Read Like a Detective

Hello, Friends!
I have been MIA on this blog for quite awhile now, but I'm back!

For some reason last year threw me for a loop. I started the year with thirty firsties and had to split my class up in January because we added a teacher. It was so hard! I really hope I don't ever have to do that again.

I wanted to share something I worked on this summer after working on curriculum for my district in June. We started to design assessments for our Common Core Frameworks and are modeling them close to PARCC (a Common Core assessment consortium). We also reviewed and helped re-vamp the AZAC which is a Arizona reading comprehension test starting in 2nd grade. As a first grade teacher, reading the 2nd grade tests made me realize my students need to be exposed to these types of multiple choice text-based evidence questions in first grade. We can work through the questions together in whole group and small groups to better prepare them for 2nd grade when they need to be able to answer them independently.

Sooo... this summer, I started writing original passages to use when teaching the RL and RI standards. I am so excited to use these. The hardest part about teaching Common Core for me is finding passages that fit my needs at the primary level. I use Read Works all the time but they don't have skill specific passages for Kinder or First Grade. These are going to save me so much time next year!

These 50 passages are bundled or you can buy them separately if you only want a specific standard. The standards addressed in these passages include: RL.2,RL.3,RI.2,RI.4,RI.8,RI.9.

Here is what is included in the bundle:

-10 passages that focus on RL.2& RI.2 

Students will practice retelling text with key details. There are 5 literary texts and 5 informative/explanatory texts including a how-to and a recipe.

-10 paired passages that focus on RI.9 
Students will find similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic.

-10 passages that focus on RL.3 

These passages will allow teachers to teach students to describe characters, setting and events. These passages also include developed characters that will allow students to describe a character’s traits and justify with evidence from the text. Most primary texts do not have well developed characters so teaching this skill is difficult unless done during a read aloud. Central message is also reinforced in these passages.

-10 Differentiated Opinion Passages that focus on RI.8 20 passages total! 

The best part is that I have included 2 levels of opinion pieces with/ without details/explanations for each support. This will allow for differentiation as well as the opportunity to use the passages as a writing lesson for students who are ready to add details/explanations to their supports. In order to write opinion pieces well, students need to have read many opinion pieces and studied the structure of this type of writing. 

If you're interested in these passages, click here to go to my TPT site.