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Understanding Texts & Readers: Responsive Comprehension Instruction with Leveled Texts
"Goals help guide my thinking about reader's skills within each level of text complexity, and a leveling system helps my understanding of readers' development from level to level." -Jennifer Serravallo U nderstanding Texts & Readers makes comprehension make sense. In it, Jennifer Serravallo narrows the distance between assessment and instruction. She maps the four fiction and four nonfiction comprehension goals she presented in The Reading Strategies Book to fourteen text levels and shares sample responses that show what to expect from readers at each. Jen simplifies text complexity and clarifies comprehension instruction. She begins by untangling the many threads of Levels, engagement, stamina, the relevance of texts, and much more. Then level by level Even if you haven't read the book your reader is responding to, you'll have the background necessary to make great teaching decisions for all your readers. "Understanding subtle shifts and increases in demands from level to level," writes Jennifer Serravallo, "can guide what a teacher asks a student, what the teacher expects of the student, and what the teacher, therefore, teaches the student." Want to become a master of matching kids to books? Looking to take the difficult out of differentiation? Or do you want to dramatically increase the power and responsiveness of Jen's Reading Strategies Book ? Understanding Texts & Readers shows you how to move forward when students need to make progress.
288 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2018
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289 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 30, 2018
Where has this book been all my life? Understanding Texts and Readers feels like it pulls together everything Serravallo has been working on for the past several years into one clear, very understandable book. It’s definitely worth a book study with a team of teachers or even an entire school.
The information on how texts gradually become more complex in both fiction and nonfiction is ground-breaking. Fountas and Pinnell have done some of this work already in their Literacy Continuum, but Serravallo writes in a much clearer way so the readers doesn’t get overwhelmed, which is often the case when we try to digest F&P’s Continuum. She narrows the focus in Fiction to four areas: Plot/setting, Character, Vocabulary/Figurative Language, and Theme. She does the same for Nonfiction: Main idea, Key details, Vocabulary, and Text Features. She outlines how each gradually increases in difficulty, discussing the major jumps at particular levels. She then follows that up with examples of students’ written responses for each area, showing how readers of increasing level texts should respond in more sophisticated ways. The work she’s done here is eye-opening and will jump-start some great conversations about the types of instruction students need to effectively tackle each increase in levels within these four areas.
Finally, her last section is very powerful in arguing against leveling kids, but instead using levels as just one way of helping match texts to readers. “Be sure to emphasize with kids that there is no such thing as a reader being leveled, and that the level on books are just one of the many things to consider when choosing them. Never refer to children by a reading level. Correct and redirect children if you ever hear them referring to themselves as a level” (p. 214).
This book is a WONDERFUL addition to the professional book canon and is destined to be a classic. If you don’t have it yet, RUN to the book store to get it.
The information on how texts gradually become more complex in both fiction and nonfiction is ground-breaking. Fountas and Pinnell have done some of this work already in their Literacy Continuum, but Serravallo writes in a much clearer way so the readers doesn’t get overwhelmed, which is often the case when we try to digest F&P’s Continuum. She narrows the focus in Fiction to four areas: Plot/setting, Character, Vocabulary/Figurative Language, and Theme. She does the same for Nonfiction: Main idea, Key details, Vocabulary, and Text Features. She outlines how each gradually increases in difficulty, discussing the major jumps at particular levels. She then follows that up with examples of students’ written responses for each area, showing how readers of increasing level texts should respond in more sophisticated ways. The work she’s done here is eye-opening and will jump-start some great conversations about the types of instruction students need to effectively tackle each increase in levels within these four areas.
Finally, her last section is very powerful in arguing against leveling kids, but instead using levels as just one way of helping match texts to readers. “Be sure to emphasize with kids that there is no such thing as a reader being leveled, and that the level on books are just one of the many things to consider when choosing them. Never refer to children by a reading level. Correct and redirect children if you ever hear them referring to themselves as a level” (p. 214).
This book is a WONDERFUL addition to the professional book canon and is destined to be a classic. If you don’t have it yet, RUN to the book store to get it.
October 1, 2018
As a relatively new K-12 curriculum supervisor, who'd previously taught middle school English, I've been reading seminal texts in the field to help me do my job better. Despite being hot off the press, Jen Servallo's Understanding Texts and Readers: Responsive Comprehension Instruction with Leveled Texts will soon be mentioned in the same breath as those already considered giants.
