2004 Colorado Core Knowledge Units

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Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 1 Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories Grade Level or Special Area : Kindergarten Written by : Sarah Scheessele, Meritor Academy, Broomfield, Colorado Length of Unit : Nine lesson total-Intro: one lesson (three days, 30 minutes/day), Connect: five lessons (six days, 30 minutes/day), Predict: three lessons (five days, 30 minutes/day) I. ABSTRACT This unit (along with the two other Kindergarten units titled Comprehension Skills) presents an explicit approach to teaching comprehension skills so that students become aware of what they are expected to do when they read stories. Students will learn skills related to Core Knowledge goals for comprehension including retelling stories, taking picture walks, relating books to their own lives and other books they have read, and making guesses about what will happen in a story.

Half of the Core Knowledge fiction stories are taught and assessed, and the stories are also used to teach the skills. II. OVERVIEW A.

Concept Objectives 1. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) 2.

Students will recognize how to apply thinking ... more. less.

skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) B. Content from the Core Knowledge Sequence 1. Kindergarten Language Arts: Fiction: Stories (page 9) a. The Wolf and The Kids (Brothers Grimm) b. A Tug of War (African folk tale) c. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs d. Cinderella (Charles Perrault) e. The Velveteen Rabbit (Margery Williams) f. The Little Red Hen g. The Three Billy Goats Gruff h. How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? (African folk tale) i. The Legend of Jumping Mouse (Native American: Northern Plains legend) 2. Kindergarten Language Arts: Reading and Writing: Reading and Language Comprehension (page 8) a. Understand and follow oral directions. b. Tell in his or her own words what happened in stories or parts of stories, and predict what will happen next in stories. c. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. C. Skill Objectives 1. Students will pronounce and define comprehension. 2. Students will pronounce and recall the word connect. 3. Students will define the word connect. 4. Students will give one example of how they connect to a story. 5. Students will recall/pronounce and define predict. 6. Student will make at least one prediction about what happens in a story. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 2 7. Students will contribute at least one idea to the retelling of the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff. 8. Students will contribute at least one idea to the retelling of the story The Legend of Jumping Mouse. 9. Students will retell at least one part of the story The Little Red Hen. 10. Students will retell at least one part of the story The Velveteen Rabbit . 11. Students will retell one part of he story Cinderella. 12. Students will retell at least one part of each of the following stories: The Wolf and the Kids, How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 13. Students will make at least one prediction that makes sense. III. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE A. For Teachers 1. Center for the Improvement for Early Reading Achievement (CIERA), cPut Reading First: The Research Building Blocks of Good Reading Instruction d (available for free at: www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/publications/k-3.html ) B. For Students 1. Preschool: Emerging Literacy Skills in Reading and Writing: Form: Isolate and point to individual words as distinct units on a page of print. (page 56) 2. Preschool: Storybook Reading and Storytelling: Attend and listen to picture books with storylines (30 minutes). (page 48) 3. Preschool: Oral Language: Form: words indicating time: before-after, during- while. (page 37) IV. RESOURCES Note to teacher: All resources can be substituted for other preferred or available versions of the story listed. A. cThe Wolf and The Kids d from The Complete Grimm 9s Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm, Introduction by Padraic Colum and Commentary by Joseph Campbell (Lesson One) B. cA Tug of War d from How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? and Other Tales by Julius Lester (Lesson One) C. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs A Tale From the Brothers Grimm, translated by Randall Jarrell (Lesson One) D. Cinderella (Lesson Two and Three) E. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (Lesson Four) F. The Little Red Hen retold by Lyn Calder (Lesson Five) G. The Story of Jumping Mouse retold and illustrated by John Steptoe (Lesson Seven) H. The Three Billy Goats Gruff Retold and illustrated by Janet Stevens (Lesson Eight) I. cHow Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? d from How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? and Other Tales by Julius Lester (Lesson Nine) J. Think When You Read (poster) from Really Good Stuff (catalog) (Lessons One, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Seven) V. LESSONS Lesson One: Introducing Books and Comprehension (three days, 30 minutes/day) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 3 b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. The Wolf and The Kids (Brothers Grimm) b. How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? (African folk tale) c. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs d. A Tug of War (African folk tale) e. Tell in his or her own words what happened in stories or parts of stories. f. Understand and follow oral directions. g. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will pronounce and define comprehension. b. Students will retell at least one part of each of the following stories: The Wolf and the Kids, How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. B. Materials 1. The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids 2. How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? 3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 4. Chart paper and markers 5. The word Comprehension and the definition laminated and posted in large writing somewhere near where you read stories together (preferably above your Think When You Read chart) 6. Assessment checklists for each student (Appendix A) C. Key Vocabulary 1. Comprehension 3 remembering what happens in a story D. Procedures/Activities 1. Note to teacher: This lesson works well on the carpet and assumes that everyone is seated and ready to start. 