Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program

Grades K-1

Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Tamra Stambaugh

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000493962
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program 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 grades K-1 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades K-1 (2nd ed.).Geared for students in grades K-1, this book, a revision of the Primary Level 1 book, includes stories and ladder tasks carefully selected for young children to develop oral communication and listening skills in addition to the other ladder goals. This book provides stories focused on picture analysis, read alouds, classics, and original works. Optional Student Workbook Packs In addition to this teacher's guide, companion student workbooks are available for
Grades K-1

Part I:
Teachers’ Guide to Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program

DOI: 10.4324/9781003235989-1

Introduction to Jacob’s Ladder, Grades K–1

Jacob’s Ladder, Grades K–1 (2nd ed., previously Primary 1) is a supplemental reading program that implements targeted readings from picture books, fables, and poetry that link reading comprehension and analysis with content disciplines. With this program, students engage in an inquiry process that moves from lower order to higher order thinking skills. Starting with basic literary understanding, students learn to critically analyze texts by determining implications and consequences, generalizations, main ideas, and/or creative synthesis. This book is suggested for gifted students in grades K–1 who are already reading or show advanced levels of understanding. It is used to enhance reading comprehension and critical thinking if stories are read aloud. Tasks are organized into six skill ladders, A–F, and each ladder focuses on a different skill. Students “climb” each ladder by answering lower level questions before moving to higher level questions (or rungs) at the top of each ladder. Each ladder stands alone and focuses on a separate critical thinking component in reading.

Ladder A focuses on implications and consequences. By leading students through sequencing and cause-and-effect activities, students learn to draw implications and consequences from readings. Ladder B focuses on making generalizations. Students first learn to provide details and examples and then move to classifying and organizing those details in order to make generalizations. Ladder C focuses on themes. Students begin by identifying the setting and characters and then make inferences about the literary situation. Ladder D focuses on creative synthesis by leading students through paraphrasing and summarizing activities. Ladder E focuses on students’ emotional responses to the literature read by understanding emotion, expressing it, and then channeling it productively. Ladder F provides an emphasis on word play by engaging learners in understanding, applying, and embedding new vocabulary and literary devices in both their own and others’ creative writing.

Table 1 provides a visual representation of the six ladders and corresponding objectives for each ladder and rung.

TABLE 1 Goals and Objectives of Jacob's Ladder by Ladder and Rung

A3: Consequences and Implications		B3: Generalizations		C3: Main Idea, Theme, or Concept		D3: Creative Synthesis		E3: Using Emotion		F3: Playing With Words
Students will be able to predict character actions and story outcomes and make real-world forecasts.		Students will be able to make general statements about a reading and/or an idea within the reading, using data to support their statements.		Students will be able to identify a major idea or theme common throughout the text.		Students will create something new using what they have learned from the reading and their synopses.		Students will be able to analyze how emotion affects the passage and/ or the reader.		Students will be able to accurately apply figurative language and new vocabulary to newly created contexts.
A2: Cause and Effect		B2: Classifications 1		C2: Inference		D2: Summarizing		E2: Expressing Emotion		F2: Thinking About Words
Students will be able to identify and predict relationships between character behavior and story events and their effects upon other characters or events.		Students will be able to categorize different aspects of the text or identify and sort categories from a list of topics or details.		Students will be able to use textual clues to read between the lines and make judgments about specific textual events, ideas, or character analysis.		Students will be able to provide a synopsis of text sections.		Students will be able to articulate their feelings through a variety of media (e.g., song, art, poem, story, essay, speech).		Students will be able to analyze the use of words within the context as related to the theme of a text.
Al: Sequencing		Bl: Details		Cl: Literary Elements		D1: Paraphrasing		E1: Understanding Emotion		Fl: Understanding Words
Students will be able to list, in order of importance or occurrence in the text, specific events or plot summaries.		Students will be able to list specific details or recall facts related to the text or generate a list of ideas about a specific topic or character.		Students will be able to identify and explain specific story elements, such as character, setting, or poetic device.		Students will be able to restate lines read using their own words.		Students will be able to explain how emotion and feeling are conveyed in a text and/or their personal experience.		Students will be able to identify and explain the meaning of figurative language or new vocabulary within the context of a story or poem.
Ladder A		Ladder B		Ladder C		Ladder D		Ladder E		Ladder F

The second editions of the Jacob’s Ladder series consists of seven levels: Grades K–1, 1–2, 3, 4, 5, 6–7, and 7–8 (previously labeled as Levels P1, P2, and 1–5). Grades 3–8 contain short stories, poetry, and nonfiction selections including biography. Jacob’s Ladder, Grades K–1 and Jacob’s Ladder, Grades 1–2 differ from the rest of the series in that these books focus on two genres: short stories and poetry. Additionally, the majority of the short stories are Caldecott Medal or Caldecott Honor picture books that need to be obtained separately. Some of the selections may be found online with the author or someone else reading the book aloud. Many of the stories are intended to be read aloud for the first reading.

