Usborne Beginners

This is a great book to use in a first, second, or third grade classroom because of its diction and the lack of confusing word choice for this age group. There are many illustrations and word boxes to explain information, which can be used to help students learn how to read information from something like a graphic organizer. There are also many definitions throughout the text, but there are not too many vocabulary terms to where the students would get overwhelmed. I would utilize this book as an model text so that students are able to hear the scientific language more than once so that they feel more comfortable with the book as a whole. Focusing on the book as first a group and then as an individual read will help students expand their vocabulary, but also further their knowledge of what a informational text is like and how to interpret it.

Tadpoles and frogs can be used as an independent or group read for first or second grade. The book is a low reading level and can be read by these students. This book can be used to learn about animals and habitats because it goes through many different types of frogs and how they work in their various habitats. This book can be used to identify the text features in informational texts because it contains a table of contents, diagrams, photographs with captions, index, and a glossary. The text can also be used to teach how images enhance the information. There are many images and diagrams that contribute to the understanding of the information.

This would be a good book for any grade level, although the reading level is pretty low. I would use this for a first grade class to give a good example of simple text features like table of contents, headings, glossary, and table of contents. This also provides a good example of a chronological text where things follow a logical order, like the life cycle of the tadpole and frog. This could also be good for an older grade like 3rd or 4th to use as an individual reading book. It provides good information for a project or to provide more information for a science lesson as well.

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