2. Special Education Accommodation: Have these students sit closer to you when you read stories aloud. This will allow you to help keep them focused by eye contact and by tapping them gently if need be. You may also want to use these students as your helper whenever possible. For example, when you are writing on chart paper, you might ask the special education students to hold the story book for you. You may also need to have a special cue to keep special education students tuned in. One suggestion is to have all the students make a noise (like a wolf 9s howl for cThe Wolf and the Kids d or a chicken 9s gobble for The Little Red Hen ) whenever you turn a page, or whenever you say that character 9s name. 3. Hold up the book The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids. 4. Ask students: a. What is this? (a book) b. What do we do with it? (read) c. Why? (accept all responses including to learn about the world, share feelings, have fun, learn creative ways of thinking, be surprised, to find facts). 5. Allow students to discuss each answer. You may want to add your own ideas. 6. Tell students this year they will learn skills to help them read! 7. Explain that today they will discuss one of the big parts of reading called comprehension. Point to the word on your wall as you say it. 8. Ask students to practice saying comprehension. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 4 9. Tell them comprehension means remembering what happens in a story. Practice with them by saying together ccomprehension means remembering what happens in a story d as you point to the words on the wall. 10. Note to teacher: You will want to use the word comprehension and its definition as many times as possible in your discussion. 11. Ask them to listen to the story you are going to read, and tell them you are going to ask at the end what they comprehended - what they remember that happened in the story. 12. Read The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids 13. Ask students to tell you about what they remember happening in the story. Possible responses include things that name characters, settings and event. For example: This story was about baby goats that got eaten by a wolf when there mother was gone. OR This story was about a wolf who tricked some baby goats into letting him in while their mother was away. 14. On chart paper, record the student 9s name and response but make sure to guide students who are on the wrong track through discussion. (Recording the names of those who respond will help you complete your assessments - see checklist in Appendix A.) 15. Point out that there is a lot to keep track of in a story, and that the skills you will be discussing in the coming days will all help the students to remember stories in new and perhaps easier ways. 16. To close, ask students to say with you the new word they learned today and what the word means. Say together, cComprehension is remembering what happens in a story. d 17. Repeat this procedure for two more days with different texts (suggested texts: cA Tug of War d from How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? and Other Tales and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ) until it appears that students know what you mean by comprehension. After the first day, you may wish to have them try to tell you the story in the order of how things happened. You can cue them by saying, what happened first, second, third, etc. 18. If you want to do an activity other than a chart paper list, one day you can ask the students to draw a picture that includes all the things they remember from the story. Gifted and Talented Accommodation: You may want to have these students write a summary of the story as well as make a drawing. 19. On the last day, look at two or three of the lists you made about the stories. Read through the lists and ask students if they see anything the same about the stories (if need be, point out some similarities such as every day the students named people, every story had a place, every story had a problem). 20. Tell them that they already know a lot about how to remember what happens in stories and that now they are ready to learn even more! E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. See Appendix A. Complete checklist to assess understanding of word/definition of comprehension for each student on one of the days of this lesson. You may choose to call on a couple students at the end of each day 9s lesson to assess them or you may want to set aside time to meet each student individually. Also, use chart paper responses (and/or drawings) for each retelling to complete checklist assessing each student on knowing each story. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 5 Lesson Two: Connect Using Picture Walks BEFORE You Read (one day, 30 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. Cinderella (Charles Perrault) b. Understand and follow oral directions. c. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. d. Tell in his or her own words what happened in stories or parts of stories. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will pronounce and recall the word connect. b. Students will define the word connect. B. Materials 1. Think When You Read Chart or the word Connect and the definition laminated and posted under Comprehension (Appendix B, page 2) 2. Cinderella 3. Assessment Checklists (Appendix A) for each student C. Key Vocabulary 1. Connect 3 thinking about what you already know about the book D. Procedures/Activities 1. Note to teacher: This lesson works well on the carpet and assumes that everyone is seated and ready to start. 2. Hold up the book Cinderella . 3. Ask students what they have learned about reading so far this year. If they do not mention comprehension or remembering what happens in stories, prompt them and remind them what the word means. 4. Tell them that they will spend the next weeks learning how to become better readers by learning ways to help them remember what happens in a story. 5. Tell them that the first word they need to learn is connect. 6. Point to the word on your chart and ask them what they think this word means. (Possible answers might be: put two things together, make things touch, snap together.) 