To Meet the Benchmark, 3rd grade students should be reading at:
Level N in November
Level O in March
Level P by June
AT LEVELS N-P
A CHILD’S READING LEVEL IS DETERMINED BY:
• Is the child reading with accuracy? Level N students should read with at least 95% accuracy. Level O and P students with 96% accuracy. (Examples of acceptable accuracy: Level N (95%): 7 errors on 143 words, 9 errors on 168-176 words, 10 errors on 196 words, Level O an P (96%): 9 errors on 214-216 words, 10 errors on 228 words)
• The child is timed. Level N students should read at least 75 words per minute. Level O and P at least 80 words per minute.
• Is the child reading with expression that reflects the mood, pace, and tension of the text? OR, if the text is nonfiction, is the child emphasizing key phrases and words?
• Does the child read in longer phrases, and heed punctuation?
• After reading the first few paragraphs, can the child make 3 thoughtful predictions of what might happen in the text? OR, if the text is nonfiction, can the child use the title and table of contents page to think of 3 questions that may be answered in the book.
• After reading the first few paragraphs, can the child stop and describe each character using 3 specific details? OR, if the text is nonfiction, can the child interpret what the nonfiction text features show?
• After reading, can the child write a summary, including important characters, events, and details, from the beginning, middle, end? OR, if the text is nonfiction, can the child write important facts from each heading?
• Does the child use the important language and vocabulary from the text?
• Can the child answer literal questions?
• The child has to interpret the meaning of the story and support it with details. (For example: What did the character learn? OR Why did the character feel____? OR Why did the character say ____?) OR, if the text is nonfiction, a “why do you think…” question is asked.
• The child must determine the most important event in the story and why, giving an opinion that reflects higher level thinking.
***When you read at home with your child, it is important to have your child figure out unknown words on his/her own by:
a. Look at the picture b. Sound it out c. Skip it, read on, go back
d. Look for familiar chunks in the word, for example in “wagon” there’s “ag” as in “bag” and the chunk “on” e. Always ask yourself “does that look right, sound right, make sense?”
Level N in November
Level O in March
Level P by June
AT LEVELS N-P
A CHILD’S READING LEVEL IS DETERMINED BY:
• Is the child reading with accuracy? Level N students should read with at least 95% accuracy. Level O and P students with 96% accuracy. (Examples of acceptable accuracy: Level N (95%): 7 errors on 143 words, 9 errors on 168-176 words, 10 errors on 196 words, Level O an P (96%): 9 errors on 214-216 words, 10 errors on 228 words)
• The child is timed. Level N students should read at least 75 words per minute. Level O and P at least 80 words per minute.
• Is the child reading with expression that reflects the mood, pace, and tension of the text? OR, if the text is nonfiction, is the child emphasizing key phrases and words?
• Does the child read in longer phrases, and heed punctuation?
• After reading the first few paragraphs, can the child make 3 thoughtful predictions of what might happen in the text? OR, if the text is nonfiction, can the child use the title and table of contents page to think of 3 questions that may be answered in the book.
• After reading the first few paragraphs, can the child stop and describe each character using 3 specific details? OR, if the text is nonfiction, can the child interpret what the nonfiction text features show?
• After reading, can the child write a summary, including important characters, events, and details, from the beginning, middle, end? OR, if the text is nonfiction, can the child write important facts from each heading?
• Does the child use the important language and vocabulary from the text?
• Can the child answer literal questions?
• The child has to interpret the meaning of the story and support it with details. (For example: What did the character learn? OR Why did the character feel____? OR Why did the character say ____?) OR, if the text is nonfiction, a “why do you think…” question is asked.
• The child must determine the most important event in the story and why, giving an opinion that reflects higher level thinking.
***When you read at home with your child, it is important to have your child figure out unknown words on his/her own by:
a. Look at the picture b. Sound it out c. Skip it, read on, go back
d. Look for familiar chunks in the word, for example in “wagon” there’s “ag” as in “bag” and the chunk “on” e. Always ask yourself “does that look right, sound right, make sense?”