Reading together for Parents (page 9)

In schools experienced with Response to Intervention, first graders who scored just below the screening cutoff and were placed in reading intervention ended the year with lower reading scores than classmates just above…

Repeated reading increased fluency and comprehension, for students with and without learning disabilities, both on the passage practiced and as an intervention to improve fluency and comprehension in general. Which…

A What Works Clearinghouse panel made four recommendations for teaching early reading. It rated the evidence Strong for teaching the sounds in speech and how they link to letters, and for teaching students to decode,…

Small-group and individual reading interventions of the kind schools use in tier 2 improved foundational reading skills and, by less, language and comprehension, for young students with or at risk for reading…

Of twelve studies, five found Orton-Gillingham instruction better on every outcome measured, four on some outcomes, two found the comparison instruction better, and one found no difference. Given how few studies there…

Phonemic awareness instruction had a large effect on phonemic awareness and moderate effects on reading (including comprehension) and spelling, for typical, at-risk and disabled readers. It worked better taught with…

A national panel reviewed the experimental research on teaching reading. It found that systematic phonics instruction improves children's success in learning to read, that teaching children to manipulate the sounds in…

Systematic phonics beat unsystematic or no phonics, including whole language, with a moderate effect that lasted after teaching ended. It helped decoding, word reading, comprehension and spelling, for children at risk…

Repeated reading improved reading fluency (correct words per minute) for students with reading disabilities, especially in elementary grades. Combining repeated reading with a listening preview, where the student first…

A nonfiction passage about desert animals for 4th grade, 164 words, with six comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A nonfiction passage about how seeds spread for 4th grade, 162 words, with six comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A nonfiction passage about staying healthy for 4th grade, 172 words, with six comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A nonfiction passage about world history for 4th grade, 163 words, with six comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A free informational writing rubric in three grade bands (K–2, 3–5, 6–8) for explanatory and expository writing: topic, facts, organization, vocabulary, conventions.

Checked 2026-10-30

A nonfiction passage about graphs and data for 4th grade, 183 words, with six comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A fiction passage about kindness and friendship for 4th grade, 170 words, with six comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A fiction passage about sharing and teamwork for 4th grade, 189 words, with six comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A fiction passage about stage fright and humor for 4th grade, 171 words, with six comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A nonfiction passage about percents for 5th grade, 196 words, with five comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A nonfiction passage about soap and germs for 5th grade, 213 words, with five comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A nonfiction passage about glass for 5th grade, 219 words, with five comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A nonfiction passage about calendars and leap years for 5th grade, 209 words, with five comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A nonfiction passage about tree rings for 5th grade, 227 words, with five comprehension questions, an answer key and vocabulary. Print it or read it big.

A free book report rubric in three grade bands (K–2, 3–5, 6–8): summary, characters and setting, opinion with reasons, and organization, for written or oral reports.

Checked 2026-10-30