7. After they have had a chance to express their ideas, tell students they will learn a new meaning for the word connect that applies to when they are reading books. Read the definition of connect from the chart: cthinking about what you already know about (a book). d 8. Teach them the hand signal to represent connect (hold hands in front of your body and interlace fingers 3 one hand is what you know the other hand is the book you are going to read). 9. Explain that you make connections by looking at the title and/or pictures and thinking about your life and books that you have read before. Tell them they SHOULD ALWAYS LOOK AT THE TITLE AND PICTURES BEFORE THEY START READING. Tell them this is called a picture walk. 10. Hold up the book Cinderella again. Read the title and go on a picture walk (page through story showing students the pictures). Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 6 11. Tell the students that you know they may have read a story like this before. Tell them that part of connecting to a story is thinking about other stories that you have read that might be like the new story. 12. Ask the students to tell you what they know about the book so far. As they tell you ideas, repeat their ideas and mention that these are things that they should all look for and expect in the story. Possible answers include naming characters, events or settings in the story. For example, a student might say things like, cI know this story. It is about a poor girl who has to work for her wicked stepsisters until her fairy godmother comes and gets her ready for the ball. When she goes to the ball she meets the prince and at midnight she has to leave. She leaves her glass slipper and that is how he finds her. d 13. Tell them that making connections BEFORE they start reading helps them to know what to expect in the story and that now that they have made connections, if they hear you read something else (for example: about the garbage man, about Cinderella 9s friendly sisters), they will know that you are not reading the words correctly. Ask them to raise their hands if they hear you make a mistake in the story. 14. Read Cinderella together. You can choose many places to cslip up d in your reading. Example: when the invitation to the ball arrives, you could say it is an invitation to go shopping at the mall. Example: When Cinderella 9s fairy godmother comes, you could say it is the garbage man coming to take the trash out. Example: When the prince finds Cinderella 9s slipper you can say that he throws it away instead of searching the land for the person it fits. 15. Note to teacher: Do not proceed to make mistakes in the story unless the students demonstrate a good understanding of the story from Step 12. If they do not already know the story, you can substitute a different one OR you can have the same discussion but do not make mistakes in the story. 16. If you make a cslip up d and the students do not immediately raise their hands, you can model your thought process for them in thinking about what makes sense. Stop and depending on your choice of where to cslip up d say: cWait a minute; I do not remember anyone going to the mall in Cinderella. Should I go back and read those words again? Yes, I think I will. d OR cWait a minute, we did not talk about a garbage man being in this story, do you think that I read the words right? I better go back and read again. d OR cHold on just a second, I thought we said the prince was going to use the slipper to find Cinderella. Would it make sense for him to throw the slipper away? I better read that part again and see if I made a mistake. d Then go back and reread the passage correctly. 17. To close, ask the students to answer together, cWhat does it mean to connect? d (Think about what you already know about the book). Review the hand symbol to represent connect (hold hands in front of your body and interlace fingers 3 one hand is what you know the other hand is the book you are going to read). 18. Remind students that making connections helps good readers know what to expect in a story and helps them to remember the story. 19. Tell them that tomorrow you are going to see how many of them remember the secret hand signal that you taught them and that whenever they hear you say, cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a story, d they should make the signal OR whenever they see the signal they should say, cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a story. d 20. To assess students, you can show each student the hand signal, and see if they can say and define connect when you call on them to be excused from the carpet. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 7 21. Periodically throughout the day, you may want to practice the signal and the words. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. See Appendix A and Step 20 of Procedures, use Appendix A, page 2 for assessment. Lesson Three: Connect Using Activities AFTER You Read (one day, 30 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. Cinderella (Charles Perrault) b. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. c. Understand and follow oral directions. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will retell one part of Cinderella. B. Materials 1. 11 d x 17 d construction paper strips of various colors cut into crown pattern (as modeled in Appendix D), one for each student and a few extras for mishaps 2. Various craft items used to decorate crowns 3 suggested items include: a. Crayons b. Markers c. Glitter glue d. Glitter e. Sequins f. Feathers g. Plastic jewels h. Colored noodles i. Ribbons j. Buttons 3. Glue, one for each student or every two students (glue sticks will dry faster but will not necessarily hold larger items on as well; so, if you want students to be able to wear their crowns immediately, you may want to use glue sticks, fewer large objects and/or clear tape) 4. Tape, one for each table or group 5. Assessment Checklists (Appendix A) for each student C. Key Vocabulary 1. Connect 3 thinking about what you already know about the book D. Procedures/Activities 1. Note to teacher: The best format for this lesson is probably to distribute materials beforehand. Then have students go straight to the carpet for directions and return to their desks to start working. 