Setting Purpose: From Engagement Text to Decodables | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:S2:C7:L32

Setting Purpose: From Engagement Text to Decodables

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can retell the events from the current edition of the Sunnyside Gazette: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue."
  • Opening B (optional): Using evidence from the text, I can answer questions about the current edition of the Sunnyside Gazette: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue."
  • Work Time A: I can read irregularly spelled high-frequency words "their," "people," "don't," and "doesn't." (RF.2.3f)
    • I can read second-grade words that "don't play fair" (irregularly spelled words).
  • Work Time B: I can read the decodable text: "A New Playground!" (RF.2.3)
    • I can decode (regularly spelled) two-syllable words with long vowels.
    • I can decode words with common prefixes (part of the word at the beginning) and suffixes (part of the word at the end).
    • I can read second-grade words that "don't play fair" (irregularly spelled words).
    • I can apply generalizations for decoding words with common vowel teams.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during Work Time A.
  • Determine whether they can read irregularly spelled high-frequency words and determine why they are irregular.
  • Observe students during Work Time B.
    • Determine whether they can independently find a given word.
    • Also determine whether they can decode two-syllable words, words containing vowel teams (one- or two-syllable) and irregularly spelled high-frequency words.
  • Exit ticket (see Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher).

Agenda

Agenda

1. Opening (3-5 minutes)

A. Engagement Text Read-aloud: Sunnyside Gazette: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue"

B. Comprehension Conversation (optional)

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Irregular Word Snap or Trap: "their," "people," "don't," "doesn't," "our," "down," "before," "says," "have"

B. Decodable Reader: Partner Search and Read: "A New Playground!"

3. Closing and Assessment (2 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning

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

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Snap or Trap T-chart
    • Snap or Trap Word Cards (write the following words on index cards: "their," "people," "don't," "doesn't," "our," "down," "before," "says," "have")
    • Interactive Word Wall (one to display)
    • Comprehension Conversation questions (if different from suggested questions)
  • Pre-determine partnerships for retelling during Opening A and Work Time B.
  • Gather materials for differentiated small group instruction (see Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher).

Vocabulary

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

  • comprehension, contraction, grapple, responsibility, retelling (L)
  • addition, eager, installed, structure, surrounding (T)

Materials

  • Enlarged Engagement Text: Sunnyside Gazette: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue"
  • Snap or Trap Word Cards (see Teaching Notes, "In Advance" above; one of each)
  • Snap or Trap T-chart (on white board or chart paper; Snap on one side and Trap on the other; from Lesson 27)
  • Snap or Trap Word Cards (one of each; for teacher to place on the Interactive Word Wall)
  • Enlarged Decodable Reader: "A New Playground!" (one to display)
  • Interactive Word Wall (one to display)
  • Decodable Reader: "A New Playground!" (one per student)
  • Highlighters (one per student and one for teacher)
  • Highlighting tape (for the teacher to use to highlight the Decodable Reader; optional)
  • Tape, magnet, or other material to fasten Snap or Trap Word Cards to the Snap or Trap T-chart

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engagement Text Read-aloud: Sunnyside Gazette: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue"

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

"Gather round together, together, together. It's time to hear a story, a story, a story. It's time to hear a story and say what you've learned."

  • Display Enlarged Engagement Text: Sunnyside Gazette: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue."
  • Begin the Engagement Text Read-aloud instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: "Listen carefully as I read today's edition of the Sunnyside Gazette: 'Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue.' After I am finished reading, you will retell the story to a partner and answer some questions about it."

2. Teacher reads text without interruption, pointing out the accompanying illustrations.

3. Students turn to a partner and retell the events in the Sunnyside Gazette article: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue."

  • For students who need extra support, including ELLs: Consider providing picture cards of nouns in "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue" to support comprehension.

B. Comprehension Conversation (optional)

  • Teacher asks the following suggested comprehension questions:
    • Recall:

"Why will there be a big crowd at the park?" (New playground equipment was just installed.)

