Fountas and Pinnell Resources Christ Our Holy Redeemer 2015

Reading as a Process Reading is an interactive process that goes on between the reader and the text, resulting in comprehension. The text presents letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs that encode meaning. The reader uses knowledge, skills, and strategies to determine what that meaning is. The purpose(s) for reading and the type of text determine the specific knowledge, skills, and strategies that readers need to apply to achieve comprehension. Reading comprehension is thus much more than decoding. Reading comprehension results when the reader knows which skills and strategies are appropriate for the type of text, and understands how to apply them to accomplish the reading purpose. Material for this section was drawn from “Reading in the beginning and intermediate college foreign language class” by Heidi Byrnes, in Modules for the professional preparation of teaching assistants in foreign languages (Grace Stovall Burkart, ed.; Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1998)

Language*LiteratureLiteracy Language variation and change Literature and contextTexts in context Language for interaction Responding to literature Interacting with others Text structure and organisation Examining literature Interpreting, analysing and evaluating Expressing and developing ideas Creating literatureCreating texts Sound and letter knowledge The strands and sub-strands are:

Reading and Viewing Content descriptions in each language mode are also grouped into strands and sub-strands that, across the levels, present a sequence of development of knowledge, understanding and skills. The three strands, Language, Literature and Literacy, are interrelated and support students' growing understanding and use of Standard Australian English (English). Together the three strands focus on developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking and writing. nd_sequence_AusVELS.pdf ioSiad8kvpaOi5MiH-G3Vg/edit

“We have worked hard to create resources that enable teachers to root instruction in rationales and to meet the needs of each child as a unique learner.” Fountas and Pinnell

Overview of Fountas & Pinnell Fountas and Pinnell is a levelling system based on a gradient of text difficulty from levels A-Z. It consists if twenty-six points on a gradient from the easiest level to the most challenging level. It is assesses the appropriate texts from kindergarten to grades twelve and above.

Specific features of this resource enable you to: Determine your students’ independent and instructional reading levels Group students for reading instruction Select texts that will be productive for a student’s instruction Assess the outcomes of teaching Determine a new student’s instructional and independent reading level Identify students who need intervention and extra help Monitor and report student progress across a school year and across year levels Create class profiles Inform parent conferences

Effectiveness of Fountas & Pinnell Validity- It provides an extensive text levelling system from A-Z, as a benchmark assessment to determine the instructional level of your students. Reliability-The texts are analysed by Fountas and Pinnell where benchmark books were actually created to precisely match the gradient, and they were independently analysed using the same process.

Components of the Kit  Grades P-2, Levels A-N  30 Books (15 Fiction and 15 Nonfiction)  Assessment Guide 2*  Assessment Forms Book  Assessment Forms CD-ROM*  Optional Assessments Item Book  Data Management CD-ROM*  Professional Development DVDs*  The Continuum of Literacy Learning: A Guide to Teaching, P-2*  30 Student Folders*  F&P Calculator/Stopwatch*  Benchmark Assessment System Student Folders (30-pack)

Components of the Kit  Grades 3–8, Levels L–Z  30 Books (15 Fiction and 15 Nonfiction)  Assessment Guide 2*  Assessment Forms Book  Assessment Forms CD-ROM*  Optional Assessments Item Book  Data Management CD-ROM*  Professional Development DVDs*  The Continuum of Literacy Learning: A Guide to Teaching, 3-8*  30 Student Folders*  F&P Calculator/Stopwatch*  Benchmark Assessment System Student Folders (30-pack)

Data can be collected using assessments such as Running Records, miscue analysis and observation surveys.

Levelled Texts for Running Records

Variety of fiction Realistic fiction Simple animal fantasy Historical fiction Variety of nonfiction Simple factual texts Biography Informational texts on science and social studies topics

What is it? “A series of texts that can be used to identify a student's current reading level and progress along a gradient of text levels over time.”

About…Within...Beyond…the text

Why use it?  It has proven to be a valid and reliable assessment tool  To determine students’ independent and instructional reading levels  To group students for reading instruction  To identify students who may need intervention  To assess the outcomes of teaching  To document student progress across a school year and across grade levels  To assess a new student’s reading level  To inform parent conferences

Who will be assessed? When do we assess with this resource? Frequently asked questions