READING SKILLS FOR LOW LEVEL READERS
IN UPPER GRADES
This high interest series is written at grade level 5-7 for
interest grade levels 8-12. Its colorful graphics, photos, maps, and engaging
text hooks are guaranteed to grab the attention of reluctant readers and draw
them in. These books also sneak in science terms and techniques and offer a look
at interesting occupations behind the scenes that might motivate someone to
study harder and make a new goal. Each book focuses on one fascinating aspect of
how science is used in the real world to detect disease, catch criminals, gather
intelligence to help protect the nation, and solve mysteries which have puzzled
people for a long time.
Read details and see titles
This group of series for reluctant readers are geared toward an interest level of grades
7-12 with a reading level of grades 4-7. Each book is clearly written in simple
sentences using familiar vocabulary. Other features include brilliant color photos,
fascinating sidebars, and user-friendly fact boxes, charts, and tables which highlight key
information in the text.
On Duty Series: This group of
books offers an insider's look at how America's heroes in the armed forces train to be the
best. 48 pages each, trade paperback, full-color photos. There are more in this series
than I stock at present, so if this series especially interests you, please email for a
list of other titles and I'll send it. Then you can special order all that you want. Click
image to enlarge it. $6.26-D each.
Life as an Air Force Fighter Pilot,
by Robert C. Kennedy, Cat. #235451. $6.26-D
Life With the Navy Seals,
Cat. # CP-235516. $6.26-D
High-Tech Military Weapons
Series: As the name implies, this series introduces the military weapons that seem to
fascinate boys of all ages. There are more in this series than I stock at present, so if
this series especially interests you, please email for a list of other titles and I'll
send it. Then you can special order all that you want. 48 pages, trade paper.
Combat Fighter: CP-187063
Natural Disasters Series: Read about
the reasons for and response to some of our most damaging natural disasters and
how you can try to protect yourself when they happen. There are more
titles in this series than I stock at present, so if this series especially
interests you, please email for a list of other titles and I'll send it. Then
you can special order all that you want. 48 pages, trade paper.
 Earthquakes. BTH-3243.
$6.26-D
 Forest Fires. BTH-3244.
$6.26-D
Survivor Series: Sometimes
people encounter challenging situations which only the most courageous individuals can
handle and come through intact. Perhaps they struggle against a raging sea or the jagged
slopes of a mountain or even the emptiness of space. The books in this series celebrate
the human spirit and provide the true stories of people who faced what seemed to be
impossible conditions and survived. 48 pages each. Contain full-color and black-and-white
photos and maps. There are more in this series than I stock at present, so if this series
especially interests you, please email for a list of other titles and I'll send it. Then
you can special order all that you want.
 Crisis in Space: Apollo
13 by Mark Beyer. Cat. #BTH-3235. $6.26-D
 The Donner Party by Scott Werther. Cat.
#BTH-3233. $6.26-D
Dr. Jerri Nielson: Cheating Death in Antarctica.
What does the only doctor in a research facility in Antachtica do when she is
confined for the winter, cut off from the outside world, and discovers she has
breast cancer? Cat. #BTH-3240. $6.26-D
 Jon Krakauer's Adventure on Mt. Everest, Cat.
#BTH-3232. $6.26-D
 The Shackleton Expedition, Cat. #BTH-3241.
$6.26-D
 Steven Callahan, Cat. #BTH-3242. $6.26-D
Other series are also available in the High
Interest Group of books: Animal Attack! (Deals with attacks of wild
creatures on people), Built for Speed (Deals with speedy race cars, jet
skis, trains, etc.), Stock Car Racing, Cool Collectibles (Things teens might collect such
as dolls, coins, rocks, stamps, trading cards, butterflies, military collectibles, and
miniature cars), Life in the Future (Cloning, genetic engineering,
robotics, space exploration, ), Natural Disasters, Outdoor
Life ( Snowmobiling,
and waterskiing --all for teens), and Top Secret (books on the FBI, Sky Marshals, and Undercover Agents.). Unfortunately I can't afford to stock
them all, but I can give you more detailed information on any series and special order it
for you. Please allow about two-four weeks for special orders to arrive.
Frank Schaffer
High Interest/Low Readability Workbooks
High Interest / Low Readability Action Adventure, Middle School. by
Richard Gifford. Milestone / Frank Schaffer, 2007. These
attention-grabbing, age-appropriate original short stories and activities are
perfect for readers struggling below their grade level.. The stories are
accompanied by pre-reading activities, vocabulary exercises, discussion
questions, homework, and extension activities. There are six stories in all.
