EDR 317 Reading Instruction and Practicum

Sleeping Animals
1.0
Details
Name: Alyssa Croulet
Grade Level: 1st

# of Students: 3

Date: 10-17-16
Length of Lesson: 10-15 minutes

1.1 Integration of Learning Outcomes

In a group, students will use at least two different reading strategies when they come across an unfamiliar
word (look at the pictures, skip it, sound it out and think does it make sense).
While reading students will finger track at least half of the book.
Students will recall at least one animal from the book and where that animal was sleeping.
1.2 Standards
CC.1.1.1.D Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
CC.1.1.1.E Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
1.3 Anticipatory Set
Over the past couple of weeks we have been working on using our strategies while reading in order to
figure out words that do not look familiar to us. These strategies are important because without it our
stories will most likely not make sense because we may not know all of the words. While we read today
we are going to use these strategies in order to practice them so that we can become masters of them.
Before we read, lets go over our strategies so we can make sure we have them in our readers toolbox.
Can someone tell me one strategy we have learned already?
(Student response)
Yes, and can someone give me another?
(Student response)
Teacher nods now we have two, there are two more.
(Student response)
Great, and now one more.
(Student response)
Now that we reviewed our strategies lets be sure to use them while we are reading!

Procedures
Before Reading
Before we read lets talk about some good reading strategies we can use. Raise your hand if you can
think of one.
(Student response)
*Teacher is looking for picture walks, finger tracking and making predictions
Yes, and Im thinking of two more, can someone else think of one?
(Student response)
Good strategy, and now one more.
(Student response)
Great! Now lets do a picture walk together in order to get a preview of the story. Remember that when
we picture walk we look at the front cover, we look at the pictures on each page, but we do not read the
words and we look at the back cover. While we picture walk we may have some predictions to make.
*Look at front and back covers with students*
Based off of what we see on the front cover and back cover what do you think this story will be about?
(Student response)

Lets continue our picture walk to see if we can expand our prediction or make new ones
*Look through book with students*
Im noticing a pattern in the pictures while we look through the book, what do you think it is?
(Student response)
Yes it looks like all of the animals are sleeping in the pictures. That makes me think that maybe this
book is about where animals sleep.
During Reading
Lets go back to the front of the book and start reading. We are going to take turns reading out loud
page by page so that means we are going to stay together. Remember that we are using our strategies
while we read when we come across a word we do not know. For my friends who are not reading out
loud at that time, think of the strategies you can use in your head while the person who is reading out
loud is trying to figure out the word. We should also use our fingers to track to practice being a good
reader.
*Start with student to the right of teacher*
(Student reading)
*When a student gets stuck on a word teacher may provide support*
What strategy do you think we should use first to figure out this word?
(Student response)
Alright, lets try that strategy.
*Allow student to try the strategy, if word is too difficult then teacher may provide clues for
the word*
- Half way through the book bring attention to the pattern in the book
I notice that all of the animals are sleeping somewhere, but some of them say the animal is sleeping on
something or in something or even under something. I would say that the first part of the sentence is a
pattern and that the words on, in or under break the patterns. Lets see which of those words is used the
most in this story as we continue to read.
I like how you all are using your fingers to track as you are reading.
After Reading
You all did a great job using your strategies to figure out words that were unfamiliar to you as you were
reading and I loved that we used our fingers to track as we were reading. Lets talk about what kind of
animals we read about in the book. Lets take turns saying one animal and where they slept.
(Student responses)
*Teacher will ask students to look back through the book if they have trouble remembering*
1.4 Differentiation
For a student who is struggling with decoding an unfamiliar word the teacher will provide direct support
and remind the student of their decoding strategies. The teacher may also walk the student through using
each strategy. If the word is too hard for the student the teacher may give clues to hint at what the word
is.
1.5 Closure.
We read the book Animals Sleeping and learned where different animals sleep. While we were
reading we used our fingers to track our reading and when we came across words we didnt know we
used our strategies to figure the word out. Remember to use these strategies that we practiced any time
you get stuck on a word you do not know.
1.6 Formative and Summative Assessment
Formative Assessment

