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 to 5/6.
- Covers reading levels 6 to 27+.
- Reading ages are between 7 and 13.9.
- 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 the Reading Box Red 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.
Examples:
Low Reading Level
Medium Reading Level
High Reading Level
