This is a single reading passage with a fluency oral record of reading page for scoring fluency. It also includes a cloze writing passage (Yes, that's cloze, not close!) for comprehension. This focuses on a topic with details about why penguins are tough birds. By narrowing this down, and not writing "all about penguins", it exemplifies how topics have supporting details that stick to the topic.
Hopefully, this model helps with students' writing in which they need to be more specific about their reasons for an opinion (in this case, why they are tough birds). This resource can provide you with evidence of grade level fluency (grade 2), based on Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell's text leveling. I used some of their resources for determining the grade level for this, estimating it to be at an L/M level.
You'll find that kids really do love nonfiction text. Well, at least most kids like most nonfiction! Teachers and parents, you may find this helpful for repeated and timed readings. This can serve as a progress monitoring tool in that sense. I hope you will check this out, and provide feedback as it will give me an opportunity to step back and reevaluate the effectiveness of this kind of resource!
Thanks!
If you have trouble viewing the youtube video, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eqKzHSjQqnc
