Content Descriptions: Reading Assistant, Grades K-3 · Content Descriptions: Reading Assistant,...

* The Lexile Framework for Reading® © 2012 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Content Descriptions: Reading Assistant, Grades K-3

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These highly-illustrated selections relate to young reader’s interests and experiences while building world knowledge and vocabulary. Drawn from authentic contemporary, classic, and multicultural literature, selections are grouped in topical clusters, many with a science or social studies theme. This organization helps students build a body of knowledge and also read common vocabulary in different contexts. Clusters include a variety of genre, from rhymes and predictable fiction to nonfiction.

Literature: Traditional rhymes and songs These well-known rhymes and songs will be familiar to many beginning readers. Along with good old-fashioned fun, they build word recognition through a predictable structure and repeated vocabulary.

Reading Level 1-1

Rhymes and songs Genre

Grade Equiv. Lexile®*

Guided Reading Level

If You’re Happy and You Know ItA traditional song

Song NP NP D This song is bound to bring smiles to readers’ faces as they read about clapping, stomping, and shouting out their happy feelings.

The Green Grass Grows All AroundA traditional song

Song NP NP D The green grass grows everywhere in this lighthearted song. Key elements are a simple story line, rhythmic language, and a repetitive and cumulative text pattern.

The House that Jack OwnsA traditional nursery rhyme

Predictable fiction NP NP D There’s never a dull moment in the house that Jack owns. Each verse in this cumulative rhyme has readers wondering what will happen next.




Literature: I Can! These stories focus on young children’s newly developing sense of independence. Descriptions of first-time experiences and familiar scenarios allow readers to make connections to their own lives.

Reading Level 1-1 I Can! Genre



I Can SwimBy Elizabeth Carini

Realistic fiction 1.4 60 D The narrator’s brother and sister can swim, and now he can too. All it takes is knowing how to jump, float, blow bubbles, and kick.

I Can Take Care of My PetBy Carrie Finison

Realistic fiction 1.4 110 D In this first-person story, children tell about the rewards and responsibilities involved in owning different pets.

I Can Walk to SchoolBy Carrie Finison

Realistic fiction 1.6 160 E Anna wants to walk to school by herself, but Dad is not so sure. After proving that she’s ready, Anna sets off on her own the next day—and runs into her friend Lily, also walking to school by herself!

I Can Ride a BikeBy Elizabeth Carini

Realistic fiction 1.5 160 E At first, Jack is a little nervous about learning to ride his new bike. But after a few tips from Uncle John, Jack is riding on his own without even realizing it.

I Can Tie a BowBy Carrie Finison

Poetry 1.8 220 E The narrator’s delight and sense of accomplishment at tying her shoes shines through in this first-person narrative poem.




Life Science: Life cycles These selections explore how baby animals and plants grow and change. Readers learn about the life cycles of a frog and butterfly, the behavior of a leopard cub and penguin chick, and how a plant grows from a seed.

Reading Level 1-2 New Things in Nature Genre



A Butterfly Is BornBy Sara Chauhan

Nonfiction 1.8 130 E A butterfly lays an egg, and the cycle begins: a caterpillar, a chrysalis, a pupa, and at last, another butterfly.

A Sunflower GrowsBy Jessica Cohn

Nonfiction 1.9 150 E Plants have life cycles too. Readers learn about seeds and how a plant grows stems, roots, and leaves. When flowers appear and grow more seeds, the cycle begins again.

A Cub’s LifeBy Kerry George

Nonfiction 2.1 180 E A day in the life of a young leopard cub may strike readers as remarkably similar to a day in their own lives.

The Penguin ChickBy Barbara Wood

Nonfiction 1.7 260 E In the Antarctic cold, a newly-hatched baby penguin needs its parents and others in the penguin group to help it survive and grow. When the chick grows feathers, it is ready to swim on its own.

A Frog Is BornBy Kerry George

Nonfiction 2 430 E A tadpole and a frog look very different, but they are both part of the same cycle of life - from egg to tadpole to frog.




Life Science: Animal habitats Readers explore the worlds that animals live in and learn how animals interact with their environment in these selections.

Reading Level 1-2 Animal Behavior Genre



Panda PlaceBy Kerry Bozza

Nonfiction 1.7 230 E What is it like where a panda lives? This selection describes how its habitat provides everything a panda needs.

Polar BearsBy Barbara Wood

Nonfiction 2 430 E How do polar bears stay warm and find food in the cold Arctic? Readers learn how polar bears’ bodies are specially adapted to live in the icy cold.

Birds Begin as EggsBy Dana Jensen

Nonfiction 2 420 F All birds begin as eggs, but all bird eggs are not the same. Different birds lay different-colored eggs and care for their young differently.

Busy BeesBy Dana Jensen

Nonfiction 2.2 440 G A honeybee hive is a busy place. Each group of bees has a special job to do. Plants depend on bees to carry pollen that helps flowers make seeds.

Animal HousesBy Peter Winkler

Nonfiction 2.4 440 G Different animals live in different kinds of houses. Some animals make their houses, while other animals find, or even grow, their own houses.