2. When all the students are ready and listening, say, cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a book. d Congratulate students who remember to make the secret hand signal. 3. Ask students, cWhy do we connect? d Call on some students to answer and provide any answers they do not say (examples: to help us know what to expect Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 8 in a story, to help us remember what happens in the story, because it is a skill for helping our comprehension). 4. Tell students that so far, they have practiced making connections before they start reading the story and that this is a very important way to connect. 5. Tell students that today they will practice making connections to the story AFTER they finished reading it. 6. Tell students that their job today is to think more about what they already know about the life of a prince or princess and then to connect that to the story Cinderella by using it to decide what the words cand they lived happily ever after d must have meant for Cinderella and the prince. (Hold up your left hand when you say cthink more about what you already know d and then hold up you right hand and interlace it with the left when you say cconnect that to the story. d) 7. Tell students what the directions for their project are: a. Decorate one side of your crown pattern with jewels, glitter and other craft items. b. Raise your hand to have the teacher staple your crown and help put it on your head. c. Pretend to be a prince or princess while cleaning up your area/sitting at your desk and think about what your life is like. Tell them, when everyone has their crown on, you will all stop and each person will need to share one thing about their life as prince or princess that makes them live chappily ever after. d Gifted and Talented Accommodation: You may want to have these students write their ideas down on paper as well as sharing orally. 8. Call on students to tell you the three steps of the directions to make sure they understand. Ask if anyone does not know what to do. Re-explain if needed. Special Education Accommodation: Check in as soon as students start working to be sure that these students hear and understood your directions. Also, check in periodically during the work time to ensure that these students know what to do as they finish each step. Or, alternatively, encourage all your students to ask a friend if they come to a step and are unsure what to do next. 9. When everyone has their crown on and the areas are all cleaned up, call students over to the carpet and have them tell one at a time (while acting like a prince or princess) one thing about their life that makes them live happily ever after. 10. Tell students that you are impressed with how good they are at being princes and princesses. Tell them that really good readers like themselves will be able to remember what happens in stories when they connect to stories using activities and thinking like they used today. 11. Hold up your interlaced hands and ask them to say with you, cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a story. d Say, cToday you thought about what you know about lives of princes and princesses in order to connect to the lives of Cinderella and the prince. d 12. To close, remind students that the reason good readers try to connect with stories is to help them remember the story. Tell them that remembering what happens in a story is also called comprehension. 13. Tell students that you will now see if this activity helped their comprehension or helped them to remember what happened in the story by asking them to tell you one part of what happened in the story when you call on them to go back to their seats. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 9 E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. See Appendix A and Step 13. Complete checklist item for retelling one part of Cinderella. Lesson Four: Connect Using Good Listening BEFORE and DURING Reading (one day, 30 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. The Velveteen Rabbit (Margery Williams) b. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. c. Understand and follow oral directions. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will retell at least one part of The Velveteen Rabbit . B. Materials 1. Think When You Read Chart or definition of Connect posted on wall (Appendix B, page 2) 2. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams 3. Assessment Checklists (Appendix A) for each student C. Key Vocabulary 1. Connect 3 thinking about what you already know about the book D. Procedures/Activities 1. Note to teacher: This lesson works well on the carpet and assumes that everyone is getting seated and ready to start. 2. As everyone is getting seated, say, cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a story. d Congratulate the students who make the hand signal for remembering their new word. 3. Tell them you will all practice saying what connect means together. You can start everyone off saying, cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a story. d 4. Hold up the book The Velveteen Rabbit . 5. Tell them that today you are going to read this book. Ask, cIf we want to connect with the book, what should we do first? d (Look at the title and pictures). 6. Take the students on a picture walk, and ask them to raise their hands if they see something they connect with in the story. Students may make connections with this story such as, cI have a pet bunny at home d or cI think the boy in this story is the same age as me. d 7. If the students are having a hard time, mention that this story may not be as easy to connect with as Cinderella because they may not have read a story like this before. Tell them that even if they do not already know the whole story, they should be able to connect in different ways, by finding things that remind them of their lives or things that remind them of another story they know. 8. You may want to give an example of something that you connect to in the pictures. (Example: It looks like that boy sleeps with his stuffed bunny every night; I remember having a stuffed animal that I slept with every night. OR I think that boy 9s face looks sad, I know what it feels like to be sad.) Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 10 9. Call on students to share things that they connect with as you page through the story. 