Just Right Books

As readers it is important that we are reading books that are just right, not too easy, not too hard, but juuuuuust right, just like Goldilocks!  Just right books make sure that we are able to read all the words AND comprehend them all (not just memorize what happened but really get in depth thinking from the text).  Comprehension is the hardest thing for students in reading.  They are all SO good at pronouncing words that sometimes we think, "Wow!  They understand this book!"  Even more sneaky is when students can retell (recount the events of the story in order) and so we are even more sure that they "get it".  But unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg in reading, especially fourth grade reading.  Expectations and standards are that students are able to apply their background knowledge to clues in the text in order to make inferences and use those inferences to answer questions and justify responses, using text based evidence.  This is honestly a tough one for readers of all ages, fourth grade especially since the texts are getting harder and students have to REALLY try to keep up.

Today was the last day of our nonfiction reading unit and tomorrow we will be starting to talk more about fiction, the different genres of fiction, plot, author's purpose, theme, etc.  SO I will be assessing students on their reading levels to make sure that they are going to be appropriately placed in book groups.  They will be asked to choose from a selection of books for class work and then can choose any book for independent reading.  It is important to me that students are progressing as readers, not just staying at one level because they are not challenging themselves or staying at low levels because they continually choose books that are too hard.  If students aren't able to self monitor books that are too hard or too easy, as their teacher, I will be doing that for them.  I'm hoping that students will be able to choose from books independently, but some students don't like others to know that a certain book is "too hard" or that another book is really "too easy" so I will help them with that, so there isn't any problems. 

Thanks for your support and help your student choose just right books at home and at the library as well.