The series responds to teacher findings that students have a deep curiosity to learn more about the world around them, but need more developmentally appropriate materials and scaffolding to process and accurately interpret informational texts. It compiles instructional scaffolding and reading exercises necessary to aid students in their journey toward becoming critical and inquisitive readers. The targeted readings are adapted primarily from blogs, newspapers, speeches, scientific journals, and biography study. Students engage in an inquiry process that moves from lower order to higher order thinking skills. Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
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 The College of William and Mary. Students in grades 3-5 will be able to comprehend and analyze any nonfiction reading passage after completing the activities in these books. Using skill ladders connected to individual readings related to essays, articles, comparison documents, infographics, and other nonfiction text, students move from lower order, concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. All of the books, geared to increasing grade levels, include high-interest readings, ladders to increase reading skill development, and easy-to-implement instructions. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for academic success, covering language arts standards such as sequencing, cause and effect, classification, making generalizations, inference, understanding emotion, using and thinking about words, and recognizing themes and concepts.
