text only version

Three text types focus instruction for
reading achievement

Emergent Text Emergent text is intended to be read to beginning readers to develop oral language and background knowledge. Beginning Readers experiencing Emergent text are in the very early stages of literacy and do not need any prerequisite skills to have these books read to them. There is no such thing as "not ready." Emergent text should be used to keep building language on an ongoing basis. Specific features of Emergent books are: • Language-rich text • Variety of sentence patterns • Easy complex sentences • Blends of language structures • Language-rich graphics support the story content and encourage further discussion • Uses vocabulary selected for enrichment rather than decoding • Interest and engagement is primary; readability of the text is secondary • Rhyme, rhythm, repetition and/or predictability create engagement

Transitional Text Transitional text is intended to be read with beginning readers to support simple word-reading strategies. Beginning Readers reading Transitional text can read and understand familiar text (after multiple re-readings).They have few, if any, strategies for reading words on their own, and are inconsistent in reading even familiar words across a variety of contexts. Specific features of Transitional books are: • Simple and consistent sentence structures within a single book • Favours more rhyme, rhythm and repetition • Mix of text that is beyond the pupil's reading level (for engagement) and text that is within the pupil's reading level given adequate support • Provides opportunities for beginning readers to be active participants in reading • Focuses on text rather than oral language and graphics • Pictures match text explicitly when independent reading is expected • Stories can be as long as emergent books if the text includes pages for the pupil to read independently (i.e., pages with a few words)

Conventional Text Conventional text is intended to be read by beginning readers so they can independently decode and understand unfamiliar text written at their level. Specific features of Conventional books are: • Simple text • Simple sentence structure • Minimal use of pronouns to avoid pronoun referent confusion • Consistent sentence structures within a given book • Repetition of individual words within a given book (low frequency "content words") • Heavy use of high frequency and decodable words • Length of story is short • Minimal scaffolding (e.g., cueing with graphics, sound, etc.)

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