In this lesson, students’ attention is drawn to the numerous ways the long /e/ sound is represented in words. The teacher and the students underline the spelling pattern that represents the long /e/ sound.The teacher and students sort some of the words into groups according to the spelling pattern used to represent the long /e/ sound. The lesson focus, asking yourself “does it look right?” [...]
In the video, the first reading of the book, Clever Tails, occurs in a single guided reading session, however, a classroom teacher might choose to have students read part of the book in one guided reading session and read the rest of the book in a second guided reading session. Collaboration goals for all the lessons: Students are working on contributing ideas to the group, [...]
There are two academic focuses as students return to this known text. The first focus is deepening comprehension of key concepts in the text. By rereading the text and talking more about the content of the text, readers deepen their understandings as required in more complex texts. The students use the index to determine what section of the text we would reread with partners. The [...]
This word work lesson supported students to search for and use chunks in words. The lesson began by discussing the strategies we use to help us figure out words. We then focused on looking for parts of words we know to help us with multi-syllabic words.
This lesson begins with students rereading Clever Tails to think more about the strategies they use as readers. The fiction text in the pair, The Monkey’s Tail, has the same key concepts as the informational text, Clever Tails, so revisiting those key concepts supports the students to be successful with the upcoming text. The teacher takes a reading record with one student while the other [...]
The lesson offers students an opportunity to revisit, summarize, and extend their thinking about the key concepts of the two paired texts.
This article first appeared in California Reader, Volume 57, Number 3, Fall 2024. “Hurry up! She’s got new books!” the circle of children shouted as I sat in their midst on a Monday morning in early spring. Those finishing their morning routine scurried to join their classmates and they all eagerly leaned forward, anticipating the gifts in the bag at my [...]
This article first appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of the Journal of Reading Recovery. The Journal of Reading Recovery is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Reading Recovery Council of North America as a service to both Council members and those interested in early intervention for beginning readers. “Show us what to do with the low kids.” This request from a group of [...]
This article first appeared on the Reading Recovery Council of North America website. “Ms. Candia, Ms. Candia, did you know there’s ‘and’ in Jack and Jill? Do you hear it, Ms. Candia? Jack ‘and’ Jill—do you hear it?”This exciting outburst from Cameron, a student in Trish Candia’s kindergarten classroom, came one day during early Spring in the midst of independent literacy time. Cameron [...]
The lesson begins with students rereading a text from a previous guided reading lesson to think more about the strategies they use as readers. The teacher takes a reading record with one student while the other students read silently. Collaboration goals for all the lessons: Students are working on explain their thinking fully to the group, waiting until others are finished speaking before talking, and [...]