What reading level should my 1st grader be on and when should he/she be on that level?
Click on the button below to answer this most important question!
If your child is above or below the desired level, don't worry.
All of the activities listed below help on grade level readers, struggling readers and can challenge fluent readers.
Click on the button below to answer this most important question!
If your child is above or below the desired level, don't worry.
All of the activities listed below help on grade level readers, struggling readers and can challenge fluent readers.
How do you find the reading level of a book?
There are two sites that I use regularly to level books. If the book I am trying to level can't be found on either site, I make my best judgement call. I usually ask a few other teachers and we come up with a fairly accurate level. Keep in mind that leveling books is an "art." Every company that produces books has their own criteria for leveling. There are also different ways to level books. Some have a Guided Reading level. Some have a lexile level. Some use numbers and some use letters. At Saratoga Shores we use DRA levels. So when I tell you your child's reading level, I am telling you the DRA level. DRA stands for Direct Reading Assessment.
I will put links here so you can level a book if you have the need.
Also I will include a "Text Equivalency Chart" so you'll know what level the book in on in DRA even if the sites only give you lexile or Reading Recovery (numbers) levels.
There are two sites that I use regularly to level books. If the book I am trying to level can't be found on either site, I make my best judgement call. I usually ask a few other teachers and we come up with a fairly accurate level. Keep in mind that leveling books is an "art." Every company that produces books has their own criteria for leveling. There are also different ways to level books. Some have a Guided Reading level. Some have a lexile level. Some use numbers and some use letters. At Saratoga Shores we use DRA levels. So when I tell you your child's reading level, I am telling you the DRA level. DRA stands for Direct Reading Assessment.
I will put links here so you can level a book if you have the need.
Also I will include a "Text Equivalency Chart" so you'll know what level the book in on in DRA even if the sites only give you lexile or Reading Recovery (numbers) levels.
WORD PLAY
Click on the button below and print out all four pages. Cut out all the cards on the first two pages. Leave page 3 and 4 intact. AGAIN--DON'T CUT APART PAGES 3 AND 4. Have your child choose a "chunk" card (one of the cards you cut apart from the first 2 pages) and run it down past all the consonants on page 3 and then the blends and digraphs on page 4. If your child makes a real word, do a thumbs up. If it is not a real word, do a thumbs down. This is a fun and effective way to get the sequence of letters in a chunk learned and to introduce and explore vocabulary. By the way, a chunk is a piece of a word with a vowel in it. You can make new words by putting different consonants, blends and digraphs in front of chunks. Blends are two consonants and you can hear a little bit of each letter. Digraphs are two consonants but they make ONE sound. Yep. Cool!
Click on the button below and print out all four pages. Cut out all the cards on the first two pages. Leave page 3 and 4 intact. AGAIN--DON'T CUT APART PAGES 3 AND 4. Have your child choose a "chunk" card (one of the cards you cut apart from the first 2 pages) and run it down past all the consonants on page 3 and then the blends and digraphs on page 4. If your child makes a real word, do a thumbs up. If it is not a real word, do a thumbs down. This is a fun and effective way to get the sequence of letters in a chunk learned and to introduce and explore vocabulary. By the way, a chunk is a piece of a word with a vowel in it. You can make new words by putting different consonants, blends and digraphs in front of chunks. Blends are two consonants and you can hear a little bit of each letter. Digraphs are two consonants but they make ONE sound. Yep. Cool!
BANG!
Here is an ever so delightful game to help your child get better at reading by practicing the 100 first grade sight words. Read the directions and then print off and cut out the version of Bang! that is currently appropriate for your child. Your child's BANG! level will be indicated on your SEP conference report. You'll receive an SEP report at the beginning of October and again at the end of January or beginning of February. If you don't know your child's Bang! level, contact me to find out.
Here is an ever so delightful game to help your child get better at reading by practicing the 100 first grade sight words. Read the directions and then print off and cut out the version of Bang! that is currently appropriate for your child. Your child's BANG! level will be indicated on your SEP conference report. You'll receive an SEP report at the beginning of October and again at the end of January or beginning of February. If you don't know your child's Bang! level, contact me to find out.
FLASHCARDS
Here are some reading flashcards to help your first grader. Start with the Sight Words 1. See how many your first grader knows. Keep the known ones separate. Then focus on an unknown one and add it to the stack of known words when your child is ready. When your child gets good at the Sight Words 1, move on to the Sight Words 2. When your child is good at reading Sight Words 1 and 2, try the 100 Sight Words.
Here are some reading flashcards to help your first grader. Start with the Sight Words 1. See how many your first grader knows. Keep the known ones separate. Then focus on an unknown one and add it to the stack of known words when your child is ready. When your child gets good at the Sight Words 1, move on to the Sight Words 2. When your child is good at reading Sight Words 1 and 2, try the 100 Sight Words.
READING STRATEGIES
A strategy is a tool used to do or figure out something. These are the reading strategies/prompts we use at school if a child gets stuck on a word. Your first grader will be used to hearing things like:
"Go back and reread that sentence."
"Did that make sense?"
"Check the picture and I bet you can figure out that word."
"Do the letters in that word look right for the sounds you just made?"
"Try rereading that sentence and when you come to this word, just make the beginning sound
and see if you can figure out the rest."
"Let's read the whole sentence and skip the word you're stuck on, then maybe you can figure it
out."
Here are some good prompts if your child gets stuck!
A strategy is a tool used to do or figure out something. These are the reading strategies/prompts we use at school if a child gets stuck on a word. Your first grader will be used to hearing things like:
"Go back and reread that sentence."
"Did that make sense?"
"Check the picture and I bet you can figure out that word."
"Do the letters in that word look right for the sounds you just made?"
"Try rereading that sentence and when you come to this word, just make the beginning sound
and see if you can figure out the rest."
"Let's read the whole sentence and skip the word you're stuck on, then maybe you can figure it
out."
Here are some good prompts if your child gets stuck!
READING COMPREHENSION
This comprehension chart will give you LOTS to talk about with your child after reading a book! You can tell that your child is comprehending a story if he/she is able to make CONNECTIONS to the text (words in the story). After reading a book, discuss the connections and then have your child write a few of them down. You can take turns writing your child's connections. Have your child write one and then you write one. Reading and writing go hand in hand!
This comprehension chart will give you LOTS to talk about with your child after reading a book! You can tell that your child is comprehending a story if he/she is able to make CONNECTIONS to the text (words in the story). After reading a book, discuss the connections and then have your child write a few of them down. You can take turns writing your child's connections. Have your child write one and then you write one. Reading and writing go hand in hand!