Word Workout: Question Boxes | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:S1:C4:L20

Word Workout: Question Boxes

In this Lesson

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can review what I have learned about long vowel spelling patterns for /ā/, /ī/, and /ē/. (RF.2.3)
    • I can decode a word with a vowel team (two vowels that make a long vowel sound) in the middle.
  • Work Time A: I can use the long vowel spelling patterns “ai,” “ay,” “ea,” “ee,” “igh,” “ie,” and “-y” to spell one-syllable words and read two-syllable words. (L.2.2, RF.1.3, RF.2.3)
    • I can identify the five or six types of syllables in written words.
    • I can look at written multisyllabic words and identify the syllable pattern.
    • I can decode (regularly spelled) two-syllable words with long vowels.
    • I can use spelling patterns I know to spell words correctly.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during Opening A. Determine whether they can identify the spelling patterns they have learned to represent the long vowel sounds for "a," "e," and "i."
  • Observe students during Work Time A.
    • Determine whether they can spell words with the long vowel patterns "ai," "ay," "ea," "ee," "igh," "ie," and "-y."
    • In addition, determine whether they can accurately segment two-syllable words with those patterns and use what they know about the syllable types to decode them.
  • Exit ticket (see Differentiated Small Groups: Work With Teacher)

Agenda

Agenda

1. Opening (3–5 minutes)

A. Review Long Vowel Spelling Patterns: “ai,” “ay,” “ea,” “ee,” “igh,” “ie,” “-y”

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Word Workout: Question Boxes

3. Closing and Assessment (2 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning

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

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Enlarged Long Vowel chart (either enlarge the page in the supporting materials or write it on chart paper)
    • Enlarged copy of the Question Boxes (in supporting materials)
    • Copies of Question Boxes (one per student or pair of students)
    • Copies of Question Boxes Partner Letter (optional)
  • Pre-determine partners for Work Time A and a method for deciding who will go first.
  • Gather materials for differentiated small group instruction (see Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher).

Vocabulary

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

  • identify, workout, exercise, segment, syllable (L)

Materials

  • Enlarged Long Vowel chart (see Teaching Notes, "In advance," on previous page)
  • Enlarged Question Boxes
  • Question Boxes (one per student or pair of students)
  • Clipboards if not working at a desk or table (one per student or pair)
  • Writing utensils (one per student or pair)
  • Question Boxes Partner Letter (optional)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Review Long Vowel Spelling Patterns: “ai,” “ay,” “ea,” “ee,” “igh,” “ie,” “-y”

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

Teacher: “Can you name the spelling pattern, the spelling pattern, the spelling pattern? Can you name the spelling pattern of the words you read?”

Students: “Yes, we’ll name the spelling pattern, the spelling pattern, the spelling pattern. Yes, we’ll name the spelling pattern of the words we read.”

  • Begin the Review Long Vowel Spelling Patterns instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: “‘a,’ ‘e,’ ‘i,’ ‘o,’ ‘u.’ These are the long vowel sounds that we hear in words like ‘day,’ ‘week,’ ‘night,’ ‘hope,’ and ‘June.’ Over the past several weeks, we’ve been looking closely at some ways to spell the sounds /ā/, /ē/, and /ī/. Let’s see if we can name those spelling patterns.”

2. Teacher displays the enlarged Long Vowel chart and reads the words in the /ā/ column: “stay, braid.”

3. Teacher points to the word “stay” and invites students to read the word.

4. Teacher asks:

“How is the sound /ā/ spelled in this word?” (vowel team “ay”)

5. Teacher points to the word “braid” and invites students to read the word.

6. Teacher asks:

“How is the sound /ā/ spelled in this word?” (vowel team “ai”)

7. Teacher says: “The vowel teams ‘ay’ and ‘ai’ are two ways we’ve looked at recently to spell the long ‘a’ sound. We discovered that ‘ay’ isn’t followed by a consonant, and that ‘ai’ is.”

8. Teacher says: “Today our Word Workout will involve practicing reading and writing words that have the long ‘a’ sound spelled in these two ways.”

9. Teacher repeats steps 2–8 with the /ē/ and /ī/ columns.

10. Teacher says: “Before we do some exercising with these spelling patterns, let’s remind ourselves of one other way to make these long vowel sounds that we haven’t looked at in a while.”

