Introduction
Scott Foresman Reading Street provides
over 600 leveled readers that help children
become better readers and build a lifelong
love of reading. The Reading Street leveled
readers are engaging texts that help children
practice critical reading skills and strategies.
They also provide opportunities to build
vocabulary, understand concepts, and develop
reading fluency.
The leveled readers were developed to be
age-appropriate and appealing to children at
each grade level. The leveled readers consist
of engaging texts in a variety of genres,
including fantasy, folk tales, realistic fiction,
historical fiction, and narrative and expository
nonfiction. To better address real-life reading
skills that children will encounter in testing
situations and beyond, a higher percentage of
nonfiction texts is provided at each grade.

USING THE LEVELED READERS
You can use the leveled readers to meet the
diverse needs of your children. Consider using
the readers to
practice critical skills and strategies
build fluency
build vocabulary and concepts
build background for the main selections in
the student book
provide a variety of reading experiences,

e.g., shared, group, individual, take-home,
readers’ theater

The Reading Street leveled readers are
leveled according to Guided Reading criteria
by experts trained in Guided Reading. The
Guided Reading levels increase in difficulty
within a grade level and across grade levels.
In addition to leveling according to Guided
Reading criteria, the instruction provided
in the Leveled Reader Teaching Guide is
compatible with Guided Reading instruction.
An instructional routine is provided for each
leveled reader. This routine is most effective
when working with individual children or
small groups.

MANAGING THE CLASSROOM
When using the leveled readers with
individuals or small groups, you’ll want to keep
the other children engaged in meaningful,
independent learning tasks. Establishing
independent work stations throughout the
classroom and child routines for these work
stations can help you manage the rest of
the class while you work with individuals or
small groups. Possible work stations include
Listening, Phonics, Vocabulary, Independent
Reading, and Cross-Curricular. For classroom
management, create a work board that lists

the work stations and which children should
be at each station. Provide instructions at
each station that detail the tasks to be
accomplished. Update the board and alert
children when they should rotate to a new
station. For additional support for managing
your classroom, see the Reading Street
Centers Survival Kit.

© Pearson Education

•
•
•
•
•

GUIDED READING APPROACH

4

16921_FM_G2 4

Introduction

1/11/06 2:35:22 PM


USING THE LEVELED READER
TEACHING G UIDE

The Leveled Reader Teaching Guide provides
an instruction plan for each leveled reader
based on the same instructional routine.
The Introduction includes
suggestions for creating interest in the text
by discussing the title and author, building
background, and previewing the book and
its features.
INTRODUCE THE BOOK

Before children begin reading
the book, have them set purposes for reading
and discuss how they can use the reading
strategy as they read. Determine how you
want children in a particular group to read the
text, softly or silently, to a specific point or
the entire text. Then use the Comprehension
Questions to provide support as needed and
to assess comprehension.
READ THE BOOK

The Think and Share
questions provide opportunities for children to
demonstrate their understanding of the text,
the target comprehension skill, and vocabulary.
The Response Options require children to
revisit the text to respond to what they’ve
read and to move beyond the text to explore
related content.


REVISIT THE BOOK

The Skill Work box provides
instruction and practice for the target skill and
strategy and selection vocabulary. Instruction
for an alternate comprehension skill allows
teachers to provide additional skill instruction
and practice for children.

Graphic organizers in blackline-master format
can be found on pages 132–152. These
can be used as overhead transparencies or
as worksheets.

ASSESSING PERFORMANCE
Use the assessment forms that begin on
page 6 to make notes about your children’s
reading skills, use of reading strategies, and
general reading behaviors.
(pp. 6–7) Provides
directions for measuring a child’s fluency,
based on words correct per minute (wcpm),
and reading accuracy using a running record.

MEASURE FLUENT READING

(p. 8) Allows you
to note the regularity with which children
demonstrate their understanding and use of
reading skills and strategies.


OBSERVATION CHECKLIST

(p. 9)
Provides criteria for monitoring certain
reading behaviors.

READING BEHAVIORS CHECKLIST

READING STRATEGY ASSESSMENT (p. 10)
Provides criteria for evaluating each child’s
proficiency as a strategic reader.

(p. 11) Provides a means
to track a child’s book-reading progress over
a period of time by noting the level at which
a child reads and his or her accuracy at that
level. Reading the chart from left to right gives
you a visual model of how quickly a child is
making the transition from one level to the
next. Share these reports with parents or
guardians to help them see how their child’s
reading is progressing.
PROGRESS REPORT

© Pearson Education

SKILL WORK

USING THE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS


Introduction

16921_FM_G2 5

5

1/11/06 2:35:23 PM


Measure
Fluent Reading
Taking a Running Record
A running record is an assessment of a child’s oral reading accuracy and oral reading fluency. Reading
accuracy is based on the number of words read correctly. Reading fluency is based on the reading rate
(the number of words correct per minute) and the degree to which a child reads with a “natural flow.”