"What new items were added to the playground?" (a playhouse, a round climbing structure, and sandbox)

    • Vocabulary and Language:

"What does the word 'eager' mean?" (excited, anxious, happy)

"The text says the new recycling containers and trash cans will help keep the park clean 'moving forward.' What does that mean?" (for the future)

    • Digging Deeper: Extension Questions:

"The text says that the mayor has led the job of making the park more fun and useful for residents. How will these improvements make the park more fun and useful?" (Answers will vary. Example: Residents will be able enjoy the clean park; children and families can enjoy the new playground.)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Irregular Word Snap or Trap: "their," "people," "don't," "doesn't," "our," "down," "before," "says," "have"

  • Begin the Irregular Word Snap or Trap instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: "We know some words can be hard to read and spell because they don't look and sound like they should. We call those words 'words that don't play fair.' Today we're going to look at some words like this and figure out what makes them hard to read and spell."

2. Teacher shows students a list of Snap or Trap Word Cards ("their," "people," "don't," "doesn't," "our," "down," "before," "says," "have") and a Snap or Trap T-chart.

3. Teacher says: "All of these words are high-frequency words, which means we see them a lot when we read and use them a lot when we spell. Some of them are regularly spelled; they 'play fair.' Some of them are irregularly spelled, so they 'don't play fair.' We will figure out which ones should go in the Trap column (words that don't play fair) and which ones go in the Snap column (words that do play fair)."

4. Teacher reads all words aloud.

5. Teacher reads "our."

6. Teacher says: "I notice we barely hear the vowel sound in the word 'our.' That bossy 'r' is bossing the vowel sound in 'our.' That's tricky! The word 'our' goes in the Trap column."

7. Teacher puts the "our" card in the Trap column.

8. Teacher asks:

"Can anyone see any other trap words? This is a difficult job because we need to use all that we know about letters and sounds to figure out if the word is snap or trap. You might be unsure about the answer. That's okay! We will help each other as a class think about the words and back up our ideas with evidence."

9. Student volunteer selects a trap word ("their," "people," "says," "have").

10. Teacher asks:

"Why do you think it's a trap word?" (Answers will vary based on word selected.)

11. Teacher says: "Right! _____ is a trap word because it doesn't sound like it is spelled. It belongs in the Trap category."

12. Teacher adds selected word to Trap Column.

13. Students and teacher completes steps 8-11 until all trap words are found.

14. Students and teacher chorally read list of trap words together.

15. Teacher displays the Snap or Trap High-Frequency Word Cards "don't" and "doesn't."

16. Teacher says: "Clearly these words all have something in common. Turn to an elbow partner and tell them what you notice about all of these words."

17. Teacher invites a student to share what they noticed ("n't" at the end of all of the words).

18. Teacher points to the "n't" in each word and asks:

"What might this be?"

19. Teacher invites students to listen carefully as he or she gives them a clue.

20. Teacher points to each of the words as he or she says them aloud while saying the following: "I don't want to go to sleep. My brother doesn't either."

21. Teacher points to the "n't" in each word and asks:

 "Now what do we think this might be?" (stands for "not")

22. Teacher points to the word "don't" and says: "I don't want to go to sleep!"

23. Teacher asks:

"Does anyone know what two words we also use to say the same thing as 'don't?" ("do not")

24. Teacher says: "When we shorten two words into one, it is called a 'contraction.' The word 'contract' means to make something smaller. The apostrophe's job is to hold the place where the letter 'o' is in the word 'not.'"

  • Encourage students to grapple with their knowledge of letter sounds to decide if a high-frequency word is a snap or trap word.
  • Encourage students to read high-frequency words as a whole word and analyze word after reading it.

B. Decodable Reader: Partner Search and Read: "A New Playground!"

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

"Now you will read a story, a story, a story. Now you will read a story with words that you know."

  • Begin Decodable Reader: Partner Search and Read instructional practice:

1. Teacher displays the Enlarged Decodable Reader: "A New Playground!"

2. Teacher says: "First we read an article from the Sunnyside Gazette: 'Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue.' Now we will read a story about characters from Sunnyside: "A New Playground!" This story is filled with words that YOU can read! There are decodable words, and there are some words that don't play fair, like 'our' and 'been.'"

3. Teacher draws students' attention to words on the Interactive Word Wall.

4. Teacher distributes the Decodable Reader: "A New Playground!" and highlighters to each student.

5. Teacher says: "Before you read the story with your partner, we are going to be detectives. We are going to look for some of the high-frequency words. Remember, some of these words 'don't play fair,' which means they are not easily decodable."

