TAR: Levelled reading collections (not AR)

[Lou Murray Gorvett <gorvettl@HOTMAIL.COM>]

Hello friends,

My school system is buying in, for better or for worse (remains to be seen),
to the 4 Blocks Reading Program, using the Fountas & Pinnell levelling
system.  This is different from AR and other levelling programs that I've
seen discussion of in LM_NET in that there are no tests or points...  The
idea is for teachers to be able to accurately match children with
appropriate levelled reading material.

When I did a search in the archives, I found some mention of the Fountas &
Pinnell levelling system (but more questions than answers). I realize that
there has been a lot of LM_NET discussion on the topic of levelling and
housing of levelled collections re: AR.  But this program is quite
different, and I would be interested in any thoughts on levelling viz. the
guided reading/4 Blocks/Fountas & Pinnell programs.

I  have a couple specific questions that I would be grateful for any
response to.  I will definitely post a HIT if there is any response.

-Other than the Fountas & Pinnell book (GUIDED READING: GOOD FIRST TEACHING
FOR ALL CHILDREN, by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Sue Pinnell (Heinemann Press,
Portsmouth, N.H., 1996), what resources do you use to give new books their
levels?  (I saw several requests similar to this in the archives, with no
apparent answer, so maybe there is no answer...  but thought I'd try again).

-Any thoughts on which collections should be levelled...
---whole library (PLEASE say no - the thought of the work involved makes me
shudder)
---selected sections of library
---classroom libraries
---"free" reading material vs. "guided reading" material (Free reading being
what kids choose during self-selected reading time; guided being what they
read with the teacher.

How to indicate level?
-incorporating the F&P level into the book's cataloging record?
-colour dot system?

Any other thoughts re: Fountas & Pinnell/guided reading/ 4 Blocks...


Thanks for your thoughts!

Lou Murray Gorvett
Librarian
Canadian Martyrs Elementary School
Waterloo Catholic Distric School Board
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
gorvettl@hotmail.com

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