Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program

Nonfiction Grade 4

Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Tamra Stambaugh

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781618215567
• eBook ISBN: 9781000494037
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program: Nonfiction targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grade 4 will be able to comprehend and analyze any nonfiction reading passage after completing the activities in this book.

Using skill ladders connected to individual readings related to essays, articles, comparison documents, infographics, and other nonfiction texts, students move from lower order, concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. All of the books, geared to increasing grade levels, include high-interest readings, ladders to increase reading skill development, and easy-to-implement instructions. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for academic success, covering language arts standards such as sequencing, cause and effect, classification, making generalizations, inference, understanding emotion, using and thinking about words, and recognizing themes and concepts.

Optional Student Workbook Packs

In addition to this teacher's guide, companion student workbooks are available for Science and Math, Social Studies, and Fiction/Nonfiction Comparisons. The student workbooks feature ample room for student responses and notes, make reviewing and providing feedback on student work easier than ever, provide students with an easy-to-use reference to use during discussions, and save time, as there is no need to reproduce student handouts.

Grade 4

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Part I: Teachers’ Guide to Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program
• Part II: Readings and Student Ladder Sets by Discipline
• Part III: Readings and Student Ladder Sets for Fiction and Nonfiction Comparisons
• Appendix A: Pre- and Postassessments With Scoring Rubric
• Appendix B: Record-Keeping Forms/Documents
• Appendix C: Alignment of the New Nonfiction Jacob’s Ladder Program to the CCSS-ELA Standards
• About the Authors