RAPID CITY AREA SCHOOLS Parent Guide to Standards-Based Reporting Literacy Grades 3, 4, and 5 Children are individuals who grow and develop at their own rate. Children in the same grade may differ widely from others in their group. There are, however, expectations, or standards, for each individual grade level to be mastered by the end of the year. This is a guide to help you interpret these levels and your child s report card. The standards-based report card uses four performance levels to reflect your child s progress toward meeting each end-ofthe-year standard advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic. The proficient mark is the goal for each grade level. The following guide presents the standards for early literacy learning for your child s grade level and provides an explanation or example of the skills. Additionally, this guide will provide you with tips on how to help your child reach the targeted goals. This guide is only a start. If you want to know more about your child s learning, please contact the classroom teacher. Every reading experience should have meaning attached. Reading is much more than letter and sound knowledge, even to the very young child. Revised Fall 2014
READING WORKSHOP I. Reads grade level text independently: Reading grade level text is determined by evidence from multiple sources and progress monitoring. Some of these sources include: running records, observation in guided reading and independent work, conferring, and proficiency benchmarks. The evidence gathered from these sources is then combined to determine a student s overall performance in reading grade level text. As such, the assessment of this standard is more than just text reading level. It is a reflection of many skills combined including problem solving strategies, fluency, and comprehension. Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced Third Grade Levels A-I Levels J-N Levels O-P Level Q+ Fourth Grade Levels A-L Levels M-P Levels Q-S Level T+ Fifth Grade Levels A-O Levels P-S Levels T-V Level W+ Text Reading Level Proficiency Continuum X X X X X X X X X X X X I J K L M N O P Q R S T By the end of the year, a proficient reader in Grades 3, 4, and 5 in part, will: Display sustained and consistent stamina, self-initiative, silent reading, reading memory, and independent reading on longer texts and over an extended period of time Read a variety of genres: historical fiction, informational text, more complex fantasy, realistic fiction, traditional literature, and special forms of text (mysteries, series, books with sequels, news related articles, diaries, opinion pieces, memoirs, etc) Read and understand descriptive words, content-specific words, and some technical words Recognize and use figurative language to understand plot Solve sophisticated vocabulary by deriving meaning from context Read critically to search for and locate information in texts and use texts as references Understand perspectives different from their own, as well as settings and people far distant in time Read and analyze challenging and elaborate plots with many complex characters who develop and change over time Read about topics, ideas, and themes that go beyond readers personal experiences and content knowledge and require the understanding of unfamiliar perspectives How can I help my child read at grade level? Set aside time to listen to your child read, even for a short interval Provide time, space, and encouragement for silent reading Read frequently with or to your child, modeling good reading Encourage your child to try a variety of text types including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, game directions, ageappropriate magazines, posters Have your child read lots of text designed for your child s reading level, moving steadily up to more difficult text Encourage rereading of familiar text Make reading experiences in the home highly successful and enjoyable Play vocabulary games
Reading workshop continued II. Reads with fluency in current text level: Fluent reading is the ability to orally read familiar and unfamiliar text accurately and effortlessly at an appropriate rate, and with meaningful phrasing and expression. Fluent reading is directly related to comprehension, and grows with readers as they advance through text levels. By the end of the year, a proficient reader in Grade 3, 4, or 5 will, at grade appropriate levels: Read with appropriate and meaningful phrasing Read smoothly with expression Attend to punctuation to help read with meaning Attend to sentence structure to gain meaning Self-correct mistakes effectively and maintain the flow of reading How can I help my child with fluency? Have a planned reading time every day Read to and with your child, modeling fluent reading Encourage reading and rereading of familiar books Show your child appropriate places to pause or group words together Encourage your child to read with expression (sound like the character or show action). Model this for him/her Support the child s reading of just right books provided by the school, while reading harder books of your child s choice together. If a text is too hard, it will affect the fluency of a reader III. Demonstrates Effective Reading Behaviors in current instructional text: Problem solving strategies are actions readers use to fluently read and comprehend all types of text. Proficient readers apply these strategies on the run while reading, and meaning is not affected. Readers need to be aware of their reading and to be able to use strategies flexibly to problem solve in a variety of texts. By the end of the year, a proficient reader in Grades 3, 4, and 5 will, at grade appropriate levels: Reread to self-correct or confirm an action Know many high-frequency words automatically Look through words to check prefixes, suffixes, vowel patterns, word parts, root words Use context clues to figure out tricky words Check to make sure reading sounds right, looks right, and makes sense Self monitor reading and fix most errors How can I help my child with reading behaviors? When your child does not know a word, prompt the child to figure it out before telling her the word Provide assistance by talking about what word would make sense in the sentence/story, and discuss the meaning of the text (looking at the word while thinking about the story) Prompt your child to look at the whole word, and ask Do you know any part of the word? Encourage your child to listen to himself read and be aware of his reading Avoid reading books that are too hard and require too much problem solving which may lead to frustration and a breakdown in comprehension and fluency Read just right books that provide some challenge but are mostly decodable and that the child can understand
