Each book uses one graphic organizer which then becomes a prompt to help students retell and summarize what they have read. The nonfiction book, Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and Richard G. Van Gelder explains how animals prepare for winter. During one of our group lessons, the children helped to create a semantic map. Later, I asked the children to write their own summaries. Almost everyone was able to compose a first draft without any help because the visual map provided the structure to guide them.
Graphic organizers are a great springboard for writing activities.
The assessment component contains an informal reading inventory which includes a silent and oral reading tool. Pre and post test forms are included. I found the Miscue Diagnostic Checklist to be well designed. The Silent Reading Test evaluates the student's ability to give an organized summary consisting of the main idea and details. There are also individual inventories which accompany each book.