How to Measure Reading Accuracy
1. Choose a grade-level text of about 80 to 120 words that is unfamiliar to the child.
2. Make a copy of the text for yourself. Make a copy for the child or have the child read aloud from a
book.
3. Give the child the text and have the child read aloud. (You may wish to record the child's reading for
later evaluation.)
4. On your copy of the text, mark any miscues or errors the child makes while reading. See the running
record sample on page 7, which shows how to identify and mark miscues.
5. Count the total number of words in the text and the total number of errors made by the child.
Note: If a child makes the same error more than once, such as mispronouncing the same word
multiple times, count it as one error. Self-corrections do not count as actual errors. Use the
following formula to calculate the percentage score, or accuracy rate:
Total Number of Words – Total Number of Errors

x 100 = percentage score
Total Number of Words

Interpreting the Results

Ed

ti

• A child who reads 95–100% of the words correctly is reading at an independent level and may need
more challenging text.
• A child who reads 90–94% of the words correctly is reading at an instructional level and will likely
benefit from guided instruction.
• A child who reads 89% or fewer of the words correctly is reading at a frustrational level and may
benefit most from targeted instruction with lower-level texts and intervention.

©P

How to Measure Reading Rate (WCPM)
1. Follow Steps 1–3 above.
2. Note the exact times when the child begins and finishes reading.
3. Use the following formula to calculate the number of words correct per minute (WCPM):
Total Number of Words Read Correctly
x 60 = words correct per minute
Total Number of Seconds

By the end of the year, a second-grader should be reading approximately 90–100 WCPM.

6


16921_FM_G2 6

© Pearson Education

Interpreting the Results

Measure Fluent Reading

1/11/06 2:35:24 PM


Running Record Sample
Running Record Sample

Notations
Accurate Reading

✓

✓ ✓ ✓

✓

✓

The child reads a word correctly.

✓

Just then a fly crawled near Fred.

✓ and ✓
✓
✓
✓ ✓ ✓
Fred’s long, sticky tongue
shot
out
in a
✓
✓
✓
✓ /tin e–/ ✓
flash and caught the tiny insect.
✓

✓

H

✓

✓

✓

sc

✓

✓


The child inserts words or parts of words that are
not in the text.

✓

“Delicious! I’m full now,” he said
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
loudly. He had already eaten three other
✓
✓ ✓
✓
✓ ✓
✓
✓
insects and a worm in the past hour.
✓

Insertion

✓

Mispronunciation/Misreading
The child pronounces or reads a word incorrectly.


Hesitation

Frankie overheard Fred and climbed
✓ ✓ ✓
✓
✓
✓
down a few branches. He moved
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
quickly and easily without falling.

The child hesitates over a word, and the teacher
provides the word. Wait several seconds before
telling the child what the word is.

“What are you doing, Fred?” he
✓
✓✓
✓
✓
asked in a friendly voice.

The child reads a word incorrectly but then corrects
the error. Do not count self-corrections as actual
errors. However, noting self-corrections will help you

identify words the child finds difficult.

“I was just finishing up my lunch,”
✓
✓
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ there
Fred answered. “How is life up high
✓
✓
✓
today, my friend?”

Omission

✓

✓

✓ ✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓


✓ ✓

✓

The child omits words or word parts.

Substitution
The child substitutes words or parts of words for
the words in the text.

© Pearson Education

—From Frog Friends
On-Level Reader 2.4.3

Self-correction

Running Record Results
Total Number of Words: 86
Number of Errors: 5

Reading Accuracy
86 – 5
x 100 = 94.186 = 94%
86

Reading Rate—WCPM
81
x 60 = 75.9 = 76 words correct
64

per minute

Reading Time: 64 seconds

Accuracy Percentage Score: 94%

Reading Rate: 76 WCPM

Running Record Sample

16921_FM_G2 7

7

1/11/06 2:35:26 PM


Observation Checklist
Child’s Name
Behaviors Observed

Date
Always
(Proficient)

Usually
(Fluent)

Sometimes
(Developing)


Rarely
(Novice)

Uses prior knowledge and preview
to understand what book is about
Makes predictions and checks them
while reading
Uses context clues to figure out
meanings of new words
Uses phonics and syllabication
to decode words
Self-corrects while reading
Reads at an appropriate reading rate
Reads with appropriate intonation and stress
Uses fix-up strategies
Identifies story elements:
character, setting, plot, theme
Summarizes plot or main ideas accurately
Uses target comprehension skill
to understand the text better
Responds thoughtfully about the text

Reading Behaviors and Attitudes
Enjoys listening to stories
Chooses reading as a free-time activity
Reads with sustained interest and attention
Participates in discussion about books

© Pearson Education


General Comments

8

16921_FM_G2 8

Observation Checklist

1/11/06 2:35:29 PM


Reading Behaviors Checklist
Child’s Name
Behavior

Date
Yes

No

Not
Applicable

Recognizes letters of the alphabet
Recognizes name in print
Recognizes some environmental print, such as signs and logos
Knows the difference between letters and words
Knows the difference between capital and lowercase letters
Understands function of capitalization and punctuation

