The Power of Leveling

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If you walk into any elementary classroom you are bound to find books with a number on the binding or the cover. The number represents the reading level of the book. The reading level of the book is determined by observing a number of factors through a process called leveling. Leveling is an important aspect for reading education because it allows teachers to assign appropriate reading material to students. Without this process teachers would have to use their own judgement when selecting reading material for their classroom.

Edward Fry's article discusses the details of readability and leveling. I was unaware of how much time and effort is required to categorize books into reading levels. I was also unaware of the differences between leveling and readability. I assumed that both processes would produce similar outcomes but the reading levels are often quite different. Readability formulas are objective and can be executed by computers. On the other hand, leveling formulas are less objective and cannot be completed by computers. The result of a readability formula is a wide range reading level while leveling produces a specific grade level. Since leveling produces a specific grade level it is only used in elementary grades.

As I read the article on the readability and leveling I thought of how much teachers and students depend on leveling. Reading levels are used on a daily basis by teachers to give their students a selection of reading material best suited to their reading capabilities. Students use their reading levels as a guide when they select material in the classroom or on their own so they know they can read and comprehend the text.

I begin to think more about the role that leveling plays in a classroom. I realized that leveling is more than a placement tool for teachers and students. Reading levels can serve as a motivational tool for students. The last time I babysat a fourth grade student she could not stop talking about her recent reading level achievement. She had climbed to a 7th grade reading level and could not wait to climb another level.  I think this is important to know that reading levels can be used for more than their typical purpose. Reading levels can be used to motivate your students to achieve and excel in reading.

Questions

• Do you agree that reading levels can be used to motivate students to excel in reading?
• What role did reading levels play in your elementary classes?

Guided Reading Faux Pas

Guided reading sessions are a staple in elementary classrooms. Teachers assess their students' reading levels and divide them into groups that share similar reading skills. This gives students an opportunity to read in small groups with children on the same reading level. It also gives teachers an opportunity to help the students with problems specific to their progress and skill level. This sounds like a picture perfect way to conquer the learning gap between students so what could possibly be wrong with this strategy?

According to Burkins and Croft's article, "Handy Helpers for Guided Reading", even teachers who are knowledgeable about literacy are prone to placing their students in reading levels that are too difficult. Teachers tend to do this because they know how to make the difficult text manageable for their students but this takes away from the purpose of a guided reading. Although the teachers can make the children understand the material they have to do all the work instead of the students.

Burkins and Croft created a tool for teachers to determine if the reading level is appropriate for the targeted students. This table is an excellent reminder for teachers to make sure their guided reading sections are accomplishing what they are intended to accomplish. Below is the table from Burkins and Croft's article.

Jan Burkins and Melody Croft

I agree that assigning children to a difficult reading level can be a common mistake in classrooms. This article reminded me of an experience with conducting a guided reading in a 3rd grade classroom. I had the opportunity to hold a guided reading with 4 different reading level groups. The upper level groups were a success and they completed their readings without a problem. However, in retrospect I believe the lower to groups were placed in a reading level that was out of their range. Over the semester we were never able to finish a story in the time given to each group. The students struggle to read a sentence without asking for help yet alone comprehend what they read. I ended up having to read more than the students because they could not complete the material on their own.

Burkins and Croft's guided reading helper would have been a great tool to have had during my experience. The teacher could have assigned easier reading material so her students could get the most out of their guided reading sessions. I am glad that I am aware of this common mistake and I will be sure to consider this problem in the future!

Questions

• Do you think that it is common for teachers to assign students to a reading level that is too difficult?
• Have you experienced an effective guided reading or can you relate to the same problem?

Real Life Reading Inquiry

For my real life reading inquiry I observed a fourth grade student that I babysit. I knew this would be a great opportunity to observe a young reader my first day on the job. When I began to babysit the mother walked me through her child's nightly routine and I was interested to hear that reading is part of her routine. Every night her child, Sarah, reads alone or to her parents for 30 minutes. Her mother used to be a teacher so we had a conversation about the importance of reading and their family is passionate about reading.

