Text Leveling System

Dear Mr. Blueberry

RDQ:	208	Max Word/Sent	24	Total Words	494		Diff Words	194
Lex	470	Ave Word/.Sent	7	Hi Freq occurs	266	53.8%	Hi freq	81	41.8%
AR	2.0	Long Sentences	6.3	Low Freq occurs	12	2.4%	Low freq	7	3.6%

Dear Mr. blueberry,
I love whales very much and I think I saw one in my pond today. Please send me some information on Wales, as I think he might be hurt. Love Emily]]
Dear Emily,
Here are some details about whales. I don't think you'll find it was a whale you saw, because whales don't live in ponds, but in salt water.
Yours sincerely your teacher, Mr. blueberry.]]
Dear Mr. blueberry,
I am now putting salt into the pond every day before breakfast and last night I saw my whale smile. I think he is feeling better. Do you think he might be lost?
Love Emily.]]
Dear Emily,
Please don't put any more salt in the pond. I'm sure your parents won't be pleased. I'm afraid there can't be a whale in your pond, because whales don't get lost, they always know where they are in the oceans.
Yours sincerely, Mr. blueberry.]]
Dear Mr. blueberry,
Tonight I am very happy because I saw my whale jump up and spurt lots of water. He looked blue. Does this mean he might be a blue whale?
Love Emily.
P.S. What can I feed him with?]]
Dear Emily, 
blue whales are blue and they eat tiny shrimp like creatures that live in the sea. However, I must tell you that a blue whale is much too big to live in your pond. Yours sincerely, Mr. blueberry. P. S. Perhaps it is a blue goldfish?]]
Dear Mr. blueberry,
Last night I read your letter to my whale. Afterward he let me stroke his head. It was very exciting. I secretly took him some crunched up cornflakes and bread crumbs. This morning I looked in the pond and they were all gone! I think I shall call him Arthur. What do you think? Love Emily.]]
Dear Emily,
I must point out to you quite forcibly now that in no way could a whale live in your pond. You may not know that whales are migratory, which means they travel great distances each day. I am sorry to disappoint you. Yours sincerely, Mr. blueberry.]]
Dear Mr. blueberry,
Tonight I'm a little sad. Arthur has gone. I think your letter made sense to him and he has decided to be migratory again. Love Emily.]]
Dear Emily,
Please don't be too sad, it really was impossible for a whale to live in your pond. Perhaps when you are older you would like to sail the oceans studying and protecting whales. Yours sincerely, Mr. blueberry.]]
Dear Mr. blueberry,
It's been the happiest day! I went to the beach and you'll never guess, but I saw Arthur! I called to him and he smiled. I knew it was Arthur because he let me stroke his head. I gave him some of my sandwich...]]
And then we said goodbye. I shouted that I loved him very much and, I hope you don't mind, I said you loved him, too. Love Emily and Arthur.]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Moderate support

Vocabulary: Few decoding/definition issues

Language: Simple language

Sentences: Simple phrases

Text structure: Oral/Natural

Features

Clear cause/effect

Topic

Whales

Letters (mail)

*Animals

Imagination

Low Frequency Words

distances	forcibly	happiest	migratory	sincerely
spurt	wales