Retelling/Summarizing-Reading Progression
**
o I named the main character(s).
o I named the BIG EVENTS in order
Becca doesn’t want to sell her toys at
the garage sale but then a little girls
wants the bunny and Becca changes
her mind.
***
o I named the main character(s)
o I named the character traits (not
feelings).
o I named what the character wants.
o I told about the problem & solution,
and events
o I told about how the character
learned a life lesson.
o I kept my summary brief- a half page
or less
Becca has to move so her mom tells her
to sell her toys at the yard sale. That’s a
problem! Becca charges so much that
no one buys her stuff. But then a girl
really wants the bunny and doesn’t have
enough money. Becca feels bad and
makes the bunny be cheaper. Then she
makes all her toys cheaper.
****
o I named the main character(s)
o I named the character traits
o I named what the character wants
o I named the events
o I named the problem & solution
o I told how the character learned a life
lessons
o I told the big idea/theme the story
teaches
This story teaches that it’s not things
that matter. When Becca has to move
and sell her toys, at first she is sad and
tries to find a way to keep the toys. She
charges so much that a little girl can’t
afford the toy bunny she really wants.
But then Becca remembers it’s not toys
that matter
 Predicting/Envisioning-Reading Progression

** *** ****
o I predicted what will o I predicted what the main o I predicted based on what I knew about character
happen next in the story character will do, say, and/or think traits, motivations, the events, or the setting.
based on what happened based on earlier parts of the text. o I wrote how the character will react to things based
on earlier parts in the o I wrote how the character will react on their traits, motivations, the events, or the
text. to things setting
o I explained the reasons for my o I predicted based on how stories tend to go.
predictions
o I included evidence from the story

I think Becca will sell the
bunny to the girl for less
money.
I think Becca will sell the bunny to the
girl for less money, like maybe for two
dollars. I think this because Becca
tells her that sometimes they drop the
price at the end of the day
I think Becca will sell the bunny to the girl for less
money because I think she is starting to change. She
didn’t feel bad when she told the boy that the yo-yo
was $30.00. Then she was just grumpy about
everything. But now she feels guilty when the little girl
doesn’t have enough money. I think that losing the
bunny isn’t really such a big deal to Becca anyway.
It’s moving that makes her sad. So I think she will let
the girl buy the bunny.
 Inferring About Characters: Character Traits-Reading Progression
**
o I wrote about the big things the
main character does, says, and
thinks.
o I wrote about what these big things
show about the character’s
feelings.
o If the main character faces a
problem and solves it, I wrote about
how the character does that.
***
o I wrote an idea about the kind of
person a character is, telling a trait
(and not a feeling).
o When a character makes a big
decision, I could use what happened
earlier and the character’s traits to
tell why the character made that
choice.
****
o I wrote about how the character is
complicated. He/ she is more than
one way (has multiple traits).
o I also wrote about what’s going on
inside the character (motivations
and wants).
o When I thought and wrote about a
character, I showed that I knew that
small actions can signal something
big.
Becca is grumpy that she has to sell her toys.
Analyzing Author’s Craft-Reading Progression
**
o I could find and discuss a place where a
character acts in ways that show feelings
and I know the author is “showing, not
telling” feelings.
o I noticed when the author used special
techniques or special words and I wrote
and thought about what the author
wanted to show.
Becca is smart because she figures out a way
to not sell her toys. If she charges $30 dollars
for even just a yo-yo, no one will buy her toys
and she can keep them.
***
o I noted when an author does something
that stands out.
o I wrote to think about why an author may
have written in that way.
At first I thought that Becca is the sort of
person who stays grumpy for a long time. She
didn’t really help with the yard sale because
she was so grumpy. Then I realized that deep
down, she is probably sad because her family
is moving. She is giving up her friends and her
life, really.
****
o I identified the craft techniques the author
used.
o I wrote about the goal the author seems to
have been trying to achieve.
o If asked to do so, I wrote about craft
techniques the author uses to support the
theme, to highlight what the story is really
about.
