“Gravity” – Level D
As a previous Kindergarten teacher, I often included the Nursery Rhymes in the shared reading component of my day. Just to take you back to the conception of this songbook, I was driving to Buffalo on the Massachusetts Turnpike when I started to think about the concept of gravity and all of the things that fall down. Of course, Humpty Dumpty immediately came to mind, then Jack and Jill, and so did the Itsy Bitsy Spider! Before you knew it, the lyrics and melody started coming together giving birth to a new song! I’ve determined the Fountas & Pinnell Reading Level for this title to be Level D based on the characteristics I’ve noted below. It would be most appropriate for ages 4 – 7 and beginning first grade readers. (Of course, PreK through second graders love this book!)
2 sentences per page
2 – 4 lines of text per page
repetition throughout
rhyming structure
some longer sentences (more than 6 words)
some sentences turn over to the next line (return sweep)
I have identified the various teaching points when using Gravity during your Shared Reading lessons below. *Please note my Blog dated October 25th at normagentner.com as to how to plan out your week with one of my Songbooks of Science!
VOCABULARY: Gravity/gravity, spill, waterspout, branches, cradle, force, course
INFLECTIONAL ENDINGS:
ed – washed
es – branches
s – upstairs
CONTRACTION: gravity’s, you’ll, it’s
PUNCTUATION: hyphen G-R-A-V-I-T-Y