Reading Reading for for

AccuracyAccuracy

How to Use the 5 Finger RuleHow to Use the 5 Finger Ruleaka The Rule of Fiveaka The Rule of Five

When choosing a book that is just right for you, use the five finger rule. This rule says that when choosing a book that is just right for you, you should:

•Open the book to any page

•Start to read

•If you find a word you can’t read put up one finger

•Continue to read

•Put a finger up each time you come across a word you don’t know

•If you read through the page and you have five fingers up, choose another book

•You will find another book more enjoyable for your independent reading

Let’s look at an excerpt from a story called, ‘Snakebite’ to see how this works.

Example #1:

14 unknown words

SnakebiteOne of the world’s xxxxxxxx

creatures lay in a coil the size of a hockey puck, xxxxxxxx basking in the xxxxxxxx Costa Rican sun in low grass beside a gravel pathway. Its velvety-looking scales of brown and grey were perfect xxxxxxxx for the baby fer-de-lance, a pit viper that kills more people than any other xxxxxxxx in Central America.

Suddenly the ground xxxxxxxx with footsteps, and the xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx in fear. Its pair of heat-sensing organs detecting a threat, the xxxxxxxx stuck its xxxxxxxx triangular head at the xxxxxxxx racing past. One of two xxxxxxxx fangs xxxxxxxx with flesh for just an instant-long enough to inject a deadly dose of venom.

Example #2:

5 unknown words

SnakebiteOne of the world’s xxxxxxxx

creatures lay in a coil the size of a hockey puck, xxxxxxxx basking in the searing Costa Rican sun in low grass beside a gravel pathway. Its velvety-looking scales of brown and grey were perfect camouflage for the baby fer-de-lance, a pit viper that kills more people than any other snake in Central America.

Suddenly the ground vibrated with footsteps, and the snake xxxxxxx in fear. Its pair of heat-sensing organs detecting a threat, the snake stuck its xxxxxxxx triangular head at the creature racing past. One of two xxxxxxxx fangs connected with flesh for just an instant-long enough to inject a deadly dose of venom.

Example #3:

3 unknown words

SnakebiteOne of the world’s xxxxxxxx

creatures lay in a coil the size of a hockey puck, xxxxxxxx basking in the searing Costa Rican sun in low grass beside a gravel pathway. Its velvety-looking scales of brown and grey were perfect camouflage for the baby fer-de-lance, a pit viper that kills more people than any other snake in Central America.

Suddenly the ground vibrated with footsteps, and the snake xxxxxxx in fear. Its pair of heat-sensing organs detecting a threat, the snake stuck its xxxxxxxx triangular head at the creature racing past. One of two hollow fangs connected with flesh for just an instant-long enough to inject a deadly dose of venom.

Example #4:

Entire excerpt

SnakebiteOne of the world’s deadliest

creatures lay in a coil the size of a hockey puck, uncharacteristically basking in the searing Costa Rican sun in low grass beside a gravel pathway. Its velvety-looking scales of brown and grey were perfect camouflage for the baby fer-de-lance, a pit viper that kills more people than any other snake in Central America.

Suddenly the ground vibrated with footsteps, and the snake straightened in fear. Its pair of heat-sensing organs detecting a threat, the snake stuck its distinctive triangular head at the creature racing past. One of two hollow fangs connected with flesh for just an instant-long enough to inject a deadly dose of venom

Just RightJust Right Book – 95% correct (5 words or less unknown in 100 words)

Too HardToo Hard – more than 5 words

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