There are many levels of Jacob’s Ladder, and each book is leveled for a particular grade range. However, teachers may find that they want to vary usage beyond the recommended levels, depending on student abilities. Evidence suggests that the curriculum can be successfully implemented with gifted learners and advanced readers, as well as many learners in general education classrooms, if used at different grade levels. Thus, the levels vary and overlap to provide opportunities for teachers to select the most appropriate set of readings for meaningful differentiation based on their students’ needs.

Ladder A: Focus on Implications and Consequences

The goal of Ladder A is to develop prediction and forecasting skills by encouraging students to make connections among the information provided. Starting with sequencing, students learn to recognize basic types of change that occur within a text. Through identifying cause-and-effect relationships, students then can judge the impact of certain events. Finally, through recognizing consequences and implications, students predict future events as logical and identify both short- and long-term consequences by judging probable outcomes based on data provided. The rungs are as follows:

• Ladder A, Rung 1, Sequencing: The lowest rung on the ladder, sequencing, requires students to organize a set of information in order, based on their reading (e.g., List the steps of a recipe in order).
• Ladder A, Rung 2, Cause and Effect: The middle rung, cause and effect, requires students to think about relationships and identify what causes certain effects and/or what effects were brought about because of certain causes (e.g., What causes a cake to rise in the oven? What effect does the addition of egg yolks have on a batter?).
• Ladder A, Rung 3, Consequences and Implications: The highest rung on Ladder A requires students to think about both short- and long-term events that may happen as a result of an effect they have identified (e.g., What are the short- and long-term consequences of baking at home?). Students learn to draw consequences and implications from the text for application in the real world.

Ladder B: Focus on Generalizations

The goal of Ladder B is to help students develop deductive reasoning skills, moving from the concrete elements in a story to abstract ideas. Students begin by learning the importance of concrete details and how they can be organized. By the top rung, students are able to make general statements spanning a topic or concept. The rungs are as follows:

• Ladder B, Rung 1, Details: The lowest rung on Ladder B, details, requires students to list examples or details from what they have read and/or to list examples they know from the real world or have read about (e.g., Make a list of types of transportation. Write as many as you can think of in 2 minutes).
• Ladder B, Rung 2, Classifications: The middle rung of Ladder B, classifications, focuses on students’ ability to categorize examples and details based on characteristics (e.g., How might we categorize the modes of transportation you identified?). This activity builds students’ skills in categorization and classification.
• Ladder B, Rung 3, Generalizations: The highest rung on Ladder B, generalizations, requires students to use the list and categories generated at Rungs 1 and 2 to develop 2–3 general statements that apply to all of their examples (e.g., Write three statements about transportation).

Ladder C: Focus on Main Ideas, Themes, or Concepts

The goal of Ladder C is to develop literary analysis skills based on an understanding of literary elements. After completing Ladder C, students state the main themes and ideas of the text after identifying setting, characters, and the context of the piece. The rungs for this ladder are as follows:

• Ladder C, Rung 1, Literary Elements: While working on the lowest rung of Ladder C, literary elements, students identify and/or describe the setting or situation in which the reading occurs. This rung also requires students to develop an understanding of a given character by identifying qualities he or she possesses and comparing these qualities to other characters they have encountered in their reading (e.g., In Goldilocks and the Three Bears, what is the situation in which Goldilocks finds herself? What qualities do you admire in Goldilocks? What qualities do you find problematic? How is she similar to or different from other fairy tale characters you have encountered?).
• Ladder C, Rung 2, Inference: The middle rung of Ladder C, inference, requires students to think through a situation in the text and come to a conclusion based on the information and clues provided (e.g., What evidence exists that Goldilocks ate the porridge? What inferences can you make abou...