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November, 2017

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November, 2017

Introduction

The report card that you are receiving this year was revised during the 2016-2017 school year with the aid and

input of parents, teachers, administrators, and curriculum and instruction personnel. This report card, aligned

with national and state standards, is designed to provide you with specific information about your child’s

performance in each grade and in each subject.

This guide was written to assist you in understanding the form and the content of the elementary report card. At

the end of this guide, you will find a glossary of terms for the Grade 1 through Grade 5 report cards. You will

also be able to view sample report cards.

It is our hope that this guide anticipates and answers your questions. In the event that you need more

information, you may contact your child’s school and/or teacher. You may also contact a coordinator in the

appropriate curricular office.

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November, 2017

What Is the Purpose of the Elementary Report Card?

The purpose of the elementary report card is to communicate your child’s performance in relation to the grade

level expectations at the end of each marking period. The report card is just one way of learning about your

child’s performance and progress in school. Conferences with the teacher, along with samples of your child’s

work, can add to your understanding of your child’s performance in school.

When Are Report Cards Sent Home?

Report cards are sent home with your child quarterly. Distribution of report cards is indicated on the Web-

based System Calendar, and also on the BCPS Information Calendar which is distributed at the beginning of

each school year.

Report cards come home in a brown BCPS envelope like the one in Figure 1. You may keep the report card, but

it is important that you sign the envelope and have your child return it to the teacher after the first, second, and

third marking periods. Your signature indicates that you have received and read the report card. You may also

use the check boxes on the envelope to request a conference. Upon receiving a report card envelope with

“Conference” checked, the teacher will contact you to schedule a convenient time.

At the end of the year, you may keep the report card envelope.

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November, 2017

What Is Conference Day?

In Baltimore County Public Schools, all elementary schools close for a day just before or after the distribution

of the first quarter report card. Although you or your child’s teacher may request a conference at any time, this

is an optimal time to discuss your child’s strengths and needs and to establish a partnership that contributes to

your child’s success in school.

What Is a Good Way to Talk about the Report Card with My Child?

Talking with your child about the report card can be a positive, productive experience. The following points

may help:

1. Plan to talk in a quiet place and time.

2. Start with the good news. Talk about your child’s successes first.

3. For areas of concern, ask questions so you and your child understand how a grade was earned.

- Together review the scores in BCPS One.

- How difficult was the work?

- Was work completed and turned in?

- Was extra help needed?

- Would additional practice have made a difference?

4. Ask for a parent-teacher-student conference if you need more information.

5. Set realistic goals and make a plan for improvement.

6. Work together and follow through on your plan.

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November, 2017

What Information is Included on the Report Card?

Student Information and Attendance

Achievement

Achievement codes describe your child’s performance and level of understanding in relationship to the grade

level standards and curriculum expectations at the end of each marking period.

Grades 1–3 (Primary)

Coding Description

CD Consistently Demonstrating: Student demonstrates a strong command of the

knowledge, skills, and practices embodied in the grade level standards.

P Progressing: Student is developing their command of the knowledge, skills, and

practices embodied in the grade level standards.

N

Needs Development: Student demonstrates a beginning command of the knowledge,

skills, and practices embodied by the grade level standards. Additional practice is

needed.

NA

Not applicable: The knowledge, skills, and practices embodied in the grade level

standards were neither taught nor evaluated this marking period. The box will appear

gray.

NG No Grade: The student is a Level 1or Level 2 English Learner and will not receive a

grade this marking period.

Grades 4–5 (Intermediate) Coding Performance

Level

Description

A Outstanding

Students performing at this level demonstrate a distinguished and strong

command of the knowledge, skills, and practices embodied by the standards.

Students at this level are meeting or extending the standards at their grade level.

B Above

Average

Students performing at this level demonstrate a moderate command of the

knowledge, skills, and practices embodied by the standards. Students at this level

are approaching the standards at their grade level.

C Average Students performing at this level demonstrate a developing command of the

knowledge, skills, and practices embodied by the standards at their grade level.

D Below

Average

Students performing at this level demonstrate a beginning command of the

knowledge and/or skills embodied by the standards assessed at their grade level.

E Failing Students performing at this level demonstrate no evidence of the knowledge,

skills, and practices embodied by the standards assessed at their grade level.

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Coding Performance

Level

Description

NG No Grade The student is a Level 1or Level 2 English Learner and will not receive a

grade this marking period.

