Research – Decide – Teach – Conference

TISB Primary Years

Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5

Name

Reading Goal
Question Prompts
Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity
Conversation
Can you tell me what you are reading?What type of text is this?
Why did you select this text?
What made you choose this particular book?
What did you already know about this topic before reading this book?
Observe students discussing books in pairs, small groups, and/or as a wholeclass.
How do you use your book talk time to help you as a reader?What do you think about the author’s
viewpoint?
Why do you think this book is regarded as ‘classic’?
Would you have chosen this book/ play/ poem yourself? Why or Why not?

Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities

Listens actively
Uses listening body language
Stays on topic
Picks conversation-worthy topics
Elaborates on ideas; explains oneself
Uses respectful language Is
accountable to the text and to peers’
ideas
Balances voices, so all are heard
Keeps the conversation moving and
knows when ideas are repeating and
it’s time to move to a new topic
Asks questions
Has stamina to talk for a long time
about one idea

Thinks flexibly, allowing one’s own

opinions to be changed and/ or
considering new perspectives
Debates
Uses empathy to understand others’
ideas, especially when others’
opinions differ from one’s own

CB: AJ & RR
 Research – Decide – Teach – Conference
TISB Primary Years
Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5
Name
Reading Goal
Question Prompts
Engagement
What made you choose this book?
When you go to the library to choose a book, what do you think about?When do you choose to read?
Do you read even if it’s not assigned?
When you read, do you find that you get distracted?
[if the student answers yes to the question above] - What do you do torefocus?

Fiction
Could this book actually happen in real life? How do you know?
If you could change one thing about the book, what would it be? Why?Does this book remind you of a movie
or television show?
Have you read a book on a similar theme? How is it similar?Would you have ended the book
differently? Why?
Why do you think the author wrote this book? How does the language he used go with
the story? Who would you recommend this book to?
Non -Fiction
Has this book changed your thinking on the topic? How? Why? What confused you from your reading?
What do you still want to learn? What else would you be interested infinding out about this topic?

Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities

Chooses books that are of interest
and that the student can read with
comprehension, accuracy, and
fluency

Can sustain reading for short

periods of time

Reads with focus and attention

Visualizes, reacts, and thinks while

reading

Can read for extended periods of

time

CB: AJ & RR
 Research – Decide – Teach – Conference
TISB Primary Years
Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5

Reading Goal
Fluency Question Prompts
Read out loud to me, please
Can you please read aloud so I can listen?
Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities
Reads word by word
Reads in two- to three-word phrases
Reads in longer phrases, though
phrasing may be awkward
Reads in longer phrases, informed
by midsentence punctuation
(commas, dashes, semicolons)
Reads with appropriate phrasing and
some expression, mostly informed by
ending punctuation
Reads with appropriate phrasing and
consistently uses expression that
matches the author’s meaning

Reading Goal
Accuracy Question Prompts
Read out loud to me, please.
Can you please read aloud so I can listen?
Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities
Pre-Alphabetic
Uses pictures to retell a story that
has been read to them or makes upa
story in an unfamiliar book. Any
words they read are remembered asa
whole unit
Partial Alphabetic
Uses pictures or other context along
with first letters to guess the word.
Full Alphabetic
With unfamiliar words, the reader
can attempt to sound it out, going
left-to-right, probably letter-by-
letter, possibly recognizing some
digraphs or blends.
Consolidated
Recognizes chunks based on spelling
patterns/graphemes (bl-, ch-, ae),
syllables, and/or meaning/morpheme
(cycl, ing). The reader might also
think about what other words they
know that are spelled in similar ways,
and decode by analogy.
Automatic
Processes letters automatically in
familiar words, doesn’t need to
problem solve, and sounds fluent.

CB: AJ & RR
 Research – Decide – Teach – Conference
TISB Primary Years
Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5

Reading Goal
Question Prompts
Key Details
Find the... in this text. Is it anywhere else? When/where is this story set? Find evidence in the
text.
Find the part of the story that best describes the setting.What do you think is happening here?
Why?
Who is telling this story?
Why is this event important?
Do you think the author could have replaced this with another idea?How does this event link to the
conflict/resolution?
What details support the main idea you just said? It says here [state mainidea].
What did you learn from this section that supports that?Explain how those details fit with the
main idea.
Does this story have a moral? Which is better title and why?
What is similar/different about two characters? Did the author intend that?Explain why... did that.
Describe different characters’ reactions to the same event

Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities

Lists details from a text
Lists details that support a topic,
subtopic, and/or main idea
Compares or contrasts
Identifies multiple key details from
across pages or parts, text and
features Compares and contrasts
Identifies multiple key details from
multiple pages or parts, text and
features, and explains how details
support the main idea.
Identifies
multiple comparisons
Identifies multiple key details from
across several pages or parts, using
text and features.

Explains how information supports

the main idea. Quotes from the
text.

Identifies multiple comparisons and

categorizes connections

CB: AJ & RR
 Research – Decide – Teach – Conference
TISB Primary Years
Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5

Reading Goal
Question Prompts
Key Details - Plot and Setting
Retell the book to me. What happened first? What problem(s) is your character dealing
with? Describe what you picture in this part.
Tell me about an important event. What causes it to happen?Whose voice is the poem written in?
What was the most interesting part? Why?
Which part of the story best describes the setting? How are the beginning and end similar
or different?
What questions would you ask the author about the text?Who would you like to meet in the
story? Why?

