Books for Struggling ReadersGrades 5-12

IRC Conference 2012

Studies and Research CommitteeThursday, March 15, 1:45-2:45, Center B 4W

Chair: Elizabeth Goldsmith-ConleyBoomer CrottyPamela GodtKatie Ludes

Karen Walker

Agenda

• Introductions• Handouts

Picking Appropriate Books2 Book Lists Book Rating Form Conversion TableWiki Directions Evaluation FormAudience Book Suggestions

• Defining struggling versus reluctant readers• Strategies for picking appropriate books• Wiki - sample page• Book presentations• Filling out Audience Suggestion Form/ Audience suggestions• Evaluation/ Book Rating Form

 

Finding Appropriate Books for the Struggling Reader

Choosing the right level

1. Independent LevelBooks students can read on their own with noadult help

2. Instructional Level Books students can read with a little adult help

3. Frustration LevelBooks that are too hard

Independent Level The text is relatively easy for the reader. •Student can read 99% of the words

successfully.•No more than approximately 1 in

100 words are difficult for the reader .•Students can comprehend 80% of

the content.

Instructional LevelThe text is challenging but manageable for the reader. •No more than approximately 1 in 20

words are difficult for the reader.•Students can read 95% of the words

successfully. •Students can comprehend 75% of the

content.

Frustration LevelThe text is too difficult for the reader. • At least 1 in 10 words are difficult

for the reader.• Students can read less than 90%

of the words successfully.• Students can comprehend less

than 60% of the content.

Richard Allington

At a 99% accuracy rate, students will still make errors on about 4 or more words per page. If there are 300 pages in the book, this means they will make 1200 errors during their reading of the book—this will cause a loss of comprehension and confusion/dis-traction/poor understanding.

Developmental Category

Grade Level

Text Measure

Lexile

ATOSScale

DRA Fontas &

Pinnell

Emergent KEmergent/Early K/1 200-400Early 1 1.5-1.9 13-16 C-IEarly/Fluent 2 300-600 2.-3.4 17-28 J-M

Fluent 3 500-800 3.5 -4.5 29-38 N-P

4 600-900 4.8-5.2 40-44 Q-T

5 700-1000 5.2-5.9 44-50 U-W

6 700-1000800-1050

5.9-7.1+

50-60 X-Y

Advanced Fluent 7 850-1100 60-70 Z8 900-1150 70-80

8+ 1000-1200

Conversion Table for Reading Levels

Lexile Level

How is a text's Lexile measure determined?

Sources: http://www.lexile.com/

Lexile measures are based on two well-established predictors of how difficult a text is to comprehend:

semantic difficulty (word frequency) syntactic complexity (sentence length).

 

Examples: Second GradeShorter Sentences and Frequently Repeated Words

Lexile = 370L Lexile = 380L Lexile= 370L

Examples: Upper GradesLonger Sentences, More Complex Words

880L-950L 1300 1410

Lexiles do not give any information about age appropriateness

680L 680L

Many other factors affect the relationship between a reader and a book, including its content, the age and interests of the reader, and the design of the actual book.

 The Lexile text measure is a good starting point in the book-selection process, with these other factors then being considered. 

ATOS Levels

ATOS Factors = Average Sentence Length + Average Word Length + Vocabulary

Grade Level + The Number of Words in a Book

Source: Renaissance Learning

Suggested Lexile Matches(If you don’t know your student’s exact level)

190 -700 for 6th grade struggling readers240-780 for 7th grade struggling readers295-830 for 8th grade struggling readers400-880 for 9th grade struggling readers

435-930 for 10th grade struggling readers465-945 for 11th grade struggling readers465-945 for 12th grade struggling readers

http://www.lexile.com/using-lexile/lexile-measures-and-the-ccssi/

If you do know your student’s lexile

The suggested range of texts you give them should be between 50L above their

lexile measure and and 100L lower

http://www.lexile.com/using-lexile/lexile-measures-and-the-ccssi/

The Five Finger Rule

Choose a bookOpen it anywhere

Make a fistStart to read a page

Put a finger up for each hard word

1 finger = too easy, try another book2-3 fingers = just right, try another page to be sure

