Heinemann / ISBN 0-325-00193-6 / 978-0-325-00193-7 / 1999 / 416 pp / paperback
Availability: This title is out of print.

Product Information

Fountas and Pinnell have significantly revised and expanded the original list of books featured in Guided Reading, adding thousands of additional titles. Books are organized by title and by level of difficulty. Word counts are provided for most books to assist teachers as they take running records. To help teachers match the right book to the reader, the authors consider text characteristics, including style, topic, and format—with several hundred suggested titles for use at each level from kindergarten through grade three.

In addition to the book list itself, Matching Books to Readers includes helpful descriptions of a leveled book collection and how best to use it. There is information on using running records and benchmark books for assessment, as well as equivalence charts that compare this list to others. Other topics include how to create a school book room; how to create classroom collections and how to select quality books; information on variously priced starter sets and ordering guidelines; and how to acquire books. An easy-to-use grant-writing guide is also included to make funding a rich book collection a reality.

No other leveled book list available today is as exhaustive or informative. With Matching Books to Readers, Fountas and Pinnell have made it easier than ever for teachers to teach students with texts that both challenge and delight.

Table of Contents

Contents:

Introduction

1. Matching Books to Readers in a Balanced Literacy Program

Importance of Matching Books and Readers
Texts in Relation to Readers
Readers in Relation to Texts
Books, Readers, and the Reading Process

2. The Role of Leveled Books Within an Effective Literacy Program

The Classroom Collection
Making Decisions About Texts

3. A Leveled Book Collection

Book Levels
Creating a Leveled Book Collection
Text Characteristics to Consider
Working Together

4. Understanding Leveled Collections and Reading Systems

Ways of Controlling Tests
Grade Level Equivalents
Basal Levels
Guided-Reading Systems
Reading Recovery Levels
Benchmark Books for Assessment Purposes
Making Connections to Enrich the Collection

5. Using Leveled Books in a Guided Reading Program

Using Running Records to Place Children in Initial Groups for Teaching
Using the Gradient to Help in the Selection of Texts
Using Running Records with Book Levels
Changing Book Levels
Using the Book Gradient to Document Progress Over Time
Using the Gradient of Text in Guided Reading and Beyond

6. Getting Started: Creating a Classroom Collection

Multiple Copies
Storage and Retrieval
Use of Time
Number of Books
Sharing and Expanding Classroom Book Collections

7. Getting Started: Creating and Using a School Book Room

The School Book Room
Organizing the Book Room
Using the Book Room
Coordinating Between the Classroom and Book Room
Estimated Costs of the School Book Room Collection

8. Acquiring Books: Book Clubs, Gifts, and Cost Effective Planning

Know the Books You Want Before Ordering
Work Together for Creative Solutions
Use Book Clubs
Hold Book Fairs at the School
Work with Parents to Hold Bake Sales and Auctions
Make Gifts Possible
Ask a Local Business to "Adopt" the School
Find Ways to Save Money
Keep Your Eye on the Goal

9. Acquiring More Books: A Practical Guide for Writing Grant Proposals

Sources of Funding
Length of the Proposal and Abstract
Writing Style for a Proposal
Writing an Introductory Letter
Components of Proposals
Steps in Writing a Proposal for a Grant to Buy Books
Keep Trying, and Recognize Contributors

10. How to Use This Book List

Contents of the List
Information on Levels
Organization of the List
Using Sections of the List
Make This List Your Own List

Sample Chapters

• Preview the first chapter.
• Click here to read in the introduction