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

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ELA GK:S3:C16:L81

Setting Purpose: From Engagement Text to Decodables

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can retell events from the story "Fun with Gum."
  • Work Time A (optional): Using evidence from the text, I can answer questions about the story "Fun with Gum."
  • Work Time B: I can read the decodable text "Fun with Gum."
    • I can move my finger under words as I read them on a page, left to right and top to bottom.
    • I can recognize and read many high-frequency words by sight.
    • I can identify the name of each uppercase and lowercase letter.
    • I can look at each consonant and say its sound.
    • I can look at each vowel and say its short sound.

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: "Fun with Gum"

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)

  • high-frequency word, phoneme (sound), segment (tap) (L)
  • scurry, waddle (T)

Materials

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

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engagement Text Read-aloud: "Fun with Gum"

  • 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: "Fun with Gum."
  • Begin a read-aloud of the Engagement Text: "Fun with Gum":

1. Teacher says: "Listen carefully as I read today's story, 'Fun with Gum.' 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 a partner and retell the story in their own words.

  • Consider providing a copy of the Decodable Reader to students who needs help retelling the story. The illustrations in the reader show the sequence of the story; the student can simply retell the details based on what they see in the illustrations.
  • Consider providing students with a sentence frame(s) 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:

"Where does Josh, the rat, look for food?" (on the school bus)

"What does Josh find on the bus?" (gum)

    • Vocabulary and Language:

"What does the author mean by the phrase 'Josh waddles out of his little rat hole'?" (walk with short steps while swaying, like a penguin)

"What does the word 'scurry' mean?" (race, dash, rush)

    • Digging Deeper: Extension Questions:

"How do Josh, the rat, and Chip, the cat, know they have to leave the bus?" (They hear the children's voices coming.)

  • Consider making the comprehension questions optional if students need more time for learning routines for the decodable.
  • Consider acting out the difference between "waddle" and "scurry" to support development of this vocabulary.
  • Consider providing students with sentence frames to help them answer comprehension questions. Example:
    • "I think [insert name of character] 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: "Fun with Gum."

2. Teacher says: "This book is based on the story 'Fun with Gum.' 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 "the," "is," "up," "see," "he," and "in." 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 much we know them in a snap!"

6. Teacher rereads page 1.

7. Teacher asks:

"Can you find the letter 's'?"

8. Teacher says: "Letter 's' makes the /s/ sound at the beginning of this word."

9. Teacher highlights the letter.

10. Teacher asks:

"Can you find the letter 'n'?"

11. Teacher says: "Letter 'n' makes the /n/ sound at the end of this word."

12. Teacher highlights the letter.

13. Teacher asks:

"What vowel is in the middle of this word?" ("u")

14. Teacher says: "That's right! 'u' makes the /u/ sound. This word is pronounced 'sun.' Great job!"

15. Teacher says: "'Sun' has an '-un' ending. There are other words that have the '-un' ending in this book. The only difference is the beginning sound. There are three different words with an '-un' ending in this book. When you get your books, work with your partner to try to find those words!"

16. Teacher says: "Now I will give a book to each of you. You and your partner will read the book together and pay close attention to the high-frequency words. The high-frequency words we know are 'the,' 'is,' 'up,' 'see,' 'he,' and 'in.' Also look for the words with endings '-un,' like 'sun.'"

17. Teacher distributes the Decodable Reader: "Fun with Gum" to each student.

18. Students read "Fun with Gum" with a partner. Partners may take turns (by page or whole text), read in unison, or both.

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

20. Teacher says: "Today you searched for words and letters in a book. Soon, you won't just be searching for words you know--you'll be reading new words!"

  • 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.
  • If students need help recalling letter sounds, remind them of the keyword and sound of the letter. Example:
    • The keyword for letter "b" in "bat" and "b" makes the /b/ sound.
  • As an extension for readers in the Full Alphabetic or Consolidated Alphabetic phases, consider providing a whiteboard. Direct students to write a word that begins with the letter being searched or a sentence with the high-frequency word 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 the letter 'b,' how can we remember the sound it makes?" (Think of our keyword, "bat," and listen for the first sound or the sound that "b" makes at the beginning.)

"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 said the word 'bat,' 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 in cutting apart letters to build high-frequency words from this cycle.
    • Students cut apart letters from the Letter sheet.
    • Teacher guides students in building mystery words "is," "he," and "in."
    • Students paste letters on High-Frequency Words sheet.
  • Consider inviting students to look for the high-frequency words in their copies of the Decodable Reader. Encourage them to draw a box around these words.
  • Consider also reading the Letter Stories: "u," "n," "s," or "b," found in the Kindergarten Appendix. After reading the story, practice skywriting the letter. Repeat the following day with the remaining letters.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Letter sheets (one per student)
    • High-Frequency Words sheets (one per student)
    • Scissors and glue sticks (one per student)

Partial Alphabetic:

  • Practice activity: Students cut apart letters to build high-frequency words from this cycle.
    • Students cut apart letters from the Letter sheet.
    • Students build mystery words "is," "he," and "in."
    • Students paste letters on High-Frequency Words sheet.
  • Consider marking the decodable reader words by instructing students to make a box around high-frequency words.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Letter sheets (one per student)
    • High-Frequency Words sheets (one per student)
    • Scissors and glue sticks (one per student)

Full and Consolidated Alphabetic:

  • Independent Practice activity: Students complete "missing word" sentences.
    • Students write missing mystery words in decodable sentences on Mystery Words Sentences sheet.
    • Students create new sentences with high-frequency words.
  • Consider marking the Decodable Reader words by instructing students to draw 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:
    • Mystery Words Sentences sheets (one per student)
    • Additional writing paper

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