Text Leveling System

Dear Bear

RDQ:	232	Max Word/Sent	25	Total Words	627		Diff Words	219
Lex	490	Ave Word/.Sent	11	Hi Freq occurs	385	61.4%	Hi freq	91	41.6%
AR	2.0	Long Sentences	7	Low Freq occurs	6	1%	Low freq	6	2.7%

Katie liked having tea parties 
it meant she didn't have to think about the bear. Well she didn't think about him that much. After all she didn't worry when she was busy at home and she could even laugh about it at school. But when she was at home in bed however hard she tried she couldn't stop thinking about the bear who lived under the stairs. She had never seen him but she knew he was there just waiting to jump out and grab her. Sometimes huge bear-like shadows would chase her up the stairs. Katie decided to tell her parents about it. She tried her dad but he was busy hoovering. Her mum said "Why don't you write him a letter and tell him to go away?" So Katie took out her pencils and paper and wrote the bear a letter. She put it in an envelope and left it outside the cupboard door. This is what it said Dear Bear please go away. love from Katie The next morning the letter had gone. In its place was another one. It was addressed to Katie. It read Under the stairs Dear Katie I have taken your advice and gone away. I am much in need of a holiday from sitting in the cupboard all day. love from Bear P.S. Back Monday During the next few days Katie couldn't stop thinking about the bear on holiday. On Monday Katie didn't want to come home from school. When she arrived home she found a parcel in front of the cupboard door. Katie opened it up. Inside was a little glass dome that filled with snow. With it was this card Dear Katie Just a little present I bought for you while I was on Holiday Love From Bear P.S. It's nice to be back Katie showed her dad. "How generous" he said. "Why don't you write him a thank you letter?" After Katie had written her letter she put it in an envelope and dropped it over the bannisters. It read Dear Bear Thank you for my present. Love from Katie Here it is on my piano The next day there was no reply...or the day after... or the day after that. Katie started to worry about the bear so she wrote him a letter. This is what is said Dear Bear Why don't you write to me any more. Are you ill? Bear love from Katie Katie my cat The next day she received this reply Dear Katie Thank you for you letter. I have had a very bad cold. Please don't worry Love Bear Katie rushed to show her mum. Her mum was very concerned. "We'll make him a hot-water bottle some sandwiches and a nice cup of tea." Katie knocked on the cupboard door. "Dear Bear" she whispered" are you all right?" There was no answer. The next morning the tray was gone. In its place was a letter. Under the stairs Dear Katie Thank you for the hot-water bottle and tea. I am now feeling much better. Would you like to come to tea with me tomorrow afternoon at about 4 o'clock? Love from Bear Katie read the letter to her parents. But they didn't seem to be listening. Katie spent all the next afternoon getting ready for her tea with the bear. She put on her best party outfit and even brushed her hair. But when four o'clock came she wasn't so sure she wanted to go. After all he was still the bear in the cupboard. "Go on" said her mum "he'll be expecting you." Dear Katie I'm fed up with living under the stairs. Can I come and live with you instead? Love from Bear]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Some support

Unconventional format

Vocabulary: Few decoding/definition issues

Language: Few descriptive words

Sentences: Multiple phrases

Text structure: Oral/Natural

Concept: Fanciful

Features

Topic

Shadows

Writing

Parties

Imagination

Mail

*Feelings, Behaviors

Bears

Parents

Relationships

Low Frequency Words

advice	bannisters	concerned	generous	hoovering
parcel