Cycle Review | EL Education Curriculum

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can reflect on (think about) myself as a reader and writer.
  • Opening B: I can read a familiar text fluently. (RF.2.4)
    • I can read accurately (with few or not decoding mistakes).
    • I can read with expression and meaning.
  • Work Time A: I can practice what I've learned. (RF.3, L.2.2)
    • I can identify vowel sounds in the spelling of a multisyllabic (more than one syllable) word and identify how many syllables are in the word.
    • I can explain that single vowel letters in one-syllable words usually have short vowel sounds.
    • I can explain that in CVCe (consonant, vowel, consonant, silent "e"), one-syllable words ending in final "-e," the V (vowel) letter usually has a long vowel sound.
    • I can decode a two-syllable word that contains the CVCe vowel pattern. 
    • I can identify spelling patterns based on syllable type.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during Opening B. Determine whether they can match their voices to the feeling of the words in the poem.
  • Observe students during Work Time A.
    • Determine whether they can identify closed, open, and magic "e" syllable types.
    • In addition, determine whether they can read and write one- and two-syllable words with those spelling patterns.

Agenda

Agenda

1. Opening (5-7 minutes)

A. Thinking about Myself as a Reader and Writer: Step on Up

B. Fluency: "The Storm"

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Cycle Review: Review Cards

3. Closing and Assessment (3 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning: Responsibility for Learning

4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40-45 minutes)

In Advance

  • Pre-determine a system for randomly choosing leaders for the Step on Up activity in Opening A (example: jar with students' names on individual sticks or pieces of paper).
  • Cut apart the Review Cards (in supporting materials).
  • Gather lyrics to any songs or words to other poems that students may be familiar with (for fluency notebooks in Independent Work Rotations; optional).
  • Gather materials for independent work time (see Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations).

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

  • syllable, vowel (L)
  • droplet (T)

Materials

  • Enlarged poem: "The Storm" (from Lesson 4; included in the supporting materials in this lesson as well)
  • Review Cards (one set)
  • Whiteboards or blank paper in transparent sleeve and clipboards or other hard surface (one per student)
  • Whiteboard markers (one per student)
  • Whiteboard erasers (or tissues, socks, etc.; one per student)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Thinking about Myself as a Reader and Writer: Step on Up

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"):

"Sit down and make a circle, a circle, a circle. Sit down and make a circle, a circle, let's go. We're going to play a game to learn about each other. Sit down and make a circle, a circle, let's go."

  • Begin the Step on Up activity:

1. Teacher says: "We've been thinking a lot about reading and writing. Right now we're going to play a game that will help us get to know ourselves and each other as readers and writers."

2. Teacher explains the game:

      • The game is called Step on Up.
      • A student "leader" comes to the middle of the circle and says either, "Step on up if you enjoy books about _____" or "Step on up if you like to write about _____."
      • All students to whom this applies step into the middle of the circle.
      • Students look around to see who shares that enjoyment.
      • Another "leader" is chosen. Students move back to the circle, and the process begins again.

3. Teacher invites students to give suggestions for types of books or writing the leader can name.

4. Teacher leads the first round.

5. Continue the game for two or three more rounds.

  • Consider keeping a list of all the different topics for books to read or topics to write about that come up in this activity. This can be displayed and used as a resource when students find themselves looking for reading and/or writing ideas.

B. Fluency: "The Storm"

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The Muffin Man"):

Teacher sings: "Can you read our poem now, our poem now, our poem now? Can you read our poem now and tell us what it's about?"

Students sing: "Yes, we'll read our poem now, our poem now, our poem now. Yes, we'll read our poem now and tell you what it's about!"

  • Begin the Fluency instructional practice:

1. Teacher displays enlarged poem: "The Storm."

2. Teacher reads the poem aloud while students listen.

3. Teacher invites students to turn to an elbow partner to tell each other what the poem is about and give some details about what happens.