Language Arts and Mathematics Domains

For Grades 4–5, students receive both an overall achievement grade and a 1-4 achievement indicator for each

domain in language arts and mathematic. The domains are aligned to the Maryland College and Career

Readiness Standards.

Coding Description

4 Extending grade level standards

3 Meeting grade level standards

2 Developing command of grade level standards

1 Beginning command of grade level standards

NA The knowledge, skills, and practices embodied in the grade level standards were

neither taught nor evaluated this marking period. The box will appear gray.

What Codes will be used for English Learners?

All Level 1 and Level 2 English Learners (ELs) will receive a code (NG for “No Grade”) on their report card

in lieu of an achievement grade for the first two marking periods they are in the school system.

After the first two marking periods they are in the system, all Level 1 and Level 2 ELs receive a Pass / Fail

indicator in all non-ESOL classes.

How will my Child’s Performance in Language Arts be Reported?

In the area of language arts, students will receive progress indicators in the five domains aligned to the

Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards.

Primary (Grades 1–3): There is no overall achievement code; only a progress indicator in each of the five

language arts areas.

Intermediate (Grades 4–5): Students receive an overall achievement grade and a progress indicator in each

domain using the above referenced domain codes.

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Domain Explanation Foundational Skills This domain includes standards which focus on developing students’

knowledge of the concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics and

word recognition, and fluency.

Vocabulary and

Comprehension

This domain includes standards addressing word meaning and word

relationships as well as standards assessing students’ understanding of

information and literary text.

Speaking and

Listening

This domain includes standards which address students’ ability to

participate in collaborative discussions around topics and texts and to

present knowledge and ideas in a clear and engaging manner appropriate to

the audience and task.

Written Expression This domain includes standards which address composing narrative,

opinion, and informative writing pieces for a variety of purposes and

audiences. Standards in this domain also address student participation in

shared and independent research and writing projects and the use of various

print and digital resources for production and distribution of writing.

Knowledge of

Conventions

This domain includes standards which address students’ command of the

conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or

speaking as well as command of the conventions of standard English

capitalization, punctuations, and spelling when writing.

Instructional Reading Level Learning to read is a complex process and therefore students will develop the skills and strategies needed to

process text at different rates and at different times. Each reader’s needs are unique and it is important for

teachers to understand each student as an individual reader so that instruction can be truly responsive. The

Maryland College and Career Ready Standards require students to read a variety of text types, both literary and

informational, reflecting an increasing staircase of complexity as they move from grade level to grade level.

Matching texts to readers is a critical step in planning responsive small group instruction and in ensuring that

students are progressing along a literacy continuum.

Text Levels In BCPS, we use the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System to determine the instructional text

level for students. A text level refers to the text’s difficulty as it relates to other texts placed along a gradient of

text from A-Z which are not restricted to any single grade level. The Fountas and Pinnell leveling system uses

ten characteristics of texts to determine complexity including: genre, text structure, content, themes and ideas,

language and literary features, sentence complexity, vocabulary, words, illustrations and book and print

features. Texts within each level are varied and may present different challenges for readers. Assigning levels

to texts assists teachers in selecting books that match a student’s developing skills to the challenges in a text and

provide a tool to guide a student’s choices for independent reading.

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It is critical to note that we level texts, not students. Readers bring a wealth of background knowledge,

experience and interests that can make an individual text more or less challenging. Text levels should never be

used as a limitation, but rather a tool for helping teachers match texts to the needs of the readers and to plan

instruction aligned to assessment.

As a system, our goal is to develop lifelong strategic readers. One of the best ways parents can support that goal

is to provide your child with ample opportunities to read. Research is clear that the more children read, the

better readers they will become. According to the National Education Association, having kids read a lot is one

of the crucial components of becoming a good reader. Young readers need to become practiced at recognizing

letters and sounds. The only way to get good at it is to practice. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education found

that, generally, the more students read for fun on their own time, the higher their reading scores.

Students whose instructional reading level is Above Grade Level consistently read and comprehend text above

the grade level complexity band independently and proficiently.

Students whose instructional reading level is On Grade Level consistently read and comprehend text within the

grade level complexity band independently and proficiently.

In BCPS, we use the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System to determine the instructional text

level for students reading Below Grade Level. This instructional reading level should reflect the level of text

used in daily guided reading instruction. Instructional reading level refers to the following:

Levels A – K: Student reads with 90 – 94% accuracy and proficient or approaching proficiency in

comprehension OR 95 – 100% accuracy and limited proficiency in comprehension. Levels L – N: Student reads with 95 – 97% accuracy and proficient or approaching proficiency in

comprehension OR 98 – 100% accuracy and limited proficiency in comprehension.