Reading Workshop continued IV. Uses Comprehension Strategies to gain meaning in current instructional text level: Comprehension/thinking strategies are used to think about and comprehend text before reading, during reading, and after reading. Students use these strategies across all grade levels with increasing sophistication. Comprehension/ thinking strategies include but are not limited to: Making connections Questioning Visualizing Inferring Determining importance (get the big idea) Summarizing Synthesizing Analyzing characters, events, and ideas Analyzing text structures Using text features to gain meaning Citing text evidence Identifying main idea and details Retell/Recount Compare and Contrast By the end of the year, a proficient reader in Grades 3, 4, and 5 will: Use many strategies independently or with occasional guidance at grade appropriate reading levels Adjust thinking before, during, and after reading most of the time Describe comprehension strategies and tell how they are helpful in understanding text How can I help my child with comprehension strategies and responding to text? Read, then talk about the story (not just surface details, but the big idea and inferences) Make predictions and ask questions about the story; change/affirm predictions based on further reading Discuss interesting details and ideas about the story Talk about how the pictures and/or details help tell the story Ask questions such as: Does that remind you of anything?, What pictures do you have in your head while you read?, What does the author really mean there?, What might have happened if?
Word Study I. By the end of the year children will be able to apply word analysis strategies in reading: The purpose of word study is to teach students how to acquire and use language as a tool in reading and writing. Lessons focus on teaching children how letters, sounds, and words work; and strategies to acquire new vocabulary using known words, word patterns, features of words, word roots, and context. It is important for a child to use and transfer word knowledge to all reading and written work. Applying word analysis strategies at grade level is determined by evidence from multiple assessments. Proficient students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 will, most of the time and with occasional guidance: Use sounds of letters, chunks, and syllables to solve new words Use visual patterns of letters, chunks, syllables, and features to solve new words Use parts of the word and word roots to determine word meaning while reading Use context clues to determine word meaning while reading How can I help my child apply word analysis in reading? Provide materials and opportunities to explore words and play word games (Hangman, Scrabble, Boggle) Assist your child in writing messages, stories, or lists pointing out tricky parts (jumped, not jumpt; follow, not folow) Notice and practice high-frequency words Talk about words that would make sense in stories, that have multiple meanings, synonyms, or opposites II. By the end of the year children will be able to apply word analysis strategies in writing: Applying word analysis strategies in writing at grade level is determined by evidence from multiple assessments: conferring, anecdotal notes in guided writing, daily independent writing, fast writes, and other written assignments. It is a reflection of the application of word knowledge while writing. Writers who are successful with this transfer write fluently, and accurately apply word analysis strategies to their writing. Proficient students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 will, most of the time and with occasional guidance: Use sounds of letters, chunks, and syllables to write new words Use visual patterns of letters, chunks, syllables, and features to write new words Add word parts to match meaning and structure of a sentence How can I help my child with noticing parts, patterns, and features of words? Provide materials and opportunities to make and write words Play games where the child needs to tell or write words with hard to hear and unusual parts, such as: gh, ph, ght, tion, ious Assist your child in reading and writing, pointing out features of words (occasion, joyous, address, cough; apostrophes in contractions and possessives) Help your child to look at words carefully, noticing parts and spellings of words Ask, Does that word look right?, Have you seen that word before?, What part do you know in that word?, What other word is like that?
Writing Workshop Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing End of the year expectations for structure, development, and language conventions are found on the scoring rubric for each type of writing, and are used to examine and progress monitor student writing throughout the year. Student checklists are simplified versions of the scoring rubric, and are used by students to help monitor their own writing. These checklists help to increase student success and productivity in writing. Checklists are available from the classroom teacher if desired. I. Demonstrates Structure in narrative, information, and opinion writing: End of the year expectations for structure are found on the student checklists for each type of writing. II. Demonstrates Development in narrative, information, and opinion writing: End of the year expectations for development are found on the student checklists for each type of writing. III. Demonstrates Language Conventions in narrative, information, and opinion writing: End of the year expectations for language conventions are found on the student checklists for each type of writing. How can I support my child in his/her growth as a writer? Practice writing in some form on a frequent basis (letters, stories, poems, notes, lists) Keep copies of the student checklists available for your child to use when writing at home Use the language from the checklists when talking about your child s writing Talk about writing in a positive manner and make a game out of looking for ways to strengthen your child s writing Do shared writing projects with your child (you write a page, I ll write a page have a copy of the student checklist handy to use as a guide) Model good writing