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The QuickReads program is a creative and innovative application of recent research on the nature of texts used to teach reading. QuickReads texts support automatic, meaningful grade-level reading.
QuickReads texts are written at the independent level for a grade. That means that 98% or more of the words in a text fit the grade-level curriculum. Compare this to current textbook or intervention programs where 10-15% of the words often fall outside the grade-level curriculum.
QuickReads texts are at a length that a grade-level reader should be able to read—when reading fluently—in one minute.
The Common Core State Standards recommends fourth grade students read informational texts 50% of classroom time. Using QuickReads follows that recommendation by introducing a set of informational texts that can be read through out the day—during literacy activities or science and social studies activities. QuickReads is a fluency and comprehension program that utilizes grade level appropriate concepts in science and social science texts.
QuickReads helps you target the needs of students with varying levels of English proficiency. With QuickReads, you can:
Most of the words in the QuickReads passages, 98%, are drawn from the list of most frequent words or feature regular phonics and syllable patterns. By practicing reading with these words, students build automaticity and word-recognition skills allowing them to focus on meaning rather than the task of decoding words.
The remaining 2% of words in QuickReads represent the content-specific vocabulary for each QuickReads topic. Because each topic comprises several text passages (five in the original QuickReads program, four in QReads), these words appear repeatedly, allowing students to gain expertise with necessary content-specific vocabulary.
QuickReads offers a comprehensive program to strengthen fluency and comprehension, while building background knowledge in science and social studies. Each QuickReads level includes three books, covering six topics with five passages per topic. Built-in placement and ongoing progress monitoring ensures that every student benefits from using QuickReads.
QuickReads Level | Grade-Level Curriculum | High-Frequency Words | Phonics and Syllable Patterns |
Level A | Early Grade 2 | 300 most frequent words | All long and short vowel patterns in single-syllable words |
Level B | Grade 2 | 500 most frequent words | All long and short vowel patterns, and r-controlled vowells in single-syllable words |
Level C | Grade 3 | 1,000 most frequent words | All vowel patterns in single-syllable words |
Level D | Grade 4 | 1,000 most frequent words | Two-syllable words |
Level E | Grade 5 | 2,500 most frequent words | Mutli-syllable words with inflected endings |
Level F | Grade 6 | 5,000 most frequent words | Mutli-syllable words with inflected endings |
Research shows that beginning and struggling readers benefit when the number of unfamiliar words in a text is kept low enough to permit the tasks of meaning and comprehension to occur. When readers are overwhelmed by the task of decoding too many new words, their cognitive capability to also extract meaning is diminished and their overall proficiency suffers. But that doesn't mean student should only be given text that are highly repetitive stories with a predictable pattern.
QuickReads utilizes Dr. Hiebert’s TExT Model of Reading with texts that follow specific guidelines. Oftentimes texts of this nature are boring and nonsensical. But since QuickReads texts follow national standards in Science and Social Studies, the texts in QuickReads are interesting and build critical subject matter knowledge.
QuickReads Level | Life Science | Earth Science | Physical Science | Civics | Geography & Economics | History |
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Level B |
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Level C |
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Level D |
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Level E |
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Level F |
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In 2006, a study was conducted by The Great Plains Institute of Reading and Writing (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) with 1,484 students in grades two through five of all learning abilities (below-, on- and above-grade level), including English language learners. The study assessed students with pre- and post-tests at the beginning and end of the intervention period to determine effectiveness.
The results of this study demonstrated that:
The overall success of QuickReads depends upon its consistent and concentrated use over time.
For best results:
Program Coverage | Length of Time | |
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Option 1: Continuous Use | 1 passage per day, 5 days per week | 18 weeks, or 1 semester (completes one level) |
Option 2: Concentrated Periods of Time | 1 passage per day, 5 days per week | 6 weeks at the beginning of the school year, 6 weeks at midyear, 6 weeks before the end of the year (completes one level) |
Option 3: Summer School | 2 passages per day, 5 days per week | 6 weeks (completes two books in one level) |
Option 4: After-School Program | 2 passages per day, 4 days per week | 12 weeks (completes one level) |
Option 5: For Extra Achievement | 1 passage per day, 5 days per week | 32 weeks or 2 semesters (completes two levels) |
Reinforces vocabulary skills, supports ESL/ELL needs, and builds content knowledge through suggested activities for every QuickReads topic. Encourages family involvement to contribute to student success.