The first night I babysat I prepared for our reading session. The book Sarah was reading was one of my childhood favorites, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. When she first began to read I was confused. Sarah started to read every other word on the page and but at a very quick pace. Her brother said that Sarah struggled with reading and they both began to giggle. Sarah then said she could only read in her reading spot which was in a comfy corner of her parent's room. We both situated ourselves in her reading spot and quickly discovered why the kids were laughing.
Sarah did not struggle with reading, in fact she was an impressive reader. I thought the novel was out of her reading level but I was mistaken. Sarah started to read the novel to me better than any fourth grader I have heard. What impressed me the most was her ability to use different voices for each character without hesitation. In a span of 30 minutes we had completed 3 chapters.

After our reading session I had to step back and think about what I had observed. Sarah was an excellent reader and I began to wonder if this was because of the reading friendly environment her parents had created at home. After Sarah went to sleep I began to talk to her 8th grade brother, John, about reading. I was not surprised that he was just as passionate about reading. He begin to list all of the books he had recently read and told me books that he thought I would love. I was so impressed with Sarah and John's passion for reading.

The next week the time came for our second reading session. Before we started to read Sarah began to tell me about her new reading level assigned by her teacher. She was so proud to say she could read on a 7th grade level and could not wait to climb another level. This session was different from the previous because Sarah wanted me to alternate reading with her. She said she wanted to hear how I read so she could try to achieve her new reading goal. I enjoyed hearing Sarah read because I could tell that she put herself in the story and had formed a mind movie. I asked her about the book after we finished the novel and she vividly described the scenes, characters, and main ideas of the books. I was again impressed with how fluent Sarah was at reading and how well she comprehended the material.

The more I observed both children the more I credited their skill and passion for reading to their reading environment at home. I have two younger siblings that attend the same schools as the children I babysit and they are not nearly as passionate as Sarah and John. Sarah and John's parents created a reading corner that provide a safe and comfortable place for them to read. They also gave their children access to reading material and encouraged them to read every night. I believe that their home reading environment has given them an opportunity to excel in school and instill a love for reading.

After my experience I found an interesting article on creating a reading environment at home that I will use in the future.

http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/creating-a-reading-environment-at-home.htm

Questions

• Do you think that creating a friendly reading environment at home is key to a child's reading success?
• Did you have a similar reading environment at home as a child?

Vocabulary Fun!

This week's readings focused on the importance of vocabulary instruction. Vocabulary building is crucial to reading comprehension and concept development. However, vocabulary is often left up to students to build outside of school or pick up in other subjects. If a vocabulary lesson is incorporated in a classroom it is often copying definitions and writing sentences using the new word. This type of instruction can be effective but there are several fun and creative ways to incorporate new vocabulary into your classroom. I have witnessed several activities that I think are great ideas and I wanted to share them with you. I have compiled a few simple ways to encourage vocabulary building in your future classroom.

• Crossword of the Week: This activity is a fun and easy way to build vocabulary weekly. I was introduced to this activity in 6th grade but it can be used in upper elementary grades. Simply generate a crossword puzzle using vocabulary words you will use in your classroom that week. Give the students the puzzle on Monday and allow them to work on the puzzle during their free time or at home. At the end of the week make sure to go over the puzzle and discuss the words. You can even make it a competition to see which students can finish the puzzle first. 
• Word of the Day: This activity is easy and allows you to focus on a new vocabulary word every day. You can make this a part of your daily routine. My 3rd grade teacher used this activity as part of our morning activities. Every morning we would copy our schedule in our agendas. At the end of our activities we would copy down our word of the day and the definition. We would then talk about the word with our neighbor and create a sentence together using the word. 
• Dictionary of the Year: This activity is year long vocabulary project. Create a vocabulary journal at the beginning of the year that will be filled with new vocabulary words by the end of the year. Give your students a new word every week and give them a definition and sentence using the word. Then encourage your students to find 2 new words a week on their own. It could be a word they discover in school or at home. At the end of the year they will have their own '3rd Grade Dictionary' and they can see all of the words they learned that year. This is a fun project and the students will feel accomplished when they see how many new words they have learned.
• VerbaLearn: This is a really neat Web 2.0 tool that is geared towards middle school, high school, and college students. This website allows you to create a study list of vocabulary words and it generates quizzes, crossword puzzles and flashcards for you. The coolest part about the website is that you can get your vocabulary words on MP3 so you can review your vocabulary words anywhere! Although the website is for older students I think that it could be used for upper level elementary students. Here is a video that shows you how the website works.

There are so many activities that can increase vocabulary building in your classroom. These are a few ideas that I think are excellent ideas to incorporate in the classroom and I will definitely use them in the future. What are some other creative ways to incorporate new vocabulary daily?