Second Graders Build Reading Identities and Find their "Just Right" Books

The second-grade students jumped right into the "building a reading identity" unit as they’ve begun learning about themselves as readers. They did this by finding "just right" books in the classroom library, using the "five-finger rule." With this method, the students read one page of the book and put a finger up if there is a word that is too hard to understand or pronounce. After the page, if they have 0-1 fingers up, it is too easy of a book; 2-3 fingers means it's just right; and 4-5 fingers means it's too hard and the student should look for a new book. This way, the students can ensure that they are challenging themselves while still maintaining their reading comprehension and enjoyment! In addition to learning the five-finger rule, the class talked about narrative elements, such as characters, setting, problem, and solution, and how these elements help to tell a story.