What is a 1R Reader?
1R readers are able to sit for 30 minutes and enjoy one long picture book. Their focus is not on decoding, but on the content of the book. They are enjoying traditional tales, silly stories, poetry, and informational text. They should be given the opportunity to read picture books that come in series (e.g., Clifford, Arthur, Amelia Bedelia, Berenstain Bears). Picture books with the same characters and similar plot elements prepare 1R readers for the move into chapter books at 2R. As decoding 1R text becomes easier, silent reading will become the preferred mode. Allow students to spend enough time enjoying and engaging at the 1R level before moving them into the longer and more complicated books at the 2R level.