Literature: Poetry The animal poems in this cluster are full of surprise and humor. The rhythm and rhyme of the poetry further engage the reader.

Reading Level 2-1 Animal Poems Genre



Down in the GrassArt by Carla Cruttenden

Poetry NP NP NP The snake appears harmless enough, but there’s a surprise in store for the narrator at the end of this poem.

ElephantsArt by Carla Cruttenden

Poetry NP NP NP This short, amusing poem concisely sums up an elephant’s physical features.

The YakBy Dennis Webster

Poetry NP NP NP The unusual yak is the subject of this rhyming poem.

Harley HippoBy Julie Brinckloe

Poetry 2.4 370 E This amusing rhyming poem uses alliteration to tell about the sights that Harley the Hippo sees in one day.

Pollywog PetePoem and art by Julie Brinckloe

Poetry 2 330 F Poor Pete has no feet! Will he ever get out of the puddle in the street? In this poem, a tadpole’s dilemma is solved when he finally grows his frog feet.




Literature: Families What kinds of things do families like to do together? Make meals, go on outings, and visit with friends and family.

Reading Level 2-1 Family Genre



The Ocean Is Big, My Father SaidBy Linda Ward Stephens

Realistic fiction 2.1 300 J A young girl on her first trip to the ocean finds a way to deal with her fears by meeting the water on her own terms.

Busy SaturdayBy Michael Falcon

Realistic fiction 1.8 320 J Some families shop, some play, and some visit. Everyone’s busy on Saturday.

Saturday MorningBy Myka-Lynne Sokoloff

Realistic fiction 2.2 320 K How does a family choose an activity that everyone will be happy with? By going to the museum, they can see a star show and visit the fish in a tide pool.

Father’s Fabulously Fantastic Flying FlapjacksBy Ann Hamilton

Realistic fiction 2.5 380 K Follow the kids as they gather and mix the ingredients for Saturday morning pancakes. The last step is to wake Father up to do the cooking!




Literature: Fiction Paulie has a scheme to get rich by selling a secret formula that makes worms pop out of the ground. Worms do end up popping out of the ground, but not because of Doctor Paulie’s Worm Digger formula!

Reading Level 2-1

Chapter Book: Doctor Paulie’s Amazing Worm Digger Genre



Doctor Paulie’s Amazing Worm DiggerChapter 1By Julie Brinckloe

Fiction 2.5 490 K Paulie thinks about a way he can get rich—he’ll create a formula that makes worms pop out of the ground. He looks in the kitchen for ingredients.


Fiction 2.3 410 K Paulie mixes up his secret formula in a jar and pours it all over the grass. He figures he’ll have to wait a little while for the worms to start coming up out of the ground.


Fiction 2.2 330 K It rains all afternoon. When Paulie goes back outside, he sees worms everywhere. His secret formula works! Inside, Mom and Dad are looking at what’s left in the jar. They don’t look happy.


Fiction 2 400 K Paulie explains that the formula has to be disgusting to make the worms pop out of the ground. Paulie is chagrined when his parents explain that worms always come out when it rains. In the end, it turns out that the formula is good for something—killing grass!




Literature: Animals (Fantasy) In these fantasy stories, animals walk, talk, and act like people.

Reading Level 2-2 Animal Stories Genre



The Little-Like-Me BabyBy Phillis Gershator

Animal fiction 2.2 440 J Mr. and Mrs. P. have a new baby, but it doesn’t look like them. What kind of animal is it?

Smallest DragonBy Lynn Murray

Fantasy 2.3 540 J It’s bedtime, and Smallest Dragon hears a noise. By soothing his stuffed animal Elephant, Smallest Dragon learns to overcome his fear.

An Elephant Never ForgetsBy Kristin Collier Bennett

Animal fiction 2.5 560 K In this story, little Elephant finds out that he’s not the only one who’s forgetful.

Precocious PiggyBy Thomas Hood with art by his son, Tom Hood

Poetry NP NP NP This set of rhyming poems tells about Piggy’s adventures in the big, wide world.




Social Studies: U.S. history, 1800s The background selection introduces readers to the vocabulary and historical importance of lighthouses. In the chapter book, young Abbie becomes the lighthouse keeper when a weeklong storm prevents her father from returning home.

Reading Level 2-2

Chapter Book: Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie Genre



Background: Lighting the WayBy William Royce

Nonfiction 2.4 560 M Throughout history, lighthouses have helped ships safely navigate through storms and dangerous waters.

Keep the Lights Burning, AbbieChapter 1By Peter and Connie Roop

Historical fiction 1.8 370 M As Abbie’s father sails away to get food, medicine, and supplies for the family, he reminds Abbie that she has the skills necessary to take care of the lighthouse in case of his absence.


Historical fiction 1.9 320 M Mama is sick, and a winter storm is coming. Abbie realizes that she’ll need to tend the lighthouse lamps tonight.


Historical fiction 1.9 210 M When the storm worsens during the night, Abbie wakens to check the lamps and scrape ice off the lighthouse windows.


Historical fiction 1.9 350 M The storm rages for over a week, and Abbie is exhausted by her lighthouse duties. Finally, the skies clear and Papa is able to sail home.




