A picture page from “Lend Me a Paw.” (Photo courtesy National Geographic School Publishing.)
Hey, I have a new book out! National Geographic School Publishing used a true story about my previous Seeing Eye dog Harper in a new supplementary textbook called Lend Me a Paw, and it was just published last month. Lend Me a Paw is part of National Geographic School Publishing’s new Ladder Series, which they describe as a “laddered approach to leveled readers in order to differentiate for a shared experience.”
Huh?
Let me try to explain. Levelers at National Geographic School Publishing took my story “One Smart Dog” and produced it in four different reading levels:
- above level,
- on level,
- 1 grade below level, and
- 2 grades below level.
Each book is laid out exactly the same — the photographs and graphics are identical in each version, but the wording and sentence structure varies to match the reading level of the reader. Above-level readers might read one version, and students in the same classroom who are still working out vocabulary and grammar can tackle a version that is less complicated. Their web site describes it like this: “Same great content, four different reading levels.” In the end, a classroom of kids with different reading skills will all be able to discuss the content together as a class.
Still with me? Maybe an example will help. Here’s the intro to the story I wrote:
I’m blind. Even when my eyes are open, all I see is the color black. So I use my other senses to do things I enjoy, like writing books. My computer is adapted with assistive technology for people who are blind. A robotic voice parrots the letters I type, and I use my sense of hearing to listen to what I write. When I’m finished with a story, I press a button, and…voila! My computer reads what’s on the screen, and I can hear – and fix—my mistakes.
I do most of my writing at home, but I travel to interview people and research stories. That’s where Harper comes in.
And here is that section with the content adjusted for striving readers:
I’m blind, so I use my other senses to write books. My computer has a special program for people who are blind. A voice repeats the letters I type. It also reads what’s on the screen. I write at home, but sometimes I travel, too. That’s where Harper comes in.
Another example. Here’s what I wrote for above-level readers, from later on in the story:
Harper and I were heading down a city sidewalk once when he stopped for no reason. Well, no reason that I could come up with. I felt ahead with my foot. Nothing there. I waved my arm in front of me. No barricade. “Harper, forward!” I urged. I had an appointment, and I didn’t want to be late. “Hup, hup!” Harper stood motionless. “Right, right!” I tried, hoping Harper might scurry me around whatever he saw in the way. No luck.
Just then I heard a truck door slam. Heavy footsteps hurried toward us. “Watch out, ma’am! Stay put!” The truck driver offered his arm.
And now, here’s that same part for readers who are one grade below level:
Harper and I were walking along a city sidewalk. All of a sudden he stopped. I felt ahead with my foot. Nothing there. I waved my arm in front of me. Nothing there, either. “Harper, forward!” I urged. Harper did not move. “Right, right!” I tried. No luck. Just then I heard a truck door slam. Someone hurried toward us. “Watch out, ma’am!” The truck driver offered his arm.
What harm did Harper see in front of us? What danger had he saved us from? Guess you’ll have to order the book to find out!
Textbooks in this new Ladders program cover some of the Common Core Standards (a set of education standards adopted by 40+ states) for English Language Arts. Elementary school teachers who have some students in class who are learning English have told me this laddered approach could come in handy for them, too. I’m guessing it could be used in adult literacy classes as well.
Lend Me a Paw isn’t available commercially, but you can purchase copies on line for around $6 a copy. . Here’s a hint: when I ordered mine, I had better luck phoning my order in at 1-888-915-3276. Ask for isbn number 978-07362-95116.
P.S. If I look unusually tall in the photos, don’t blame the National Geographic photographer. I wrote the story last summer after I broke my foot, and when it came time for the photo shoot, I was sporting orthopedic shoes with three-inch soles. My podiatrist insisted I wear those clodhoppers for weeks after my cast came off!
Thanks for the ordering info, I want my grandchildren to read this story.
Let me know if you have any trouble ordering — I’m about to order some more copies at the “above” reading level myself…
Everybody,
I have a copy and love it! So does my 10-year-old daughter. Chock full of fun, educational, accessible stuff. And if you’re a teacher interested in having Beth visit your class, this is a great reading unit to do with your students before Beth arrives!