11. Teacher writes the words “make,” “here,” and “like” on the chart in their respective columns.

12. Teacher invites students to read the word “make” and asks:

“Who can tell us how the sound /ā/ spelled in this word?” (magic “e” making the “a” say its name)

13. Teacher repeats step 12 with the words “here” and “like.”
  • Consider annotating the letters in a vowel team by placing a dot under each and drawing a straight line between the dots. This can serve as a visual, reinforcing the fact that while there are two vowels, they make just one sound.
  • Consider annotating the magic "e" by drawing an arrow from below the magic "e" back to the vowel it gives its voice to. This can serve as a visual, reinforcing the role of the magic "e" and the fact that even though there are two vowel letters in that syllable, there is just one vowel sound.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Word Workout: Question Boxes

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

Teacher: “Can you read the questions, the questions, the questions? Can you read the questions and answer them today?”

Students: “Yes, we’ll read the questions, the questions, the questions. Yes we’ll read the questions and answer them today.”

  • Introduce the Word Workout: Question Boxes instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: “Remember when we talked about how we are going to build our own Word Workouts with exercises to be a stronger reader and writer? Today we will learn a new exercise for our Word Workout called Question Boxes.”

2. Teacher displays enlarged Question Boxes and invites students to share what they notice. (columns with vowel sounds, categories Fill in the Blank, What Am I?, and Syllable Sleuth)

3. Teacher explains that this exercise will help students practice reading and writing words with the long vowel patterns “ai,” “ay” for the long “a” vowel sound, “ea,” “ee,” and “-y” (at end of two-syllable words), for the long “e” vowel sound, and “ie,” “igh,” and “-y” (at end of one-syllable words) for the long “i” vowel sound.

4. Teacher explains that he or she will model the exercise.

5. If choosing the partner option:

      • Teacher invites a student volunteer to be his or her partner.
      • Teacher and student read Question Boxes Partner Letter. (optional).
      • Teacher and volunteer decide who will go first.
      • First partner chooses a vowel sound and a question box—e.g., “Long ‘a,’ ‘What Am I?’”—and reads the directions in the box.
      • Second partner writes the answer in the box.
      • Teacher explains that they will take turns.
      • Partners discuss the answer and then switch roles to work through another question box.
      • Teacher explains that they will take turns.

6. If choosing the option to work individually:

      • Teacher models choosing Question Box, reading it, and answering the question.

7. Teacher distributes Question Boxes, clipboards (if not working at desks or tables), and writing utensils.

8. Teacher circulates through the room supporting students as they work through the Question Boxes.

9. After 5 minutes, teacher invites students to come back together and reviews the answers to the questions in each Question Box (as many as time allows).
  • This Work Workout can be done individually or with a partner. Consider the needs of your class, and decide which option best applies.
  • Remind students of the Syllable Sleuth practice as needed:
    • Look for the vowels, and put a dot below each.
    • Look for the consonants between the vowels.
    • Divide the word.
    • Use what you know about the syllable type to read each syllable in the word.
    • Blend the syllables together to read the word.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning

  • Emphasize that successful learners take responsibility for their own learning. Invite students to reflect on ways they took responsibility for their learning during whole group instruction or how they plan to take responsibility during differentiated small group instruction.
  • Invite a volunteer to share. Afterward, invite any students who did something similar to indicate that in an interactive way (example: give a thumbs-up).
  • For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Examples:
    • "During the Word Workout, 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).

Partial Alphabetic:

  • Students complete exit ticket:
    • Students work through the remainder of the Question Boxes from the whole group lesson with the teacher.
    • Follow up with exit tickets. 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.
  • Check in with Accountable Independent Reading.

Full Alphabetic:

  • Students complete exit ticket:
    • Students work through the remainder of the Question Boxes from the whole group lesson with the teacher.
    • Analyze any Question Boxes that were more challenging and discuss why.
  • Check in with Accountable Independent Reading.
  • Additional suggested activities from Activity Bank:
    • An Activity Bank activity from the Vowels category (V)

Consolidated Alphabetic:

  • Students complete exit ticket:
    • Students complete any remaining Question Boxes from the whole group lesson.
    • Follow up with word lists and exit tickets. Analyze words that were more challenging and discuss why.
  • Check in with Accountable Independent Reading.
  • Consider inviting students to write their own Question Boxes for each other using the blank copy of the Question Boxes template.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Blank Question Boxes template

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