-Teacher will write down the strategy/strategies that the student used to figure out an unknown word.
This will help determine if any strategies may need to be re-explained or relearned.
-Teacher will observe students using their fingers to track while they read and if they do not the teacher
will remind them.
-Teacher will ask each student to recall one animal and where they slept in order using the iPad in order
to determine if the students comprehended the story.
1.7 Materials
Animals Sleeping by Amy Levin and Jenny Halket
1.9 Technology
Google Slides App on the iPad
2.0 Reflection on Planning (Complete BEFORE you teach)
I selected my teaching activity and materials based off of how I observed my mentor teacher conduct a
small group reading lesson. My mentor teacher handed me the text and the names of the students I would be
working with during this lesson. While planning this lesson I had to keep in mind that one student in my
group struggled with unfamiliar words more than other students. While considering this I made sure to plan
out how I would scaffold that students learning while trying to help them correctly decode the word. I also
wrote that I planned on writing down any words the students struggled with and what strategies they picked
to decode the unfamiliar word. I did this to find out what decoding strategies may need to be revisited or if
the students had a good handle on the strategies they have learned so far.
While planning my lesson I also considered how it is important to not repeat what the students answered
(voice overs) and to give plenty of wait time. I took this into consideration because of the readings that we do
for the class. After my first lesson I realized that I am actually really good at teaching lessons to the students
and that they are effective. Before teaching my first lesson I was very nervous but going into this lesson I am
a lot more confident. I also made sure to state my criteria because that was something that I forgot the last
lesson. While writing this lesson I also thought about how I could give purpose to this lesson. I wanted to be
sure the students were using their decoding strategies appropriately and I wanted to check on their
understanding of good reading habits but I also wanted to make sure that they were comprehending what
they were reading while practicing all of these things. To check the students understanding I decided to ask
them about where each animal slept. I considered incorporating technology into this part of the lesson to
make the quick assessment more engaging for the students. To do this I decided to use the google slides app
on the iPad and have it set up with a picture of the animal and the student will say where the animal sleeps
and then click on the screen to have the slide change and then check to see if their answer is correct.
2.1 Reflection on Instruction (Complete AFTER you teach)
My lesson went really well when I taught it. The students really enjoyed the technology part of the lesson
which I was really happy about because I almost didnt use it. I could tell that learning occurred and that the
objectives were met because the students were able to correctly recall each place the animals slept while
completing the formative assessment as a group. The students also used their fingers to track their reading
and when they got to a word they did not know they used their strategies they have been practicing to figure
it out. My assessment was very informative and straight forward. I asked the students to look at the picture of
the animal and then to state where it slept, then they swiped the screen to the next slide in order to check
their answer.
Based off of my meeting with my mentor teacher after the lesson we decided that the students could use
more practice with finger tracking. Even though they did it throughout the book I think it was not as
consistent as it should be which lead me to believe that maybe this isnt something they are doing while
reading independently. I decided to make sure that this was something I would check on during their
independent time as well as push as much as possible while working with the small group again. Something I

could change to improve the lesson would actually be where I sat my case study child during the lesson. I
asked her a few questions before we started reading and could tell that she was distracted in the beginning of
the lesson. I think that by having her sit next to me during the next lesson will allow me to keep a better
handle on her, as well as have her feel that she needs to stay on track. The students enjoy deciding who will
go first and I have noticed when she goes first she is more focused and on-task.
Something that I worked on from the last lesson was not doing so manyvoice-overs during my lesson. I
am very quick to tell the students Good job! or Awesome! when they answer correctly. After reading our
course text, The Power of Our Words I realized that this is not necessarily always a good thing to do while
working with students. If I constantly praise the students when they give me the answer I want, how will I
get them to expand their thinking or make sure I praise every single child in the group/class? This is a
question that I asked myself after completing the reading. I took this information and decided to make this
change, of not doing so many voice-overs, in my very next lesson. I did that in this lesson and realized that
by simply listening to the students I was getting the answers I wanted, and the students even expanded their
thinking sometimes.