Just Right Books & Five Finger Rule

Just Right Books

GOLDILOCKS METHOD

"Too Easy" books
1. The book is short
2. The print is big
3. You have read the book before
4. You know all the words in the book
5. The book has lots of pictures

"Too Hard" books
1. The book is long
2. The print is small
3. There aren't many pictures in the book
4. There are a lot of words that you can't figure out
5. There's no one to help you if you get stuck
6. You don't know much about this subject

"Just Right" books
1. The book looks interesting
2. You can figure out most of the words in the book
3. An adult has read this book aloud to you
4. You have read other books by this author
5. There is someone to give you help if you need it
6. You know something about this subject

THE GOLDILOCKS TEST
Ask yourself these questions:

TOO EASY
1. Have you read it lots of times before?
2. Do you understand the story really well?
3. Do you know almost every word?
4. Can you read it smoothly?

JUST RIGHT
1. Is this book new to you?
2. Do you understand a lot of the book?
3. Are there just a few words on a page that you don't know?
4. When you read, are some places smooth and some choppy?

TOO HARD
1. Are there more than 5 words on a page that you don't know?
2. Are you confused about what is happening in most of this book?
3. When you read, does it sound pretty choppy?
4. Is everyone else busy and unable to help you?

Five Finger Test

Five Finger Test To check the reading level of a book:

1. Open the book to the middle.

Select a full page of text.

2. Read the page ( aloud if possible).

3. Put one finger up for every word you
can not pronounce or do not know.

4. If you get five ( 5 ) fingers up on one
page, the book is too difficult to read

independently.

5. If you do not get any fingers up, but
     are reading very slowly and decoding
     almost every word, you will not enjoy
     the book.