The testing process in reading in the primary grades is a reality the students need to become comfortable with. The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), the testing tool in the New Haven Public Schools, is administered using fiction and non-fiction texts. Using the subject of natural disasters, this unit on nonfiction will springboard the students into learning the format of the text, comparing non-fiction and fiction, learning to locate the facts, locating information using the index and chapters headings. To connect this to the Connecticut Standards for Reading Achievement, I will be focusing on the following standards:
Standard 1: Reading and Responding
1.1 Students use appropriate strategies before, during and after reading in order to construct meaning.
1.2 Students interpret, analyze and evaluate text in order to extend understanding and appreciation.
1.3 Students select and apply strategies to facilitate word recognition and develop vocabulary in order to comprehend text.
1.4 Students communicate with others to create interpretations of written, oral and visual texts.
