PSELA3b: Employs a range of instructional approaches to support comprehension across the content areas
Evidence 1: K-1 Lost Tooth Lesson Plan
Description: I developed this lesson plan when a child lost a tooth in the K-1 classroom I was working in.
Analysis: When readers are able to make real-life connections with books a greater level of understanding is achieved. During this lesson children were able to listen and interact with a book that tapped into their own knowledge stores. Through discussion we built upon each child's current level of understanding, expanding their understanding of the topic. Children were then able to take those experiences and create their own pieces of writing. They were then able to meet with their peers and teacher to analyze the strategies used within their writings, and were then able to refine their works.
Evidence 2: List of Felt Story Pieces
Description: These felt story pieces are available daily to assist children in the telling and retelling of favorite stories and songs.
Analysis: Our felt story pieces coincide with favorite children's stories, stories from the Bible, and songs that we sing frequently. As children manipulate the story pieces and add them to our felt board or place them on our story mitt, they become part of the story. They use their own words and thoughts to tell the story to friends or family, and they develop a deeper connection to the material. Children in preschool begin by simply retelling the story, but as they learn and grow and progress in school, this ability to retell a story leads to taking note of characters and using the text to make connections with the world in which they live.
Evidence 3: Reading Progression Guide for Character Development Used in Grade 2
Description: This chart is used to determine where students are in terms of character progression and is used when evaluating their writing and during Reader's Workshop.
Analysis: Children in grades 2 and above need to learn how to infer character traits and be able to see how the problems within a story, the plot and themes are related. During read aloud children are asked to fill in a character cluster while listening to the story. Children write the name of the character in the center and then fill in information about that character. While discussing the story, children share traits that they noticed, along with portions of the text that support their claim. While sharing their information, I use this chart to determine where children are in their reading progression and can plan further lessons and choose books that will aid the student in achieving a higher level of comprehension.
