Components of Reading Instruction

 

Making Meaning

The Making Meaning program is designed to teach reading comprehension strategies through whole-class read alouds.  It also stresses individualized reading and conferencing.

 

Independent Daily Reading (IDR)

Students are required to be reading a book of their choice.  This book should match their reading level and be something of interest to the student.  They also must keep a journal where they reflect on their reading using comprehension strategies.  The IDR Journal is collected once per marking period for a grade.

 

Achieve3000

Students are required to read at least eight Achieve 3000 articles per month.  Achieve3000 articles are customized to be at a student's individual reading level.  After reading, students are required to complete the activity (multiple choice questions) and though question section.  Articles may be read at home, but only activities completed in school will contribute to a lexile adjustment. For more information about Lexile levels, click here.  At the beginning of each month, students will come home with a folder containing their adjusted Lexile.  Students also track this information in a Google Sheet. I encourage parents and students to engage in a monthly discussion about growth and what behaviors contribute to continuous improvement.  Students can log in automatically with their Google account by visiting g.achieve3000.com.

 

Study Island

Students will use Study Island to reinforce standards learned in class.  Study Island can be completed during FLEX, during class, or at home.  Study Island contains rigorous questions that correlate to the NJ Student Learning Standards.  For a section to be considered complete, students must complete 10 questions and receive a score of 70%.  Students log in with their Google information without the k12.nj.us.

Trade Books

Fourth graders read two to three novels per year.  In recent years, those novels have included The Indian in the Cupboard, Rules, Shiloh, and The One and Only Ivan.  

Assessments

Each Marking Period

• 1 Common Assessment
• 2 Tests
• 2 Quizzes
• 2 Supplemental Assessments
• Independent Practice (Homework)

Monthly

• Lexile Level adjusts on the first of each month.
• Monthly Lexile levels are communicated through a folder.  Parents must sign the folder at the beginning of each month.

Reading Skills (NJ Student Learning Standards)

by Marking Period

*Once introduced, skills are repeated and reassessed in subsequent marking periods.

 

1st Marking Period

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Refer to details and examples in a text and make relevant connections when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.	RL.4.1, RI.4.1
Determine the key details to identify theme in a story, drama, or poem and summarize the text.	RL.4.2
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).	RL.4.3
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in literature; Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.	RL.4.4, RI.4.4
Explain major differences between poems and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter)	RL.4.5
Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narration.	RL.4.6

 

2nd Marking Period

Compare, contrast, and reflect on (e.g. practical knowledge, historical/cultural context, and background knowledge) stories in the same genre (e.g. mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.	RL.4.9
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.	RI.4.2
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.	RI.4.3
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.	RI 4.7
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.	RI.4.8

 

3rd Marking Period

Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

RI.4.5

 

4th Marking Period

Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.	RI.4.6
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.	RI 4.7

 

 

• Monitoring for meaning - Recognizing when you understand the text and when you do not.
  • Thoughts to monitor meaning:
    • I understand . . . 
      
    • I do not understand . . .
    • This is easy to read because . . . 
      
    • This is hard to read because . . .
  • Fix-up strategies to repair comprehension (self-monitoring)

• Using and creating schema - Making connections between what you know and what you are reading.
  • Types of Connections:
    • Text to Self 
      
    • Text to Text
    • Text to World

• Asking questions - Composing questions before, during, and after you read.
  • Types of Questions:
  • I wonder . . . 
    
  • Who . . . 
    
  • What . . . 
    
  • Where . . . 
    
  • When . . . 
    
  • Why . . . 
    
  • How . . .

• Determining importance - Concluding what is the most important information to remember from what you are reading.
  • Thoughts to determine importance: 
    
    • "The text was mostly about . . ."
    • "The author is trying to tell me . . ." 
      
    • "I learned . . ." 
      
    • "The important details are . . ."

• Inferring - Using background knowledge and details from what you are reading to make predictions, conclusions, and interpretations. 
  • Thoughts to make inferences:
    • Based on what I know I predict . . . conclude . . . infer . . .
    • Based on what I read I predict . . . conclude . . . infer . . .
    • I predict . . . conclude . . . infer . . . because (clues from the text)

• Using sensory and emotional images - Visualizing the text in your mind.
  • Draw an actual picture or create a picture in your mind from key, descriptive words and phrases.

• Synthesizing - You combine what you know with new information. ("Aha" moment)
  • Thoughts that lead to synthesizing:
    • My connection made me realize . . .
    • My question made me realize . . .
    • My prediction made me realize . . .
    • My conclusion made me realize . . .
    • My inference made me realize . . .
    • That information from the text made me realize ...