For middle school, I feel that leveled books are much harder to use. First, there are a lot of struggling students who may read at a third grade level (or below) and there are NO books at that level for them.What I try to do is have the library stocked w/ high interest/low level books (they are usually around a 5th or 6th grade level) and also have some easier books that are written for middle school (like Stuck in Neutral, The Afterlife, etc.) Like a previous poster, we discuss what a just right book (w/out using that language) feels like to read. Often, when the topic is something they are very interested in, the level becomes less important. Also, magazines are great for them! Many of them are interesting yet still written at a lower level like Jr. Scholastic, Time for Kids, Choices, Scope.
On Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 11:05 AM, Maureen Robins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'm curious to hear from those who do use leveling for middle school > readers > and why kinds of texts beyond z do you use for assessment and > instructional > purposes. > > Maureen Robins > Assistant Principal/LA > NYC > > > On 2/24/08, Andrea Jenkins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > My school, also a small private school, just began using leveled > > assessment tools based on the F&P levels. I am a literacy specialist for > the > > lower school, grades k-4. What we have found is that the level book > > assessments are only useful for struggling readers - that once students > > reach about a level R, the levels are less critical. Many of our > students > > reach level R by 3rd grade, and almost all reach it by the beginning of > 4th > > grade. "How to Eat Fried Worms" and "Indian in the Cupboard" are > examples of > > level R books. We also do not go strictly by leveled books. Instead, we > > teach the students what Just Right reading feels like, how it is not too > > hard, nor too easy. It's amazing how quickly the kids pick up on this > > vocabulary! > > > > Our entire leveled library is leveled using F&P, so we also considered > > using their benchmark assessment. Instead, we use the assessment tools > from > > the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP). The levels > align > > with F&P, and the assessment passages are online and can be downloaded > for > > free. So far, we've found this to be a good alternative. We use DIBELS > as a > > fluency measure, then cross-check it with the TCRWP assessments to check > for > > comprehension. However, as always, sitting down with the student > one-on-one > > and reading with them, asking questions, etc gives the most and best > > information. We consider assessment measures as one "snapshot" of each > > child, NOT the entire picture! Any child that shows weakness in DIBELS, > > TCRWP and individual conferences is then one we watch closely. > > > > I cannot imagine using leveled reading assessments beyond 4th grade. > > Perhaps using this type of assessment for students new to the school, > > especially in the admission process, would be useful. Your LS is smart > to > > use it, but it should be less of a tool for MS, if used at all. > > > > Andrea > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Pete and Cindy > Farnum > > Sent: Sun 2/24/2008 11:13 AM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: [LIT] Fountas and Pinnell (cross-post) > > > > Hi everyone! > > Haven't posted in a while as my daughter (9 months now -- can you > believe > > it?) has been keeping me busy! I'm just now trying to get caught up with > > everyone's posts. In addition, I would like to get your opinions about > the > > Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment II program. Read below. > > > > My school, in search for a placement and reading program, recently sent > me > > to a training on Fountas and Pinnell's Benchmark Assessment II. After > > attending the session, I'm really questioning how appropriate it is for > the > > general population in our middle school. > > > > It seems like a GREAT program for elementary school, but I'm trying to > > figure out how I am going use their 30 minutes assessments for my 80 > kids > > and not take months to do it. I see each of my sections for a total of > 4:10 > > minutes a week as their Language Arts teacher! We're a smaller private > > school without a reading specialist. I know that there are better > programs > > out there that won't take such an incredible amount of time away from my > > classroom instruction. > > > > Another hesitation I have is how this program fits with my students. > Over > > half of my students are high performing/excellent readers. On average, > each > > of my classes has maybe 2-3 students performing/reading below grade > > level.The component which makes this program stand out from others is > its > > fluency/oral reading component (which honestly is much like a running > > record); the writing and comprehension components don't seem better than > > other programs I've used at other schools. Since very few of my students > > struggle with fluency, I'm trying to figure out if this program really > is > > the best for us. > > > > Is there anyone on this group familiar with or using F&P? If so, what > are > > your thoughts? Besides STAR reading, do any of you recommend any > > computerized assessment programs? The elementary school has jumped right > in > > to this program, and it's really up to me to weigh its benefits for my > > students and decide whether we will use it in 6th grade (and eventually > the > > rest of middle school). Unfortunately, I have to make the decision > rather > > quickly. > > > > My initial reaction is that this program might just be best for our > > struggling students as a form of remediation/intervention rather than > all > > the sixth graders, but I would much rather hear more from others who > have > > used the program before making any final judgments. > > > > Thanks so much for your help and thoughts... > > Cindy in CA > > _______________________________________________ > > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > -- - Heather "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead." --Clarence Day "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little good evidence exists that there's any educational substance behind the accountability and testing movement." —Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding. " —Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
