A Parent’s
Guide to
Guided
Reading
Levels
N,O,P,Q
“Reading is to the mind
what exercise is to the
body.”
~ Richard Steele
martinschools.org
Tell family tales — Children love to hear
stories about their family. Tell your child
what it was like when you or your parents
were growing up, or talk about a funny
thing that happened when you were young.
Create a writing toolbox — Find a special
box and fill it with drawing and writing ma-
terials. Think of everyday opportunities for
your child to write—the family shopping list,
thank-you notes, birthday cards, or signs
on the bedroom door.
Be your child’s #1 fan—Show interest in
your child’s homework and writing assign-
ments. Ask your child to read out loud what
he or she has written. Be an enthusiastic
listener.
Create a book together— Make a hand-
made book together by folding pieces of
paper in half and stapling them together.
Your child can write his or her own story,
with different sentences on each page. Ask
your child to illustrate the book with his/her
own drawings.
Do storytelling on the go— Take turns
adding to a story the two of you make up
while riding in the car. Either one of you
could start. Try making the story funny or
spooky. They will stretch the imagination
and foster a love for stories, It’s fun too!
Parent Tips
For Reading
at Home
http://www.pbs.org/launchingreaders/
parenttips.html
Reading text at increasingly higher levels is an expectation of
the Common Core State Standards. “Common standards
ensure that every child across the country is getting the best
possible education, no matter where a child lives or what
their background is. The common standards will provide an
accessible roadmap for schools, teachers, parents and
students, with clear and realistic goals.”
-Gov. Roy Romer, Senior Advisor, The College Board
“Parents are a child’s first
and most important
teacher.”
~Ran and Ramey
Looking Forward…
What are characteristics of Level R,S,T
Readers?
At levels R,S,T, readers will process the full
range of genres. They use text features to
support comprehension. Readers understand
perspectives other than their own, and under-
stand settings and people far distance in time
and space. They can take apart multisyllabic
words and use a full range of word solving
strategies. They search for and use informa-
tion in an integrated way, using complex
graphics and texts that present content re-
quiring background knowledge.
What are characteristics of Level R,S,T
texts?
Books at Levels R,S,T are longer with many
lines of print on each page, requiring readers
to remember information and connect ideas
over a long period of time (as much as a week
or two). Complex fantasy, myths, and legends
offer added challenge and an increased use of
symbolism. Readers are challenged by many
longer descriptive words and by technical
words that require using embedded definitions
and readers’ tools such as glossaries.
What is Guided Reading?
Guided Reading is a highly effective form of small-
group instruction developed by renowned reading
researchers, Fountas and Pin-
nell. Based on assessment, the
teacher brings together a
group of readers who are simi-
lar in their reading develop-
ment. The teacher supports the reading in a way
that enables students to read a more challenging
text with effective processing.
What are Guided Reading
Levels?
Guided Reading Levels reflect
a continuum of levels from A-Z
(grades K-8). Teachers con-
tinuously progress monitor students to see how
they’re moving along the reading continuum.
What are characteristics of Level N,O,P,Q
Readers?
At levels N,O,P,Q, readers are able to understand
abstract and mature themes and take on diverse
perspectives and issues relating to race, lan-
guage, and culture. Readers solve new vocabulary
words, some defined in the text and other unex-
plained. They can read and understand descrip-
tive words, some complex content-specific words,
and some technical words.
What are characteristics of Level N,O,P,Q
Texts?
Books at Levels N,O,P,Q include mysteries, series
books, books with sequels, or short stories. They
include chapter books and shorter fiction and in-
formational texts. Some non-fiction texts provide
information in categories on several related top-
ics, and readers can identify and use underlying
structures (description, compare/contrast, se-
quence, problem/solution, and cause and effect).
Books Kids Love
Level N
A to Z Mysteries series by Ron Roy
Abraham Lincoln: President of a Divided Country
by Carol Green
Adam Joshua Capers series by Janice L. Smith
Amber Brown series by Paula Danziger
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
My Great-Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston
My Name Is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada
Level O
The Boxcar Children series by
Gertrude C. Warner
Bugs by Nancy Parker
Can’t You Make Them Be-
have, King George? by Jean
Fritz
The Case of the Dirty Bird
by Gary Paulsen
Charles Lindbergh by Lucile Davis
Chocolate Fever by Robert Smith
Class Clown by Johanna Hurwitz
Corn Is Maize by Aliki
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
Cowpokes and Desperadoes by Gary Paulsen
Davy Crockett by Kathy Feeney
Books Kids Love
Level P/Q
The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland
The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole
Stone Fox by John R. Gardiner
Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka
The Wall by Eve Bunting
Addy series (American Girls) by Connie Porter
Felicity series (American Girls) by Valerie Tripp
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Conversation Starters
What do you notice about the writers’
style? What evidence supports your
thinking?
Did you notice any figurative language?
How did it add to enjoyment or the
meaning of the text?
What are the main idea and supporting
details of the story?
How is the setting important in the story?
Describe the story problem and resolution.
Parents’ Guide to Guided Reading Levels N,O,P,Q
Young readers
must spend time
interacting with
“Just Right” for
them.
Readers start to encoun-
ter more mature themes
that require higher level
thinking and inference.
