FAQ about Leveled Readers

1. FAQ aboutLeveled Readers How you can help your child with their reading homework. Mrs. Milleville’s Resource Room

2. What are leveled readers? • The leveled readers are from the Reading a-z series. • Your child’s leveled readers are chosen for their individual reading level. This is usually 1 or 2 grade levels below their current grade.

3. How many leveled readers is my child suppose to read a week? • 3 books with the 3 quizzes completed is the homework assignment for all students. • The student is to read the book to an adult or older sibling. The listener is to initial the quiz to show that they listened to the story read by the student.

4. When will the student receive the leveled readers? • Students will receive their leveled reader homework on the Friday before it is due. • If the school week ends prior to Friday the leveled readers will be sent out on the last day of the school week. • Leveled reader homework will be sent home to be completed over school break periods.

5. When is the leveled reader homework due? • The date the homework is due will be written on the top of the quiz. • Students will have at least 6 days to complete the assignment, however they should turn it in as soon as completed so they can make corrections if needed for a better grade before the due date.

6. Are their other ways to have my child read their leveled readers? Shared Reading is when the adult reads one page and the child reads the next page. Choral Reading is when both the adult and the child read each page of the book together at the same time. Repeat Reading is when both of you read the page and then the child rereads the page. Repeat process till end of the book.

7. Can I just read the book to my child? • NO • Educational research shows that a student must read themselves in order to improve their reading.

8. Why do they have to read out loud to someone else? • Struggling readers just skip over words they don’t know or makeup other words to replace them when left to read to themselves. • Some struggling readers won’t read the book at all but just look at the pictures. • Reading out loud to someone else makes the student be accountable and they must put forth effort. Accountable oral practice is the only way to improve reading fluency.

9. How can I find time to listen to my child read each evening? • Students can carry their book around with them as they follow you around as you do everyday tasks. • The adult can tell if a child’s reading makes sense. Say, “That didn’t sound right. Spell the word to me and I will help you decode it.” • Suggested times: • When you are driving the car. • When you are doing the dishes. • When you are doing the laundry. • While you are cooking dinner.

10. Our school nights are busy, do we have to read them during the week? • No, this is why the homework is sent home on Fridays. • Many parents have their child do homework over the weekend when things are less hectic and turn it in on Mondays. • It is best to start early in the week. • Carve out a time in your week and stick to the schedule that works best for your family.

11. What are the procedures for taking the quiz? • Students must circle the key words in each question prior to reading the book so they know what they are reading for. • Students must use the Yes/No/Maybe strategy for each answer choice. • Students must justify each answer with a page number. • Written responses must be in complete sentences using the words in the question to formulate the answer. • Students must cite evidence from the text for their written response questions.

12. What does it mean to circle key words? • Priorto reading a book or a test passage, the student is to read the questions that they will be expected to answer after the reading. • The student is to pick out the most important words in the question and circle them. • This will trigger the student’s memory while reading as they come to potential answers to questions. • Example: What color was the cat? cat color

13. What is the Yes/No/Maybe strategy? • As the student reads the answer choices they are to write Y for yes this is the answer, N for no this isn’t the answer or M for maybe this is the answer by each choice out to the right hand side. • Example: What color is the cat? • Blue N • Brown Y • Green N If the student is unsure the answer is correct they can write M for maybe.

14. What does it mean to justify an answer with a page number? • Students are expected to justify their answers with evidence from the text under the new Common Core Standards. • After using the Yes/No/Maybe strategy the student is to go back into the book and find where the answer is to the questions. If the answer is not specifically stated, the student can still write down the page that they drew their inference from. • Page numbers must be written to the left of the question. • Example: What color was the cat? Pg. 6

15. What does it mean to formulate the answer from the words in the question? • Written responses must be in complete sentences using the words in the question to formulate the answer. • To do this the student must start the answer by restating portions of the question. • Example: How did the boy feel when the cat was missing? The boy felt sad when the cat went missing.

16. What does it mean to cite evidence from the text? • Citing evidence from the text is to say exactly where you found the answer and what words within the text told you the answer. • The student is to write: It says on page….. • Then the student is to copy the exact words from the book. • Example: How did the boy feel when the cat was missing? The boy felt sad when the cat went missing. It says on page 10: Sam cried when he realized the brown cat was gone.

17. Can I check over my child’s quiz? • Yes, parents are encouraged to check over their child’s answers. • Students are to go back into the passage to make corrections. • Parents are encouraged to check over the written response questions to see they are complete sentences and have the pages cited and sentence copied correctly. • Parents are NOT allowed to do the writing for the student.

18. How is this homework graded? • The 3 quizzes are averaged together for 100 points total. • Example: • Quiz 1 percentage + Quiz 2 percentage+ Quiz 3 percentage divided by 3 = final grade. • 5 points per day late will be taken off of late work unless prior arrangements have been made with the teacher.

19. Why is my child staying in from recess for not completing homework? • Open Resource room for the 3rd grade is during the 3rd grade recess in Mrs. Milleville’s room. Open Resource Room for the 4th grade is during the 4th grade recess in Mrs. Behrens’ room. • Students in the 3rd and 4th grades are expected to do homework at home, however for those that don’t these times are offered for assistance. • This is a grade level policy.

20. Will my child ever have substitution homework for the leveled readers? • Yes, there will be times when something other than leveled readers will be sent home. • Over the Winter and Spring breaks the students may have a different reading assignment /project to complete. • Before the state testing time in the spring, testing passages will be sent home in the place of leveled readers.