Level 1 (age 5)
In Level 1, we concentrate on reading
readiness. Children work on identifying letter
sounds, rhyming words, recognizing upper and lower case
letters of the alphabet, and learn to read simple picture
books with patterned language and rhymes. Writing
is introduced through writing numbers, letters, and words. Other
early developmental writing activities include writing
names with correct spelling and capitalization, producing
captions or sentences in concert with drawings, and writing
with correct directionality. To reinforce speaking
and listening, children tell stories, participate in
group discussions, and learn to listen attentively.
Level 2 (ages 6-7)
In Level 2, we build upon many of the
skills that were introduced in Level 1. Children
identify vowels and consonants, understand long and short
vowels, and begin to read phonetic and high frequency
sight words. Decoding strategies are reinforced,
and children read easy reader to early chapter books,
ultimately working toward a fluent reading speed of 85-100
words per minute. Writing activities become more
complex, and children begin to compose short fictional
stories with a story line, write personal letters, and
record their thoughts in daily response journals. Punctuation
and grammar are placed in context, and children practice
identifying nouns, verbs, and adjectives; begin to use
apostrophes and commas; and learn to correctly spell
high-frequency words. Speaking and listening skills
are reinforced through oral reports, giving directions,
requesting information, and practicing attentive listening.
Level 3 (ages 8-9)
In Level 3, reading moves past the print
on the page and into different types of comprehension. Most
children develop reading skills that allow them to self-select
reading material, including historical fiction, poetry,
adventure stories, and biographies. Students share
in discussions of what they read with the teacher and
in cross-age reading groups. It is at this level
that reading for information is introduced. Instruction
continues to introduce high-frequency sight words and
new vocabulary. Writing also continues to advance
with students composing fictional stories with a story
line and climax and early reports based on research. Grammatical
structures allow students to write more eloquent sentences
and to gain skills with paragraph structure.
Level 4 (ages 10-11)
Children at this level view reading
as a pleasurable activity and as a necessary tool for
succeeding in the world. Reading selections become
more sophisticated and include biographies, culturally
relevant literature, and historical fiction. Students
are taught research and information-gathering techniques
and how to extract information from written materials. In
this age range, students write journals, poetry, fiction,
biography, scientific reporting and analysis, and independent
research projects. Writing instruction and practice
focus on organization, mechanics, punctuation, spelling,
and grammar. For spelling, students focus on commonly
misspelled words, often chosen from thematic units, words
extracted from the students’ literature selections,
and spelling generalizations.
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