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

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ELA GK:S4:C24:L121

Setting Purpose: From Engagement Text to Decodables

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can retell events from the story "The Mystery Moth."
  • Work Time A (optional): Using evidence from the text, I can answer questions about the story "The Mystery Moth."
    • I can answer questions about the story using words and ideas from the story.
  • Work Time B: I can read the decodable text "The Mystery Moth." (RF.K.1 RF.K.3)
    • I can move my finger under words as I read them on a page, left to right and top to bottom.
    • I can turn the pages in order and begin reading the page on the left side, then the page on the right.
    • I can map graphemes (letters) and phonemes (sounds) for consonants in words I see or read.
    • I can map graphemes (letters) and phonemes (sounds) for vowels in words I see or read.
    • I can recognize and read many high-frequency words by sight.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during Work Time.
    • Determine whether they can independently find a given letter or word.
    • Also determine whether they can segment consonant and vowel sounds within words and identify familiar sounds in or automatically read high-frequency words.
  • Record students' progress on the Snapshot Assessment.

Agenda

Agenda

1. Opening (3-5 minutes)

A. Engagement Text Read-aloud: "The Mystery Moth"

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Comprehension Conversation (optional)

B. Decodable Reader: Partner Search and Read

3. Closing and Assessment (2 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning

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

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Comprehension Conversation questions (if different from suggested questions)
    • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)
  • Predetermine partnerships for retelling during 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)

  • decode, proficient (L)
  • lounging, gnat (T)

Materials

  • Enlarged Decodable Reader: "The Mystery Moth" (one to display; see supporting materials)
  • Engagement Text: "The Mystery Moth" (one for teacher use)
  • Highlighter, highlighting tape, or Wikki Stix (for teacher use)
  • Decodable Reader: "The Mystery Moth" (one per student; see Student Workbook)
  • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engagement Text Read-aloud: "The Mystery Moth"

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"):

"Gather around together, and listen up well. We're going to read a story that you can retell. When we read the story, you will grow. At the end, you'll say back what you know."

  • Display Enlarged Decodable Reader: "The Mystery Moth."
  • Begin a read-aloud of the Engagement Text: "The Mystery Moth":

1. Teacher says: "Listen carefully as I read today's story, 'The Mystery Moth.' Listen for some familiar words. After I am finished reading, you will retell the story to a partner and answer some questions about it."

2. Teacher reads the story aloud once or twice without interruption, pointing to the accompanying illustration from the Enlarged Decodable Reader for each section.

3. Students turn to their partners and retell the story in their own words.

  • Consider providing copies of the Decodable Reader to students who need help retelling the story. The illustrations in the reader will show the sequence of the story; students can simply retell the details based on what they see in the illustrations.
  • Consider providing students with sentence frames to help them retell the story. Example:
    • "In this story, first, _____. Then, _____. Finally, _____."

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Comprehension Conversation (optional)

  • Teacher asks the following suggested comprehension questions
    • Recall:

"What is Chip doing when he hears something flying by his ear?" (lounging at the park)

"What does he think the small flying animal is?" (a butterfly) "What does she say she is?" (a moth)

"Why is Chip worried for the moth?" (Because she got caught in the spider web.)

    • Vocabulary and Language:

"In the story it said: 'Then he hears something flying around his ear. Is it far away? Is it a jet? He turns his head from side to side but still sees nothing. Is it a little bug? Like a gnat?' What is a gnat?" (a small fly-like bug) "How do you know?" (When it says "Is it a little bug? Like a gnat?" it means that a gnat must be an example of some kind of bug.)

"The moth 'flutters' her wings. What does 'flutter' mean?" (moves her wings quickly)

    • Digging Deeper: Extension Questions:

"Right after the butterfly landed on the dog, the story says 'Chip didn't follow her there.' Why do you supposed he didn't follow her there?" (He is a cat. He is probably afraid of dogs.)

"Why did the moth fly away?" (Answers will vary.)

"What words could you use to describe the moth that mean the same as 'beautiful'?" (Answers will vary.)

  • Consider making comprehension questions optional if students need more time for learning routines for the decodable.
  • Consider providing students with sentence frames to help them answer comprehension questions. Example:
    • "I think the moth is _____ because ______."

B. Decodable Reader: Partner Search and Read

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"):

"Now we'll read a story with letters that we know. Get your finger ready to follow the flow. When we see a word, we'll stop and look and get our mouths ready to read the book."

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

1. Teacher displays Enlarged Decodable Reader: "The Mystery Moth."

2. Teacher says: "This book is based on the Engagement Text: 'The Mystery Moth.' I will read the words first, and then you will read the words with me. Look and listen for high-frequency words and for letter sounds that you know."