Answers for activities are included. Reproducible for classroom use. 80 pages.
BTH-4541. $9.89-D
High Interest / Low Readability Biographies, Middle School. by Delan
Heidrich. Milestone / Frank Schaffer, 2007. These attention-grabbing,
age-appropriate biographies are perfect for struggling readers. Articles are at
a lower reading level than the grade and are accompanied by pre-reading
activities, vocabulary exercises, discussion questions, homework, and extension
activities. The biographical stories emphasize triumph over poverty,
misfortunes, bad choices, and failures. Biographical figures include authors
like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Hans Christian Andersen, political leaders like
Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Paine, old ladies such as Maggie Kuhn and Mother
Jones, food product producers such as Milton Hershey and Colonel Sanders,
batters such as Babe Ruth, and the circus figure, P.T. Barnum. Topics and
illustrations will appeal to middle school students. Answers for activites are
included. Reproducible for classroom use. 80 pages. BTH-4540. $9.89-D
High Interest / Low Readability Inventions, Middle School. by Delan
Heidrich. Milestone / Frank Schaffer, 2007. These attention-grabbing,
age-appropriate stories behind inventions we use all the time are perfect for
readers struggling below their grade level.. The stories are accompanied by
pre-reading activities, vocabulary exercises, discussion questions, homework,
and extension activities. There are eight fascinating stories of chance and
error that led to the invention of such things as jeans, Band-Aids®, Teddy
Bears, Velcro®, Silly Putty®, Slinky®, chewing gum, ice cream, and more. Answers
for activities are included. Reproducible for classroom use. . 80 pages.
BTH-4542. $9.89-D
High Interest / Low Readability Mysteries. Milestone /
Frank Schaffer, 2007. These attention-grabbing, age-appropriate mysteries
are perfect for struggling readers. Stories range from a 2.0 to 5.0 reading
level and are accompanied by pre-reading activities, vocabulary exercises,
discussion questions, and writing activities. Topics and illustrations will
appeal to middle school students. Answers for activities are included.
Reproducible for classroom use.
High Interest / Low Readability Mysteries Grade 6 by Jennifer Tendero. BTH-4537. $9.89-D
High Interest / Low Readability Mysteries Grade 7, by Q.L. Pearce. BTH-4539. $9.89-D
High Interest / Low Readability Mysteries Grade 8 by Q.L. Pearce. BTH-4538. $9.89-D
Beginning Reading for Older
Students: 30 Reproducible High-Interest / Emergent-Skills Stories for the
Classroom and the Home by Gloria
Lapin. Good Apple, 2002. This book will be a valuable resource for those who
teach upper elementary through high school students, ESL students, students with
special needs, high-risk students, or others with reading difficulties. The 30
reproducible stories are in graphic format, a format which is becoming popular
with young people. The main characters are not little kids. There is nothing
here to make an older student feel he or she is reading baby stuff. Subjects
include things like watching TV, getting a haircut, shopping, eating out,
looking for keys, sports, taking the bus, talking to friends on the phone,
looking for someone in a public place, and more. Stories are very short.
Included
are an introduction to all 220 Dolch words, frequent repetition of words to help
retention, a master vocabulary list with reproducible word cards for
reinforcement, comprehension questions to strengthen understanding, and forms
for making one's own stories or continuing some that are here. 80 pages. If
you''ve had a tough time finding emergent readers in a form that teens can
relate to, you should definitely try this. BTH-2957. $11.69-D
This series is designed for grades 5 and up and ELL.
It is great for older students who require additional support in reading and
spelling, since it will help them improve their basic literacy skills. The
lessons are designed to be used in extra daily sessions, such as tutoring
programs. . Structured and sequential lessons help build competence in reading,
spelling, and contextual use of single and multi-syllable words. Lessons follow
similar patterns of delivery so that students may work with a minimum amount of
tutor preparation and guidance. Each book is organized into cumulative units
that focus on a distinct group of skills. There are seven 80-page books in the
series, with limited reproduction rights.
They are $9.89-D each.
Available titles:
Words covers
the building and splitting of simple c-v-c (consonant-vowel-consonant)
combinations and consonant blends. BTH-1170. $9.89-D
Syllables
covers breaking words into syllables and long vowel sounds. BTH-1171.