I'd recently reread and loved her The Reading Strategies book so much that I bought a copy for every elementary grade level team in my district. I'd have bought more too if money had allowed. This new book works beautifully in concert with it.
Whereas the first lays out 300 different strategies aligned to thirteen different goals on everything from understanding concept of print to writing about reading, Seravallo narrows the scope to just four different ones for fiction and for nonfiction in Understanding Texts and Readers. She shows how each of these plays out in leveled readers from J-W, their attendant teaching points, and how to best use them to set goals and grow the literacy of young readers in Parts II and III of the book.
But first she lays out in Part I what these goals are and how integral they are to comprehension. Here's also where we get to know whose shoulders she's standing on. She draws not only on her experiences as a classroom teachers but also on the expertise of those who came before her. While reading The Reading Strategies Book, teachers need to look for the "hat tip" symbol for similar information due to page constraints. In UT and R, Seravallo explains her pedagogy fully and both where it converges and sometimes diverges from among others: Calkins, Krashen, Cunningham, Allington, Harvey, Miller, and most notably, Fountas and Pinnell.
Part IV explores how assessment figures into instruction around these goals. This book is also replete with easy to use charts, examples of texts with a level-by-level guide to their characteristics, progression of skills charts for each of the goals, and student samples of response to literature. Seravallo also included links to ancillary materials not included in the book itself.
When I ask teachers in the future whose shoulders they're standing on after a particular lesson, I'm sure to hear Seravallo's name.
I'd recently reread and loved her The Reading Strategies book so much that I bought a copy for every elementary grade level team in my district. I'd have bought more too if money had allowed. This new book works beautifully in concert with it.
Whereas the first lays out 300 different strategies aligned to thirteen different goals on everything from understanding concept of print to writing about reading, Seravallo narrows the scope to just four different ones for fiction and for nonfiction in Understanding Texts and Readers. She shows how each of these plays out in leveled readers from J-W, their attendant teaching points, and how to best use them to set goals and grow the literacy of young readers in Parts II and III of the book.
But first she lays out in Part I what these goals are and how integral they are to comprehension. Here's also where we get to know whose shoulders she's standing on. She draws not only on her experiences as a classroom teachers but also on the expertise of those who came before her. While reading The Reading Strategies Book, teachers need to look for the "hat tip" symbol for similar information due to page constraints. In UT and R, Seravallo explains her pedagogy fully and both where it converges and sometimes diverges from among others: Calkins, Krashen, Cunningham, Allington, Harvey, Miller, and most notably, Fountas and Pinnell.
Part IV explores how assessment figures into instruction around these goals. This book is also replete with easy to use charts, examples of texts with a level-by-level guide to their characteristics, progression of skills charts for each of the goals, and student samples of response to literature. Seravallo also included links to ancillary materials not included in the book itself.
When I ask teachers in the future whose shoulders they're standing on after a particular lesson, I'm sure to hear Seravallo's name.
November 5, 2019
Over the last couple years, Jennifer Serravallo has crossed my paths many times. I followed some of her online vlogs for a while. 'Twas intrigued in what she was saying but was consumed with some other projects. Finally got started with a set of four books I have of hers. I began with this one.
The beginning was okay. She broke apart what readers should encounter at each FP reading level J-W. I found that interesting. What I really wanted more of was a much more extensive list of books at each level that would highlight what she discussed at each level. Yes, that information is available elsewhere, but it would have helped me.
I liked how Serravallo spent considerable time on nonfiction texts. There were a couple things that provided me some things to consider within my classroom.
Then the book changed. This summer I subscribed to the Heinemann podcast to prepare me for these reads. I suppose it did prepare me, but I was not impressed. I unsubscribed after I tired of the social justice/LBQT politics that inundated educational discussions. And the end section of this book included plenty of that too.
In addition, there was the praise of a teacher who had her fifth grade students determine how many white men were depicted on the classroom books. I can assure anyone reading this that that activity will never take place in the classroom I teach.
The last section of the book was fluff. Two pages on guided reading, two on close reading, platitudes, lots of common sense stuff, etc. to round out the book.
The whole book prompts, while interesting, could not happen where I teach as we just don't have the structure to support that approach. I was briefly encouraged when she discussed guided reading only to be dismissed when she said as soon as students get to chapter books, she abandons guided reading. Really?