Recognizes that book parts, such as the cover, title page, and table
of contents, offer information
Recognizes that words are represented in writing by specific
sequences of letters
Recognizes words that rhyme
Distinguishes rhyming and nonrhyming words
Knows letter-sound correspondences
Identifies and isolates initial sounds in words
Identifies and isolates final sounds in words
Blends sounds to make spoken words
Segments one-syllable spoken words into individual phonemes
Reads consonant blends and digraphs
Reads and understands endings, such as -es, -ed, -ing
Reads vowels and vowel diphthongs
Reads and understands possessives
Reads and understands compound words

© Pearson Education

Reads simple sentences
Reads simple stories
Understands simple story structure
Other:

Reading Behaviors Checklist

16921_FM_G2 9

9


1/11/06 2:35:29 PM


Building Background
Comments:

Not sh
ow

Emerg
ing

Devel
oping

Profic
ie

Teacher
_____________________________________________

nt

Date
Child
_____________________________________________

ing tr
ait


Reading Strategy Assessment

Previews
Asks questions
Predicts
Activates prior knowledge
Sets own purposes for reading
Other:

Comprehension
Comments:

Retells/summarizes
Questions, evaluates ideas
Relates to self/other texts
Paraphrases
Rereads/reads ahead for meaning
Visualizes
Uses decoding strategies
Uses vocabulary strategies
Understands key ideas of a text
Other:

Fluency
Comments:

Adjusts reading rate
Reads for accuracy
Uses expression
Other:


Connections
Comments:

Relates text to self
Relates text to text
Relates text to world
Other:

Self-Assessment

Is aware of: Strengths

Comments:

Needs
Improvement/achievement
Sets and implements learning goals

Works with others
Shares ideas and materials
Other:

10

16921_FM_G2 10

© Scott Foresman

Maintains logs, records, portfolio


Reading Strategy Assessment

1/11/06 2:35:30 PM


Progress Report
Child’s Name
At the top of the chart, record the book title, its grade/unit/week (for example, 1.2.3), and
the child’s accuracy percentage. See page 6 for measuring fluency, calculating accuracy and
reading rates. At the bottom of the chart, record the date you took the running record. In the
middle of the chart, make an X in the box across from the level of the child’s reading—
frustrational level (below 89% accuracy), instructional level (90–94% accuracy), or independent
level (95–100% accuracy). Record the reading rate (WCPM) in the next row.

Book Title

Grade/Unit/Week
Reading Accuracy
Percentage

L E V EL

Frustrational
(89% or below)
Instructional
(90–94%)
Independent
(95% or above)


© Scott Foresman

Reading Rate (WCPM)

Date

Progress Report

16921_FM_G2 11

11

1/11/06 2:35:30 PM


2.1.1

City Friends,
Country Friends
SUMMARY

In this story, two e-pals each use
e-mail to learn how the other lives. The story
extends the lesson concept of what we might
find in a new neighborhood.

CHARACTER AND SETTING
PREDICT

STRATEGY SUPPORT: PREDICT


Invite children to share any knowledge
or memories of life in their home countries.

Tell children: “As
you read, you should think about what might
happen next. This is called predicting. You
can use what you have read and what you
already know to make a prediction.” During
the preview, ask children to predict what will
happen in the story. Have them justify their
predictions by asking: What clues helped you
make your prediction? Model how to predict
during reading: “After reading page 7, I predict
that Tasha’s e-pal will not write back because
she has waited two days already. Now I’ll read
on to confirm my prediction.” After reading
page 8 say, “I see that my prediction was
wrong. Now that I think about it, I should
have made a different prediction, because I
remember that in the preview I saw a picture
of a boy who was writing to Tasha.” Encourage
children to make, confirm, and modify
predictions as they read the story.

PREVIEW/USE ILLUSTRATIONS

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

LESSON VOCABULARY


investigate

rural

urban

INTRODUCE THE BOOK
INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR

Discuss with
children the title and author of City Friends,
Country Friends. Explain that social studies
includes learning about how people live in
different environments. Ask: How might this
book relate to social studies?

BUILD BACKGROUND

Ask children to share what
they know about rural or urban living.

Have children look
at the pictures and read one of the e-mail
messages in italic type. Ask: Why are parts
of the story set in slanted, or italic, type?
Have children preview the heading, photo, and
labels on page 16. Ask: Why did the author
include this page?


READ THE BOOK
SET PURPOSE

Have children set a purpose for
reading City Friends, Country Friends. Remind
children of the characters they saw in their
preview. Ask: Why would you like to read this
story?

PAGE 4

Identify the character trait that best
describes Mrs. Jennings: mean, smart, or
sleepy. (smart)
PAGE 7

Does this story take place in fewer
than two days or more than two days? How do
you know? (It is more than two days, because
it says that two days had already passed.)
PAGE 10 Why did Mrs. Jennings ask for all eyes
on the board? (She wanted the class to give
her its full attention.)
PAGE 12 How are Tasha and Henry alike and
different when it comes to their Mom’s pies?
(They both like their Mom’s pies, but Henry
likes the smell and Tasha likes the taste.)
PAGE 14

What did Henry mean when he wrote

that the piglets were so sweet? (They are cute
and lovable.)