Life Science: Animal habitats Readers learn how different animals behave in their natural habitats.

Reading Level 3-1 Animals Genre



What Can Baby Hummingbirds Do?By Ruth J. Luhrs

Nonfiction 3 570 M Baby hummingbirds are as tiny as bees. They stretch out their nests to make room as they grow. When they learn to fly, their rapidly beating wings make a humming sound.

The River OtterBy Janeen R. Adil

Nonfiction 3 640 M River otters love to swim. They find their food in the water, and they amuse themselves frolicking in the water. But these playful animals like to end their day by sleeping in a nice, dry bed.

Goose on GuardBy Eileen Ross

Nonfiction 3 690 N This narrative nonfiction selection follows mother and father goose as they return with the spring migration to start their new family. They are rewarded for their attentive and watchful routines when four little goslings hatch.

The Little MouseAdapted from the Brothers Grimm

Folktale 3 620 N In this fable, an unworldly field mouse sets out for adventure. Fleeing from a fierce-looking but harmless rooster, the field mouse finds shelter with a family of barn mice. Only then does he learn how narrow an escape he made: the real danger lay in the cat sleeping nearby!




Social Studies: Cultures & traditions Cultures mark universal human events in different ways. Special occasions and celebrations are the common theme in this mix of expository nonfiction, song, and contemporary fiction selections.

Reading Level 3-1 Celebrations Genre



Celebrations Around the WorldBy Sharon Franklin

Nonfiction 2 660 N Readers learn how people around the world celebrate the New Year and birthdays in different ways.

For He’s a Jolly Good FellowA traditional song

Song 3 NP H What better way to applaud someone than to sing a rousing round of this centuries-old traditional song!

Such FoolishnessBy Robin Pulver

Realistic fiction 3 570 N Mimi’s good intentions run up against Mama’s practicality in this contemporary fiction selection Mimi saves to secretly buy her mother a pair of earrings for her birthday, even while Mama’s warnings about spending money foolishly pass through her mind.




Social Studies: Culture and humor The article, stories, and jokes in this collection look at the funny side of life. Humor is a universal theme for all.

Reading Level 3-2 The Joke’s on Who? Genre



What’s So Funny?By Catharine Helck

Nonfiction 2.5 420 O What is it about jokes, riddles, and pranks that makes them funny? It’s all explained in this expository nonfiction selection.

The Joke’s on UsA collection of jokes

Humor 2 470 O When readers get to the punch line on these three jokes, they’ll laugh right out loud!

One Horse FarmerBy Sally Derby

Folktale 2.5 730 O A farmer’s sole possession is his horse, but what an amazing horse it is!

Who Am I?Retold by Josepha Sherman

Folktale 2.5 500 N Hershel and Chaim find themselves in a predicament of their own making in this Eastern European tale about the foolish people of Chelm.




Social Studies: U.S. history, 1800s An introductory selection builds background for the historical fiction story. This chapter book relates how young Milton with his snowshoes comes to the aid of his Bronx neighborhood during the Blizzard of 1888.

Reading Level 3-2

Chapter Book: The Snow Walker Genre



Background: The Blizzard of 1888By William Royce

Nonfiction 3 640 P This expository nonfiction selection gives facts about the famous blizzard that struck the northeastern United States in March of 1888.

The Snow WalkerChapter 1By Margaret K. and Charles M. Wetterer

Historical fiction 2.4 550 P Milton is delighted when he awakens to find that it has snowed during the night. He offers to go out to get milk for the family, but his parents insist that the storm is too dangerous. Milton convinces his father that they can make a pair of snowshoes.


Historical fiction 3.2 550 P Milton and his father fashion a homemade pair of snowshoes. Milton’s father lets him try them out in the deep snow outside their house. Milton successfully navigates using the snowshoes, and his father allows him to go to the store for milk.


Historical fiction 3 550 P Snowdrifts have made the neighborhood almost unrecognizable. Milton finally reaches the store and climbs to the top of a snowdrift to reach the shopkeeper’s window. The surprised shopkeeper sells Milton the milk.


Historical fiction 2.9 550 P On his way home, Milton hears neighbor after neighbor ask to buy his milk. Milton sells the milk, returns to the store to get more milk for his family, and heads for home.




Reading Level 3-2

Chapter Book: The Snow Walker Genre




Historical fiction 2.7 550 P Milton’s family is relieved when he finally gets home. He is eager to go back out into the storm and convinces his parents to let him get milk for other housebound neighbors. Milton is out all afternoon, and the wires on his snowshoe begin to loosen.


Historical fiction 2.6 550 P Milton feels his snowshoe getting looser and looser and realizes he must make his way home soon. He decides to do one more errand to get food for a hungry family.


Historical fiction 2.6 550 P After delivering the food, Milton starts for home. Now both his snowshoes are loose, and Milton is freezing cold. He starts to get concerned about making it home safely.


Historical fiction 2.9 550 P Milton finally makes it home, exhausted. It snows for two more days. All the people in the neighborhood talk about Milton’s amazing feat and how he helped everyone.

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