10. Before you start reading, remind them that these connections will help them remember what happens in the story. As you read, they can continue to make connections to their own life. So far, they have practiced making connections BEFORE reading, AFTER reading and today they are practicing making connections DURING their reading. Ask them to raise their hands when they think of something else that connects to their life during the reading. 11. Read The Velveteen Rabbit aloud. You can pause to model making connections every few pages. Stop whenever a student raises their hand to hear what they connect with in the story. 12. Then tell them that you are impressed with how good they are at connecting to stories and you are sure this will help them to become better readers and will help them remember what they read. See if anyone can tell you the word for remembering what you read (comprehension). 13. Make the hand signal. Students should say with you, cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a story. d 14. Tell students that the reason we connect with stories is to help our comprehension, to help us remember what happens in a story. 15. Tell them that you will have them each tell you one thing that happened in the story as you call on them to go back to their seats. Students 9 answers should include characters, setting and/or events from the story. For example, a student might respond that this story was about a stuffed bunny that turned into a real bunny. Mark your assessment checklist as you call each student. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. See Appendix A and Step 13. Mark your checklist for each student as you call them. You may also want to reassess students who have not yet pronounced/recalled and defined Connect. Lesson Five: More Practice: Connect BEFORE, DURING and AFTER Reading (two days, 30 minutes/day) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. The Little Red Hen b. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. c. Understand and follow oral directions. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will pronounce and recall the word connect. b. Students will define the word connect. c. Students will retell at least one part of The Little Red Hen. B. Materials 1. Think When You Read Chart or word Connect and definition laminated and posted on wall (Appendix B) 2. The Little Red Hen 3. Assessment Checklists (Appendix A) for each student Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 11 4. Bread recipe (Appendix C) 5. Ingredient and kitchen tools for recipe (Appendix C) 6. Aprons, one for each student and teacher C. Key Vocabulary 1. Connect 3 thinking about what you already know about the book D. Procedures/Activities Day One 1. Note to teacher: This lesson works well on the carpet and assumes that everyone is getting seated and ready to start. 2. Make the hand signal for connect (interlaced fingers). Students should respond with, cConnect means thinking about what you know about a book. d 3. Tell the students that today they will get to practice connecting to a story BEFORE, DURING and AFTER reading. 4. Hold up the book The Little Red Hen . 5. Ask students what to do first to connect BEFORE you start reading. Call on students. (Possible answers: Take a picture walk. Read the title and look at the pictures . ) 6. Take a picture walk with the students and ask them to tell you what they connect to. If they have trouble, remind them to think of other stories they have read and their lives. Then model a connection for them. For example, cThis story is about a hen, what do we already know about hens? d You can let them provide answers and/or you can say, cHens lay eggs. Hens have feathers. Hens 9 babies are called chicks. Hens have wings and claws instead of arms and legs. Hen is another word for chicken. d 7. Tell students they did a great job thinking of things they already know about this story. Ask them to raise their hand DURING the story if they think of any more connections. Students may raise their hands to share ideas such as cI have grown a garden before d or cI know what it is like when friends won 9t help me. d 8. Read The Little Red Hen aloud. Stop to call on students who raise their hands. If not a lot of students raise hands, model periodically what it means to make a connection during reading. Example: cI can connect to the Little Red Hen when she wants to make bread because I remember one time when I wanted to bake cookies. I did that by myself too. d 9. When finished reading, ask the students if they can think of any activities they could do AFTER reading to connect with this story. 10. Tell them that you thought of an activity (or if they come up with baking bread tell them you have the same idea), and your idea of a way to connect after reading is by baking bread tomorrow at school. 11. Remind them that the reason why we connect with books is to help our comprehension or help us remember what happens in stories. 12. Ask, cWhy do you think baking bread will help us remember what the Little Red Hen 9s story was about? d (because it will help us know how hard of a project she had to do by herself, because baking is exciting to do). Accept all answers that are plausible and perhaps add your own input. 13. When you call students to get up from the carpet, have them each recall/pronounce and define Connect. Mark your assessment checklist as you call each student. Day Two (can be combined with Day One if desired) 14. Note to teacher: You will have to determine your own best set-up for cooking. You may want to meet in the kitchen, you may want to make the dough together and then bake it when the students are not present or you may have a way to Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 12 bake in your room. It is definitely best to have all ingredients out and ready (and occasionally pre-measured for tough things 3 but letting the students watch or practice measuring is great math skill reinforcement.) 15. Hold up some whole wheat. Ask the students what they think this is for. (baking bread) 16. Ask them the retell the story of the Little Red Hen to you in order of all the steps she had to go through to get her bread (Grow the wheat, harvest it, get it ground, bake the bread). As students take turns telling parts of the story, mark this on your assessment checklist (see Appendix A). Tell them that they will only be doing the baking part and STILL you think they will begin to understand what a hard job the Little Red Hen had and therefore connect to her feelings in the end when she said she would eat it by herself. 