Do you know how a rainbow is made? Have you ever wondered how a snake sheds it skin? How do turkey vultures help people? What makes a kite fly? Reading Skills 4A is a collection of nonfiction passages with interactive learning activities, written by children's author Marne Ventura, M.A. and developed by Fred Ventura, Ph.D., as part of the Reading Skills Series published by Ventura Educational Systems.
Reading Skills 4A - Science
Welcome to Reading Skills 4A Science. This app presents twelve high-interest science passages at the fourth grade reading level. Each passage is followed by three activities to help young readers strengthen their reading skills.
Reading nonfiction is an essential skill for literacy. Reading Skills 4A Science provides fun, exciting information about everyday phenomena.
Reading Skills 4A - Overview
Each passage is followed by three engaging activities based on the following Common Core Standards for Grade 4 Language Arts:
Comprehension
Multiple Meaning Words
Vocabulary
Fact vs. Opinion
Main Idea and Supporting Ideas
Author's Purpose
Drawing Conclusions
Compare and Contrast
Synonyms and Antonyms
Using Text Features
Reading Skills 4A
Engaging Content
How was cellophane invented? What is a succulent? How does a plant signal thirst? These are just a few of the fascinating topics presented in the reading passages for this app.
As students work with this educational app they will improve and strengthen their reading skills. Each high-interest science reading passage has follow-up activities to help build vocabulary and enhance comprehension. Using Reading Skills 4A provides three follow-up activities for each of the 12 passages:
• Word Fun - is a word game where a clue is given along with the scrambled letters of a vocabulary word from the passage. The challenge for the student is to unscramble the letters to spell the word.
• Fact Check - is a activity designed to help improve recall and comprehension. When doing this activity students will read a statement and tap either True or False based on the science facts presented in the passage.
• Skills Practice - is a activity where questions based on the selected passage is presented. Students demonstrate their reading comprehension skills by answering multiple choice questions.
High-Interest Reading Passages
Interactive Games and Activities
Features:
High-Interest Content about Science Related Topics
Interactive Activities to Build and Reinforce Reading Skills
Supports Common Core Reading Objectives
Focuses on Learning by Doing Strategies
Engaging Reading Activities Presented in an Open-ended Learning Environment
Reading Skills 4A is designed to help develop and improve reading skills. Using simple gestures students move from one reading activity to another. By either dragging letter tiles or tapping the screen, students improve vocabulary and spelling, demonstrate their ability to recognize the main idea and supporting details. They practice summarizing reading material and in general practice a variety of skills essential for reading comprehension.
The Science Facts activity presents a statement based on the content of the selected reading passage. Students indicate either True or False for the statement by tapping an icon.
Build Vocabulary and Spelling Skills
Students enjoy games. Word Fun is an activity where students unscramble letter tiles to spell the a vocabulary word taken from the reading passage.
Slide letter tiles to spell vocabulary words.
Complete the activity by earning 10 gold stars
Vocabulary words are pronounced.
Comprehension
The Skills Practice activity focuses on a variety of reading skills including finding the main idea, locating supporting details, and determining the author's purpose.
Titles
Understanding informational text is essential to literacy. To help young readers develop this skill, twelve fun, high-interest passages about snakes, vultures, forces of flight, and more, written at the fourth grade reading level, are presented:
Chasing Rainbows
New Skin for Snakes
Bird Watching Journal Entry
The Water-Saving Plant
Turkey Vultures
The California Poppy
Banana Smoothie
The Four Forces of Flight
Flour Power
A Transparent Invention
Thirsty?
Superhero Soap
Scoreboard
Teachers can use the Scoreboard feature to keep track of student performance as they work their way through all the passages and activities.