There are six members in the QuickReads Family of Products. Click on a title below to see which one best fit the needs of your child or students.
At the moment, the only way to order QuickReads products is through Pearson’s QuickReads website.
Scroll to the bottom of Pearson's website to find items in the QuickReads Family of Products. Simply select the item you wish to order, then the grade level to order QuickReads.
The original member of the QuickReads product family, the QuickReads print edition provides a comprehensive research-based fluency program for elementary age students.
The QuickReads print edition consists of six levels: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Each level contains three books, and each book contains 30 texts (90 texts per level). These texts support automaticity with the high-frequency words and phonics/syllabic patterns needed to be a successful reader at a particular grade level. Additionally, with topics in two subject areas: social studies and science, texts in the QuickReads program encourage meaning and comprehension. Book 1 includes texts on Civics, and Life Science. Book 2 includes texts on Economics, Geography, and Earth Science. Book 3 includes texts on History, and Physical Science.
With six separate levels spanning reading levels from grades two through six, the QuickReads program can be matched to each student’s individual level.
QuickReads Level | Grade-level Curriculum | Lexile rating | DRA | Fountas-Pinnell Guide Reading |
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Level A | Early grade 2 | Lexile 140L-400L | 14-20 | H-K |
Level B | Grade 2 | Lexile 235L-500L | 16-20 | I-K |
Level C | Grade 3 | Lexile 330L-700L | 30-38 | N-P |
Level D | Grade 4 | Lexile 445L-810L | 30-40 | N-R |
Level E | Grade 5 | Lexile 565L-910L | 40-44 | Q-V |
Level F | Grade 6 | Lexile 665L-1000L | -- | W-Y |
QuickReads Print edition is available as classroom program for 24 students, or an Intervention set for 12 students. Each book in a level are also available in 6-book packs.
Each of the six levels of QuickReads Print edition includes :
Featuring additional passages designed to the same text model as QuickReads Print and aligned to the QuickReads topics, the Fluency Library provides opportunity for additional reading practice and deeper background knowledge.
The perfect classroom companion to the QuickReads Print edition, QuickReads Fluency Library was designed to support students in developing the critical skills of fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Available in four levels, A–D, each library includes 24 motivating titles that can be used for independent or small group reading.
QuickReads Fluency Library follows the same TExT Model of Reading as QuickReads Print edition. Each topic in QuickReads Print edition has a corresponding book in QuickReads Fluency Library. For example, the book Bicycles: From Plan to Sale in QuickReads Fluency Library corresponds to Level C, book 2, Economics in QuickReads Print edition. Every book is full of new ideas that deepen background knowledge and overall understanding of these important content areas.
Researched and authored by Dr. Elfrieda H. Hiebert, the books in the QuickReads Fluency Library are unique and foster these critical skills by presenting more opportunites to read with high degree of success.
Each QuickReads Fluency Library title extends one of the passages from each QuickReads topic, offering additional passages and activities to strengthen students’ fluency, comprehension and background knowledge. For each level, QuickReads Fluency Library titles are available in individual 6-packs or a comprehensive Classroom Library.
Each of the four levels of QuickReads Fluency Libraries includes:
Designed to motivate students to read more and expand their knowledge about the QuickReads topics, Become an Expert provides a collection of books specially chosen from various Pearson Education libraries to build upon the science and social studies content presented in QuickReads.
Spark your students’ interest in exploring engaging topics with QuickReads Become an Expert. This program is designed to motivate your students to read more and expand their knowledge about the popular topics presented in the QuickReads print and technology editions. Become an Expert contains high-interest books and student activity cards that are perfect for independent reading, literacy centers, and more!