4. Teacher invites one or two volunteers to share. (it's about a storm, a branch cracks and falls, a dog shakes and hides, grass bends, windy)

5. Teacher says: "Let's read it together in a way that really communicates what the words say. For example, when we read 'cracks,' we can read it a little louder and make our voices sound like cracking is happening."

6. Teacher and students read the poem once or twice, making their voices reflect the meanings of the words of the poem.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Cycle Review: Review Cards

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The Muffin Man"):

Teacher sings: "Now it's time to play a new game to help us practice what we know. Now it's time to play a new game, listen carefully to how it goes."

  • Introduce the Cycle Review instructional practice:

1. Teacher shows students the stack of Review Cards (facedown).

2. Teacher explains that each card has a prompt to help students practice what they know. The prompt will either ask students to write a word or to read a word. If the card asks them to write the word, the teacher will say the word. If the card asks them to read a word, the teacher will write the word on the board. Each time, the students should be prepared to tell how many syllables the word has and what syllable types it uses (closed, open, or magic "e").

3. Teacher explains that students will be using whiteboards, whiteboard markers, and whiteboard erasers for some of the prompts.

4. Teacher distributes whiteboards, whiteboard markers, and whiteboard erasers.

5. Teacher draws the first card and reads it aloud to students.

6. Students respond on their whiteboards.

7. Teacher invites a student volunteer to share while other students check their work.

8. Continue with as many prompts as time allows.

  • Consider modeling with a Review Card and whiteboard before distributing materials.
  • Consider inviting student volunteers to come up and draw a card during each turn. Teacher should read the card after the student draws it.
  • Consider changing the words in the prompts on the cards according to students' needs.
  • For words that may be unfamiliar to students, consider using the word in a sentence.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning: Responsibility for Learning

  • Consider asking one or more of the following questions:

"What does it mean to be a proficient reader?"

"What does it look like or sound like to be a proficient reader?" (Answers will vary. Examples: "Proficient readers notice how vowels are spelled and use that to figure out what the word says," or "Proficient readers think about the meaning or feeling of what they are reading and make their voices match that.")

  • Encourage students to make connections between what they named in Lesson 2 for how to become proficient in other areas to proficiency in reading. Example:
    • "When we talked about how someone gets really good at playing the piano, we mentioned things like 'they take lessons, practice a lot, they listen to piano players that are really good, they talk to other people who play piano and share what they're learning...'"
  • Ask:

"What do people do to get good at reading?"

"How can the practice that we did today help us become more proficient readers?"

  • If you have been collecting students' reflections on a chart throughout the week, review this with them and invite them to consider their own role in becoming proficient readers. Ask:

"What can you do to become a more proficient reader?"

Independent Work Rotations

Suggested Plan: This first cycle provides time for students to practice what it means to work independently. A brief introduction is made to materials and expectations for work habits, and social interactions are established.

Note: Three suggestions for independent activities are given. Consider using any or all of these. For example, you may want to have all students working on the same activity or you may want to have two or three activities happening simultaneously for a set time, and then rotate students through. By Cycle 2, students are expected to be engaged in purposeful independent rotation work while one group meets with the teacher for differentiated small group instruction. Refer to Independent and Small Group Work Guidance document for more information.

Independent Reading:

  • Students spend time looking at their own individual book(s).

Word Work:

  • Consider repeating an activity from previous lessons in the cycle. Example: Reading and Writing Words: One- and Two-Syllable Words: Closed, Open, and Magic "e" from Lesson 2, Work Time B.

Or:

  • Activity Bank suggestions:
    • An Activity Bank activity from the Vowels category (V)

Response to Text/Fluency:

  • Students construct a fluency notebook. This can be as simple as a packet of blank pages stapled together. As poems and song lyrics are collected throughout the year, students glue them onto a page in their notebooks. Begin with copies of the poems: "A Moment in Time" and "The Storm."
  • Students read their poems to themselves or a partner, matching their voices to the feeling of the words they are reading.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Staple together blank pages into a booklet to be used as fluency notebooks (approximately 10-15 pages per booklet)
    • Copies of the poems: "A Moment in Time" and "The Storm" (one per student or pair)

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