error and self-
correction rates are written as ratios. The accuracy rate is a percentage. (Note: When the
reader self-corrects, the original error is not scored as an error.)
While marking the oral reading record as you observe the student, tally the errors and
self‑corrections in the columns to the right of the text. Then, write whether those errors and
self‑corrections are in the area of meaning (M), structure (S), or visual (V) cues.
Use any of the following data calculations as appropriate to monitor student progress and
inform instruction.
• Calculate the rate of error. Add the total number of words read. Divide that
number by the number of errors made.
For example, if the text has 96 words and 8 errors were made, the ratio is 1:12 (one error for
every 12 words read).
• Calculate the rate of self-correction. Add both the number of errors and self-
corrections. Then, divide that number by the number of self-corrections.
For example, if there are 8 errors and 6 self-corrections, that makes 14 total. Divide 14 by the
number of self-corrections (6). This gives a ratio of 1:2.3 or, rounded, 1:2. This is interpreted
as one self-correction for every two errors.
• Calculate a percentage for accuracy. Convert the error rate to judge the difficulty
of the text. Use the information in the chart below to inform text selections for
students.
For example, in a 1:12 error rate, divide 1 by 12 to get 0.08 (round to the nearest hundredth),
or 8%. Subtract 8% from 100% to get 92%. This is the accuracy percentage.
Use the information below to determine text difficulty.

Accuracy Percentage Difficulty of Text for Student

96% or higher Easy
91% to 95% Instructional level
90% or lower Challenging
Note: If you do not wish to assess with this level of detail, simply calculate the percentage
of words read correctly and the number of words read correctly per minute. Both of these
measures give adequate indications of word recognition and fluency. However, keep in
mind that these calculations provide one kind of data for students—teachers should examine
students’ reading and learning in context since students are individual learners and members
of a larger learning group.

© Teacher Created Materials 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide

15
 Using the
assessment options Oral Reading Records (cont.)

Oral Reading Record Chart

This resource is designed to track individual
Oral Reading Record Chart

student performance on the oral reading Directions: Use this recording sheet to record an individual student’s oral reading record scores.
Record the information collected during the administration of the oral reading records in the appropriate columns.
Student Name:

Assessment Self-Correction Accuracy

records and indicate growth in the area of

Lesson: Passage Reading Level Error Rate Time
Date Rate Percentage
1: Al’s Choice
2: On the Run
3: Love Like Salt
4: Lincoln’s Hat
5: Peter Pan and Hook
6: How Erasers Work

oral reading and fluency. Teachers can record

7: Did You See?
8: Legless, Fearless
9: My Life: The Fruit Fly’s Story
10: On the Wire
11: Don’t Throw It Away!
12: Pink for Girls… and Boys

the student’s name, the assessment dates,

13: Midnight Rendezvous
14: Going Batty
15: Pretty in Pink
16: When Guinea Pigs Multiply
17: Bad Breath
18: It’s About Time
19: Dear Dr. Janet

and their specific data points (error rate,

20: The Fox and the Crow
21: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
22: The Three Behrs
23: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
24: The Myth of the Minotaur
25: It's in the Mail

self-correction rate, accuracy percentage, and

26: Keep on Turning
27: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
28: Flying into Adventure
29: The Boy Who Loved Books
30: The Bottom Line

time). This chart is offered in three formats: ©Teacher Created Materials 211461—L3—Focused Reading

PDF, Microsoft Word®, and Microsoft Excel®.

Oral Reading Record Chart

Depending on their
instructional needs, teachers
may not have students
complete every assessment.

Assessing Fluency
The goal is for students to become fluent
by reading accurately, with expression,
and at a good pace. A Fluency Rubric has
been provided on page 17 to assess these
components of fluency. Note that in this
chart, expression has been subdivided. To
record a single expression score, combine the
two subcategory scores (up to 4 points each
for a total of 8). To get a total fluency score,
rate students with a 1–4 for accuracy, rate,
and expression, and then add up the scores.
Possible scores range from 4 (lowest) to 16
(highest). A total score of 8 or above suggests
that a student is progressing in fluency.
A score below 8 may indicate that fluency is a
concern.

16 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials

 Using the
assessment options

Fluency Rubric
Expression
Structural Interpretive
Score Accuracy Rate (Pace) phrasing, pausing, mood, purpose,
smoothness, pitch, emotion, subtleties of
volume meaning
Recognizes Consistently Reads smoothly. Recognizes different
most words reads at a natural, purposes for reading.
Consistently uses
and reads them conversational
meaningful phrasing and Consistently conveys the
correctly without pace, or as
appropriate pausing. appropriate mood and
4 hesitation. appropriate for
emotion.
the text. Adjusts pitch and
volume to the Distinguishes word
circumstances (type of meanings in context.
text or audience).
Recognizes Sometimes Reads smoothly in Reads most text with
pretaught and reads at a general, but with some emphasis appropriate
familiar words conversational breaks or misuse of for the purpose and
and reads them pace, but is pausing. mood of the text.
correctly. inconsistent.
3 Is aware of pitch and May at times slip
May hesitate, May speed up volume. into concentrating on
but can use and slow down or pronunciation, but will
context and generally read at usually recover and
apply word- a slightly slower resume once past the
attack skills. pace. problematic area.
Recognizes Reads somewhat Reads unevenly. May use natural-
and reads some slower than sounding language at
May miss punctuation
words correctly, appropriate for times, but, in general,
clues, resulting in
but hesitates. text. frequently resorts to
choppiness or run-on
focusing on word-by-
2 Has some May have stops reading.
word pronunciation
difficulty using and starts or have
Does not generally without regard for the
context clues and to go back and
attend to pitch and mood, purpose, or
applying reread.
volume. intended meaning.
word-attack
skills.
Misreads words Reading is slow Does not usually read in Reading is generally
frequently. and laborious. meaningful units, such monotone and lacks
as phrases or clauses. a sense of awareness
May not Frequently
of mood, purpose, or
recognize words hesitates, stops, May read word by word
emotion.
1 in different or goes back to with little attention to
contexts. “start over.” context or punctuation May not recognize word
signals. meanings in context.
Is not adept at
applying word-
attack skills.

