Step 1: Choose a Skill
- Each lesson can be used multiple times with the same students. Choose different reading material each time. This gives the students a chance to become comfortable with the format and the expectations so they can focus on the skill.
- Model, model, model, model!
- Demonstrate the skill in detail, explaining your thinking process out loud, especially for struggling students.
- Show the assignment page on an overhead projector. Read the article together. Pause and describe your thoughts as you look for the information needed to complete each part of the assignment.
- The first time you give an assignment, complete at least the first half of it as a whole class. Give the students multiple chances to hear you explain how to use the skill before asking them to try it on their own.
- Allow students to work together. Talking through the work may help them clarify their thinking and gives you a chance to listen in and better understand how much they are able to do.
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Determine Main Idea and Identify Details (Grades 3-10, RIT 191-220) |
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(Grades 3-6, RIT 191-220) |
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(Grades 3-10, RIT 191-220) |
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Distinguish Between Fact and Opinion (Grades 3-10, RIT 191-220) |
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Step 2: Choose an Article
Each article is available at three reading levels:
- Level 1: approximate Lexile measure 500-700; approximate reading level 3-4 grade
- Level 2: approximate Lexile measure 700-900; approximate reading level 5-6 grade
- Level 3: approximate Lexile measure over 900; approximate reading level 7-10 grade
Note: These articles are fiction, but they are written to be read and used as non-fiction. Many of the stories have their basis in a real event or situation, but the names, places and details have been changed. As much as possible, statistics in the articles are true so that classroom discussion isn't guided by false information.
For older and more advanced students, these articles can be great resources for a lesson on validity of a source. Ask students: How do you know if what is written here is true? Can you believe what you read?
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Eat Your Greens - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about students making healthier food choices |
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Lunch Choices - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about efforts to make school lunches healthier |
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Barefoot Running - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about the pros and cons of recreational running without shoes |
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Beat the Heat - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about ways to stay healthy in the heat |
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Bell Ringers - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about the people ringing bells to raise money for charity |
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Buried Treasure - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story of a man who found a mysterious box buried on his farm |
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Dog Rescue - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story of a girl who helps local dog shelters match missing dogs with their owners |
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Driving with Pets - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about traveling safely with pets in a vehicle |
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Eat Your Greens - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about students making healthier food choices |
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Gum for Health - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about health benefits being added to new varieties of gum |
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Healthy Potatoes - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story about a man who ate nothing but potatoes for sixty days |
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House of Snakes - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story about a house infested with snakes |
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Is Summer Break Necessary? - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about the reasons for a summer vacation from school |
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Lost in the Woods - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story about a boy who got lost during a camping trip |
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Lottery Winners - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story about a winning lottery ticket with three possible owners |
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Lunch Choices - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about efforts to make school lunches healthier |
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School Uniforms - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story about a middle school that requires students to wear uniforms |
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Silent Football - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story about a deaf student who plays football |
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Sleepy Teens - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article about the need for sleep |
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Test Taking Strategies - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article with suggestions for ways to prepare for a test |
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Tips for Parents - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Informational article with guidelines for parents of teenagers |
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Virtual School - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story about a student who attends school online |
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Whitewater Rock - Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 Story about a dangerous section of a popular river for rafting |
More articles coming throughout the year!
Step 3: Assign Students
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Use assessment data and classroom performance to determine the most effective level for each child to work.
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Assign each student the level of article most appropriate for that individual student. All students can read about the same story and practice the same skills using reading materials that are at their own level so they are able to learn more (See Zone of Proximal Development)
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Be flexible. If a student is struggling or needs more of a challenge, adjust his/her assigned work accordingly.