6. Teacher models. Teacher thinks aloud as he or she notices one of the high-frequency words. Teacher highlights it with a highlighter or highlighting tape in the book. Model again as needed.

7. Partners search for high-frequency words in the Decodable Reader: "A New Playground!" together and highlight in their own book.

8. Teacher circulates to help partners find words as needed, focusing especially on those words that "don't play fair."

9. Teacher says: "Now you are ready to read the Decodable Reader with your partner. Some of the words in the story will be familiar because you have learned them in previous lessons. And some of the words you will see for the first time, but don't worry: Each of the words that you will see for the first time includes only phonemes (sounds) that you have learned. So, you just need to say the sound that goes with each of the letters you see in the word, then blend them together to read the word."

10. Students read "A New Playground!" with a partner. Partners may take turns (by page or whole text), read in unison, or both.

  • If readers in the Pre-Alphabetic or Partial Alphabetic phase need additional support to find the high-frequency words, consider allowing a reader in the Full or Consolidated Alphabetic phase to help them. Or consider asking them to find the beginning letter of the word instead of the whole word.
  • If readers need extra practice with words that "don't play fair," direct them to the Interactive Word Wall. Or have them read the rest of the sentence and think about which high-frequency word would make sense in the blank.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning

  • Emphasize that successful learners take responsibility for their learning by setting goals for themselves. Invite students to reflect on something concrete they can work on during whole group or differentiated small group instruction. This may be based on their assessment goal-setting conferences, on feedback during differentiated small group work, or on their own self-identified needs. Example:
    • "I found all of the irregularly spelled words in the Decodable Reader and highlighted them."
  • For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Examples:
    • "When reading the words for Snap or Trap, I _____."
    • "When I work by myself during small group time, I will _____."

Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher

Suggested Plan: Teacher works with students in the Partial Alphabetic and Full Alphabetic groups. If possible, teacher should also meet with the Consolidated Alphabetic group at least once per week.

Note: Groups not working with the teacher at a given time should be engaged in purposeful independent rotation work. Refer to the Independent and Small Group Work guidance document for more details (see K-2 Skills Resource Manual).

All Groups

Either today or another day this week after the Decodable Student Reader has been introduced, follow the Decodable Student Reader routine with each group. Differentiate the routine as needed based on students' microphase. See Lesson 7 or Independent and Small Group Work document for full routine. See Supporting Materials for Decodable Student Reader Planning and Recording Template.

Partial Alphabetic:

  • Students complete exit ticket:
    • Students read the Decodable Reader: "A New Playground!"
    • Students highlight each word that contains the spelling patterns from the current cycle: "oi," "oy," "ou," and "ow." Or students highlight words with spelling patterns they are working on (CVC, CCVC, etc.).
    • Look over the exit tickets with student(s). Analyze words that were more challenging and discuss why.
  • Use the Assessment Conversion chart to determine appropriate Grade 1 lessons and Activity Bank ideas to use in daily small group instruction.

Full Alphabetic:

  • Students complete exit ticket:
    • Students read the Decodable Reader: "A New Playground!"
    • Students highlight each word that contains the spelling patterns from the current cycle: "oi," "oy," "ou," and "ow."

OR:

    • Students work with teacher to write a new page in the Decodable Reader: "A New Playground!," using words with spelling patterns from the current cycle: "oi," "oy," "ou," and "ow."

OR:

    • Students work with teacher or a partner to provide a written response to the prompt:

What would you like to see added to your neighborhood playground?

    • Look over the exit tickets with student(s). Analyze words that were more challenging and discuss why.

Consolidated Alphabetic:

  • Students complete exit ticket:
    • Students read the Engagement Text: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue." Students provide a written response to the prompt:

What would you like to see added to your neighborhood playground?

    • Students should try to use words with the spelling patterns: "oi," "oy," "ou," and "ow."
    • Students should use a Writing Checklist (example found in supporting materials) to self-check or partner-check writing conventions.
    • Look over the exit tickets with student(s). Analyze words that were more challenging and discuss why.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Writing Checklist (one per student)

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