Grades 2 and 3
Web-based
Grade 5+
Qualifying verbal score and reading at 5th grade level (View About readability and appropriateness)
Visit our textbook web page to view the titles of books that need to be purchased for this course
Session Dates and Application Deadlines
10 weeks (fall and spring), 12 weeks (early summer), or 5 weeks intensive midsummer session Here's the perfect series for younger readers who enjoy getting lost in a good book. In this series for children reading at approximately Grade 5 level, students read thematically connected, age-appropriate books. Students first read for enjoyment, then reread more carefully to respond to discussion questions and other assignments. Students typically read and share written responses every other day (fall, spring, and early summer sessions) or daily (midsummer intensive session). Students learn to make accurate inferences to understand plot and character. They also learn to cite the text in written discussions with online classmates from around the world. Discussions challenge students to apply their life experiences to the texts and engage in higher thinking. Vocabulary and simple literary devices are also introduced. This series is good preparation for the analytical and critical discussions in the Young Readers Series for Grades 4 and 5. Current themes include Dog Stories, Dragon Tales, and Horse Stories. Parents are encouraged to consider the information contained in About readability and appropriateness. Look inside the books, and Read the reviews for the books in each series before deciding on the theme that would be most interesting and appropriate for their child. .
By focusing on the special relationship between dogs and their humans, students are encouraged to empathize with the joys and sorrows of another species. Each book told from a dog’s point of view, the four tales include humor, heartbreak, fantasy, realism, and adventure. Ribsy by Beverly Cleary, 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin, and The Good Dog by Avi. 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. 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. 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.
To assess readability level, click on the bottom two book titles and perform the Five Finger Rule. Look inside Ribsy
Look inside The 101 Dalmations
Look inside A Dog's Life
Look inside The Good Dog
Parents are urged to review for appropriate content. Reviews of Ribsy
Reviews of The 101 Dalmations
Reviews of A Dog's Life
Reviews of The Good Dog
- about 3 hours weekly for 10 weeks (fall and spring) or 12 weeks (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.
All CTY Online courses require a properly-maintained computer with Internet access and a recent-version web browser (such as Explorer 6, Firefox, or Safari). Students are expected to be familiar with standard computer operations (e.g. login, cut & paste, email attachments, etc). |
Spam blockers, parental controls, and other internet filtering software must allow email from JHU (jhu.edu & jhem.jhu.edu), and from the instructor's email address (provided at start of course). Important: Frequent changing of a student's screen name or email address is inversely proportional to success. |
If this course uses a web-based classroom for assignments and group discussion, your browser will need to allow cookies, javascript, and popup windows from the classroom web site. |
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