17. Have students put on aprons. 18. Follow the bread recipe with the students together. See suggested recipes in Appendix C. I recommend the challenge recipe so students really understand how hard home made bread can be to make. I also suggest doing the recipe as one large group and taking turns to minimize the mess and ensure proper supervision. Finally, I recommend that every student be given a turn to knead the dough until they wear themselves out so that each student sees how hard this process is. Once you get to the point of letting the bread rise (or baking if you are not making yeast bread). Stop the recipe, clean up/wash hands and remove aprons. 19. Explain the final steps of the recipe to the students, and tell them that you will finish the recipe so they can have their bread for snack (in the afternoon or tomorrow). 20. Note to teacher: It is advisable to have some backup bread and perhaps also some jam on hand in case your class bread loaves do not turn out edible. 21. Ask the students; cDo you think the Little Red Hen had a hard job? d (Yes) cDid you know that baking bread was this hard before we did it? d (No) Do you think that this project helped you connect to and remember this story better? (Yes 3 hopefully). 22. This was a good example of a project you can do to help you connect to a story. Remember, the reason we try to connect to stories is so that we can remember what happens in a story. What is the big word for that? (Comprehension). E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. See Appendix A and Steps 13 and 16. On day one, mark your checklist for each student as you call them. Pay special attention to those who have not yet pronounced/recalled and defined Connect. On day two, mark your checklist as each child tells one part of the story. Lesson Six: Connect: Independent Practice and Assessment (one day, 30-45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. Understand and follow oral directions. b. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 13 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will give one example of how they connect to a story. B. Materials 1. Think When You Read Chart or word Connect and definition laminated and posted on wall (Appendix B) 2. Assessment Checklists (Appendix A) for each student 3. All Fiction Stories from Core Knowledge page 9 (or as many as you have access to), enough copies for each child to have one book (and a few extra if possible): a. The Bremen Town Musicians b. Chicken Little c. Cinderella d. Goldilocks and the Three Bears e. How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? f. King Midas and the Golden Touch g. The Legend of Jumping Mouse h. The Little Red Hen i. Little Red Riding Hood j. Momotaro: Peach Boy k. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs l. The Three Billy Goats Gruff m. The Three Little Pigs n. A Tug of War o. The Ugly Duckling p. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams q. Selections from Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne r. The Wolf and the Kids C. Key Vocabulary 1. Connect 3 thinking about what you already know about the book D. Procedures/Activities 1. Note to teacher: This lesson works well on the carpet and assumes that everyone is getting seated and ready to start. 2. Make the secret hand signal. Students should say with you, cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a story. d 3. Tell students that so far you have practiced connecting together. Today they have an important project to do to show you that they know what connect really means. 4. Tell students what the directions for the project are: a. Choose a book from the library. b. Look through the pictures in the story. c. Draw and write about at least one thing that you connect with from the story. Let students know that they should take their time and make it look their very best. When they finish, you will ask them to tell you about what they have done. Tell them they need to work quietly at their desks because while they are working, you will be calling students to go talk to you. Tell them they should keep working and thinking of more things for the whole work time (20 minutes) even if they feel like they finished one part. Tell them that when the work time is over, they will all get to share one thing that they connected with in their story. Gifted and Talented Accommodation: You may want to set writing goals for these students such as; write in sentences or write at least three ways you connect to the story. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 14 5. Have students repeat the directions to you and check to make sure everyone knows what to do. 6. Call students one at a time to choose a book and go back to start working. 7. Special Education Accommodation: Check in as soon as students start working to be sure that these students hear and understood your directions. Also, check in periodically during the work time to ensure that these students know what to do as they finish each step. Or, alternatively, encourage all your students to ask a friend if they come to a step and are unsure what to do next. 8. Once all students are working, call students for whom you still need to reassess any areas on the checklist concerning Connect. Allow students to work around 20 minutes. 9. When students are finished, have each student tell one thing about their work. As they share, mark the last area on the checklist assessing if they gave one example of something they connected with. Instead of putting any student on the spot, if they do not give a good example, follow up with them during clean up or another time to see if you can ask more questions to elicit a good example. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. See Appendix A and steps six and seven. Reassess any students who have not yet mastered pronunciation/recall and definition for connect. Also, during sharing, mark checklist for those who gave an example. You may also want to put their example in the comment area OR collect their papers as record of their understanding. Lesson Seven: Predict BEFORE You Read (two days, 30 minutes/day) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. The Legend of Jumping Mouse b. Understand and follow oral directions. c. