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TRAINING

GETTING STARTED

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Basic Site Layout and Easy Navigation

1. Materials on the site are grouped by reading skill or teaching practice. The tabs at the top show these groupings. Each tab includes resources targeting the named skill or reading area.

2. Within each tab, the links at the top of the page show the information or

resources included on that page. Clicking on any of these links will link you to the resource or information indicated.

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A Look at Each Tab

When you first log in, you land on the Members Home Page. This page includes information on “New Books, Materials, and Features”, links to other Learning A-Z sites, Learning A-Z news, and the search tool.

Within this tab you will find all book categories such as leveled books or High Frequency word books. To go to a category, click on the category name. The book titles listed are direct links to a downloadable book and accompanying lesson plans.

Features

1. Types of Books Included: ____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Printable Lists

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The Guided Reading Tab includes printable leveled readers. Each book has an accompanying complete lesson plan with guides for before, during, and after reading as well as lessons to target specific skill areas.

Step 1 - Matching Students to Books

Text should be chosen with just the right level of challenge and support.

You can choose a level to start with based on the age or grade of your students, by assessing with

Reading A-Z benchmark books and running records, or by referring to the correlations chart to see

Reading A-Z approximate correlations with other leveling systems.

Correlation Chart Grade Reading a-z Fountas & Pinnell Reading Recovery DRA

K aa A 1 A - 1

K A A 1 A - 1

K B B 2 2

K C C 3 - 4 3

1 D D 5 - 6 4

1 E E 7 - 8 6-8

1 F F 9 - 10 10

1 G G 11 - 12 12

1 H H 13 - 14 14

1 I I 15 16

1 J I 16 16

2 K J 17 18

2 L K 18 20

2 M L 19 24

2 N M 20 28

2 O M 20 28

2 P N 21 30

3 Q N 21 30

3 R O 22 34

3 S O 22 34

3 T P 23 38

4 U Q 24 40

4 V R 25 40

4 W S 26 44

5 X T 27 44

5 Y U 28

5 Z V 29

Developmental

Reading

Assessment

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And - use the

This tool makes it easy to search for books by theme or topic as well as specific level needed or skill being taught. By using the search fields you can narrow your criteria and find just the book you need.

OR - use the Leveled Reader Skills Chart This is a complete list of grade level comprehension and language arts skills for each book. With this chart it is easy to align with your state standards or district curriculum.

Works like a spread sheet. You can sort

by column heading!

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Using the Books and Lesson Plans

Once you have determined the appropriate level, (and perhaps narrowed down which title to use by using the search feature), you can click on a book titlea book titlea book titlea book title to go to the book’s landing page to read an overview of that book and lesson and download all material. What’s on a books landing page? _________________________________________________________________________________________ You may select a version to download and choose whether to have a colored or black and white cover (double sided is available for many books and saves on paper and assembly time).

The general format of the lessons includes suggestions for: ________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________

The lesson and skills for the book (depending on level or length of the book and needs of the students) is most typically taught over several days.

Use the BENCHMARK BOOKS to assess student’s readiness to progress to the next level. Notes:

Tip - Use colored duct tape to

cover staples and indicate level.

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Assessing and Determining Student Needs

This tab has various assessment tools targeting key areas of reading useful in determining student strengths or areas where students may need additional instruction. Features: Alphabet Assessment Forms High-Frequency Word Assessment Forms Fluency Assessment Forms Phonological Awareness Assessment Forms Retelling Rubrics Assessing with Benchmark Books Comprehension Quick Checks Phonics Assessment Forms Other Assessment Tips

Steps to Assess with Benchmark Books

1. Administer a running record. 2. Score the running record.

________ = Frustrational level ________ = Instructional Level ________ = Independent level

3. Orally give the Benchmark Quick Check to assess comprehension 4. Optional – use a fluency passage from same level to check if a student is

reading at the targeted fluency rate. How often do I do a running record with a Benchmark Book?

• Early Emergent readers (Levels aa – C): ____________________ • Emergent readers (Levels D – J): __________________________ • Early fluent readers (Levels K – P): _________________________ • Fluent readers (Levels Q – Z): ______________________________

Notes:

Use books at this level for fluency practice.

Accuracy Rate - (Total words read – Total errors) / Total words read x 100 = Accuracy rate

Use the graphs provided for

progress monitoring.

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Building a Solid Foundation in Reading

1. See appendix: Assess – Plan – Teach with Reading A-Z

This tab has resources for teaching sound spelling patterns in a systematic and sequential program with focused lesson and accompanying decodable books. Features: Lessons Read-Aloud Books Decodable Books

Worksheets Sound/Symbol Books Flashcards

List of Decodable Books (sample) Consonants, Short Vowels, and Word Families Lesson 1 Consonant Nn

Lesson 2 Short Vowel /a/

Lesson 3 Consonant Pp Nan and Pap

Lesson 4 Consonant Mm A Nap and a Map

Blends Lesson 36 S-Blends Swiss Fun Run

Lesson 37 R-Blends Fran and the Prom Dress

Long Vowels - VCe Pattern

Lesson 42 VCe Long /a/ Snake and Ape

Lesson 43 VCe Long /o/ Rose's Birthday

Lessons are systematic and sequential. Each lesson builds on the sound spelling patterns taught in the previous lesson.

Ask students to “signal” by

tapping their head, each

time they hear the targeted

sound.

Start from lesson 1 and proceed

through OR jump in and teach a

sequence of lesson such as

BLENDS to give student extra

practice in an skill in which

additional support or practice is

needed.

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This tab has resources to help students develop a broader, richer vocabulary and can be used with English Language Learners or any students needing extra support in vocabulary development. Features: Vocabulary Books Graphic Organizers Word Sorts

Notes:

This tab includes resources to help students build fluency through activities suggested as best practice in current research including repeated reading, reading out loud, and modeled fluency. Features: Fluency Passages Fluency Teaching Tips Reader's Theater Scripts

Fluency Assessment Passages Procedures for Timed Readings Reader's Theater Teaching Tips Fluency Standards Table Scoring Timed Readings Using Reader's Theater to Teach Fluency

Notes:

Features: Program Nursery Other Poetry Books Poetry Writing Program

Notes:

Focus on students’

fluency (prosody).

Have students

choose a poem to

practice and

perform.

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This tab includes resources useful as students are learning letters and sounds.

Features: Books Flashcards Strategy Bank Spanish

Chants Worksheets Friezes French

Notes:

This tab includes unique resources to help engage students in literacy and build a love of reading. Many of the resources here can also be found within the other tabs.

Features: Trade Book Lesson Plans RAZ Pocketbooks Graphic Organizers Reader's Theater

Wordless Books High-Frequency Word Books Serial Books Comic Books RAZ WOWzers Reading and Word-Attack Strategies Humor Books

Notes:

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Scavenger Hunt

1. What book could you use if you were studying your state? __________________________________

2. Name one “type” of book provided on Reading A-Z you might use other than the leveled books. ______________

3. How many levels of books are there in Reading A-Z? ______________

4. How many level I books are there? _____________

5. Name three general parts of a guided reading lesson lessons? __________________________________________________________

6. What could you use to help determine the right book level for a student? __________________________________________________

7. What book could you use to help ELL learn terms for school? _____

8. What are 3 resources included in a typical phonics lesson? _____________________________________________________

9. Where would you find a lesson plan for Emma’s Strange Pet? ______________________________________________________

10. What tool could you use to assess fluency AND comprehension? _________________________________________________________

11. What is the title of poetry book # 19? ______________________