$9.89-D
Vowel Sounds
covers the long vowel combinations and splitting syllables with long vowel
sounds. BTH-1172. $9.89-D
Word Beginnings and
Endings deals with common prefixes and suffixes. BTH-1173. $9.89-D.
Complex
Words deals with more complex multi-syllabic words and more common
prefixes and suffixes. BTH-1174. $9.89-D
Irregular Words
deals with words that follow less common or seemingly no spelling patterns
(better known as "instant" or "sight" words. BTH-1175. $9.89-D
Spelling
introduces a range of methods and activities to help students learn and retain
these words for use in their everyday written work. The author recognizes that
students need to be able to use what they have learned outside of workbooks and
learning tasks, so she has included spelling sheets, short dictation passages,
and simple "Find the Errors" texts. BTH-1176. $9.89-D
This series is designed for low-level readers having
trouble in content areas. The reading books are written at level 5-8. Connections
is a self-directed program. Because of its low reading levels and straightforward
directions, students can measure their own progress with pretests and posttests.
Interpretive correlation charts help students find the precise pages for remedial
instruction. Each book comes with bound-in answer key. 250 pages in each book. Illustrated
with photos and art. Each book is $15.75-D
 Connections: Basic Skills in Writing: Covers the
writing process, narrative writing, descriptive writing, expository writing, and
persuasive writing in the first unit. the second unit, Workplace and Personal Writing,
covers letter writing, job search writing, workplace writing, explanatory writing, and
report writing. The third unit is a Grammar Guide that covers mechanics, usage and
sentence structure. The last unit is a writing handbook. Connections are given for writing
in the real world of work. Cat. #BTH-211. $15.75-D
 Connections: Basic Skills in
Reading: Helps students develop skills needed to read and understand the
various kinds of literary, popular, academic,and practical writing. There are selections
from many types of popular and classical literature, introductions to help students know
what to look for so they learn to read actively, and follow up exercises to help students
determine how well they have understood what they have read. Each unit also connects the
skills practiced to other subject areas and to the real world of work.
Fiction selections are taken from works such as The
Ghostway by Tony Hillerman; I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov; Salem's Lot
by Stephen King, "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Poe, and more.
Nonfiction selections are taken from the following:
Biography: Langston Hughes: A Biography by Milton Meltzer
Biography: Luis W. Alvarez by Corinn Codye
Autobiography: Say Hey by Willie Mays
Autobiography: Black Elk Speaks as told through John G.
Niehardt
Essay: "Street Directions" by Andy Rooney
Persuasive Essay: "Thoughts on Peace in an Air Raid" by
Virginia Woolf
Magazine Article: "A Courageous Stand" by Kenny Moore
TV Review: "Jimmy, we hardly knew ye -- the real story behind
Smit;s departure from NYPD Blue"
Book Review: Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard, reviewed by Ralph
Novak
Poetry and Drama selections are taken from the
following:
Popular Drama: "Crimes of the Heart: by Beth Henley
Social Drama: "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry.
Popular Poetry: "The Thirty-Eighth Year" by Lucile Clifton
and "A Picture on the Mantel" by James Walker
Classical Poetry: "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost,
"The Minuet" by Mary Mapes Dodge" and
"Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington
Robinson
Practical selections include brochures and
advertisements, calendars and schedules, forms and documents, manuals and handbooks,
drawings and diagrams, and charts and graphs. Cat. #BTH-212, $15.75-D
Connections: Basic Skills in Mathematics: Covers
operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, ratios, proportions, percents, some
algebra formulas and topics, and some statistics, probability and geometry topics. Shows
connections of topics to other subject areas and also their applications in the world of
work.
Cat. #BTH-215, $15.75-D
Connections: Basic Skills in Science: Life
Science topics include scientific methods, the cell, blood vessels, bones and
muscles, the reproductive system, genetics, bacteria and viruses, plants, animal behavior,
life cycles, the environment, ecosystems, and evolution. Earth and Space Science
topics include weather, the atmosphere, natural resources, the solar system, and
space exploration. Chemistry topics include Matter, changes in matter,
mixtures and solutions, combustion, and nuclear fission. Physics topics
include machines, momentum, electricity, light, and lasers. Applications are shown in
other subjects and in the world of work.
