Short Reads Nonfiction
Guided Reading Short Reads Nonfiction
Guided Reading Short Reads gives students the practice they need to read and understand the complex, informational texts that we encounter every day. With a wide range of subjects and text types, students will expand their academic and domain-specific vocabulary and deepen their comprehension and analytical skills.
- 100 % informational text
- Fits seamlessly into classroom guided reading groups
- Teaches strategies for decoding and comprehending complex informational texts
- Features high-interest texts thematically linked to Guided Reading Nonfiction Focus 2nd Edition
Teacher’s Guide
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Text Cards
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Buy multiple-level grade sets and save even more!
Kindergarten (4 levels, A–D)
40 cards, 6 copies each, 240 cards
Grade 1 (9 levels, A–I)
90 cards, 6 copies each, 540 cards
Grade 2 (10 levels, E–N)
100 cards, 6 copies each, 600 cards
Grade 3 (8 levels, J–Q)
80 cards, 6 copies each, 480 cards
Grade 4 (8 levels, M–T)
80 cards, 6 copies each, 480 cards
Grade 5 (7 levels, Q–W)
70 cards, 6 copies each, 420 cards
Grade 6 (7 levels, T–Z)
70 cards, 6 copies each, 420 cards
Complete Set (26 levels, A–Z)
260 cards, 6 copies each; 1,560 cards
Short Reads Reading Levels
Level A
Simple texts with one line of one to six words per page, easy-to-see print, and ample space between words. Children can focus on print and gradually increase their control over words. Most of the texts in Level A focus on topics familiar to children.
Level A Titles
- My Pet Scrapbook
- Garden Magazine
- A Guide to Fish
- Dog Facts
- How Many Deer?
- My Day on the Farm
- I See the Weather
- My Email to Ben
- The Letter B
- Make a Fruit Face
Level B
Texts focus on a simple story line or single idea, with direct correspondence between text and pictures; one or two lines of print per page, with a variety of punctuation; many texts at this level feature repeating patterns in the text.
Level B Titles
- New Fruit Market!
- Use Shapes to Make a Mouse
- Email From Max to Jen
- My Picture Dictionary
- How Many Animals?
- My Yard
- My Day in Town
- Bird Nest Facts
- Look at Frogs
- At Night
Level C
Texts explore familiar topics in a variety of ways to offer new viewpoints to the reader; simple sentences may have introductory clauses set off by punctuation; text may be patterned but is not as predictable as in Levels A and B.
Level C Titles
- Make a Vegetable Face
- My First Dictionary
- Emails From the Beach
- See the Sea Animals: A Class Journal
- What Do You See?
- What Do You See?
- Facts About Animal Legs
- Farm Animal Sounds
- Butterflies
- New Children’s Library Opens!
Level D
Texts cover familiar topics but introduce new, more abstract ideas; illustrations support the text, but more attention to print is required; text contains more compound and multisyllabic words and a full range of punctuation.
Level D Titles
- Paper Plate Fish
- The Dictionary of Fruits and Vegetables
- Busy Day Emails
- Fall Fruits
- My Day at the Park
- Fly, Swim, or Jump?
- What a Puppy Needs
- Indoor Fun
- What’s the Sport?
- New Fire Station Opens
Level E
Stories have more or longer episodes; informational texts present more complex ideas; texts are longer than in previous levels, with more pages or more lines of text on each page; with more complex punctuation.
Level E Titles
- My Day at the Airport
- Camel
- Email From the Mountains
- All Year Long
- Painting Is Fun
- How to Mix Paint Colors
- Is This a Real Animal?
- Dogs in Our Town Help
- What Is in the tree?
- Park Cleanup!
Level F
Concepts presented in texts at this level are more distant from familiar topics; larger variety of frequently used words and many more new words; text reflects patterns of written, rather than oral, language.
Level F Titles
- Make a Matching Pattern
- The Air Show Is Here!
- The Shore
- Lions
- Is an Animal a Living Thing?
- A Day in the Sun
- Hiking
- Penguins
- Growing and Changing
- On the Ranch
Level G
In texts at this level, the language changes on each page, rather than repeating in patterns; texts offer challenges in ideas and vocabulary, with some introduction to technical language; variety of print styles and text layouts require reader's close attention and flexibility.
Level G Titles
- Toy Museum to Open on Saturday!
- Is It an Alligator or a Crocodile?
- Think About Size!
- Life in a Swamp
- All Kinds of Places
- PIctures From the Woods
- Get Up and Go!
