Text Leveling System

The Baby Sister

RDQ:	473	Max Word/Sent	31	Total Words	899		Diff Words	324
Lex	630	Ave Word/.Sent	9	Hi Freq occurs	580	64.5%	Hi freq	146	45.1%
AR	2.6	Long Sentences	16.1	Low Freq occurs	19	2.1%	Low freq	15	4.6%

Tommy had a mother, a father, two grandmothers, one grandfather,
Lots of aunts and uncles, and older brother, Buddy,
A dog named Tootsie]]
... And lots and lots of cousins.]]
So when Tommy's mother told him that she was going to have
A baby, Tommy said, ""Can I have a baby sister with a red ribbon 
in her hair?""
""We'll see,"" his mother told him.]]
Tommy's family started getting the baby's room ready.
Dad and Buddy painted the walls white and the crib
a bright yellow.]]
Mom made new curtains and piled snow white diapers and 
baby clothes on the shelf above the baby's changing table.]]
""Can I do something for the baby's room?""  Tommy asked his 
mother.  ""I want to paint picture for the wall.""
""Of course you can,"" his mother said.]]
Every night when Tommy said his prayers, he ended with, 
""Please, please, send me a baby sister with a red ribbon 
in her hair.""]]
As the months passed, his mother's tummy grew bigger 
and bigger.
""The baby's in here,"" she told Tommy, pointing to her tummy.
Tommy leaned his head against her. ""Hi, baby,"" he whispered.]]
And when the baby began to move, his mother held Tommy's
hand against her tummy. ""Feel it?"" she asked.
""It's kicking!"" he answered.]]
""Soon I'll be going to the hospital, and then we'll know if you
have a brother or sister,"" his mother told him. ""While I'm there
Aunt Nell will come and take care of you.""
Tommy smiled.  He loved his Aunt Nell.]]
The next day, Tommy's Italian grandmother, Nana Fall River,
came for a visit from Fall River, where she lived.]]
""Guess what, Nana!""  Tommy said.  ""I'm going to have a baby 
sister and she's in my mom's tummy just waiting to be born.
And sometimes she kicks and I""
""Basta, Tommasino - enough! I don't want to hear anymore,""
she told him.  Nana didn't think children should know all about 
babies and how they were born.]]
That night, when Tommy and Buddy were asleep, their mother 
told their dad that it was time to go to the hospital.
""Don't forget to wake up Tommy when you get home, Joe, 
and tell him if he has a baby sister or a baby brother.""
""I won't forget, Floss.  I promise,"" Tommy's father said.]]
As soon as he got home, early in the morning, Tommy's dad 
woke him up.  ""You have a baby sister, Tommy.""
""When can I see the baby! When can I see Mom! Are they 
coming home tomorrow?""
""Slow down, Tommy,"" his dad told him.  ""They have to stay 
at the hospital for a few days at least.""
That night, Tommy asked when Aunt Nell was coming. ""Well,""
His father answered, ""since Nana is here, Aunt Nell won't be coming.""
Tommy face fell.  If he couldn't have his mother, he wanted 
Aunt Nell.]]
""Mangia, mangia, eat, eat, Tommasino. Your brother, Buddy, he 
eat up all nice,"" Nana said. She was always telling him what to do.
She didn't like Tootsie in the house. And she was always talking to 
his dad in Italian, so Tommy couldn't understand them.]]
The next day, Tommy asked his dad if he could go see his mom.
""I'm afraid not,"" Dad said.  ""Chicken pox is going around and you 
haven't had it yet, so they can't let you in the hospital right now.""]]
The following day was even worse.  Nana made him stay inside 
all afternoon just because it was raining a little.  That night he 
wouldn't eat his dinner or do his homework.  Tommy missed his 
mom so much.]]
On Friday, when school let out, Tommy heard of voice calling his 
name as he left the schoolyard. ""Tommy, Tommy!  Look up here.  
Up here."" It was his mother, sitting at an open window in the 
hospital across the street.
""Mom!""  Tommy shouted.]]
""You have a beautiful baby sister,"" his mother called down.  ""Now, 
you be a good boy, mind your Nana all river, and I'll be home 
before you know it.  All right?""
""I will, Mom.  I will!"" Tommy shouted.]]
When he got home, Nana was the only one there.  ""Nana, Nana, 
I saw Mom.  Up in the window!""  Nana hugged him.
""Let's be friends, Nana,"" he said, hugging her back.]]
At dinner Tommy ate every piece of spaghetti on his plate, 
and all the salad too.]]
On Sunday, his dad went to the hospital to get his mother and 
his baby sister.  Everyone else waited at the house - Nana Fall 
River and Nana his Irish grandmother; his grandfather, Tom; Uncle 
Charles and his girlfriend, Viva; Aunt Nell, Buddy, and Tootsie.]]
Tommy heard the car pulled into the driveway.  The door opened, 
and there was his mother, holding a small bundle in her arms.  
Tommy hid behind the big armchair as everyone crowded around 
his mom and a new baby.]]
""Where's Tommy?""  his mother asked.
""Here I am!"" time he shouted, jumping up from behind the 
armchair, ""Here I am!""]]
His mother kissed him.  Then Nana said, ""Firenze, Florence, let
Nana have the baby.""
""My friend,"" Nana said, turning to Tommy, ""sit down so you can 
hold your new sister.""]]
Tommy sat in the big armchair.  Nana placed the warm bundle 
in his arms and fold back the blanket.]]
Tommy's baby sister, Maureen, with a red ribbon in her hair, 
looked up at him.]]
And Tommy was the happiest boy in the world.]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Some support

Dialog: Two speakers

Vocabulary: More decoding/definition issues

Language: Many descriptive words

Sentences: Multiple phrases

Text structure: Story/Poem

Inferences: Several Implications

Complexity: Several ideas - closely related

Concepts: Concrete/Simple Social

Features

Foreign words

Topic

Babies

Generations

Grandparents

Birth

*Family & Friends

Low Frequency Words

basta	cousins	curtains	diapers	firenze
florence	happiest	irish	mangia	maureen
prayers	schoolyard	tommasino	tootsie	viva