Readability: Sixth grade

Possible hard words: Proper names: Andy Ahlering, Jay Delsing, Jerry Haas, Westborough Country Club, Bellerive Country Club, Brian Fogt, Parker LaBarge, Desmet High School 
Other words: unorthodox, tournaments, classification, professional, exemption, chaperones, par, architect

BEFORE READING: Find out if the reader knows anything about golf.  Tell him or her that this article is about a fifteen-year-old boy who started playing golf at age 6.  Ask the reader to read the words from the list above.  The degree to which the reader has trouble with the words tends to indicate how much help an adult must provide while the article is being read.  Few or no problems indicate the reader probably can read the article on his or her own.  Several problems indicate the reader probably should read it aloud with the adult helping out with troublesome words.  Trouble with most or all of the words indicates the adult should read the article as the child listens.  In all instances the article should be discussed afterward.

DURING READING: Keep the reading fluent with as few interruptions as possible and such interruptions should be short in duration.

AFTER READING: Questions such as the following can be used to check comprehension and stimulate a discussion of the content.

1. Why was Andy’s start in golf called “unorthodox?”
2. What did Andy do to be named the Gateway PGA’s Dutch Harrison Junior Stroke Average Champion?
3. Why does Andy want to go to a southern college?
4. What do you think a golf course architect does?
5. How do you feel about golf as a sport?  Would you want to work hard to get good at it?