Appendix A in the back of this document, includes additional information about the text level targets for each

grade level, reflected in the chart below, and also includes examples of the characteristics of text, both literary

and informational, at target levels.

Reading Targets Text Level Chart: Grades 1 – 5

Grade Level End of First

Marking Period

End of Second

Marking Period

End of Third

Marking Period

End of Fourth

Marking Period

Grade 1 D/E F H J

Grade 2 J/K K L M

Grade 3 M/N N O P

Grade 4 P/Q Q R S

Grade 5 S/T T U V

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How will my Child’s Performance in Mathematics be Reported?

In the area of mathematics, students will receive progress indicators in domains aligned to the Maryland

College and Career Readiness Standards.

Grades 1–2

Domain Explanation

Operations and

Algebraic Thinking

This domain includes standards related to story problems, strategies

to support fluency, and the operations of addition and subtraction.

This domain is taught in conjunction with the Number and

Operations in Base Ten domain.

Number and

Operations in Base

Ten

This domain includes standards related to place value, symbolic

notation, and place value understandings to support fluency. This

domain is taught in conjunction with the Operations and Algebraic

Thinking domain.

Measurement and

Data

This domain includes standards related to describing measurable

attributes, measuring length using standards and non standard units,

and telling time. It also includes collecting data, creating graphs, and

interpreting data displays.

Geometry This domain includes standards related to identifying, naming,

describing, and analyzing plane figures.

Grade 3

Domain Explanation

Operations and

Algebraic Thinking

This domain includes standards related to story problems in

context, strategies to support fluency, and conceptual and

procedural understanding of the operations of addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division. This domain is taught in conjunction

with the Number and Operations in Base Ten domain.

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Domain Explanation

Number and Operations

in Base Ten

This domain includes standards related to place value, and place

value understandings to support fluency with the four operations.

This domain is taught in conjunction with the Operations and

Algebraic Thinking domain.

Number and Operations

- Fractions

This domain includes standards related to conceptual and

procedural understanding of fractions and fractional operations.

This domain builds on conceptual and procedural understandings

within the Operations and Algebraic Thinking and Number in Base

Ten domains and students' previous experiences with whole

numbers.

Measurement and Data This domain includes standards related to measurement of mass,

volume, and weight, real life applications of measurements, and

volume.

Geometry This domain includes standards related to identifying, naming,

describing, and analyzing plane figures and lines. It also is taught

in conjunction with the Measurement and Data domain and

includes finding area, perimeter, and volume of those figures in

context.

Grades 4–5

Domain Explanation

Operations and

Algebraic Thinking

This domain includes standards related to story problems in

context, strategies to support fluency, and conceptual and

procedural understanding of the operations of addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division. This domain is taught in conjunction

with the Number and Operations in Base Ten domain.

Number and Operations

in Base Ten

This domain includes standards related to place value, and place

value understandings to support fluency with the four operations.

This domain is taught in conjunction with the Operations and

Algebraic Thinking domain.

Number and Operations

- Fractions

This domain includes standards related to conceptual and

procedural understanding of fractions and fractional operations.

This domain builds on conceptual and procedural understandings

within the Operations and Algebraic Thinking and Number in Base

Ten domains and students' previous experiences with whole

numbers.

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November, 2017

Domain Explanation

Measurement and Data This domain includes standards related to measurement of mass,

volume, and weight, real life applications of measurements, and

volume.

Geometry This domain includes standards related to identifying, naming,

describing, and analyzing lines, two and three dimensional figures,

lines. It will also include finding perimeter, area, and volumn of

those figures in context. It also is taught in conjunction with the

Measurement and Data domain and includes finding area,

perimeter, and volume of those figures in context.

Grade 5 Advanced Academics

Grade 5 Advanced Domain Descriptors

Domain Explanation

*Grade 5 See Grade 3-5 domain descriptions above that are included in

Advanced 5 curriculum.

Statistics and

Probability

This domain focuses on understanding how to collect, represent,

interpret, and determine measures of central tendency for data sets.

The Number System This domain extends knowledge of division of fractions using

models and equations to represent situational problems. Fluency

using the standard algorithms with all four operations with whole

numbers and multi-digit decimals is also a major focus. Integers

and rational numbers are explored.