- At the Pumpkin Farm
- Teeth
- Make a Paper Bag Puppet
Level H
Texts are similar in difficulty to level G, but the texts vary more widely in size of print, length of sentences, and type of language; texts are less repetitious in events and language structures, with expanded vocabulary.
Level H Titles
- Animals in the News
- A Lot to Crow About!
- Comparing Insects
- Science Tools for Observing
- Animal Look-Alikes
- Polar Bear
- My Rock Collection
- Grow a Bean Plant
- African Elephants
- Greetings From the Seashore
Level I
Longer and more complex stories than in levels G and H, with more highly elaborated information; multisyllabic words arranged in longer sentences and paragraphs that require complex word solving; illustrations enhance meaning but provide less support for understanding the meaning of the text.
Level I Titles
- On This Day, July 4th
- Do Butterflies Like Turtle Tears?
- Strange Plants
- Service Dogs
- Super Birds
- Jane Goodall
- Monument Valley
- Mixing Science and Art
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Man Who Had a Dream
- Trip to the Moon
Level J
Beginning chapter texts appear for the first time at this level, requiring readers to recall information over more than one sitting; fewer illustrations with whole pages of text in some texts.
Level J Titles
- It’s National Oatmeal Day!
- Building for the Future
- Very Strange Fish
- What Is a Volcano?
- When They Were Kids
- Afterschool All Stars
- Moon Watch
- Interview With Author Doreen Cronin
- Zapped!
- Dreams
Level K
This level includes chapter texts and short informational texts with difficult concepts; readers learn about concepts and events outside their own experiences; readers need to use a variety of strategies to figure out different writing styles.
Level K Titles
- Kid Heroes Save Lives
- On to Mars!
- My Trip to the Statue of Liberty
- Kites
- Whales
- Great Barrier Reef
- The Story of Ping-Pong
- How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
- Purrfect Pals
- A Guide to Clouds
Level L
Texts at this level are much longer and more complex and include biographies; longer texts include many multisyllabic words and expand readers' vocabularies; some texts present abstract or symbolic themes.
Level L Titles
- Eiffel Tower Is 125 Years Old
- Golden Gate Bridge
- A Guide to Baseball
- Keep Cool, Koala!
- Musical Instruments
- Mammoth Cave
- Solar Eclipse
- How to Build a Birdhouse
- Bicycle Academy
- Interview With Scientist Jeremy Owen
Level M
Text includes more complex language and requires reader to make interpretations; most texts at this level have greatly expanded vocabulary; many texts at this level have smaller print with narrower word spacing.
Level M Titles
- Grizzly Bear Sends Man Up a Tree
- Does Yellow Make You Smile?
- The Giant Panda
- Reptiles
- Have No Fear!
- How to Make an Origami Fish
- Interview With a Wild Animal Expert
- Mary McLeod Bethune
- Visit Sugar Maple Farm
- Water
Level N
Vocabulary continues to expand and go beyond readers' own experiences; variety of texts offer readers a chance to interpret information and speculate on alternate meanings.
Level N Titles
- Forest Fires
- On This Night . . . April 26, 1777
- Animals of the Rain Forest
- A Matter of Taste
- Oceans
- Chess: Are You Game?
- Interview With a Dog Trainer
- Make a Garden in a Jar
- Fluff & Feathers Poultry Ranch
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Level O
Longer texts at this level present varied vocabulary that will require readers to interpret the meaning of the text; texts have more sophisticated subjects and more complex sentence structures.
Level O Titles
- Coming Soon: The World’s Largest Ferris Wheel
- Oops! Stories Behind Inventions
- Desert Animals
- What Is a Zoo Nutritionist?
- A City Under the Sea
- The Amazing Inventions of Thomas Edison
- Interview With a Weather Reporter
- Dinosaur Days
- Abigail Adams
- Make Your Own Wrapping Paper
Level P
Informational texts at this level include history and biography, enabling readers to learn how to gain information from a variety of structures; concepts may include issues of early adolescence.
Level P Titles
- On This Day, April 14, 1912
- Thunderstorm!
- The Sonoran Desert
- Fantastic Fish
- What’s So Funny?
- Why Do Roaches Rule?
- Weather
- Smile and Say Kimchi!
- Oak Street Farmers’ Market
- Animal Keeper
Level Q
Selections contain themes to foster group discussion; relationship of illustrations to text also offers opportunities for exploration and discussion; texts contain difficult words, some from languages other than English.
