Lesson Plan: Reading/Language Arts

Example Lesson Plan:
Reading/Language Arts

Lesson Topic: Fluency

Candidate’s Name: Margaret Nelson

1.  Introduction:  (Identify Grade Level K12 Academic Content Standard(s), rationale, focus learner, create bridges from past learning, behavior expectations)  

This lesson works toward the Common Core Standard CSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.4 (2018): Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding ( Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2018).

Rationale: This lesson introduces students to emergent-reader behaviors by allowing them to create a book of their own about Nan the Cat.

2.  Learner Outcome(s)/Objective(s):  (What will students learn from this lesson?  How will you measure mastery of the outcome?)

Students will know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills. Students will demonstrate basic ideas of how sentences are structured. Students will be able to begin constructing ideas in sequential order. Mastery will be measured through a class-wide activity of making illustrated books.

Rationale: Students will interact with phonemic awareness by writing about Nan the Cat. Students will get an idea that a story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end, or a sense of completion. This allows students experience to draw from when they encounter grade-level literature, knowing that there will be information that goes in a direction, and that sentences work from left to right. They will also get more practice in grade-level sight words to further promote fluency.

3.  Pre-assessment Activity:  (What assessments did you conduct/what activities did you engage in which made you decide that this particular standard and objective needed to be taught now?)

Previous lessons should focus on phonics and word recognition in order to manipulate similarly spelled words. Previous lessons should also include common sight words: the, of, to, you, she, he, my, is, are, do, does

Rationale: Previous experience in these things will help students better be able to form sentences about Nan the Cat.  Because the sentences are still at their most basic structure, this lesson should be accessible by Target Student 1, allowing him to gain more practice with phonemes. Target Student 2 also could use the practice with phonemes.

4.  Differentiation, Adaptation & Accommodation Strategies:   (Based on the pre-assessments, modify Learning Activities based on learner characteristics to meet the needs of ELL & special needs students, highly achieving students and low achieving students; address the needs of the Target Students identified in the scenario) 

Non-readers can still copy the words from the projector in sequential order.  Sentences are written on the white board.  A condition of this lesson is that it should be ongoing. The “Nan the Cat” books should be worked on a page at a time, preferably one page per day.  Gifted students who finish early are instructed to partner-off in the classroom quiet area (or another corner of the classroom) and take turns reading their Nan books to each other.

Rationale: This allows scaffolding of skills so that they can first be demonstrated and attempted collaboratively before students create an entire book.  Having sentences written on the white board allows students to have more time to look at them. A page-a-day approach sets up both Target Students for success, since they both have regular attendance. This means they can benefit from the on-the-spot coaching and positive reinforcement on a consistent daily basis.  The page-a-day approach provides a good “cool-down” activity for students who become frustrated or experience emotional behaviors. It also allows the day’s lessons to continue, which means gifted students who may finish early will get an opportunity to move forward practicing their fluency without forcing them to do this for too long a period of time.

5.  Resources:  (Identify materials needed for this lesson accounting for varying degrees of skill level)

Blank story paper, which has one or two lines at the bottom to encourage neat writing.  Crayons Stapler (for teacher)

Rationale: These are inexpensive and easy-to-find materials that can be mass-purchased for classroom use. Also, the limited materials increases the likelihood that students could recreate this assignment on their own terms during their free time from materials they could likely find at home.

6.  Learning Activities:  Explicit Teacher Instruction - (Explain, Model, Demonstrate, Check for Understanding; what EXACTLY will you teach and how?)

Say: Today we will be writing about Nan the Cat. Nan the Cat is a cat we keep in our imagination. We are going to make sentences about Nan, and we are going to draw pictures of her too. Let’s make a page that tells her name. Direction: Tell students to make a page that says “Nan the Cat” and a picture of what they think Nan should look like.  Demonstrate: Using a projector, write the words “Nan the Cat” at the top of a piece of paper, and include a drawing of a cat. Instruct students that it is now their turn. Leave the projected image for display and reference. Check for Understanding: Walk around the room and correct spelling, have students sound out letters and sounds if they need to.

Rationale:  Allowing students to use their imagination for Nan the Cat helps promote diverse interpretations while still maintaining a common goal. Placing the words on the projector allows scaffolding during explicit teacher instruction portion. This also gives students practice in the way the rest of the lesson will continue. Walking around the room throughout this lesson will allow more opportunities to deliver direct instruction to Target Student 1, who is not a self-starting reader or writer. This also will allow many opportunities for positive reinforcement for Target Student 1 whenever he uses emergent or even experimental behaviors recreating the words on the projector.   Target Student 2 can also benefit from positive reinforcement, since she is cooperative but also shy.

7.  Learning Activities: Guided Practice/ Collaborative Practice (Check for understanding and provide feedback and re-teaching)

Write “Nan the Cat” on the Whiteboard. This section of the whiteboard will be dedicated to the developing sentences of Nan the Cat. Use a fresh piece of paper for each sentence about Nan the Cat. Include illustrations.  Say: We are going to make some sentences about Nan. Here is our first one: “Nan is a cat.”

Rationale:  This step has limited instructions, which suits kindergarten attention-levels. It also has multiple repeated steps, which allow several opportunities to check for understanding, as well as to differentiate instruction using on-the-spot coaching.  Target Student 2 is an English Learner, and this collaborative sentence building will give her more practice and experience in English.

8.  Independent Practice: (Provide practice that supports the learning outcome.  Note: Independent activities are assigned assuming that students understand the concept well enough to work on their own.)

Students should follow the same procedure of writing the sentence and including an illustration for each sentence about Nan the Cat.  Pages should be written to include practice blending phonemic awareness with common sight words. For example: Nan the Cat Nan is a cat. Nan is little. What can a cat do? Nan can run. Nan can dig. Nan can see a mouse Nan is fun! These sentences will be included in the same section of the whiteboard. Allow a healthy amount of talk/discussion or movement, provided that students are completing their task.

Rationale:  Including practice with common sight words as well as phonemic practice bridges other areas of literacy instruction to promote fluency. Target Students 1 and 2 struggle to interact with peers. This lesson will allow them to have structured practice with fluency while acclimating them to normal levels of noise and movement by their peers. It is likely that neither of them will be interested in being active throughout the room, and this lesson accounts for a low-risk environment to that preference. This also has the added benefit of allowing Target Student 1 to observe grade-level behaviors and interactions, something he needs since he is accustomed to isolated play (likely with trucks or action figures) and is immature for his age because of this.

9.  Assessment and Evaluation:  (Describe how you will assess and/or evaluate the students’ learning.   Describe differentiating assessment strategies you will use for ELL, special needs students, highly achieving students and low achieving students.)

When all sentences about Nan are completed, pages can be ordered and stapled together to make a book. Books can be displayed in the classroom for students to enjoy and/or parents at a back to school night, and eventually sent home with students as part of their portfolio.

Rationale: Completing a book provides practice in how reading and books work and function, which will increase fluency. Students will be able to practice emergent reading behaviors simply by following along with the books they make.

10. Closure: (Describe how students will reflect on what they have learned.)

Students can take turns volunteering to read their books to the class and to show their illustrations.

Rationale: This will provide more experience for students to practice fluency, as well as observe fluency performed by their peers.  Target Student 1 lives with grandparents and may not receive enough time being read to at home. This exercise will give him more opportunities to watch language being modeled.  This is also another opportunity for Target Student 2 to benefit from positive reinforcement from peers.

Sources:

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2018). English Language Arts Standards » Reading: Foundational Skills » Kindergarten. Retrieved from: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RF/K/

Gunning, T. Creating Literacy Instruction for All Students. 9^th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.