The Number System This domain extends knowledge of division of fractions using

models and equations to represent situational problems. Fluency

using the standard algorthims with all four operations with whole

numbers and multi-digit decimals is also a major focus. Integers

and rational numbers are explored.

Expressions and

Equations

This domain includes evaluating expressions and reasoning to solve

one-variable equations and inequalities and apply knowledge to

solve contextual problems. This domain is taught in conjunction

with the Number System domain.

Ratios and Proportional

Relationships

This domain includes the study of ratios and proportional reasoning

and extends students’ work in measurement, multiplication and

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Domain Explanation

division by using ratios, rates, unit rates and percents to solve

situations in daily life.

Modified Program

In the area of language arts and mathematics, teachers will indicate if a student’s program has been modified for

one of the following reasons:

Modified: English Learner - The student is an English Learner and receives instruction that is reflective of

modified standards.

Acceleration – The student has demonstrated readiness and need for instruction in mathematics standards a

grade above their age-appropriate grade level. The student has been assessed through the Office of

Advanced Academics for “subject level acceleration” in the area of mathematics and participates in

Advanced Academics mathematics instruction in a higher grade.

How will my Child’s Performance in Science, Social Studies, and Health be Reported?

Throughout the year, students participate in the following:

Science: Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Social Studies: Aligned to national and state standards

Health: Aligned to Maryland State Standards

Example Grades1-3

How will my Child’s Performance in Special Areas be Reported?

Special Area Grades

Grades 1-3

Students will receive grades at the conclusion of Marking Periods 2 and 4 in the following areas using the codes

CD, N, P, or NA:

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Library/Media: Aligned to national standards

Art: Aligned to national and state standards

Physical Education: Aligned to national standards

Music: Aligned to national and state standards

Grades provided at the conclusion of Marking Period 2 should be reflective of the body of evidence gathered

throughout Marking Periods 1 and 2. Grades provided at the conclusion of Marking Period 4 should be

reflective of the body of evidence gathered throughout Marking Periods 3 and 4.

Grades 4-5

Students will receive grades at the conclusion of Marking Periods 2 and 4 in the following areas using the codes

A, B, C, D, E, or NA:

Library/Media: Aligned to national standards Art: Aligned to national and state standards

Physical Education: Aligned to national standards

Vocal Music: Aligned to national and state standards Instrumental Music: Aligned to national and state standard

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November, 2017

How will my Child’s Conduct and Learning Skills be Reported?

The Conduct and Learning Skills portions of the report card codes are listed below on the Conduct and Learning Skills Rubric. This can be also be

found in the Grading and Reporting Manual.

BCPS Skills and Conduct Indicators Classroom Conduct Work Completion Working With Adults Working With Students

Meeting

3 The Student: • Consistently arrives on time. • Is consistently prepared for class. • Consistently participates in class. • Consistently accepts

responsibility for actions. • Consistently behaves

appropriately as outlined in

classroom rules.

The Student: • Consistently completes classwork as

assigned. • Consistently submits homework on time. • Consistently uses available instructional

supports. • Takes advantage of retake/redo

opportunities.

The Student: • Consistently responds to and

communicates positively with adults. • Consistently follows directions from

adults. • Consistently seeks help from adults and

asks questions when needed. • Consistently interacts cooperatively

with adults.

The Student: • Consistently communicates positively with

other students. • Consistently avoids or resolves conflict

with other students. • Consistently demonstrates tolerance of

multiple perspectives. • Consistently interacts cooperatively with

other students.

Developing

2 The Student: • Sometimes arrives on time. • Sometimes is prepared for class. • Sometimes participates in class. • Sometimes accepts

responsibility for actions. • Sometimes behaves

appropriately as outlined in classroom rules.

The Student: • Sometimes completes classwork as assigned. • Sometimes submits homework on time. • Sometimes uses available instructional

supports. • Sometimes takes advantage of retake/redo

opportunities.

The Student: • Sometimes responds to and

communicates positively with adults. • Sometimes follows directions from

adults. • Sometimes seeks help from adults and

asks questions when needed. • Sometimes interacts cooperatively with

adults.

The Student: • Sometimes responds positively with other

students. • Sometimes avoids or resolves conflict with

other students. • Sometimes demonstrates tolerance of

multiple perspectives. • Sometimes interacts cooperatively with

other students.

Insufficient

Progress 1 The Student:

• Rarely arrives on time. • Rarely is prepared for class. • Rarely participates in class. • Rarely accepts responsibility for

actions. • Rarely behaves appropriately as

outlined in classroom rules.