12

City Friends, Country Friends

16921_LRD_TG_012-013 600

12/19/05 2:09:27 PM


REVISIT THE BOOK
THINK AND SHARE

1. Possible responses: Characters: Tasha, an
urban girl; Henry, a rural boy; Mrs. Jennings,
an urban teacher; Setting: present times;
city; farm; children’s classroooms.
2. Responses will vary, but should be based on
story content.
3. Possible response: A farm is rural. A city
is urban. You investigate to find something
out.
4. Responses will vary, but children should
discuss themselves and how they live.
EXTEND UNDERSTANDING

Have children look at
the e-mail window on page 12. Explain how to

use the send button, the address field, “To:,”
“Cc:,” the subject field, and the message
field.

RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING

Have children compose an e-mail
message about themselves to send to an
e-pal who lives far away.

SOCIAL STUDIES
CONNECTION
Display information
about careers that might
be urban, rural, or both. Have
children group the jobs in a Venn diagram
that corresponds to those categories.

Skill Work
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY
Have children make a three-column chart
with the vocabulary words as headings.
Then, write these words on the board:
country, explore, city, spy, apartments, ranch,
study, farms, search, crowds, skyscrapers,
cows. Have children write each word in the
column in which it best belongs.

TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY

CHARACTER AND SETTING

Characters are
the people or animals in stories. Authors
describe their characters—what they look
like, how they act, and what kind of people
they are. As they read, have children answer
questions about each character’s traits. For
example, ask: On page 5, what is Tasha
feeling? Next, tell children that the setting is
the time and place of a story. Explain that a
setting can be a real place or an imaginary
one. After a few pages, have children
identify the main setting (the present day
and Tasha’s school). After page 14, have
children tell how the setting changes in the
story.
PREDICT Remind children that as they
read, they should try to predict what might
happen next. Remind children that if they
can make good predictions as they read,
they can anticipate what a character might
do or how a setting might change.

ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION

COMPARE AND CONTRAST To compare and
contrast means to tell how two or more
things are alike and different. Clue words
such as like or as show comparisons. Clue

words such as but or unlike show contrasts.
After page 5, ask: What word on this page is
a clue word that shows a comparison? (all)
How does the comparison show that Tasha’s
friends and relatives were alike? (They were
all from the city.) As they read the book,
have children use a two-circle Venn diagram
to compare and contrast Tasha and Henry.

City Friend, Country Friends

16921_LRD_TG_012-013 601

13

12/19/05 2:09:28 PM


City/Country Friends

Name

Character and Setting
Read this chart from the story. Think about what the chart tells
you about the story’s characters and settings. Then fill in the
diagram below.
5 Senses
Sight
Sound
Smell

Touch
Taste

Henry’s Favorite

Tasha’s Favorite

View from apartment
Green fields, pigs
People shouting “Taxi”
Crickets, tractors
Mom’s perfume
Grass, mud, Mom’s pie
Elevator buttons
Soft skin on piglets
Water from our well Fresh bagels, Mom’s pie

Henry/
rural setting

© Pearson Education 2

Tasha/
urban setting

14
16921_LRD_TG_014-015 14

3/17/06 2:37:13 PM



City/Country Friends

Name

Vocabulary
Choose the word from the box that best completes
each sentence.
Words to Know

investigate

1. In
buildings.

rural

urban

places many people live in apartment

2. The teacher asked us to
around the school.

© Pearson Education 2

3. My friend from a
tractor with his father.

the trees


town likes to ride the

Antonyms are two words that mean the opposite of each other.
4. Which two words from the word box are antonyms?

15
16921_LRD_TG_014-015 15

12/19/05 2:09:59 PM


Explore the
Galaxy

2.1.2
MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS
TEXT STRUCTURE

SUMMARY

Explore the Galaxy describes our
solar system and space exploration. Among
the questions answered are: What have we
learned about the solar system from space
explorations? What kinds of information
have we gathered? How do we use this
information? What is the future of space
exploration?
asteroids

laboratory

descend
orbit

INTRODUCE THE BOOK
INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR

Discuss with
children the title and author of Explore the
Galaxy. Talk about the meaning of the word
galaxy and the photograph of the astronaut on
the cover. Ask children: Based on the cover
and title, do you expect this book to contain
facts or to be a made-up story?

BUILD BACKGROUND

Invite children to share
what they know about the solar system and
about space exploration. List their ideas in
the K column of a KWL chart. Review the list
and ask children what they would like to learn
about the solar system. List these ideas in
the W column of the chart.
PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES

Turn the pages
of Explore the Galaxy with the children and
examine the photos, captions, headings,

and other text features. Look at the table of
contents on page 3 together. Discuss how the
table of contents makes it easy to “sample”
the chapters that seem most interesting. On
pages 4 and 5, point out the chapter heading,
the diagram of the planets, and the words in
dark letters. Look up asteroids in the Glossary.

16

SET PURPOSE

Have children set a purpose for
reading Explore the Galaxy. Children’s interest
in astronomy or space exploration should
guide this purpose. Suggest that children think
about what they would want to find out if they
could explore the galaxy.

STRATEGY SUPPORT: TEXT STRUCTURE

LESSON VOCABULARY

ascend
gravity
satellites

READ THE BOOK

As children

preview Explore the Galaxy, focus their
attention on the chapter headings. List these
and help children see that the book includes
descriptions and definitions of concepts
related to the solar system and follows a
chronological order, beginning with what
we already know and ending with what we
might learn in the future. After children have
read the book, use a graphic organizer (see
page 143) to help them analyze the structure
of each chapter.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGES 6–7

Which planet has the most moons?
Which planets have the fewest? (Jupiter has
more than fifty moons; Mercury and Venus
have none.)

PAGE 9

Why do you think astronauts need to
be healthy and understand how spaceships
work? (Possible response: They need to be
healthy so they don’t get sick in space where
there aren’t any doctors. They need to know
how spaceships work so they can fix broken
spaceships.)
PAGES 12–13 What is the topic of this chapter?

What are the main ideas? (The topic is the
future of space travel. Possible main ideas:
Scientists have many plans for the future; they
are learning new things all the time.)

Explore the Galaxy

16921_LRD_TG_016-017 16

12/19/05 2:10:18 PM


REVISIT THE BOOK
THINK AND SHARE

1. Main idea: Scientists use spaceships,
robots, and satellites to explore space.
Supporting details can include any of the
specific examples of space missions outlined in the chapter.
2. The book’s three chapters tell what we
already know, what we are learning, and
what might happen in the future.
3. Responses should reflect comprehension
of the word orbit.
4. Possible response: Scientists think we can
learn and gain a lot from space exploration.
The book tells about what we have learned
on different space missions and what we
hope to learn from future missions.
EXTEND UNDERSTANDING


Encourage children
to ask themselves questions while they read.
Have them share their questions with the
class and add them to the KWL chart begun
in Build Background. After children have read
the book, return to the KWL chart and circle
questions that were answered in the book.
Remind children to refer to the text as they
answer the questions.

RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING

Suggest that children write and
illustrate a short question-and-answer book
about the solar system. Have them write a
question on each right-hand page and its
answer on the page that follows.

SCIENCE CONNECTION
Encourage children to
choose a planet to study.
Suggest that they use the
library and the Internet to find out
about their chosen planets. Have children
share their discoveries with their classmates.

Skill Work
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY

Read the last sentence on page 13 aloud.
Write ascend and descend on the board.
Model how to use clues in the sentence
to determine the meanings: “Ascend and
descend are what astronauts do in space.
They go up into space and come back
down.” Repeat for orbit. Have children turn
to the Glossary to verify the meanings.
Write vocabulary words on cards and
spread them facedown on a table. Have
children work in pairs, selecting cards and
acting out words for their partners to guess.

TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS Remind children
that a topic is a word or two that describes
what a paragraph or book is about. The
main idea is the most important idea about
the topic. Turn to pages 4–7 and model: If I
were to choose one or two words to describe
this chapter, I would say it’s about the solar
system. I think the most important idea is in
the first paragraph: Our solar system has nine
planets. . . . They travel around the sun.
TEXT STRUCTURE

Point out to children
that a good reader thinks about a book’s
text structure, or how it is organized.
Understanding how a book is organized

makes it easier to recognize the topic and
main idea.

ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION
FACT AND OPINION

Help children understand
the difference between a statement of fact
(one that can be proved true or false) and
a statement of opinion (a statement of judgment that cannot be proved true or false).
Ask children to think about the first sentence on page 9 and how this statement
might be proved true or false—by looking
in other books, asking an astronaut, etc.
Present additional statements of fact and
of opinion and discuss whether or not they
can be proved.

Explore the Galaxy

16921_LRD_TG_016-017 17

17

3/17/06 2:37:37 PM


Explore the Galaxy

Name


Main Idea and Details
Read the paragraph below. Write the topic, the main idea, and
three supporting details.
People called astronauts travel into
space. Many astronauts are also scientists.
Astronauts train for many years to do their
jobs. They need to be healthy. They also
need to know how spaceships work.

1. Topic:
2. Main Idea:

© Pearson Education 2

3. Details:

18
16921_LRD_TG_018-019 18

12/19/05 2:10:42 PM


Explore the Galaxy

Name

Vocabulary
Choose a word from the box to finish each sentence.
Words to Know


ascend
laboratory

asteroids
orbit

gravity

1. The astronauts
on the space shuttle.

around Earth

2. The astronauts
end of their trip.

back to Earth at the

3. When will the astronauts
again?
4. Astronauts often see rocks, or
orbiting the sun.
© Pearson Education 2

descend
satellites

5.

into space


,

can be used to broadcast television
and radio signals.

6. Astronauts float in space, but
us on Earth.
7. The astronauts use a
do experiments.

keeps

on the shuttle to

19
16921_LRD_TG_018-019 19

12/19/05 2:10:43 PM


2.1.3

A Home in the
Wilderness
SUMMARY

A Home in the Wilderness tells the
fictional story of an African American family
building a homestead in the 1870s Nebraska

wilderness and learning to live with and adjust
to the challenges of nature.