Thanks, pal. Glad to hear your 10-year-old likes the book, too — kids are always my toughest/favorite reviewers.
I’m intrigued. Gotta buy the book and find out what Harper saw.
From the photo it looks like you use one of those harnesses with the swivelling handle. I’ve only ever seen one of those before. A lady who’d won the portrait I offered on TSE’s on-line auction came to vist me so that I could see and photograph her dog to make the portrait. Her dog had one of those harnesses. As well as portraits I make toy leather guide harnesses for TSE’s auction and she said I should try to make one like those she uses. That is much too complex for me to try, but at her urging least i did manage to make an offset-handle for one of the toys on offer in the last auction.
Ah, yes, that funny harness – I had a bad shoulder about five years ago and asked my physical therapist if she thought my rotator cuff injury had anything to do with the way I hold Hanni’s harness. “Well, it’d be better if the harness handle were vertical, not horizontal,” she said. “You know, so your thumb would be sticking up.”
It’s not just the blind folks using guide dogs who suffer shoulder and arm injuries — Turns out a lot of the trainers end up with problems, too.You know how hard those young (STRONG) puppies can pull!
One of the Seeing Eye’s infamous trainers, Lukas Frank, recognized this problem and has patented a new “swivel” harness handle to alleviate shoulder and arm pain, and that’s what I use now. Cool that you make toy harnesses — I’ll have to check that out!
Well, as a matter of fact one of the toy dogs in harness I submitted to the last auction was based on and named after your Whitney. It did not get put into the auction though. It was pulled to be a lottery prize at this year’s Puppy raiser’s party. I can send you a photo of it to your personal e-dress and maybe Mike or someone can describe it to you.
This. Is. Too. Cool. Yes! Please email me a photograph, I’ll have Mike describe. And then, watch out: I may ask you to write a guest blog post about this if you are willing…
Done. Toy Whitney photos sent to your info account.
These kinds of laddered or differentiated readers are a godsend for teachers, Beth! As a teacher-in-training I’ve been told that most of the time I’ll have to create these kinds of materials myself so I’m excited to know about these. I’m so glad you made these and told us about them! I’m definitely going to bring them to the attention of my sons’ school as well.
Oh, those poor editors at National Geographic! When they first told me about laddered/differentiated readers, I had no idea what they were talking about. Now, hearing from you teacher types, I gather this is a concept that’s been around a long time –embarassing that I hadn’t a clue, yet pretty fun to grow older and keep learning new things like this.
So can’t you say you just had FOUR new books published?
Ha! I hadn’t thought of that. Great idea, but really I only wrote one of them — the “levelers” created the other three. Hmmm.
Books like that sound like they would be a great help for teachers and parents. Cool to hear that Harper got himself into a book too. You’ll have to start working on one for whitney now.
Hmmm. Afraid a book about Whitney right now would have to be just like her: a work in progress!
Absolutely buying this! So excited. I have some family friends that have children who help with the puppies that I raise, and I think this would be great for them!
Thanks, Tomasita, and great to hear from you –I tried to leave a comment n your blog about raising Edward the puppy but got caught by the CAPTCHA (write what you see in the box) police — he must be getting ready to graduate by now, hope all is going well.
Beth, congrats on having another book published!
BTW: The children in my son’s preschool class loved it when I read “Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound” to the students. It’s a great book to use in class — the right length, great illustrations, and easy enough for kids to understand while teaching them how others live.
Thank you, Carey –that is high praise, coming from a fine writer like you. Or would that be, a fine writer like yourself? Well, you know what I mean.
This is great, Beth! Thanks for sharing…always fun to peek behind the curtain.
When I was in elementary school, everyone was assigned a different color reading book, so it was very obvious which group you were in. I was elite purple…only 3 of us in the class. I was both proud and embarrassed, so I wonder what it would be like to be in a class with the laddered approach.