The Student: • Rarely completes classwork as assigned. • Rarely submits homework on time. • Rarely uses available instructional supports. • Rarely takes advantage of retake/redo

opportunities and support.

The Student: • Rarely responds to and communicates

positively with adults. • Rarely follows directions from adults. • Rarely seeks help from adults or asks

questions when needed. • Rarely Interacts cooperatively with

adults.

The Student: • Rarely communicates positively with other

students. • Rarely avoids or resolves conflict with

other students. • Rarely demonstrates tolerance of multiple

perspectives. • Rarely interacts cooperatively with other

students.

No

Evidence 0 Even with help, the student:

• Does not arrive on time. • Is not prepared for class. • Does not participate. • Does not accept responsibility

for actions. • Does not behave appropriately as

outlined in classroom rules.

Even with help, the student: • Does not complete classwork as assigned. • Does not submit homework on time. • Does not use available instructional supports. • Does not take advantage of retake/redo

opportunities.

Even with help, the student: • Does not respond to and communicate

positively with adults. • Does not follow directions from adults. • Does not seek help or ask questions

when needed from adults. • Does not interact cooperatively with

adults.

The Student: • Does not communicate positively with

other students. • Does not avoid or resolve conflict with

other students. • Does not demonstrate tolerance of multiple

perspectives. • Does not interact cooperatively with other

students.

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Grades 1-3

Students in Grades 1–3 will receive scores in Conduct and Learning Skills from their homeroom teacher every

marking period and and in each special area after the second and fourth marking periods.

Examples:

Grades 1-3 Homeroom

Grades 1-3 Special Areas

Grades 4-5

Students in Grades 4-5 will receive scores in Conduct and Learning Skills in each content area every marking

period (language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health) and in each special area after the second

and fourth marking periods.

Examples:

Grades 4-5 Content Areas

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Grades 4-5 Special Areas

Programs and Services Grades 1–3

There are two options under Programs and Services:

504 Accommodation Plan-indicated if a student has a 504 Accommodation Plan

Individualized Education Program (IEP)- indicated if a student has an IEP.

Grades 4–5

There are three options under Programs and Services:

504 Accommodation Plan - indicated if a student has a 504 Accommodation Plan

Individualized Education Program (IEP)- indicated if a student has an IEP.

Advanced Academics: Grade 4 – indicated if a student is participating in the Grade 4 Advanced

Mathematics curriculum.

Advanced Academics: Grade 5 – indicated if a student is participating in the Grade 5 Advanced

Mathematics curriculum.

Teacher Comments

Customized comments will be provided twice during the school year:

At the conclusion of Marking Period 2

At the conclusion of Marking Period 3

Teachers will use Elementary Conference Day to provide customized comments regarding student progress

during Marking Period 1.

A conference may be requested at the conclusion of every marking period.

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Appendix A: Understanding Text Levels

To further clarify expectations for instructional reading level, included are examples of text levels representing

the following grade level targets by marking period:

Reading Targets Text Level Chart: 1 – 5

Grade Level End of First

Quarter

End of Second

Quarter

End of Third

Quarter

End of Fourth

Quarter

Grade 1 D/E F H J

Grade 2 J/K K L M

Grade 3 M/N N O P

Grade 4 P/Q Q R S

Grade 5 S/T T U V

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Beginning of the Year Benchmark First Grade

Text Level D The book has…

pictures that help tell the story

a variety of sentences with up to eight to ten words

some longer sentence (more than six words)

two to six lines of text on each page

many familiar high-frequency words that are repeated through the book (e.g., us, up, little)

words with basic phonetic patterns, such as beginning and ending consonant sounds and short vowel sounds

words with inflectional endings (-s, -ed, -ing)

The student is learning to…

read and write common high frequency words by sight (e.g. the, of, to, you, she my, is, are, do , does, up,

little)

use beginning consonant sounds to read unknown words

check accuracy of familiar words he/she reads and makes corrections as needed

uses the illustrations and/or photographs to support understanding

ask and answer questions about key details in text

retell stories including key details

begins to reread with appropriate accuracy, rate, and expression

Sample text from Clever Fox by: Claire Llewellyn – Literary

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End of the Year Benchmark – Grade 1

Text Level J

The book has…

Informational texts, simple animal fantasy, realistic fiction, traditional literature (folktales), some simple biographies

on familiar subjects

Beginning chapter books with illustrations (forty to seventy‐five pages)