LESSON VOCABULARY

galaxy

tranquil

wildlife

INTRODUCE THE BOOK
INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR

Discuss with
children the title and author of A Home in the
Wilderness. Focus children’s attention on the
cover illustration, and ask them to predict
whether this story is set in the present time
or in the past.

BUILD BACKGROUND

Involve children in a
discussion about the word wilderness.
Together, make a word web to explore the
meaning of the word. Discuss how, long ago,
much of the land in the United States was
wilderness. Ask children to share what they
know about living in the wilderness.


PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES

Ask children to
preview the illustrations in the book. Turn
to page 3 and point out the covered wagon
and the characters’ clothing. On pages 4 and
5, ask children to describe what they see.
Explain that the people are camping. Identify
the coyote on page 6, and ask children to
predict what the man is doing on page 7.
On page 8, point to the funnel cloud in the
distance and discuss what children know
about tornadoes. Ask children to look at the
illustration on page 9. On page 11, point out
the corn and ask children if they think it took
a while for the crops to grow back. Ask
children to predict how the story might end.
Then turn to pages 14 and 15 to see the final
illustrations. Encourage children to ask
questions about the end of the story.

20

CHARACTER AND SETTING
MONITOR AND FIX UP

READ THE BOOK
SET PURPOSE


Have children set a purpose for
reading A Home in the Wilderness. Suggest
that they think about how they would describe
the characters to someone who hasn’t read
the book.

STRATEGY SUPPORT: MONITOR AND FIX UP As children read the book, encourage them to think
aloud and ask themselves questions. Model
thinking aloud: “The writer uses words I don’t
know. I’m not sure what a homestead is. I’ll
read on and see if it is explained later in the
story.” After they have read the book, invite
children to discuss any portions of the story
that were problematic and share the fix-up
strategy they used.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGE 4

Why did the family fill their wagon with
food? (Possible response: They brought food
because there wasn’t much food in the
wilderness.)
PAGE 9

Why did Ruthie cry? (Possible response:
She was sad because so much damage had
been done.)
PAGE 12


When Ruthie got sick, why didn’t her
parents take her to the doctor? (Responses
will vary but should reflect an understanding of
the family’s poverty and isolation.)
PAGE 15 What clues in the story tell us what
Jeremiah is like? (Possible response: Jeremiah
helped Papa, and he found prairie chicken eggs
for Ruthie. He is helpful.)
PAGE 16

Would you like to live in the wilderness? Why or why not? (Responses will vary
according to children’s preferences.)

A Home in the Wilderness

16921_LRD_TG_020-021 600

12/19/05 2:11:02 PM


REVISIT THE BOOK
THINK AND SHARE

1. Responses will vary, but should include
details about the weather, era, location,
terrain, and so on.
2. Mud fell down when it rained because the
roof was made of mud and grass.
3. Possible responses include quiet, calm,
peaceful, or still.

4. Responses will vary but should reflect comprehension of the hardships faced by homesteaders and the commonalities of family
life.
EXTEND UNDERSTANDING

The illustrations in
the story help readers see what daily life was
like for homesteaders in the 1870s. By paying attention to the details in the illustrations,
they will be able to better understand the
challenges faced by the family. Ask children
to point out things that they learned from the
illustrations that were not mentioned in
the text.

RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING

Ask children to pretend that they are
Ruthie or Jeremiah. Suggest that they write a
letter to a friend back East telling about their
adventures.

SCIENCE CONNECTION
Encourage children to learn
more about prairie chickens
by visiting the library or using the
Internet. Suggest that they investigate what
prairie chickens look like, whether they actually are chickens, and what has happened to
them in recent years.

Skill Work

TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY
Have children read the first paragraph on
page 5. Model how to use context clues to
figure out the meaning of the word tranquil:
“The night seems peaceful, because stars
were in the sky and the family was relaxed.
This makes me think that tranquil means
calm.” Reread the sentence to show that the
word calm makes sense. Repeat for galaxy
(page 5), and wilderness (page 4).
Use pictures to reinforce the meanings of the words galaxy and wilderness.

TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
CHARACTER AND SETTING Remind children
that every story has characters, the people
or animals in a story, and a setting, the time
and place where the story happens. Writers
describe the traits of their characters, or
what the characters are like. Invite children to
brainstorm a list of words to describe Ruthie,
Papa, and Jeremiah. Next, point out that the
setting of a story can be real or imaginary.
Ask children to describe where and when A
Home in the Wilderness takes place.
MONITOR AND FIX UP Remind children that
what they read should make sense. Good
readers ask themselves questions as they
read to monitor their understanding of what
they are reading. If they find that they don’t
understand what they are reading, it can

be helpful to keep reading on or to reread.
Often the answer can be found later in the
story and will fix up their understanding.

ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION
REALISM AND FANTASY

Remind children that
a story can be a realistic story or a fantasy.
A realistic story tells about something that
could happen. A fantasy is a make-believe
story. Ask children questions that lead them
to recognize that A Home in the Wilderness
is a realistic story: Could things in the story
really happen? Do people do things that real
people do?