Why is this event important?

Do you think the author could have replaced this with another idea?How does this event link to the
conflict/resolution?

Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities

Retells the story’s beginning, middle,
and end
Names setting
Retells in sequence Identifies a
problem
Names setting
Understands cause and effect
Retells relevant details in sequence
Identifies multiple aspects of
problems (internal, external)
Describes setting
Understands cause and effect
Retells important events from more
detailed plots that may not be
sequential, and which may include
flashbacks and foreshadowing
Identifies multiple aspects of several
(3+) problems
Describes setting and shifts in
setting.
Understands that setting creates
mood.
Understands multiple causes and
effects

CB: AJ & RR
 Research – Decide – Teach – Conference
TISB Primary Years
Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5

Reading Goal
Question Prompts
Key Details - Character
What ideas do you have about the character?
Predict what would happen if the main character started acting in a lazy (orcompassionate, hateful, silly, etc.) way.
Think about the main character's traits. Give an example of a situation where these traits would be helpful.
How would the plot have changed if the main character was greedy (orbrave, impolite, etc.)?
What questions would you ask the main character about his behaviour?
How is your character feeling in this part?How is your character changing?
Describe the relationship between [character] and [character]. How does [character] affect
[character]?
What do you think[character] feels? Why do you think that? Could it beanything else?
Have you experienced /seen /read something similar?I think[character]………; do you agree?
Why/why not?

Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities

Identifies character(s) and can
describe with text/picture details

Identifies feelings and/or traits of a

main character.
Identifies how feelings change
Identifies several traits that show
different sides to the main
character.
Names change(s) in character traits
Interprets multiple traits of main
and secondary characters that show
complexity to name a theory.

Names impact of one character on

another
Identifies complexity of multiple
characters, and analyses
relationships between characters

CB: AJ & RR
 Research – Decide – Teach – Conference
TISB Primary Years
Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5

Reading Goal
Question Prompts
Craft and Structure
Vocabulary and Figurative Language
[identify a word or phrase with context support] What does this [word]mean?
Can you explain what the word means?
Can you list words/ phrases how the character/ speaker is feeling? Which words does the author use to show
that it is an opinion or fact?How could you use the content/ glossary/ index help you?
Which words do you think are most important? Why?Which words do you like the most?
Why?
How has the author made you feel happy/sad angry/frustrated?What does the word... tell you
about...? How?
Find two ways that the author tells you... What do you think the author meant
by...?
What does this word/phrase/sentence tell you about thecharacter/setting/mood?
By writing [word/ phrase], what effect has the author created? Do you think they intended to?
What other words/phrases could the author have used here? Why?
How has the author made you/this character feel by writing [word/ phrase]?Why?
Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities
Gives the gist of a word or phrase

Gives a simple definition of the word

or phrase
Uses local context to explain the
meaning of the word or phrase
Uses larger context (whole chapter,
multiple mentions, or text and
features) to explain the meaning of
the word or phrase
Considers author’s craft and why the
author chose the word or phrase
(connotation and denotation)

CB: AJ & RR
 Research – Decide – Teach – Conference
TISB Primary Years
Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5

Reading Goal
Question Prompts
Craft and Structure
Text Features
How does this [feature] add to what you’re learning in this section?What are you learning from [feature]?
How do these features fit together?
Explain how the [feature] connects to the rest ofthis[section/chapter/book/article].

Can you tell me what you are reading?What type of text is this?
How is this text different from others that you have read?

Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities

Names what the feature is

Can give one detail from the feature

Can give multiple details from the

feature
Can give multiple details from the
feature and connects the
information to other features
and/or text
Explains how the feature adds to
information the author is presenting
and considers why the feature is
important

CB: AJ & RR
 Research – Decide – Teach – Conference
TISB Primary Years
Reading Record
Note Taking
G2 – G5

Reading Goal
Question Prompts
Craft and Structure
Themes, Ideas and Main Idea
What is this book mostly about? What is this section mostly about?
State the main idea for this section in your own words.
What is the main idea in this paragraph? Is it mentioned anywhere else?
Why do you think so? Find the evidence to support your answer.
Sum up what has happened so far in… words/seconds or less.
What is a lesson or message you can learn from this book?What does _ symbolize?
What social issues/ problems are coming up in this book?Do any sections/paragraphs deal with the
same themes?
Skill Progression Strengths Teaching Opportunities
Names a topic (love, war, friendship) in the
book
Names topic(s) and subtopic(s)

Uses headings and topic sentences to state

a main idea (usually by paraphrasing the
text)
Uses original language to state a main idea

States multiple main idea(s), and/or

captures complexity the author brings to
the topic
States main idea(s) and two or three
related sub ideas.
Captures complexity the author brings to
the topic
Names a lesson in book-specific language

Names a lesson in book-specific language

Names multiple universal lessons

Identifies a social issue and interprets its
significance
Names multiple universal lessons
Interprets social issues and symbolism
Names multiple universal lessons
Understands complexity of how social
issues and symbolism, and explains their
significance to themes in the text

CB: AJ & RR