Integrated Small Group Literacy Instruction
Area of Support: Oral Language and Vocabulary, and Building Comprehension
I decided to focus on vocabulary, mainly synonyms and comprehension of sequencing events because the students in the fifth grade class I’m working with have to do a lot of presentations. The students have to do many research projects and present the material they find, which they present basically word for word. I believe that if these students could build their comprehension on how to sequence information and gain a larger vocabulary to find similar words to use, that they would be more confident in their presentations. I decided to use a text that integrates science because the school I am at focuses on this subject. The book goes along with the unit the students are working on, which are ecosystems.
Materials:
Intended Outcomes:
My hope is that the students I work with are able to sequence the events in the text effectively, as well as; broaden their vocabulary. I’m giving students strips of paper with the events in the text and I’m anticipating that they can put them in the right order. We will discuss the order and hopefully build their comprehension. I will also pull out certain vocabulary words from the text and have the students think up some synonyms for these words. I’m expecting all the students in the group to come up with at least two to three synonyms for the vocabulary words I use. My hope is that this activity will help students during their future presentations.
Procedure:
Start with a discussion on the students presentations. Explain how I noticed that the students were copying the direct words from a page of research and how the order of events that they put the research in didn’t really make sense. Say that I also noticed that the students read the information right off the page they put it on. Make sure they know this isn’t a bad thing but they can make their presentations better. Tell students we are going to work on vocabulary and comprehension today, to better their presentations.
Show students the poster covered with sticky notes. Read the title to the students (Hard Heads). Ask students to guess what armor on their heads they have and guess why they have them. After students guess, pull up the sticky note and have a child read the answer. Ask students: How does having a hard head help some animals stay safe? After we go through all the animals ask the students how this topic relates to the recent science unit. (It has to do with survival and the food web)
Next, pass the books out to the students. Each student will read two pages out loud. While reading, have small discussions reestablishing the main events.
After finishing the book, pass out the strips of paper and ask students to put the events in order. Talk about the order using the book as reference. Discuss how putting events in order makes a presentation stronger.
Then, show students a list of vocabulary words. Have the student’s define the words first then, think of synonyms that could be used as substitutes for the words. They can write these down on paper. Allow them to use their electronic devices to look up words in needed. Discuss how using similar words can be useful when doing presentations.
Encourage the students to keep these skills in mind. They are finished.
Reflection:
For the most part the three students did well with the activity. They were open to reading and answering questions. The students were good at finding connections between animals and their armor. For example, one student said that deer probably have big antlers to keep other animals away. For the sentence strip activity, all three students had an error in their arrangements. I tried to review the former pages before moving to the next page but that did not seem to help them. However, they only had two to three events in the wrong order. When I asked why they put it in the order that they did, they just said that’s how they remembered it from the story. I think it would have benefited them more if the students described what had happened so far at each stopping point. During the vocabulary/synonym activity, I had to do a lot of prompting. The students knew what the words meant but had a hard time coming up with more than one synonym. If I do this activity again, I will ask for synonyms of the words during the reading, instead of after the reading. One thing the students were concerned about was that they thought they were in trouble or failed a test and that is why they were doing the activity with me. I had to reassure them that was not the reason but to learn something new and enhance their reading skills. The activity was a lot of fun and I enjoyed working with the small group.
I decided to focus on vocabulary, mainly synonyms and comprehension of sequencing events because the students in the fifth grade class I’m working with have to do a lot of presentations. The students have to do many research projects and present the material they find, which they present basically word for word. I believe that if these students could build their comprehension on how to sequence information and gain a larger vocabulary to find similar words to use, that they would be more confident in their presentations. I decided to use a text that integrates science because the school I am at focuses on this subject. The book goes along with the unit the students are working on, which are ecosystems.
Materials:
- Multiple copies of a leveled nonfiction text- Animal Armor by Lynette Evans (5 pack)
- Poster that goes along with the book –Hard Heads
- Pencils
- Paper
- Sticky notes
- Events in the text on strips of paper (1 set for each student)
Intended Outcomes:
My hope is that the students I work with are able to sequence the events in the text effectively, as well as; broaden their vocabulary. I’m giving students strips of paper with the events in the text and I’m anticipating that they can put them in the right order. We will discuss the order and hopefully build their comprehension. I will also pull out certain vocabulary words from the text and have the students think up some synonyms for these words. I’m expecting all the students in the group to come up with at least two to three synonyms for the vocabulary words I use. My hope is that this activity will help students during their future presentations.
