End-of-School YearReading Level Info

Date: June, 2015

Student: ______

DRA2 InstructionalReading Level: ______(Level where your child should be able to read and maybe feel challenged to explore things such as: meaning, pronunciation, and higher meaning from text) At this level, they may need some monitoring to make sure they’re getting the gist.

Take this DRA2 level and move down one place ______to find a little more comfortable (better fit) “independent level” for reading that would be a little less challenging. (They will probably sound more fluent at the independent level.)

Tips for reading at home:

Book Selection

  • Your child should choose a book that is close to his/her reading level. Go to: (There’s also an app for your phone!! )and type in any book title to see the DRA level of most books. You will have to click on “DRA” on the sidebar to pull up the matching leveled DRA information for the book. The website also gives you the genre and grade level equivalency for each book. *Certain books may not be listed here.
  • The following website offers different book lists for by levels for readers:
  • Students should choose reading materials from a variety of genres. This will build on fluency, accuracy and comprehension.
  • Talk to your child about the books they are reading. (Which books are their favorites? What’s going on in the story? Listen to their responses and ask questions! Your interest in what they are reading will motivate them to read more!

Sustained Reading

  • Your child should have a calm, quiet designated place to read. Structure and routine is KEY!
  • Read WITH your child...take turns with their book or read your own book while he/she reads theirs. This is a good modeling technique.

Fluency

  • Use familiar texts to practice expression and build on rate
  • Read lower level texts to build on rate
  • Model how to heed punctuation
  • Choral read / reader a play with different character parts
  • Help your child with syllables, chunks, rimes, prefixes and suffixes so they can recognize patterns in words
  • Allow your child to make a mistake then self-correct it! Praise them for this!

Comprehension

  • Draw a picture with your child of the book he/she is reading
  • Have your child RETELL the book to you in sequential order
  • Talk about important events in the story
  • Encourage your child to use characters names and details to retell
  • Make a story map
  • Ask your child to tell you WHY they have a favorite book, tv show, toy, place, etc
  • Have your child make a prediction about the book as they look at the title and illustrations
  • Have your child make a connection with the book...relating a book to their own experiences, another book or the world can be very meaningful.
  • If nonfiction, help your child to identify and read graphs and charts
  • Talk about any new vocabulary to help clarify their understanding

From BestBooksforKids.com:

The Benefits of Reading

1. Kids who read often and widely get better at it.

This is pretty much just common sense.

After all, practice makes perfect in almost everything we humans do and reading is no different.

2. Reading exercises our brains.

Reading is a much more complex task for the human brain than, say, watching TV is.

Reading strengthens brain connections and actually builds new connections.

3. Reading improves concentration.

Again, this is a bit of a no-brainer.

Children have to sit still and quietly so they can focus on the story when they’re reading. If they read regularly as they grow up, they develop the ability to do this for longer and longer periods.

4. Reading teaches children about the world around them.

Through reading, children learn about people, places and events outside their own experience. They are exposed to ways of life, ideas and beliefs about the world which may be different from those which surround them.

This learning is important for its own sake however it also builds a store of background knowledge which helps younger children learn to read confidently and well.

5. Reading improves a child’s vocabulary and leads to more highly-developed language skills.

This is because children learn new words as they read but also because they unconsciously absorb information as they read about things like how to structure sentences and how to use words and language effectively.

6. Reading develops a child’s imagination.

This is because when we read our brains translate the descriptions we read of people, places and things into pictures. When we’re engaged in a story, we’re also imagining how the characters are feeling. We use our own experiences to imagine how we would feel in the same situation.

7. Reading helps kids develop empathy.

This is something I’ve only recently realized but it makes sense. As my fifteen-year-old son said to me when we were discussing it, ‘Of course it does because you’re identifying with the character in the story so you’re feeling what he’s feeling.’

8. Children who read do better at school.

And they don’t just do better at subjects like reading, English and history. They do better at all subjects and they do better all the way through school.

9. Reading is a great form of entertainment!

A paperback book or an e-reader like the Amazon Kindle doesn’t take up much space so you can take it anywhere and you’ll never be lonely or bored if you have a book in your bag. You can read while waiting in a queue, while waiting for a friend who’s running late or during a flight delay at an airport.

10. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind.

This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent.

The constant movement, flashing lights and noise which bombard our senses when we’re watching TV, looking at a computer or playing an electronic game are actually quite stressful for our brains. When we read, we read in silence and the black print on a white page is much less stressful for our eyes and brains.
So there you have it – the Top 10 benefits of reading!

Have a great summer!!!! Please keep reading!

Mrs. Kyvelos