Cat. #BTH-214, $15.75-D
Connections:
Basic Skills in Social Studies: Units
studied are Geography, World History, American History, Government and Civics, and
Economics. Careers involving these areas of knowledge are introduced, as are connections
to other subject areas. Cat. #BTH-213, $15.75-D
Grammar Basics Plus is designed
for struggling learners who need to understand the building blocks of language.
The easy-to-follow lessons are divided into three units -- Parts of Speech,
Usage, and Mechanics. Each page presents clear directions and a model example to
guide students in their work. Also included are assessment pages for each unit
and a checklist of skills for tracking student progress. Each exercise has a
unified theme, with one selection on the theme being fiction and the other being
nonfiction. This helps students learn to practice their skills in a variety of
genres. There are several suggestions for varying the ways in which
students can record their responses. Books in this series are aligned to state
and national standards. Limited reproduction rights and an answer key are
included in each book. These books are not closely graded. Book A is for
beginners of any age past primary. Book B is for students at the next level.
Published by LDA, an imprint of McGraw-Hill Children's Publishing. 128 pages
each.
Grammar Basics Plus Book A: BTH-2958. $12.59-D
Grammar Basics Plus Book
B: BTH-2959. $12.59-D
Other
Resources for Remedial / Special Education Teachers
 How
to Teach Reading When you're Not a Reading Teacher by Sharon H. Faber.
Incentive Publications. This book was written for middle grade teachers who
realize that some of their students can't read at all or have great difficulty
reading. Though most middle school teachers haven't been trained as reading
teachers, they do know that when they have students who can't read their
textbooks, they have a responsibility to help these students with learning
disabilities. Many teachers are already doing some of the right things by
instinct as they break down textbooks into manageable units, preview a
textbook's features, and teach content-specific vocabulary before an assignment.
This book reinforces those strategies already in use and provides new and
practical approaches for teaching students how to read. If you have children in
your class who have been left behind, this book will give you the tools you need
to help them catch up. 135 pages, including bibliography. BTH-660. $13.46-D
Reading
Success Book 4: A Multisensory Reading Intervention Program
by Celia Stone, Elizabeth Franks, and Myra. Nicholson. Instructional Fair
/ LDA, 2000. This book is designed to help students with learning disabilities
as well as those who have various spelling and reading difficulties to acquire
the confidence, self-esteem, and skills necessary to achieve success. It will
guide students progressively from the very first stages of letter recognition to
full literacy. This sequential learning program consists of six cumulative
ungraded levels. It is a reading through spelling process which ensures that the
problems of spelling and writing are overcome as the child learns to read. In
addition, Reading Success: A Multisensory Reading Intervention Program is
full of varied and fun activities and self-affirming review pages to encourage
learners. This volume covers ee, ar, or, -y, i-e, a-e, ay, ce, ci, cy, er, oo,
ge, gi, gy, -dge, o-e, and u-e. Pages are reproducible for students in one
classroom. This book is useful for teachers and parents of those with learning
disabilities. If students have not worked through the first three books in the
series, there is an assessment in this books to determine if a student is ready
for it. This series is out of print, though I do expect to also have Book 2 in
by October, 2007. 176 pages. BTH-3978. $8.93-B
Vocabulary Builders by Donald
Skrabanek. Published by LDA, an imprint of McGraw-Hill Children's Publishing.
Books in this series are aligned to state and national standards. They are
designed to help struggling readers develop better vocabularies so that reading
will not be such a chore. The cross-curricular reading selections help students
learn vocabulary in context for math, literature, language arts, social studies,
science, and life survival skills. Each lesson focuses on only five or six new
vocabulary words. The vocabulary words and high-interest content are drawn from
the upper elementary grade levels, but the reading level is targeted for
struggling readers at the primary reading level so they can learn the words they
need to function effectively at their grade levels. Multi-page lessons include a
reading comprehension selection to introduce the vocabulary words followed by
extension activities to reinforce learning. Several assessments are provided to
gauge student performance and progress. Book A is correlated to basal textbooks.
The books are not closely graded, but Book A appears to be at about grade 2 or 3
level. Book B is at a higher level. Illustrations are suitable for middle school
or even higher grades. Limited reproduction rights and answer keys are provided.
128 pages. BTH-2960
Vocabulary Builders Level A: BTH-2960. $12.59-D
Vocabulary Builders Level B:
BTH-2961. $12.59-D
|