© Teacher Created Materials 21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide

17
 Name:______________________________________ Date:__________________
Pretest
Questions 1–7: Read the passage. Then, answer the questions.

Shawn’s Saturday
“Hey, Dad!” Shawn shouted. “I’m going to play basketball with Pete.”
Shawn’s dad came into the kitchen. “Have you finished cleaning the garage?”
Shawn tried to decide whether to admit the truth. His dad would notice the garage
hadn’t been cleaned, but Shawn wanted to play basketball.
Shawn’s dad understood his silence. “You haven’t even started, have you? You
promised you’d take care of it first thing this morning.”
Shawn complained, “Why do I have to clean the garage, anyway?”
“Because you said you would, and you need to follow through with what you say.”
“But Dad,” Shawn protested, “I promised Pete.”
Soon, his dad’s face brightened. “Let’s go out to the garage for a minute.”
Puzzled, Shawn followed his father into the garage. His dad pointed to the dull,
gray cement walls. “What if you ask Pete to come over here? If you and Pete clean up
thoroughly, then you can paint murals on those two walls.”
“What about playing basketball? Pete is expecting me.”
His dad said thoughtfully, “If Pete stays over tonight, then I will drive you two over
to play basketball after supper.”
“Can we order pizza?”
“Absolutely,” his dad grinned.
Shawn raced back into the kitchen to call Pete.

1. At the beginning of the story, 2. What lesson does Shawn learn?

the author wants the reader to A It takes two people to clean a
understand _____.
garage.
A Shawn wants to play instead B Rules are made to be
of clean the garage broken.
B Shawn wants to paint a C Painting a garage is
mural dangerous.
C Shawn likes to clean and D Compromise can help solve
organize the garage disagreements.
D Shawn always does what he
says he will do
Go On
18 © Teacher Created Materials
 Lesson Understanding Characters
29
Literature

Oral Reading Record by Dona Herwec

Hector Quarto loved
L-O-V-E-D them.
company. Science
you saw Hector, you
k Rice
books. He looooved
Mystery and adventure books. He
fiction and comics
kept him
were his friends. If
saw a book. He was
never without one.
Have you ever noticed
look like each other? how very good friends
It was no surprise start to
spine began to stiffen. when Hector’s
His skin took on a
quality. And his hair paper-ish
hung like the tassels
When asked a question, of a bookmark.
Hector’s mind riffled
thoughts like the pages through his
of a book.

Name: _______________________________ Date: __________________

Hector was becoming
quite bookish.
As the years went
by, Hector’s round
square off. His skin edges began to
became leathery like
on the library shelves. the old books
In fact, Hector spent
there in the library. a lot of time
He just sat and stared
He longed to be with at the shelves.
the books he loved.
Hector’s body got straighter
very still. . And stiffer. And
then,
Until one day, as Hector
wheeled a cart by him. sat in the library, a tall
man slowly
The librarian reached
Hector as though he out and grabbed
weighed nothing and
bookshelf. Hector placed him on the
was thrilled to be on
good pals the books. the shelf with his very

Assessor: ____________________________________________________
In fact, he sat next to
the Hobbit, two dear Harry Potter and
old friends. Hector
and saw his reflection looked up with glee
in the library window.
wasn’t reflected back. But Hector’s face
He saw just the image
row, waiting to be chosen of books in a
and read. Hector shook
wonder and saw one his head in
of the books on the
shelf wiggle just a bit.
Hector closed his
eyes and sighed a
would live forever happy sigh. He
with his books.
Forever and ever.

Word Count Codes

122 E = errors SC = self-corrections M = meaning S = structure V = visual

Cues Used
Text E SC
E SC

Hector Quarto loved books. He looooved books.

He L-O-V-E-D them. Mystery and adventure
kept him company. Science fiction and comics
were his friends. If you saw Hector, you saw a
book. He was never without one.

Have you ever noticed how very good friends

start to look like each other? It was no surprise
when Hector’s spine began to stiffen. His skin
took on a paper-ish quality. And his hair hung
like the tassels of a bookmark. When asked
a question, Hector’s mind riffled through his
thoughts like the pages of a book.

Hector was becoming quite bookish.

As the years went by, Hector’s round edges

began to square off. His skin became leathery
like the old books on the library shelves.

TOTALS

Error Self-Correction Accuracy Time:

Rate: Rate: Percentage:
21461—Level 3—Assessment Guide © Teacher Created Materials
66