1
Proposed Characteristics of Chinese Leveled Readers
1
8 pages; 3-8
characters per
page
2-3
8 pages; 5-10
characters per
page
4
8 pages; 612
characters
per page
Size and layout of print
@28 pt. font
Separation of
lexical units
@24 pt. font
Separation of
lexical units
Vocabulary
High frequency,
low density
characters
Frequent
repetition of
characters in
text
High frequency,
low density
characters
Frequent
repetition of
characters in
text
@24 pt.
font
Separation
of lexical
units
High
frequency,
low density
characters
Repetition
of
characters
in text
Concepts
Relate to
personal
experience
Relate to
personal
experience
Familiar
topics
Language structure
Simple oral
language
structures
Oral language
structures
Oral
language
structures
Length
5-6
12-16
pages; 2
or more
sentences
per page
@ 24 pt.
font
Separation
of lexical
units
High
frequency,
low
density
characters
Repetition
of
characters
across
texts
Familiar
topics,
curricular
topics
Oral
language
structures
July 22, 2009 draft
7
16 pages; 2 or more
sentences per page
8-9
16 pages; 3 or
more sentences
per page
@ 16 pt. font
No separation of
lexical units
@ 16 pt. font
High frequency,
characters
Repetition of
characters across
texts
Variety of
vocabulary
expands, verb
compounds
Familiar topics,
new concepts may
be introduced
Oral language
structures including
modal verbs,
indirect objects,
adverbs of time,
place, type. Longer
sentences.
10-12
16 pages;
average 4 or
more
sentences
per page
@ 16 pt. font
more
concepts
introduced
More complex
language
structures more
typical of
written
language
Begin to
introduce
written
syntax
2
Text structure/genre
Naming,
Narrative
derives from
pictures
Naming,
describing
Narrative
derives from
pictures
Naming,
describing,
simple
narrative
connected
to pictures
Naming,
describing,
simple
narrative;
text
carries the
story line
Naming, describing,
narrative; text
carries the story
line
Predictability and
pattern of language
Highly
predictable,
repetition of
structures
Highly
predictable,
Repetition of
structures
Predictable,
Repetition
of
structures,
Context offers clear
clues to meaning
Illustration support
Direct
correspondence
between text
and illustration
Close
correspondence
between text
and illustration
Pictures
important
to support
meaning,
Some
repetition
of
structures,
meaning
often clear
from
context
Both text
and
pictures
carry the
story line
Authentic vs.
translated text
mostly
translated
material
Translated
material;
Authentic song
texts
Translated
material;
Authentic
songs,
rhymes,
stories
Some
cultural
content
Translated
material;
Authentic
songs,
rhymes,
stories
Some
cultural
content
Translated
material;
Authentic songs,
rhymes, stories
More
More
Connected
Connected
Connected
Relevant
Target Cultural
None
background knowledge
needed for
understanding
Student’s
Closely
background/experience connected
None
Closely
connected
July 22, 2009 draft
Illustrations more
complex, strongly
support story but
cover many ideas
Story lines have
multiple
episodes
arranged
chronologically;
characters
more fully
developed
Context offers
clear clues to
meaning
More
informational
text
Illustrations
continue to
support
reading
although text
carries more
meaning
Pictures
relate to but
do not fully
encompass
text
Requires
students to
3
Pinyin support
Each new
character in
book but not
thereafter
Each new
character in
book but not
thereafter
Each new
character in
book but
not
thereafter
Glossary support
Yes, back cover
Yes, back cover
Yes, back
cover
Audio support
English translation
Yes
Yes, inside front
cover, tiny font
Yes
Yes, inside front
cover
Yes
Yes, inside
front cover
Examples
Better Chinese
My First Words;
Brown Bear,
Brown Bear
Better Chinese I
Love Chinese
series
Each
newly
introduced
character
but not
thereafter
Yes, back
cover
Each newly
introduced
character in series
but not thereafter
Each newly
introduced
character in
series but not
thereafter
Yes, back cover
Yes, back cover
Yes
Yes, inside
front
cover
Yes
Yes, inside front
cover
Yes
Glossary only
Students can
Criteria for character selection. Emphasis on high frequency, low density, pictographic, readily understood ideographic characters, characters
which also occur as radicals, characters which occur as phonemic radicals, characters containing highly productive semantic or phonemic radicals
Since texts at this level are largely based on oral patterns, perhaps more consideration should be given to oral usage than written usage in this
first year.
July 22, 2009 draft