Text Leveling System

Nina, Nina Ballerina

RDQ:	223	Max Word/Sent	14	Total Words	427		Diff Words	152
Lex	480	Ave Word/.Sent	6	Hi Freq occurs	227	53.2%	Hi freq	55	36.2%
AR	2.0	Long Sentences	0	Low Freq occurs	7	1.6%	Low freq	3	2%

Nina wants to be 
a ballerina.]]
Every week
she goes to dance class.]]
She can stand on one leg.
But not like Sara can.]]
She can do a split.
But not like
Sara can.
Sara is the best in the class.]]
Soon there will be
a big dance show.
Nina's class will be butterflies.]]
Miss Dawn picks Sara 
to be the queen butterfly.
Nina does not mind.
Not too much.]]
That night
Nina tells her mom
"We all get wings
and bug masks.
Sara is lucky.
She is the queen.
She gets a crown.
Sara's mom will know
it's her right away.
But the rest of us
look the same
How will you know it's me?"]]
Nina's mom gives her a hug.
"Do not worry.
I will know it's you."
But Nina is not so sure.]]
The next week the kids try on
their wings and masks.
"You are lucky"
Nina tells Beth.
"Your mom will know you
because you are so tall."]]
Then Miss Dawn claps.
The class is ready to start.]]
"Pretend you have wings"
Miss Dawn tells the class.
"Pretend you are flitting
from flower to flower."]]
Nina does just what
Miss Dawn says.
She tries hard to be
a good butterfly.]]
Nina goes over the steps
to the dance
all day]]
and all night.]]
It is the day 
before the dance show.
Nina is in the park.]]
"Watch me flit
from flower to flower"
Nina says to her friends.]]
Nina leaps.
She feels like she has wings.
She feels like a butterfly
even if she is not the queen.]]
"Watch out!" her friends yell.
But it is too late.
Nina falls.]]
Nina's mom takes her
to the doctor.]]
Nina's arm is broken!
The doctor puts a cast on it.]]
The cast is so heavy.
Nina does not feel like
she has wings anymore.
Nina starts to cry.
"It will stop hurting soon"
her mom says.
Nina sniffs.
"That is not
why I am crying.
I can't be
in the dance show now!"]]
But Nina's mom
calls Miss Dawn.
"Miss Dawn says
you can still be in the dance.
You will be a butterfly
with a broken wing."]]
That does not sound
so hot to Nina.
But she does not want
to miss the dance.]]
It is the next day.
The show is about to start.]]
Nina's tummy feels like
it is full of butterflies.]]
The music begins.
"Just do your best"
Miss Dawn tells the class.]]
That is just what Nina does.]]
Can Nina's mom
tell which butterfly
is Nina?
She sure can!]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Some support

Some phrases/refrains repeated

Dialog: Simple

Vocabulary: Few decoding/definition issues

Language: Few descriptive words

Sentences: Multiple phrases

Text structure: Blend of written/oral

Concept: Fanciful

Author's purpose: Obvious

Sequence of Events: Chronological

Features

Character traits

Simple problem/solution

Simple Plot

Mood/tone

Topic

Dance/Dancing

Accidents

Breaking

Hurt

*Movement & Sports

Low Frequency Words

flit

flitting

nina