Embedded/Tiered Reading Example

I am finishing up the second week of school - yep, here in Georgia, we start early. In my Latin 2 classes, I wanted to ease them back into reading with a very easy passage in order to make them feel successful, so I felt like doing an embedded/tirered reading would achieve that. Also because I am now doing a daily ritual of a "weather report," I felt like that particular vocabulary needed to go somewhere, so I included some of that in the reading. 

Tier 1

Latin: Sol non lucet, et pluit. Rhonda umbrellam non habet. Rhonda dicit, “Ubi est mea Mickey Mouse umbrella? Quis meam Mickeyem Mousem umbrellam habet?” Rhonda est madida. Rhonda est irata, quod pluit, et umbrellam non habet.

English: The sun is not shining. Rhonda does not have an umbrella. Rhonda says, "Where is my Mickey Mouse umbrella? Who has my Mickey Mouse umbrella? Rhonda is soaking wet. Rhonda is angry, because she does not have an umbrella.

Tier 2

Latin: Rhonda est tristis. Sol non lucet, et pluit. Rhonda est in domo. Rhonda umbrellam non habet. Rhonda dicit, “Ubi est mea Mickey Mouse umbrella? Mea Mickey Mouse umbrella non est in meo sacculo! Quis meam Mickeyem Mousem umbrellam habet?”

Pluit, sed Rhonda umbrellam non habet. Rhonda est madida (soaking wet). Quod Rhonda est madida, est irata!

Rhonda Carolem videt. Carol Mickeyem Mousem umbrellam habet! Rhonda est irata, et dicit, “Carol meam Mickeyem Mousem umbrellam habet! Sol non lucet, et pluit, et madida sum.

Rhonda Carolem pulsat, et umbrellam capit! Rhonda est laeta, quod habet Mickey Mousem umbrellam! Carol est tristis. Rhonda ridet.

English: Rhonda is sad. The sun is not shining, and it is raining. Rhonda is in her home. Rhonda does not have an umbrella. Rhonda says, "Where is my Mickey Mouse umbrella? My Mickey Mouse umbrella in not in my bookbag! Who has my Mickey Mouse umbrella?"

It is raining, but Rhonda does not have an umbrella. Rhonda is soaking wet. Because Rhonda is soaking wet, she is angry.

Rhonda sees Carol. Carol has a Mickey Mouse umbrella! Rhonda is angry and says, "Carol has my Mickey Mouse umbrella! The sun is not shining, and it is raining, and I am soaking wet!"

Rhonda punches Carol and takes the umbrella. Rhonda is happy, because she has her Mickey Mouse umbrella. Carol is sad. Rhonda laughs.

Tier 3

Hodie est primus dies scholae. Rhonda est tristis, quod sol non lucet, et pluit. Rhonda est in domo. Rhonda non vult ire ad scholam, quod sol non lucet, et pluit. Rhonda umbrellam non habet. Rhonda dicit, “Ubi est mea Mickey Mouse umbrella? Mea Mickey Mouse umbrella non est in meo sacculo! Mea Mickey Mouse umbrella semper est in meo sacculo! Quis meam Mickeyem Mousem umbrellam habet? Sol non lucet, et pluit!”

Rhonda ad scholam ambulat. Pluit, sed Rhonda umbrellam non habet. Rhonda est madida. Quod Rhonda est madida, est irata! Rhonda dicit, “Hodie est primus dies scholae, et madida sum. Sol non lucet, et pluit. Quis meam Mickey Mousem umbrellam habet?!”

Rhonda Carolem videt. Carol meam Mickeyem Mousem umbrellam habet! Rhonda est irata, et dicit, “Carol meam Mickeyem Mousem umbrellam habet! Sol non lucet, et pluit, et madida sum!”

Rhonda Carolem pulsat, et umbrellam capit! Rhonda est laeta, quod habet Mickey Mousem umbrellam! Carol est tristis, et quod pluit, Carol est madida. Rhonda ridet, quod pluit, et Carol est madida.

Subito, Bob Rhondam videt, et dicit, “O Rhonda, habeo tuam Mickeyem Mousem umbrellam! Quod sol non lucet et pluit, cepi tuam umbrellam!” Rhonda est laeta, quod habet DUAS Mickeyes Mouses umbrellas, sed Carol est irata, quod Rhonda cepit eius Mickey Mousem umbrellam. Carol displodit.

English: Today is the first day of school. Rhonda is sad, because the sun is not shining, and it is raining. Rhonda is in her home. Rhonda does not want to go to school today, because the sun is not shining, and it is raining Rhonda does not have an umbrella. Rhonda says, "Where is my Mickey Mouse umbrella? My Mickey Mouse umbrella in not in my bookbag! My umbrella is always in my bookbag. Who has my Mickey Mouse umbrella? The sun is not shining, and it is raining."

Rhonda walks to school. It is raining, but Rhonda does not have an umbrella. Rhonda is soaking wet. Because Rhonda is soaking wet, she is angry. Rhonda says, "Today is the first day of school, and I am soaking wet. The sun is not shining, and it is raining. Who has my Micky Mouse umbrella?!" 

Rhonda sees Carol. Carol has a Mickey Mouse umbrella! Rhonda is angry and says, "Carol has my Mickey Mouse umbrella! The sun is not shining, and it is raining, and I am soaking wet!"

Rhonda punches Carol and takes the umbrella. Rhonda is happy, because she has her Mickey Mouse umbrella. Carol is sad, and because it is raining, Carol is soaking wet. Rhonda laughs, because it is raining, and Carol is soaking wet.

Suddenly, Bob sees Rhonda, and says, "O Rhonda, I have your Mickey Mouse umbrella. Because the sun is not shining and it is raining, I took your umbrella!" Rhonda is happy, because she has TWO Mickey Mouse umbrellas, but Carol is angry, because Rhonda took her Mickey Mouse umbrella. Carol explodes.

Observations

1. Yes, the reading passage may seem very basic for the second week of Latin 2, but as I stated earlier, I wanted to give them a passage where students would feel successful right away reading it. I also wanted to get in lots of repetitions, especially of the weather words.
2.  Reading the passage as embedded readings, where new facts and details are added for each tier, keeps the passage novel and compelling.
3. For more information about embedded readings, check out the official Embedded Reading website.