Leveled Books, K-8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching
Grades K-8 For ten years and over two classic books, Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell have described how to analyze the characteristics of texts and select just-the-right book to use for guided reading instruction. Now, for the first time, all of their thinking and research has been updated and brought together into Leveled Books (K 8) to form the ultimate guide to choosing and using books from kindergarten through middle school. Fountas and Pinnell take you through every aspect of leveled books, describing how to select and use them for different purposes in your literacy program and offering prototype descriptions of fiction and nonfiction books at each level. They share advice on: the role of leveled books in reading instruction analyzing the characteristics of fiction and nonfiction texts using benchmark books to assess instructional levels for guided reading selecting books for both guided and independent reading organizing high-quality classroom libraries acquiring books and writing proposals to fund classroom-library purchases creating a school book room. In addition, Fountas and Pinnell explain the leveling process in detail so that you can tentatively level any appropriate book that you want to use in your instruction.