Anyway, you and Harper look great…even in the orthopedic shoes.
Good to hear – that we look great, I mean. I’m happy there is a book out with Harper in it but must admit, reading the story now gives me a little heartache about his early retirement. Need to remember what the Seeing Eye folks told me after our near miss in traffic: “He took a bullet for you, and for that he deserves an early retirement.” It’s a joy to hear how much Harper is loving his new life – I sent his new owners a copy of “Lend Me a Paw” and they couldn’t help but notice that Harper has put on a little weight since leaving his job!
Oh, and as for those reading groups in elementary school, I also was fortunate enough to be able to read well – in later years I wonder what it must have felt like to be in the lower reading group, I do recall that each of us knew exactly what level each kid was at by the name of their reading group. . With any luck this new ladder idea will help the cause – from what I’m told the books really do look exactly alike, but on the back cover there is a number written in small type to alert you which book it is. The numbers aren’t even 1, 2 and 3 –they are things like 950 and 600 and such, not sure what those numbers mean, if anything.
If any teachers who have used ladder approach are reading these comments, I’ll hope you’ll join in and let us know how/if it works with students –
I’d forgotten about reading levels. In 5th grade, I quickly finished the highest level and, out of material, my teacher sent me to the library to choose a book. The librarian found me curled up, sobbing about punishment. My teacher was summoned to explain that finishing was great and being allowed to pick a book was my prize. Poor teacher! The laddered system is a much better approach. Congrats on your new book!
I love the democratic overtones of this! Nobody gets stuck in the “dummy” group, because everybody reads the same story and discusses it; only the teacher knows for sure;-)
Appreciate hearing your take on this, Lauren. I was afraid some might think this approach coddles the “dummy” readers.
Another “take” on this, is the literacy of these responses. Beth, you have articulate followers. We appreciate the value of books no matter which ladder step the readers of “Lend Me a Paw” happen to be standing on. Good stories will inspire more reading. Practice makes perfect. Go Beth!
As a former teacher, I am interested in how the kids respond to the laddered readers. With a bit of comparison, I can’t help but guess that the students have the system figured out. But maybe that doesn’t bother anyone because they are all getting the same basic story. It’s certainly an interesting approach to dealing with the various reading levels in a classroom. And I definitely agree with the person who suggested that you’ve just had FOUR books published, Beth. How cool is that!?
Four books in one? VERY cool!
As for the laddered approach, Sheila, I think you are probably right. Kids are smart. They figure things out. With any luck, though, they will be as intrigued as I am with this sort of approach, and who knows, maybe they’ll find the different words in different books intriguing. You know, rather than insulting. .
PS: Mike wondered last night if they’ll come out with a Ladder approach to the classics. Maybe he’s thinking of reading Chaucer.
I’ve just seen some of these leveled texts at a workshop for differentiation (adjusting lessons/teaching to meet student needs) and they are VERY skillfully done. The teachers at my table were in disagreement about all but the advanced version. That’s because the 3 lower versions aren’t always leveled with the same types of changes. It’s not just length or vocabulary, but sentence complexity as well as several other components which may be tweaked to produce the final product. And yes, students can tell they’re a little different, but they really don’t know for sure which is higher and which is lower, except maybe the highest one.
Oh, Venieta, thank you so much for this reply. I was wondering what teachers might think of this approach and your comment here is exactly what I was looking for. I am so naïve about the science behind teaching kids to read, I had no clue there might be such a thing as a “workshop for differentiation.” Interesting to think that your discussion with other teachers of adjusting lessons/teaching to meet student needs eventually led you to my blog post. Glad it did!
How cool! I was just going on to your blog to find the link to tell people about your book and read this! As I’ve said, the earlier version is in our waiting area and such a fabulous educational tool for all!
You know, I’d forgotten how you contacted me way back whe, you wanted to have a copy of “Safe & Sound” for your waiting area, I think that’s how we started corresponding! Ends up being my blog readers’ good fortune, they will appreciate the guest post you published here on June 17. Thanks, Becky!
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