Procedure:
Start with a discussion on the students presentations. Explain how I noticed that the students were copying the direct words from a page of research and how the order of events that they put the research in didn’t really make sense. Say that I also noticed that the students read the information right off the page they put it on. Make sure they know this isn’t a bad thing but they can make their presentations better. Tell students we are going to work on vocabulary and comprehension today, to better their presentations.
Show students the poster covered with sticky notes. Read the title to the students (Hard Heads). Ask students to guess what armor on their heads they have and guess why they have them. After students guess, pull up the sticky note and have a child read the answer. Ask students: How does having a hard head help some animals stay safe? After we go through all the animals ask the students how this topic relates to the recent science unit. (It has to do with survival and the food web)
Next, pass the books out to the students. Each student will read two pages out loud. While reading, have small discussions reestablishing the main events.
After finishing the book, pass out the strips of paper and ask students to put the events in order. Talk about the order using the book as reference. Discuss how putting events in order makes a presentation stronger.
Then, show students a list of vocabulary words. Have the student’s define the words first then, think of synonyms that could be used as substitutes for the words. They can write these down on paper. Allow them to use their electronic devices to look up words in needed. Discuss how using similar words can be useful when doing presentations.
Encourage the students to keep these skills in mind. They are finished.
Reflection:
For the most part the three students did well with the activity. They were open to reading and answering questions. The students were good at finding connections between animals and their armor. For example, one student said that deer probably have big antlers to keep other animals away. For the sentence strip activity, all three students had an error in their arrangements. I tried to review the former pages before moving to the next page but that did not seem to help them. However, they only had two to three events in the wrong order. When I asked why they put it in the order that they did, they just said that’s how they remembered it from the story. I think it would have benefited them more if the students described what had happened so far at each stopping point. During the vocabulary/synonym activity, I had to do a lot of prompting. The students knew what the words meant but had a hard time coming up with more than one synonym. If I do this activity again, I will ask for synonyms of the words during the reading, instead of after the reading. One thing the students were concerned about was that they thought they were in trouble or failed a test and that is why they were doing the activity with me. I had to reassure them that was not the reason but to learn something new and enhance their reading skills. The activity was a lot of fun and I enjoyed working with the small group.
Events for Sequencing Activity:
Investigate and think about all the different animal armors. Then, compare the animal armor.
A big bull elk roars in the quiet meadow.
A herd of deer (does and their fawns) in the meadow see the big bull elk.
The big bull elk is older and has wide, sharp antlers.
A second bull elk appears in the meadow.
The two bulls battle by using their antlers.
The big bull elk wins the battle and will protect the herd from predators.
In winter the big bull elk leaves the herd and sheds his antlers. He will grow new ones in spring.
In spring a new baby deer is born! He will grow antlers one day.
Vocabulary and Possible Synonyms List:
Armor- shell, shield, protective covering
Investigate- examine, explore, study, inspect
Herbivore- plant eater, vegetarian, grazer
Herd- group, pack, flock, crowd
Sharp- pointy, spikey, piercing
Battle- fight, conflict, clash, scuffle
Predator- hunter, killer, slayer
Wobble- shake, tremble, quiver, bob
Investigate and think about all the different animal armors. Then, compare the animal armor.
A big bull elk roars in the quiet meadow.
A herd of deer (does and their fawns) in the meadow see the big bull elk.
The big bull elk is older and has wide, sharp antlers.
A second bull elk appears in the meadow.
The two bulls battle by using their antlers.
The big bull elk wins the battle and will protect the herd from predators.
In winter the big bull elk leaves the herd and sheds his antlers. He will grow new ones in spring.
In spring a new baby deer is born! He will grow antlers one day.
Vocabulary and Possible Synonyms List:
Armor- shell, shield, protective covering
Investigate- examine, explore, study, inspect
Herbivore- plant eater, vegetarian, grazer
Herd- group, pack, flock, crowd
Sharp- pointy, spikey, piercing
Battle- fight, conflict, clash, scuffle
Predator- hunter, killer, slayer
Wobble- shake, tremble, quiver, bob