The author ended it this way because now
Becca will sell her other toys for cheap
**
o I wrote about a way that the
character changed. This might be
the way the character’s feelings
changed in one part of the story, or
the way the character’s actions
changed.
o I wrote about why the character
changed.
I think the author ended the story with Becca
circling back to the yo-yo that was $30 and
making it 50 cents to show that Becca
changed.
***
o I wrote about a way or two that a
character changed.
o I discussed why the character
changed.
o I referred to an earlier part of the text
to tell about a key moment that
caused the character to change.
I think the author ended the story with Becca
circling back to the yo-yo that was $30 and
making it 50 cents to show that Becca
changed. The author could have had the yo-yo
be $1 in the beginning. But she’s trying to
show that Becca is changing in a big way.
****
o I wrote about how and why the
character changed across the story
by referring to earlier moments in
the story.
o I also wrote about how other story
elements (other characters, the
setting, a problem) played a part in
the change.
o If the character learns a life lesson, I
thought about whether this tied to a
theme of the story
Shannon isn’t mad at Tara anymore. She
knows she wasn’t really stealing the cans
Inferring about Characters: Character Response/Change- Reading Progression
Analyzing Parts of a Story in Relation to the Whole -Reading Progression
**
o I can talk about how a part of the
story fits into the sequence of events
by talking about what came before
and what came after.
o I can find the problem at the
beginning and solution to the
problem by the end of a story.
Shannon isn’t mad at Tara anymore. She
knows she wasn’t really stealing the cans.
Even if it looks like she’s stealing the cans,
she’s just using them to help needy families.
***
o When asked to talk about the
importance of a part of the story to
the whole story, I named the part or
story element (the problem, the
setting).
o I wrote to explain how this part is
important to the whole story
Early in the story Shannon was very mad at
Tara because she thought she was taking the
cans from the recycling bins. Then she learned
she was really doing that to help needy
families. Jody helped Shannon realize this
because she said the big thing isn’t really who
gets the money from recycling. It’s about
helping the environment and other people.
****
o When asked to talk about the
importance of a part of the story to
the whole story, I named one part or
aspect of a story (an event, setting,
minor character.)
o I wrote about the importance of the
part to the whole story. I am able to
connect the part to a deeper
meaning such as mood.
This part comes after Shannon starts a
recycling program and she is mad because
someone is taking the cans! The custodian
wants to know who?
Determining Theme-Reading Progression
**
o If I was asked to talk about a life lesson the
character learned, I either retold a part of
the story or I said my own ideas about
what I learned from the story or felt about
it.
These lines show the problem in the story.
The custodian discovers someone is taking
cans out of the recycling bin and Jody and
Shannon set out to solve that mystery.
***
o I wrote about a life lesson that the
character learned.
o I wrote about how a part of the story
showed this lesson.
This part is important to the story because it
shows the first big problem in the story. The
custodian discovers someone is taking cans
out of the recycling bin. Jody and Shannon
soon figure out that mystery—it is Tara. Then
Shannon is mad at Tara for ruining the
recycling program
****
o I wrote about a theme that comes through
across most of the story.
o I provided details from across the text that
support that theme.
o I explained how those parts from across
the story show this theme.
I think the story was better at the end when
Shannon stopped being bossy. It’s not good to
be bossy.
Support Thinking with Evidence-Reading Progression
**
o When asked, I could point to the part
of the text that gave me my ideas.
Readers can learn that it is important to work
together. For example, at the end of the story
Shannon worked together with Tara and her
school and they were able to help families at
the YWCA.
***
o I supported my ideas with details
from the text.
Readers can learn that it is important to work
together. At first, when Shannon worked
alone, she didn’t collect a lot of cans. But
when she worked together with Tara, the
school’s recycling program was a success AND
they got to have a pizza party.
OR
Readers can learn that it is important to work
together. When Shannon stopped being bossy
and teamed up with Tara, the school’s
recycling program was a success. And next
month, they will be able to help the YWCA
build a playground!
****
o I used details from different parts of
the text to support my ideas and
discussed how those details
supported my ideas.