A lot of this flies in the face of what I have learned/adopted in my 26 years in the classroom. Yeah, I guess I am old school and find some of this approach not as meaningful to a student's reading instruction as the author purports. YMMV.
The beginning was okay. She broke apart what readers should encounter at each FP reading level J-W. I found that interesting. What I really wanted more of was a much more extensive list of books at each level that would highlight what she discussed at each level. Yes, that information is available elsewhere, but it would have helped me.
I liked how Serravallo spent considerable time on nonfiction texts. There were a couple things that provided me some things to consider within my classroom.
Then the book changed. This summer I subscribed to the Heinemann podcast to prepare me for these reads. I suppose it did prepare me, but I was not impressed. I unsubscribed after I tired of the social justice/LBQT politics that inundated educational discussions. And the end section of this book included plenty of that too.
In addition, there was the praise of a teacher who had her fifth grade students determine how many white men were depicted on the classroom books. I can assure anyone reading this that that activity will never take place in the classroom I teach.
The last section of the book was fluff. Two pages on guided reading, two on close reading, platitudes, lots of common sense stuff, etc. to round out the book.
The whole book prompts, while interesting, could not happen where I teach as we just don't have the structure to support that approach. I was briefly encouraged when she discussed guided reading only to be dismissed when she said as soon as students get to chapter books, she abandons guided reading. Really?
A lot of this flies in the face of what I have learned/adopted in my 26 years in the classroom. Yeah, I guess I am old school and find some of this approach not as meaningful to a student's reading instruction as the author purports. YMMV.
November 15, 2018
This is an absolute winner. Even if you've read some of Serravallo's work before, there are some great charts and other resources in here in addition to her thoughts on the importance of administering whole-book reading assessments and on matching books and readers. This is a "must read" for those who teach reading at the elementary school level.
July 28, 2019
My dissertation in the book I wanted to write, but Jen Serravallo beat me to it - although, she did it better. I wish I had this resource while working on my dissertation research. She included some additional, and more current, references. Great book - explains the history of leveling practices and informal reading inventories; and clearly outlines the benefits and the drawbacks of using both. We cannot level children - THANK YOU Jen! Then she provides meaningful information about how to teach children about what makes a text more complex. LOVE THIS BOOK -a MUST read for all teachers of reading.
January 20, 2019
This book has amazing charts to show the continuum of student reading progress through the elementary-middle school years. Jen gives amazing suggestions on how to help move the reader’s and what the “big differences” are at each level. I first read the book thinking about my first grade class and how to increase their reading. Now I’m going back and diving in to specific students and strategies to help those struggling and way advance readers continue to grow. This book will be revisited often!!
August 6, 2019
This is a must-have resource for any teacher who works with readers of all ages. It has so much useful information including descriptions of text levels for fiction and nonfiction, descriptions about what should be expected for comprehension at each level, helpful resources for data collection, and tips for conferencing with students. My copy is full of post-it notes and flagged pages and I know that it will be one of my go-to resources for the upcoming school year. It has changed how I approach conferencing and teaching my students. It is worth every penny.
August 16, 2019
This is an amazing resource! Jennifer Serravallo is a true teacher. The depth of knowledge she has acquired amazes me. She presents information in a user friendly way without making you feel confused or frustrated. I used to feel so overwhelmed when considering text levels & trying to figure out their characteristics or decide how I was going to meet the needs of my students. No more! I will be referring to this consistently throughout the year. This should be a required reading for teachers in college & and for ALL language arts teachers.
June 26, 2019
If you are hungry to learn more about reading to support comprehension growth for your students, run don’t walk to get this book. It holds a wealth of tips, tools, and insights to support your community of readers. It is a gem!!
July 14, 2020
This book is so helpful in understanding the reading comprehension strategies, the specific characteristics to expect in books depending upon their level, and how to use that information to match students to the right reading strategies. I will certainly be revisiting this book again and again!
October 7, 2018
Brilliant!
January 3, 2019
Great descriptions explaining what to look for in leveled books.
July 23, 2021
Excellent book! The progressions outlined in perfect detail are super helpful - even if you ignore the levels themselves and think in terms of conceptual growth. I have so much more confidence in the journey I’m responsible for guiding readers through. I have read many books that leave me inspired to teach reading, but this is the best book I’ve read in terms of feeling equipped to decide on goals and strategies. It’s amazing how much valuable information is packed into a surprisingly quick read. This will live right next to my plan book - I will refer to it constantly.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews