Reading Passages
What's in These Passages?
​Our passages have much to offer:​
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Highly structured sentences (often 5 words or less).
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A maximum of 225 words.
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Over 90% commonly used vocabulary (percent may be reduced for content-specific passages such as science or social studies topics).
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No complex sentence structures, figurative language or implicit language
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Comprehension checks consisting of 5 questions (4 multiple choice and 1 open-ended)
Our Reading Levels
Mind Bloom Education created reading passage levels so users can select the most appropriate stories for their students. Levels A - F were created by following developmentally appropriate reading practices for deaf students. Click on each of the drop-down boxes below to learn more about these levels.
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It is important to note that the creation of the vocabulary lists and the passage levels are not based on scientific research. These were developed based on 25 years of experience teaching reading and writing to deaf students. Some may disagree with the placement of some words or the omission of other words. Ultimately, it is up to the member to use professional judgment when selecting reading passages to use with students.
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How were the vocabulary lists created?Vocabulary lists for each level were created from the following resources: Bedrock Literacy vocabulary lists, 95 Dolch Common Nouns, Moog Early Intervention Center Word Lists, and the 1,000 Fry words. Levels A - F vocabulary lists were created by following best practices in vocabulary development for deaf students. Nouns that can be easily visualized, action verbs, and adjectives are prominent in the early level lists because of their ease of access and understanding. Words that serve a grammatical function but are rarely understood in isolation (e.g. is, to, the, etc.) are also included in the early levels because they are needed in sentence construction. The abstractness of the words increases as the levels increase. The leveled vocabulary lists are available for download exclusively for paid members and can be used to supplement instruction.
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​How were the passage levels determined?Sentence length or complexity is not included in determining a passage level. A reading passage is assigned a level based solely on the percentage of total words that are in that level and any previous levels. For example: – A passage at Level B will have 90% or more of its words from Levels B, and A vocabulary lists. – A passage at Level D will have 90% or more of its words from Levels D, C, B, and A vocabulary lists.
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Do vocabulary lists include all of the words used in the passages?The level vocabulary lists are not exhaustive of all the words used in the reading passages. One will find content-specific vocabulary, proper nouns for places and holidays, and other words that are not commonly found on sight word lists. Additionally, some words that could be on the lists might have been overlooked.
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Do the passage levels have grade level equivalents?Grade level equivalents are not used. The highly-structured nature of the sentences and intentional elimination of various English features that challenge independent readers (ex. figurative language and inferences) make GLEs inaccurate. There are also no age level equivalents. Due to various factors, a 6 year old and a 16 year old could both be reading from the same level. Therefore, think of the reading passage levels as developmental levels rather than grade or age levels.
Have questions? Check our FAQ page or email heidi@mindbloomedu.com
Download These FREE Passages Today!
Want a sense of what Mind Bloom Education reading passages are like? Try these FREE passages today!
Each product description includes an Interest Level, Word Count, and Average Sentence Length. Interest levels include Lower Elementary (LE), Upper Elementary (UE), Middle School (MS), High School (HS), and Adult (A).
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