Guided Reading Level M - All About Sand (with Lesson Plan)
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About This Product
This Guided Reading Book - All About Sand (Level M) with lesson plan includes:
Guided Reading Color Label (front cover x1)
This is a quick way to match the book’s demands to what students can generally handle..
The overall goal is to use the level/color to pick books for several smaller groups. To qualify for a certain level, a student is expected to read a book from that level with about 90–94% accuracy.
If a student is consistently accurate and understands, move up a level. If the student is struggling at that level, drop down and add more support.
Each student will improve at completely different rates, but it is generally one of the best ways to check progress across the class.
DOWNLOAD THE CATALOG TO VIEW ALL GUIDED READING BOOKS AVAILABLE (SORTED LEVELS A-Z)
Pre-Reading Question (x1)
Teacher asks the prompt aloud, can be while showing the cover or first page.
Students share what they already know, or make educated guesses from the cover. Prompt them to use the target vocabulary.
Write some of their responses on the board to look back at during the reading.
Vocabulary Words (x5)
Introduce the five words, best doing it one at a time. Start by saying it, while students repeat and then see if anyone knows what it means before reading further. Read through the meaning and try to briefly connect each word to a picture or gesture so it’s meaningful.
Ask students to flip through the book pages and point to where they see each of the vocabulary words.
While reading the book pause upon coming across one of the vocab words or read the sentence twice to make sure students understand the word has appeared.
Optional: Ask students to raise hands whenever they see/hear one of the new words.
Guided Reading Pages (x10)
Check the book snapshot (below) for:
primary topic - do you need to prep extra reading or intro materials on this?
what is taught best - decide on 1-2 bullets to focus on, use the prompt or words provided here for best results.
learning goals - what you are checking for students to be able to do after the session, elicit answers using prompts or words provided.
key vocabulary (see section above).
questions overview - so you know what is coming up and if you need to prep extra materials to assist understanding.
Run the lesson
You may have already looked at a few of the pages together, but you can show them some of the pictures again first to set meaning.
Depending on how much time you have and how familiar your students are with guided reading class, you may want to read the book aloud first with the group first.
Students whisper or partner read, while you listen in. If time, do it as a group, one student reading a page each.
Use the guided page’s prompts to coach: “Check the picture / does it make sense?” “Point under the words / try the first sound” “Reread the sentence smoothly”.
Try to focus more on one student per session (rotating every time), so you can work out if they are ready to move up or need to move down a level.
Comprehension Questions (back cover x3)
This is your way to check that students didn’t just say the words, but actually understood the text.
First, let students answer by pointing to the page/picture and saying a short sentence.
After any answer, follow with: “Show me where you found that in the text.”
In bigger groups, have partners answer first (10–20 seconds), then call on 2–3 students to share.
Differentiation tips:
Emerging speakers/struggling readers: oral + pointing
On-level: oral in a full sentence
Higher: one written sentence or draw + label
Book Snapshot
Title: All About Sand
Genre: Nonfiction (informational text)
Subject: Science (Earth science)
Primary Topic: How sand forms and why it matters
Estimated Guided Reading Level (A–Z): M
What This Book Teaches Best
How sand forms over millions of years through weathering (rain, wind, and ice breaking rocks into smaller pieces).
How rivers move rock pieces and help make them “smooth and round,” and how ocean waves help build beaches.
How sand can be different colors and how those colors can come from different materials (like volcanic lava, coral, and seashells).
How sand can look different under a microscope and what sand’s colors can reveal about minerals inside it.
Why sand is important to people and nature (uses in products and roles like protecting coastlines and providing habitat).
Learning Goals
Students will describe where sand is found and what it can cover in the world.
Students will explain how weathering breaks rocks into smaller and smaller pieces over time.
Students will describe how rivers carry rock fragments and how moving water changes the rocks’ edges.
Students will explain what happens when a river reaches the ocean and how waves help create a beach.
Students will identify different kinds/colors of sand described in the text and what they come from.
Students will describe at least one way sand helps humans and one way it helps Earth’s surface.
Key Vocabulary From the Text
weathering — breaking rocks into smaller pieces over time.
fragments — small broken pieces.
volcanic — related to volcanoes and lava.
microscope — tool that helps you see tiny things.
habitat — place where a plant or animal lives.
Discussion Prompts
Pre-reading question: What are some natural forces that might change big rocks over a long time?
Comprehension questions: What does the text say weathering does to rocks over millions of years?
Comprehension questions: According to the text, what happens when a river reaches the ocean that helps create a beach?
Comprehension questions: What are two things the text says humans use sand to make?
Printing Tips
1. Best Printing Method (Recommended)
“Booklet” Printing (Best if Available)
If your printer or PDF viewer supports Booklet Printing, use this.
Settings to use:
Print mode: Booklet
Paper size: Letter or A4 (either works)
Orientation: Landscape
Print on both sides: Yes
Flip on: Short edge
Scaling: Fit to printable area
Booklet subset:
First test: Front sides only
Then: Back sides only
This will automatically:
Pair pages correctly
Put the cover on the outside
Align everything for folding
After printing, fold in half and staple along the spine.
2. If “Booklet” Printing Is NOT Available
You can still print this correctly with manual duplex printing.
Step-by-step:
Open the PDF.
Choose Print.
Set:
Orientation: Landscape
Pages per sheet: 1
Print on both sides: Yes
Flip on: Short edge
Print all pages.
Because each PDF page already contains two facing book pages, the result will still fold cleanly into a book.
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