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. d. Tell in his or her own words what happened in stories or parts of stories, and predict what will happen next in stories. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will contribute at least one idea to the retelling of the story The Legend of Jumping Mouse. b. Students will make at least one prediction about what happens in a story. B. Materials 1. The Legend of Jumping Mouse 2. Think When You Read chart or work Predict and definition laminated and posted under the word Connect (Appendix B, page 3) 3. Chart paper and markers (suggested: green, yellow, red and one other color) C. Key Vocabulary 1. Predict 3 thinking about what will happen in the story 2. Prediction 3 a guess about what will happen next in a story Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 15 D. Procedures/Activities Day One 1. Note to teacher: This lesson works well on the carpet and assumes that everyone is getting seated and ready to start. 2. Make your hand signal for Connect. Congratulate students who say cConnect means thinking about what you already know about a story. d 3. Tell students that they have mastered what it means to connect to a story. From now on, every time they read a story, they should find AT LEAST one way to connect with the story before, during or after they read. 4. Hold up the book The Story of Jumping Mouse and read the title. 5. Take students on a picture walk and ask them to raise their hands to tell something they connect with in the story. 6. Once a few students have shared ideas, tell them that now they are ready to learn the next skill to help them understand what they read 3 the next skill for comprehension. 7. Tell them that the next skill is called predict. Have them say the word predict a few times with you as you point to it hanging on your wall. 8. Tell them you have a new secret signal to help them remember and learn the word predict. 9. Have all students stand in their place and demonstrate a small jump in place. Have students practice the new signal with you. You may want to say one, two, three, and then jump so that students stay focused and together. As you jump you should say, cPredict means thinking about what will happen in the story. d 10. Ask everyone to be seated. Ask students, cNow that you know the secret signal, do you have any ideas about what predict might mean? d (guess). 11. Take a few ideas and then point to the words and read, cPredict means thinking about what will happen in the story. d Explain to students that predict is something they do before they read a story or a part of a story. Tell them another word for predict is guess, and the little jump you taught them is the same as what they do in their heads to make a guess. You have to make a brain jump to imagine what the story will tell you. 12. Hold up The Story of Jumping Mouse again. Explain that picture walks are a good place to start when you want to predict, just like a picture walk is a good place to start when you want to connect. 13. Ask the students to look at the cover picture with you and tell them that you are going to make a prediction (which is what you do when you predict). Tell them after you take a turn it will be their turns so they should listen and watch carefully. 14. Point out some things that you see in the cover picture. Example: I see a mouse, it looks like he is outside somewhere, and he might be eating because of the way his little paws are up by his face. I am going to put all that information into my brain and use it to make my guess or prediction about what will happen. Here is my prediction: I think that this story will be about a mouse that lives outside, a wild mouse. I think that this story might be about the mouse eating, but I am really not sure because I cannot tell what his paws are doing. 15. Write your prediction on chart paper with your name in front of it. (You may just want to write a few main points from your prediction instead of complete sentences. Make sure to tell the students what you are doing.) 16. Read the title again and take students on another picture walk through the story. 17. This time stop on each page, and ask them to raise their hands if they have a guess about what this page or the story might be about. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 16 18. Each time a student makes a prediction, you may want to help guide them in their wording. Make sure they start their answer with cMy prediction is d or cI think this story/page is about. d 19. Once the student has a complete prediction, write it on the chart paper with their name next to it. This will help you to assess who has made predictions. An example of a prediction that a student might make is, cI think this story is about a mouse that goes on a big trip. d 20. If students have a hard time making predictions, you should model another prediction. 21. Note to teacher: You should make sure to get to the last few pages because when the mouse turns to an eagle is a good place to practice predicting what happened. 22. Once you have made predictions for all or most of the pages in the story, tell students that now, as they read, they get to watch to see if their predictions come true. 23. Note to teacher: You will probably need to discuss with students that it DOES NOT MATTER if their prediction is cright d or cwrong d because all the predictions that they made are right in the sense that they make sense as guesses from looking at the pictures. So, if their predictions do not come true in the story, it just means that the pictures had information in them that did not tell the story in the same way as the words. They are sort of like detectives looking to see if the author and the illustrator (or the writer and the picture maker 3 if you have not discussed the terms) put the same information in the story. 24. Tell students that they have made awesome predictions and that you will read the story tomorrow to see if these predictions are really what happens in the story. 25. Ask them to stand up with you and do their new signal while they say their new word. Tell students to do it on the count of three. Say one, two, three and then jump and say, cPredict means thinking about what will happen in the story. d Day Two 26. Note to teacher: This lesson works well on the carpet and assumes that everyone is getting seated and ready to start. 