A Home in the Wilderness

16921_LRD_TG_020-021 601

21

12/19/05 2:11:04 PM


Name

A Home in the Wilderness


Character and Setting
Answer these questions about Jeremiah.
1. Where did he live?

2. When did he live?

4. How did he feel about Ruthie?

© Pearson Education 2

3. What did he do? What happened to him?

22
16921_LRD_TG_022-023 22

12/19/05 2:11:26 PM


A Home in the Wilderness

Name

Vocabulary
Choose the best word from the box to complete each sentence.
Words to Know

galaxy

tranquil


wildlife

1. Many kinds of
, such as
prairie chickens, coyotes, and rabbits, lived on the prairie.
2. On summer nights, the prairie was quiet and
.

3. All the stars in the
glowed in the night sky.

© Pearson Education 2

Write a sentence about life on the prairie. Use a vocabulary word
in your sentence.

23
16921_LRD_TG_022-023 23

3/17/06 2:37:56 PM


2.1.4

Trek to the Top

MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS
TEXT STRUCTURE

Oceans, lakes, rivers, mountains,

and valleys are just some of the features that
make up Earth’s surface. Some landforms,
such as mountains, are the result of changes
deep within Earth. Others, such as valleys,
result from the movement of wind and water
on Earth’s surface.

READ THE BOOK

LESSON VOCABULARY

STRATEGY SUPPORT: TEXT STRUCTURE

SUMMARY

arid
moisture

canyons
precipitation

landform

INTRODUCE THE BOOK
INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR

Discuss with
children the title and author of Trek to the Top.
Examine the cover photograph, and invite children to describe what they see. Point out the
Social Studies label on the cover and ask children to predict, based on the cover and the

title, how the content of the book might relate
to social studies.

BUILD BACKGROUND

Ask children to brainstorm
a list of Earth’s features. If necessary, begin
by listing a couple of formations (oceans,
mountains) and have children add to the list.
Then ask children if they know how these
formations developed. Explain that they will
be reading a book about bodies of water and
land formations and will learn more.

PREVIEW/TAKE A PICTURE WALK

Invite children to
turn the pages of Trek to the Top and preview
the book’s illustrations, headings, and captions. On page 3, point out the word landforms
in dark print. Look up this word in the Glossary.
Read the caption on page 4, and ask children
to identify the oceans. On page 6, read the
heading and have children discuss any lakes
and ponds they have seen. Point out the diagram on page 8, and ask children if they have
ever heard of the water cycle. Ask children to
compare the photograph on page 13 to the
cover.

24


SET PURPOSE

Have children set a purpose for
reading Trek to the Top. Tell children that after
they read the book, they will be discussing
some of the main ideas. Suggest that they
choose a section for which to find the main
idea as they read.
Use
a word web to help children see the text
structure of Trek to the Top. Write the words
Land and Water Features in the center circle.
Have children leaf through the book to find
names of various features. Ask them to notice
and tell where they see these names in the
book. Explain that the author has structured
her book in sections, each giving information
about a different feature.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGES 4–5

How are seas like oceans? How are
they different? (Both are large bodies of salt
water. Seas are smaller and closed in by land).
PAGE 8

What is one way that the water cycle
helps create Earth’s landforms? (Possible
answer: Rain collects in rivers that carve

valleys.)
PAGE 10 What is the main idea on this page?
(Valleys are low places between mountains and
hills.)
PAGE 13 After reading the book, what was
the most interesting thing you learned about
landforms? Did the reading make you think
of other questions? (Responses will vary, but
should relate to the book content.)

Trek to the Top

16921_LRD_TG_024-025 24

12/19/05 2:11:53 PM


REVISIT THE BOOK
THINK AND SHARE

1. Main idea: Mountains are important
landforms. Details may include: Mountains
are steep; They are the tallest landforms on
Earth; Mountains are made up of rocky land.
2. The book is divided into sections that
discuss Earth’s features. First the author
discusses bodies of water and then land
features.
3. Dry places, such as deserts, do not get
much rain.

4. Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian Oceans
EXTEND UNDERSTANDING

Discuss the use of
photographs in the book. Ask children to think
about why photographs were used instead of
drawings to show the different land masses—
and why the water cycle is shown with a drawing instead of a photograph.

RESPONSE OPTIONS
WORD WORK

Ask children to consider why the
end of a river is called a mouth. Is it because
it looks like a mouth? Point out that the beginning of a river is called the head. Introduce
similar terms, such as an arm of a sea or the
foot of a hill. Suggest that children define and
illustrate one of these terms.

SOCIAL STUDIES
CONNECTION
Suggest that children
look for bodies of water
and landforms on a state map.
Have them list the rivers, lakes, valleys,
and other features that they find. Invite
children to share this information with the
class.

Skill Work

TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY
Point out arid on page 12. Remind children
that when they encounter an unfamiliar
word, they can sometimes figure out its
meaning by seeing how it is used in a sentence. Model: Arid seems to be another
word for dry. Then look up the word in the
Glossary to confirm the definition. Repeat
for landform and precipitation.
Use photographs and illustrations to
reinforce the meaning of vocabulary words.
Suggest that children draw a picture to show
the meaning of each word.

TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS Remind children
that the main idea is the most important
idea about a topic. Turn to page 4 and
model how to identify the topic (oceans), the
most important idea (oceans cover much of
Earth), and some supporting details (oceans
have salty water, there are four main
oceans). For other pages, ask: What is this
paragraph all about? What sentence in the
paragraph gives the most important idea?
TEXT STRUCTURE Point out to children that
figuring out how a book is organized, or its
text structure, can help them understand the
book and find its main ideas. As children
read Trek to the Top, help them see that
a different body of water or landform is

defined and described on each page.

ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION
AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

Point out to children that
authors write for different reasons. As children
preview the reader, ask them to identify the
author’s purpose by asking: Do you think this
book will be funny? Do you think you will learn
something? Why did Megan McDonald write
this book? Have children give reasons for
their answers. After reading, confirm predictions by asking: Were you right about learning something? Review the author’s choices:
“The author could have made up a story about
mountains and oceans. Why do you think she
wrote facts instead of a make-believe story?”

Trek to the Top

16921_LRD_TG_024-025 25

25

3/17/06 2:38:11 PM


Name

Trek to the Top


Main Idea and Details
Read the selection.
Write the main idea and three supporting details.
Mountains
Mountains are important landforms. Mountains are made up of
rocky land. They have steep sides and a pointed or a rounded
top. Mountains are the tallest parts of Earth. They can form when
Earth’s crust moves or lava breaks through the crust.
Main Idea

© Pearson Education 2

Supporting Details

26
16921_LRD_TG_026-027 26

12/19/05 2:12:52 PM


Trek to the Top

Name

Vocabulary
Draw a line from each word on the left to its definition.
Words to Know

arid
moisture

1. arid
2. canyons
3. landform

canyons
precipitation

landform

a. a feature on Earth’s
surface, such as a
mountain or valley
b. rain or snow that falls to
Earth’s surface
c. very dry

4. moisture

d. deep, narrow valleys with
steep sides

5. precipitation

e. wetness

© Pearson Education 2

6. Choose one vocabulary word and use it in a sentence.

27

16921_LRD_TG_026-027 27

12/19/05 2:12:53 PM


2.1.5

Sue’s Hummingbird

REALISM AND FANTASY
MONITOR AND FIX UP

Sue and her family live on a pueblo
in New Mexico. They are members of the
Zuni people and follow Zuni traditions. Her
grandmother tells the story of a magical
hummingbird and surprises Sue with a special
good luck charm.

READ THE BOOK

LESSON VOCABULARY

STRATEGY SUPPORT: MONITOR AND FIX UP

SUMMARY

delicate

inquire


sturdy

INTRODUCE THE BOOK
INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR

Discuss
with children the title and author of Sue’s
Hummingbird. Based on the title and cover
illustration, ask the children what they think
the book will be about.

BUILD BACKGROUND

Involve children in a
discussion about family stories. Ask children
to talk about the kinds of stories that family
members tell. Explain that Sue’s Hummingbird
is a family story that also contains a folk
tale. Draw upon their experience with similar
stories and ask: What are some of the
reasons that people tell folk tales? Invite
children to name other folk tales they know.
PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES

Invite children
to look through the book and scan the
illustrations. Point out Sue in the illustration
on page 3 and introduce the word pueblo.
On page 5, ask children to predict what

Sue might be thinking as she looks out the
window. Turn to page 8 and ask children if
they know what a hummingbird is. Have them
notice the hummingbird in the illustration.
Discuss what Sue’s mother is doing on page
11. Ask children to predict how the story
might end. Then turn to pages 14 and 15 and
scan the illustrations.

28

SET PURPOSE

Ask children to set a purpose for
reading Sue’s Hummingbird. Model setting a
purpose: “It looks like Sue’s grandmother will
tell her a story about a hummingbird. I want to
find out more about that story.”

Model
self-questioning. Think aloud: “I’m not sure
when this story happens.” Remind children
that looking at the illustrations can help when
the words are unclear. Model using the illustrations: “Here on page 5, I see the inside
of Sue’s house. It looks like this story takes
place now.” As children read, encourage them
to think aloud and to ask themselves questions. Remind them to use illustrations to
answer their questions.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

PAGE 7

How would you describe Grandma?
What did she do? (Answers will vary, but
should relate to Grandma’s characterization.)
PAGES 8–9 Which parts of the hummingbird
story are make-believe? Is Grandma’s story
realistic or a fantasy? (Possible responses
include: the hummingbird wearing a coat, falling
in love with a human, and bringing a cage full
of parrots to the village; it is a fantasy.)
PAGE 11

In your own words, describe how
Sue’s mother made pottery. Use the
illustration to help you. (Responses will vary
but should reflect an understanding of the text
and illustration.)

PAGE 15 Why did Grandma want Sue to pass
on the stories? (Possible response: She
wanted future people to know about Zuni
traditions.)

Sue’s Hummingbird

16921_LRD_TG_028-029 28

12/19/05 2:14:00 PM