High Interest/Low Readability Level Materials
ProblemWhen I first began teaching reading, I struggled to find materials that were interesting to teenage
readers, yet on a low enough level to be comprehended by my students. I was able to find
workbook type materials with a couple of paragraphs and a few questions on each page. However, I
wanted to expose my students to books that would be interesting and readable. Often times, I
would find books that were on the right level, but were extremely juvenile. My students also wanted
to earn Accelerated Reader Points (a computer-driven, testing system with incentives for reading)
like the other students.
SolutionFinally, I found FASTBACK books by Globe Fearon. Most local libraries carry these books in the adult
literacy or English as a Second Language (ESL) section. They may also be purchased online or by
catalog. These books are 25 to 35 pages in length and are one-quarter of a page in size. The book
categories are romance, mysteries, crime and detection, spy, sports, horror, and science fiction.
Each book is 2.5 to 5th grade reading level (they are advertised as 4th-5th grade level). A set of ten
books costs about $55 with shipping. There are also more advanced books that are double the size
called Double Fastback books. My students have not read one of these books yet.
Now the new problem was finding a way to use these books to improve reading comprehension of
my students. I also wanted to use them for Accelerated Reader testing.
I ordered the skillcheck sheets that could be purchased along with the books from the company. I
found the skillcheck sheets to be a complete waste of money. I decided that the only way to really
help my readers become better at reading for details and understanding the key points in a plot was
to ask tons of questions about the story. I write questions for each page of the book. I vary the
questions by asking Who, Where, When, What, What kind, Which, How and Why. I also have
questions that must be answered with a yes or no response.
Examples of two of the books have been uploaded for viewing. (Maggie, the Freak and Marathon)
Currently, I have 10 of the 74 books in question form. I also have create multiple-choice final tests
that can be keyed into our Accelerated Reader Program at school. The students earn .5 to 1 point
per book depending on the reading level of the book. The students can take the AR test from any
networked computer on campus and I get the report from the media specialist. As I continue to use
these books, I would like to continue to share these questions with other teachers who have the
same problem.
ImpactMy students now enjoy reading books and enjoy earning the AR points at the end. They do not
have to go to the juvenile section of our library any more for books that they can read. Many
students show confidence in their ability to read for others as evidenced by their willingness to read
stories to our elementary students on campus. When given standardized testing recently, all
students showed a gain in reading comprehension and I believe this is due to the use of these
books and my comprehension materials that accompany the books.
Contact Information –
For book information, go to www.globefearon.com and choose reading and literature. Scroll
down to find Fastback books.
For copies of questions for the books I have completed, write:
shannonfike@charter.net or sfike@scsdb.k12.sc.us