3. Teacher reads the Enlarged Decodable Reader aloud at least once, pointing to each word as it is read aloud.

4. Teacher reads the text once more. Teacher thinks aloud as he or she notices the high-frequency words: "will," "on," "her," and "where." Teacher highlights the words with a highlighter.

5. Teacher says: "Wow! This book has many of the high-frequency words we know well. We've been practicing them, so we know them in a snap!"

6. Teacher rereads page 4.

7. Teacher asks:

"Can you find the letter 'w' at the beginning of a word?"

8. Teacher highlights the letter.

9. Teacher asks:

"Can you find the letter 'i'?"

"And why do we see two 'l's' at the end of this word?" (floss rule; doubling rule following a short vowel sound)

10. Teacher says: "Now I will give a book to each of you. You and your partner will read the book together. Pay close attention to the high-frequency words 'will,' 'on,' 'her,' 'where,' and other words we know in the book. There are many words in this book that you can figure out by tapping each sound and then blending them to say the word."

11. Teacher distributes the Decodable Reader: "The Mystery Moth" to each student.

12. Students read the Decodable Reader: "The Mystery Moth" with their partners. Partners may take turns (by page or whole text), read in unison, or both.

13. As they read, partners search for high-frequency words and letters in the Decodable Reader: "The Mystery Moth" together, "circling" high-frequency words with their fingers and pointing to letters as they say their sounds. Teacher circulates to help partners who need additional support finding words.

14. Teacher says: "Today you searched for words and letters in a book, and you used that to help you read it!"

  • If readers in the Pre-Alphabetic or Partial Alphabetic phase need help finding 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.
  • Consider whether students are ready to begin reading the Decodable Reader on their own (whole class, small group of students, or individual). If so, skip step 3, but possibly still include step 4 (identifying the high-frequency words) before students' independent reading to ensure they can read the irregularly spelled words.
  • As an extension for readers in the Full Alphabetic phase, consider asking students to think of a word that begins with the letter being searched.
  • Encourage students to "tap out" the CVC and VC words they read or point to each letter as they say its sound.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning

  • Emphasize that successful learners think about what they've learned and why it's important. Consider using a metaphor, such as a baseball player learning to keep his or her eye on the ball to know exactly when to hit it.
  • Ask:

"When we see a word that begins with the letters 'wh' like 'where,' how can we remember the sound it makes?" (Think of the keyword for "wh.")

"How will that help us with reading or writing?" (Responses will vary.)

  • For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Example:
    • "When I saw the word 'where,' I _____."

Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher

Suggested Plan: Teacher works with the Pre-Alphabetic and Partial Alphabetic groups. At this point in the year, the teacher may be ready to meet with three rather than just two groups per day. If so, the teacher should work with students in the Full and Consolidated Alphabetic phases at least once per week. The teacher may choose to guide students through the suggested independent activity or refer to the possible practice activities.

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 (see K-2 Skills Resource Manual) for more details.

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 71 or Independent and Small Group Work guidance document for full routine. See supporting materials for Decodable Student Reader Planning and Recording Template.

Pre-Alphabetic:

  • Practice activity: Teacher guides students to build high-frequency words from previous cycles.
    • Students cut apart letters from the Letter sheet.
    • Teacher guides students in building high-frequency words "her" and "on."
    • Students paste letters on the High-Frequency Word sheet.
  • Consider also reading the Letter Stories: "wh" or the vowels, found in the Learning Letters book on the Tools page. After reading the stories, practice skywriting the letters.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Letter sheet (one per student)
    • High-Frequency Words sheet (one per student)

Partial Alphabetic:

  • Practice activity: Students cut out letters to build high-frequency words from previous cycles.
    • Students cut apart letters from the Letter sheet.
    • Teacher guides students in building high-frequency words "her" and "on."
    • Students paste letters on the High-Frequency Words sheet.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Letter sheet (one per student)
    • High-Frequency Words sheet (one per student)

Full and Consolidated Alphabetic:

  • Independent practice activity: Students complete "missing word" sentences with high-frequency words from previous cycles.
    • Students write missing high-frequency words in decodable sentences on High-Frequency Word Sentences sheet.
    • Students create new sentences with high-frequency words.
  • Consider marking the Decodable Reader words by instructing students to make a box around high-frequency words. Instruct students to underline short vowel sounds they know.
  • Conference with students about Accountable Independent Reading.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • High-Frequency Word Sentences sheet and writing utensil (one per student)
    • Additional writing paper

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