4-5 fingers = too hard

Professional Books That Can Help You Make a Difference

100 Cupboards by N.D, Wilson

Interest Level: Grades 6 –8

Reading Level:

Grade 3.7 Lexile 650 L

Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone

Interest Level: Gr 6 – 8

Reading Level: Gr 4.8 Lexile 820L

Genre: Adventure, Science Fiction and Fantasy

Breathing Underwater by Alex Finn

Interest Level: Grs 9 - 12

Reading Level:Gr 7.1, Lexile 510, Guided Reading NR

Chicken Boy by Frances O’Roark Dowell

Interest Level: Grade 6 – 8

Reading Level: Grade 5.1Lexile 860L

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Interest Level: Gr 9 - 12

Reading Level: 6.8

Genre: Realistic fiction, drugs, teenage pregnancy,

Crossing the Wire by Gary Hobbs

Interest Level: Gr 6 - 8

Reading Level: Grade 4.4 Lexile: 670L

Deadly Stranger by Peg Kehret

 Interest Level:

Gr 3 – 7

Reading Level: Gr 3-4Lexile 730L

The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Interest Level: Gr 9 -12

Reading Level: Gr 4.5 Lexile 790L

Fever of 1673 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Interest Level Grades 7-9

Reading LevelGrade 7.6Lexile 580L

Gym Candy and Night Hoopsby Carl Deuker

Grade 3.7710L

Grade 6.2 630 L

InterestLevel

Grades 9-12

Guys Read: Thrilleredited by Jon Scieszka

Interest Level:Gr 4-7

Reading Level:Gr 3+

Haunting of Hawthorn by Anne Schraff

Interest Level: Gr 9-12

Reading Level: Gr 3.5, Lexile

510, GR NR

 

Inside Out by Terry Trueman

Interest Level: Gr 9-12

Reading Level: Gr 5.6Lexile 710LGuided Reading NR

 

Invisible by Pete HautmanInterest Level

Grades 9-12

Reading LevelLexile 730L Grade 4.1 DRA

Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine 

Interest Level: Gr 6 - 8

Reading Level: 3.5, Lexile 630L

 

Hank Zipzer #1 Niagara Falls, or Does It? by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Interest Level: Grades: 3-5

Reading Level: Lexile 610L Guided Reading Level R Grade 4.1

Notes From a Midnight Driver

Interest Level: Grade 7 - Grade 12Reading Level: 5.5-6.0, Lexile 930L

On the Run: Chasing the Falconers

Interest Level: Grade 4-8 (might be 6-8 depend-ing on parental views)

Reading Level: Grade 3.7Lexile 680LGuided Reading R

White Fox ChroniclesInterest Level:

Grades 4-7

Reading Level:

Lexile 600LGrade 4.8

Repeat Recommendations

G 6-8670L

G 6-8810L

G 3-5950L

G 8-12850L

G 9-12590L

Repeat RecommendationsBluford High Series of 18 Books

Interest Level Grades 9-12Reading Level Grade 5Lexile Range 700 - 750

Repeat Recommendations - Movies

810L 820L

Supplemental Bibliography

Book Lists and Sites Found in Course of Doing Research for this Workshop

Principle of SelectionUpper Grades Interest Level

Low Lexile Rating

To see summaries

• Go to Google and type in “struggling readers wiki” or go to ircstrugglingreaders.wikispaces.com

    To be able to add your own suggestions and/or comments join our wiki.

If you do not already have a wiki account, you will need to create an account with a user name and password that remains private and is never used for spam. You will then be able to join our wiki and add to our pages.

Book Suggestions Forms

• What books have you used that work with struggling readers?

• We will add it to our inventory and place results on the Wiki.

• Thanks for your help!

Sharing Your Suggestions

• What books have you used?- Title - Author - Audience the book is recommended for.- Why do you recommend the book?

• We will add it to our inventory and place results on the Wiki.

• Thanks for your help!

Audience Suggestions

Workshop Evaluation

• What was the most useful part of today’s session?

• What would have made it more useful? • What is one idea or book you think you will

definitely be using in the future?