Open to: Grades 4 and 5
Format: Web-based
Challenge Level: Middle School
Prerequisites: Qualifying verbal score and reading at 7th grade level (View About readability and appropriateness)
Materials Purchase Required: Visit our textbook web page to view the titles of books that need to be purchased for this course.
Session Based: Session Dates and Application Deadlines
Length: 10 weeks (fall and spring), 12 weeks (early summer), or 5 weeks (intensive midsummer)

About the Young Readers' Series

Get swept away by a good book. Students read thematically connected, age-appropriate, above-grade-level books.  Students typically read and share written responses  every other day (fall, spring, and early summer sessions) or daily (midsummer intensive session). Students first read for enjoyment, then re-read analytically to answer the fundamental questions: What is the author telling me about life or people? What made me keep reading? Assignments and discussions emphasize clarifying and expanding on student's ideas and citing text as support. This course is for students who enjoy reading, pondering, and sharing their thoughts, and discussions emphasize critical thinking about themes and ideas.

Parents are encouraged to consider the information contained in About readability and appropriateness, Look inside the books, and Read reviews for the books in each series before deciding on the theme that would be most interesting and appropriate for their child.

This series grows on suggestions from students in previous courses. Check here for currently offered themes.

Theme: On Our Own

About readability and appropriateness

Readability

The easiest method to check readability for your child is the “Five Finger Rule.” Have the child begin reading aloud any page of a book at random and raise your finger each time he or she struggles with a word. If your child reaches the end of the page before you have raised five fingers, your child should be able to read the book independently.

CTYOnline simplifies this informal assessment by linking to pages of almost every book in the Look inside the books section. Please perform this “Five Finger Rule” assessment on the last or next to last book of any course you are considering.

Appropriateness

Parents should be aware that each theme contains books with humor, suspense, mystery, sadness, adventure, and heroism. Overall, while our courses contain advanced grade-level material, we strive to select materials appropriate to the ages of the students. Please look inside the books and read reviews to decide whether these books are appropriate for your child. If you are still uncertain whether your child is ready for a course, please contact the program office or call 410-735-6140.

Look inside the books. To assess readability level, click on  the bottom two book titles and perform the Five Finger Rule.

Look inside A Single Shard 
Look inside Crispin 
Look inside The Thief Lord

Read reviews. Parents are urged to review for appropriate content.

Reviews of A Single Shard
Reviews of Crispin
Reviews of The Thief Lord

Detailed Course Information (.pdf 80 Kb)

Time Required:

• about 3 hours weekly for 10 or 12 week sessions (Fall, Early Spring, Mid Spring, Early Summer )
  
• about 6 hours weekly during 5 week intensive midsummer session

Learn more about the summer sessions.

Get more information from Frequently Asked Questions.

System Requirements

Course Code: YROO