Underlying organizational structures used and presented clearly (description, compare and contrast, problem and

solution)

Some unusual formats, such as letters or questions followed by answers

Some ideas new to most children

Some texts with settings that are not familiar to most children

Varied placement of subject, verb, adjectives and adverbs in sentences

Contain some abstract concepts that are highly supported by text and illustrations

Some complex spelling patterns and letter‐sound relationships in words

Many lines of print on a page

The student is learning to…

Process a variety of texts (short fiction texts, short informational texts, and longer narrative texts that have

illustrations and short chapters)

Adjust reading strategies as needed to process different genres

Process increasingly more complex sentences

Have a large, expanding sight‐word vocabulary

Quickly apply word‐solving strategies for complex spelling patterns, multisyllable words, and words with inflectional

endings, plurals, contractions, and possessives

Read silently during independent reading

Demonstrate appropriate rate, stress, intonation, phrasing, and pausing when reading aloud

Sample text from Clifford The Big Red Dog by: Norman Bridwell

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End of the Year Benchmark – Grade 2

Text Level M

The text has…

sentences of varying length, with some that are long and complex

small print

familiar or unfamiliar content and may be organized by chapters or sections

a combination of graphics providing information that matches and extends the text, such as captions or

photographs that provide important information to supplement the body of the text challenging vocabulary

The students is learning to…

read texts independently and silently while reading for meaning

use a variety of reading strategies flexibly and successfully

think about what he/she already knows about the topic or subject, preview the text before reading, and make

predictions

ask and answer questions while reading to check for understanding

demonstrate literal, inferential, and critical comprehension through discussion

determine and clarify the meaning of unknown words

demonstrate understanding of word relationships

use information gained from text features to increase understanding

study structure of a text and determine how the different pieces fit together identify the main idea of a text or section of text

Sample text from Seasons and Weather by: Linda Bruce

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End of Year Benchmark Grade 3

Text Level P The text has…

chapters with small print and multiple detailed events

little to no illustrations

complex themes

complex plot and sub plots

challenging vocabulary

cultural or historical contexts (e.g., settings, situations, perspectives)

sophisticated language and humor

The students is learning to…

read silently

use reading strategies flexibly and smoothly to understand text

sustain reading longer texts in multiple genres, which require several days or weeks to read

analyze words in order to read new multisyllable words

build background knowledge and use prior knowledge to understand stories

identify with characters in books and see themselves in the events of the stories

connect ideas in multiple texts

examine the craft and structure of a text

ask and answer questions while reading to check for understanding

demonstrate literal, inferential, and critical comprehension through discussion

demonstrate understanding of word relationships (e.g., multiple meanings of the same word)

determine central message, moral, or lesson

discuss themes, settings, and plots

Sample text from Fantastic Mr. Fox by: Roald Dahl

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End of Year Benchmark Grade 4

Text Level S The text has….

small print and reduced word spacing

a variety of complex text structures, such as problem-solution, chronological order, cause-effect

sophisticated content vocabulary abstract and complex topics or content with historical, scientific, or technical information

The student is learning to…

read silently

sustain reading longer texts which require several days or weeks to read with understanding

use understandings of how words work to read a wide range of unknown words (e.g.- using analogy to

known word parts, word roots, base words, and affixes)

acquire new vocabulary through reading

use reading as a tool to build knowledge across all content areas (e.g., science, social studies, health)

connect ideas in several texts for greater understanding and finer interpretations

go beyond the text read to form interpretations and apply understandings in other areas determine main idea(s)

Sample from Reading Wonders – Exploring the Deep by: Sue Gibbison

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End of Year Benchmark Grade 5

Text Level V

The text has…

small print and reduced word spacing

minimal illustrations

complex ideas, figurative language, symbolism

long descriptive narratives sophisticated themes and abstract/complex topics

The student is…

sustain reading longer texts which require several days or weeks to read with understanding

use understandings of how words work to read a wide range of unknown words (e.g.- using analogy to known word

parts, word roots, base words, and affixes)

acquire new vocabulary through reading

connect ideas in several texts for greater understanding and finer interpretations (e.g., symbolism)

form interpretations and apply understandings in other areas

notice and comment on aspects of the writer’s craft (e.g.-figurative language, symbolism, mood, and theme)

use reading as a tool to build knowledge across all content areas (e.g., science, social studies, health) determine theme(s)

Sample from Esperanza Rising by: Pam Munoz Ryan