QuickReads Print edition was written to help improve student’s fluency by using the TExT Model of Reading. QuickReads Become an Expert was designed to expand student’s content knowledge on the topics in QuickReads Print edition. The books in QuickReads Become an Expert were pulled from various collection published by Pearson. For example, the Level C Expert pack includes books from iOpeners, Domini World of Animals, Celebration Press, and many more. This means that each kit contains the best books from the Pearson Library that matches the topic in QuickReads.
QuickReads Become an Expert enables students to:
For each of the four levels, there are six Expert Packs available, corresponding to three science topics and three social studies topics from the same QuickReads level. Expert Packs are available individually or as a Classroom Library for each level. There is one Teacher’s Resource Manual for each level.
Each of the twenty-four packs of the QuickReads Become an Expert includes:
All the benefits of the original QuickReads program are now available for older students. Based on the same text model and reading levels as QuickReads, the QReads program has been adapted in content, presentation and instruction to enhance fluency and comprehension for students in middle and high school.
QReads uses the TExT Model of Reading to teach oral reading fluency, while developing knowledge and extending vocabulary and comprehension. Students follow a brief routine through a series of increasingly difficult text passages. Exercises accompanying each daily passage help check and build comprehension along with fluency. Students gain confidence in their skills as they move from level to level.
QReads was designed to address the needs of middle to high school students who are struggling with fluency. Improving the fluency of the ELL student in middle and high school may pose a challenging paradox. The texts that are currently available for developing literacy skills may be uninteresting or immature for middle or high school student. QReads was designed with topics that will interest middle and high school student and also support their literacy skills. All QuickReads products, including QReads, include topics from two subject areas: Science and Social Studies, but QReads also includes Arts & Culture and Literature & Language. These four subjects represent the interests of and increased number of content area classes required of middle and high school students.
QReads follow the curriculum of high frequency vocabulary and phonic/syllabic patterns of the TExT Model of Reading. For example, texts in Level A/B emphasize the 400-600 most frequent words and one-syllable words with long and short vowels and r-controlled. The texts of the next level (C/D) emphasize the 1,000 most-frequent words and two-syllable words with regular vowel patterns. Just like the original QuickReads Print edition, texts in QReads contain:
QReads texts were tailored for the interests of young adolescents, while addressing the state and national standards for content areas. For example, in the Arts & Culture topic of Fashion, (Level D) students read about careers in fashion, and how fashion is affected by international influences. Fashion meets the 9-12th grade Visual Arts standards in National Standards for Art Education, as well, as the National Standards for Economics.
QReads is also great for students who are currently unable to access the content that they are expected to learn at their grade level. While they are increasing their fluency, vocabulary, they are also learning about content that they may be missing.
Just like QuickReads, the topics in QReads follow the national standards in that content area.
Group Kits contain two levels each (i.e., A & B, C & D, or E & F) providing you with a cost effective and flexible program for your classroom.
Each kit includes:
Student Guide: Student Guide pages are designed to make learning and teaching as easy as possible. Pages are clean and uncluttered to support students in focusing on the text. Features such as Key Notes and Fast Facts help students build skills of notetaking and research, while improving fluency. Each reading passage contains numerals that indicate word count, allowing students to track and monitor their own learning.
Audio Component: A QReads Group Kit comes with 2 battery-operated Playaway® audio devices, each loaded with content from both levels—for example, a device for Level E/F contains modeled readings for both Level E and Level F. Playaway® is a portable, compact, easy-to-use digital audio book offered in place of an audio CD. Simply plug in the earphones (included), turn it on, press “Play” and students can follow along.
Teacher's Edition: The QReads Teacher’s Edition contains a wealth of features to help teachers effectively support students. It offers research support for QReads. Placement and assessment tools are included to determine which level best fits students’ needs. The steps of the instructional routine are presented and explained. Extension activities and student self-checks make it easy for students to apply and monitor what they’re learning, while Parent Guide and Supporting Reading features ensure that learning extends beyond the classroom.