Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts

Finding Just Right Books using the Five Finger Test


I teach students to find Just Right Books using the Five Finger Test.
Five Finger test is one way to "test" a book before you spend too much time with it and get frustrated.
1.  First choose the book you think you would like to read.

2.  Find a page of text somewhere in the middle of the book.  Find a page with lots of text (words) and few or no pictures.

3.  Begin to read the page.  It is best to read the page aloud or in a whisper if possible while doing the test so you can hear the places where you have difficulty.

4.  Each time you come to a word you don't know, hold one finger up.

5.  If you have all five fingers up before you get to the end of the page, wave the book "good-by."  It is probably too difficult for you right now.  Try it again later in the year.

6.  If you have no fingers up when you finish the page, then the book may be an easy read for you. 

7.  If you have less than five fingers but more than one or two fingers up when you finish reading the page, the book may be just what you need to grow as a reader.  Enjoy!


Classroom Library

Classroom Library I have found that nothing creates a more effective reading workshop than an organized library. Every teacher organizes her library in her own way, but you may find some of the ideas below helpful if you are trying to organize your own. Many of the ideas have come from books or from visiting other teachers' classrooms.

Within each section of the library, books are categorized in baskets by genre or topic. Each basket is labeled to indicate the type of books a reader will find inside. Throughout the school year, students and I work together to determine each student's "just right" level for books to read in the classroom library.

As students get to know themselves as readers, they work their way through the levels. A student can read books at their "just right" level and books below their "just right" level. (For example, a student whose JR level is Yellow 2 can also read Yellow 1, Red 2, and Red 1 books.) Every book has a colored sticker with a number that corresponds to the levels on the arrow above.

What do the color codes mean? Each color on the reading level arrow corresponds to a Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading Levels. The chart below shows how the classroom library codes compare to the Fountas and Pinnell levels and to grade levels.

About Me

Welcome to my all thing special education blog. I empower busy elementary special education teachers to use best practice strategies to achieve a data and evidence driven classroom community by sharing easy to use, engaging, unique approaches to small group reading and math. Thanks for Hopping By.
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