Teacher's Guide: Student Reading Behaviors
Step 1
Print-Sound Connections
Separates most three-letter words into individual sounds (e.g., says /h/-/a/-/t/ for "hat").
Blends onset and rime sounds into words when prompted (e.g., blends /h/-/at/ to say "hat").
Writes initial and ending sounds for most words.
Word-Solving and Reading Strategies
Reads Level-C books with 90% accuracy.
Uses first-letter sounds to attempt unknown words, preparing their mouth for sounds.
Confirms and self-corrects some words with the help of the first letter and picture cues.
Recognizes and corrects some reading errors but still needs guidance in self-monitoring.
Reads core high-frequency words automatically to aid in reading fluency.
Begins to notice some letter patterns and word families but does not consistently apply them for word-solving.
Fluency and Reading Rate
Rereads familiar stories with some phrasing and uses expression on familiar refrains.
Maintains one-to-one matching on new text, reading mostly word-by-word, often pointing with their finger.
Comprehension
Combines details from text and pictures to make sense of stories.
Identifies basic story elements (characters, setting, beginning, and end) when prompted.
Anticipates story events as they unfold.
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Step 2
Word-Solving and Reading Strategies
Reads Level-I books with 90% accuracy.
Checks new words using various information sources (visual, syntax, meaning) with some flexibility.
Self-corrects at error points with fewer returns to the start of sentences.
Breaks longer words into syllables or chunks to solve them.
Rereads when needed but not habitually.
Maintains word problem-solving and meaning-making across longer texts.
Uses some complex letter patterns (e.g., long-vowel patterns, complex blends) while reading.
Does not rely solely on decoding; checks if words make sense within the sentence.
Fluency and Reading Rate
Reads new Level-I texts in three- to four-word phrases, observing most punctuation.
Reads most text at 40-50 words per minute, slowing for challenging words.
Begins to read some new text silently.
Comprehension
Relies less on illustrations for comprehension but uses them for additional meaning.
Can pause during reading to discuss what has just happened when prompted.
Recalls story details to answer inferential and critical-thinking questions, sometimes needing prompts to elaborate.
Connects book events to personal experiences, noting similarities and differences.
Explains answers and attempts to justify inferences about ideas.
Step 3
Word-Solving and Reading Strategies
Reads Level-M books with 90% accuracy.
Automatically reads most regularly spelled two-syllable words.
Applies word-solving strategies flexibly to complex multisyllabic words.
Solves most irregularly spelled words.
Fluency and Reading Rate
Reads new Level-M texts in three- to four-word phrases, noting punctuation.
Reads Level-M text orally at 50-100 words per minute, typically 60 or more.
Reads independently across multiple days, retaining key details and plot.
Comprehension
Tracks characters across story episodes, expanding understanding as the story unfolds.
Links earlier and later text parts to comprehend the overall storyline.
Identifies themes across books, discussing similarities and differences.
Retells stories with some synthesis and interpretation, moving beyond basic recall.
Locates book sections to gather information to support answers.
Writes basic responses to prompts or questions, though responses may lack detailed elaboration.