Reading Box Red - Years 4 & 5

Part of the series Reading Boxes by Teachers 4 Teachers - Yellow, Blue, Red and Green.

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Reading Box Red has been created by a team of experienced Australian primary school teachers to sit between, and support, Reading Box Blue and Reading Box Green. It is designed for students in Years 4 to 5/6 and is a complete reading comprehension kit in a box. The box contains 150 carefully levelled cards that provide graded texts and related exercises. The questions found on Reading Box Red cards are carefully cultivated to give students valuable practice at literal, interpretive, inferential and critical levels. Question types include multiple choice, true-false, sequencing, cloze passages and matching skills. Reading Box Red also provides students with valuable language practice through a range of vocabulary and phonics activities. Reading Box Red is suitable for:

• Years 4 and 5
• Reading Levels 16 to 34
• Reading Ages 7 to 13.9

Reading Box Red

• provides excellent preparation for NAPLAN
• has 150 full colour laminated cards spread over 15 levels
• includes a levelling test that is used to grade students into the box
• asks literal, interpretive, inferential and critical questions.
• is a self-managing and motivational reading resource that students thoroughly enjoy using
• has a range of high-interest and age-appropriate persuasive, informative and imaginative texts including:
  • narratives
  • recounts
  • explanations
  • expositions
  • information reports
  • procedures
  • discussions
  • descriptions
  • reviews

How It Works

• A strictly 9-minute levelling test is administered before students begin to work with the box. Alternatively, teachers can use their own testing scores and judgement. Copies of the test are provided within the Teacher’s Folder. The test is also able to be photocopied from the blackline master available within the Teacher’s Manual.
• The test is marked by the teacher and compared to the levelling table found in the Teacher’s Manual. The levelling table provides a recommended beginning card level (sky, mist etc) for each student.
• Students choose one of the informative, persuasive or imaginative texts from their designated colour level.
• Once the student has finished reading the card at their own pace, they undertake a set of comprehension questions that utilise both literal and inferential strategies. The questions are also graded to match the appropriate reading level.
• Students record their answers on a photocopied answer sheet or write the answers in the back of their exercise book.
• Once a card is completed, children mark their own work using the corresponding answer card found at the back of the box.
• Then, students colour the corresponding card level and number on the Progress Chart. This is done so both the teacher and the student knows what work has been completed.

In the Classroom

There are numerous ways a teacher can use the Reading Box Red in a classroom. With 150 different cards, the kit is quite able to support the whole class at one time. However, the optimum usage is seen as an independent activity within a rotational reading group lesson. The model below allows the Reading Box Red to be used by a group working independently, freeing up the teacher to work with other groups and individuals.

Reading Box Red - Samples

Low Level Reading

Front Back

Medium Level Reading

Front Back

Report

High Level Reading Back