Level Q Titles
- Creatures of the Deep
- Teen Heroes
- A Guide to Desert Birds
- Wetlands
- Forest for the Trees
- Words! Words! Words!
- How to Make a Speech and Win Votes
- Animal Record Breakers
- Baseball Comes a Long Way
- Dear Editor
Level R
Texts in this level contain sophisticated vocabulary to challenge readers; some of the longer chapter texts require sustained reading effort over several sittings; texts represent a range of times in history.
Level R Titles
- Landed on Ellis Island
- The History of Gum
- Guide to Owls
- Astounding Amphibians
- What Are Maglev Trains?
- Robots
- An Interview With Avi
- Plant and Light Experiment
- Signs and Symbols
- Letter From Frances Perkins
Level S
Selections challenge readers to make connections with previous reading and with historical events; words present many shades of meaning that require readers' interpretation; this level includes chapter books in a variety of genres.
Level S Titles
- A Machine That Flies
- Wildlife for Sale
- Fascinating U.S. Sites
- Visit Washington, D.C
- What Are Symmetrical Shapes?
- X-Treme Sports
- Wake Up!
- John White Journal Entry
- Letters Between Grace Bedell and Abe Lincoln
- Do the Robot
Level T
At this level, readers encounter a variety of nonfiction text structures; expanded vocabulary requires readers to consider both literal and connotative meaning.
Level T Titles
- Hunter Says He Saw Prehistoric Monster
- Madame Curie: A Woman Ahead of Her Time
- Incredible Invertebrates
- Extreme Weather
- African Plains Safari
- Cyberbullying
- Buffalo Bird Woman
- Money
- The Bravest of the Brave
- Letter From a Pilgrim Girl
Level U
Texts cover a breadth of topics and present specific, technical information; illustrations require interpretation and connection to text; text requires readers to employ a wide range of reading strategies.
Level U Titles
- The Blizzard of 1888
- Frank O. Gehry: Outside In
- U.S.A. Bridges & Tunnels
- Health & Wellness
- Hike the Appalachian Trail
- Body Language Made Simple
- The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)
- The Day After Pearl Harbor
- Two World Leaders, One World War
- A Letter from E. B. White
Level V
Texts present complex issues and use technical language; topics are distant from students' experience in terms of time and geographic area and may include realistic historical information and more difficult themes.
Level V Titles
- San Francisco Earthquake
- Australia’s Amazing Animals
- Deepest Lake and Highest Waterfall
- Inventors and Inventions
- Trapped in Time
- Viking Voyages
- The Journal of Meriwether Lewis
- The Acid Effect
- Conservation as a National Duty
- A Letter From Rachel Carson
Level W
Texts present complex information requiring readers to employ a wide range of content knowledge and to understand the basic organizational structures of nonfiction; topics explore the human condition and social issues; texts vary in length; print is generally in a small font.
Level W Titles
- Theodore Roosevelt Shot
- Fighting Crime
- What Is an American?
- How Surfers Catch a Wave
- Just How Smart Are Animals?
- South America’s Extreme Sites
- The Great Fire
- To Miss Anne Mansfield Sullivan
- What Is a Tessellation?
- What Killed the Dinosaurs?
Level X
Texts cover increasingly mature themes and require extensive prior knowledge; texts are designed to present a significant amount of new information.
Level X Titles
- A Guide to Russia’s Extreme Sites
- Disasters
- Foods With a Difference
- Grow Your Own Egg Crystal Geodes
- Jack London Book Reviews
- Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg
- Maya Lin on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- The Willy-Nicky Telegrams
Level Y
Texts feature similar themes to previous levels, with more explicit detail; this level requires critical reading skills to evaluate the quality and objectivity of the text.
Level Y Titles
- The Sinking of the Titanic
- Endangering Wildlife Habitats
- A Guide to Ancient Sites
- Our Carbon Footprint
- Q & A: U.S. Presidents
- Recycling: A System That Works!
- Diary of a Union Soldier
- How to Make a Potato Battery
- Wangari Maathai Nobel Lecture
- Lincoln’s Letter to the King of Siam
Level Z
A challenge for more widely read students, requiring critical reading skills; topics include controversial social and political issues; readers experience complex examples of nonfiction organizational structure.
Level Z Titles
- A Guide to Extreme Structures
- Anne Frank Diary Entry
- Discover Genghis Khan’s Mongolia
- The Moon Speech
- Navigators and Maps
- President Lincoln Shot
- September 11, 2001
- The Constitution of the United States
- The Real CSI
- Who Needs Math? Who Needs Science?
