Remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? When Goldilocks sits in Papa Bear's chair and she finds that it is too big. Mama Bear's chair is too big, too! But Baby Bear's chair is just right. Sometimes we find books that are too big for us. Just like a chair that is too big, a book that is too big can make us feel small and frustrated and maybe even a little scared or sad. Just like Goldilocks, first graders in Mrs. McHenry's class are always searching for the perfect books to take home at night. We call these books our "just right" books. For a book to be "just right," students know they should be able to read all or almost all of the words in that book. Reading these "just right" books help develop oral expression, fluency, comprehension, and confidence.
As you listen to your first graders read their "just right" books at night, they should be reading with 90%+ accuracy. If there are more than 1 or 2 tricky words on a page, that book is too difficult for the purposes of the "just right" book. Please leave a comment in your child's reading log if you think the book he or she brought home is too difficult."Just right" books are kept on a special bookshelf in our classroom. They are organized according to Fountas and Pinnell's Text Level Gradient. To learn more, visit http://www.fountasandpinnellleveledbooks.com/aboutLeveledTexts.aspx.
Dear Mrs. McHenry,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through a Google search for "Just Right" images. This message to families, and your classroom sign is terrific. I teach special education for early childhood educators at Penn State Altoona. I would like to share your page with my class, but wanted to ask your permission first. You can contact me at MMC277@psu.edu. Thank you for considering sharing your work with future educators. Best ~ Anne Mong Cramer, Ph.D.