27. Ask students to stand and practice their new word and signal with you. Say, cone, two, three, predict means thinking about what will happen in the story. d 28. Tell students today is the day they get to read The Story of Jumping Mouse to see if their predictions really happen in the story. 29. Read the list of predictions made the day before. 30. Tell students that you will read the whole story without a lot of stopping, but they should remember to look and see if their prediction comes true in the story because you will discuss it at the end. 31. Read The Story of Jumping Mouse aloud. If students raise their hands to share, it is okay to stop briefly for a few discussions about predictions as long as it is not too disruptive to the story. 32. When you finish the story, tell students that you will now read the list of predictions to see if they came true. Ask students to give you thumbs up for each prediction that came true in the story, thumbs down for those that did not and thumbs sideways if they are not sure. 33. Keep track of what students vote with colors or symbols. (I use: green = true in this story, red = not true in this story, yellow = we could not decide.) 34. For any predictions where large groups of students disagree with one another, stop and go back in the story to reread the part in question and, through discussion, try to guide students to agreement. If only a few students seem to be Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 17 getting the answers wrong here, you may want to note this and if the student continues to be confused, you may want to schedule individual re-teaching time. 35. Tell students that you are impressed with their first try at making predictions and watching to see if they came true!! 36. Ask them to stand up with you and do their new signal while they say their new word. Tell students to do it on the count of three. Say one, two, three and then jump and say, cPredict means thinking about what will happen in the story. d 37. Remind students that this skill you are teaching them is supposed to help them remember the story. 38. Say, cNow let 9s see if you can remember what happens in this story. Let 9s see if this new skill helps you with comprehension. d 39. Ask students to raise their hands if they can share with you the things that really happened in the story. Tell them that each student needs to share one thing that happened. Call on students to share and mark assessment checklist area for retelling The Legend of Jumping Mouse. Students should include characters, settings and/or events in their responses. A sample response is, cThis story was about a nice mouse that turned into an eagle. d E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. See Appendix A and Procedure steps 19 and 40. Use your chart paper list of predictions to mark checklist for students who made a prediction. Mark checklists during assessment times for step 40. Lesson Eight: Predict: BEFORE and DURING your reading (one day, 30 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. The Three Billy Goats Gruff b. Understand and follow oral directions. c. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. d. Tell in his or her own words what happened in stories or parts of stories, and predict what will happen next in stories. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will contribute at least one idea to the retelling of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. b. Students will make at least one prediction about what happens in a story. B. Materials 1. The Three Billy Goats Gruff 2. One copy of pictures of each Billy Goat Gruff and one of each sign saying cNo Billy Goats d and cAll 3 Billy Goats d (Appendix E) 3. Counters, or some type of object so that each child and teacher can have one of the same, put into a bag with their name on it C. Key Vocabulary 1. Predict 3 thinking about what will happen in the story 2. Prediction 3 a guess about what will happen next in a story Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 18 D. Procedures/Activities 1. Note to teacher: This lesson works well on the carpet and assumes that everyone is getting seated and ready to start. 2. Ask students to stand and practice both of their new words and signals with you. Say, cone, two, three, connect means thinking about what you already know about a story, predict means thinking about what will happen in the story. d 3. Hold up the book The Three Billy Goats Gruff . 4. Read the title. Turn a few of the pages and ask the students if they see anything that they connect with in this story. Take a few verbal answers. 5. Remind students that another word for predict is guess. Then, tell them today they are going to play a guessing game. 6. Hold up a bag with the counter in it. 7. Tell them that today they are going to have to make guesses so they need to listen carefully to the rules of the game. Tell them that this is a game just for fun and it does not really matter if anyone wins or loses. 8. In order to play this game, they have to make a prediction or a guess about The Three Billy Goats Gruff . 9. Tell the students that this story is about three billy goats and a troll who wants to eat them. Tell them that you are going to take them on a picture walk, and that their job is to look as carefully as they can at the pictures so they can predict or guess which billy goat in the story gets eaten by the troll. Tell them their choices for making guesses (and point to each sign that should be placed in a nearby area): no billy goats get eaten, the baby gets eaten, the medium billy goat gets eaten, the big billy goat gets eaten or all three billy goats get eaten. 10. Page through the book and make sure all students get a chance to see every picture. (If students pay close attention they should be able to predict immediately that all three billy goats live and the troll washes down the river, so you may want to say to them not to tell others about what they see on the picture walk.) 11. Once you have shown the whole book, call each student to come up, get their object and place it on the picture or sign for who they predict will be eaten. Check off the appropriate assessment category for cmakes one prediction. d (See Appendix A.) 12. When all the bags are placed, tell the students that they have now made a prediction. Tell them that you are making a prediction too and place your bag on the baby billy goat. 13. Tell students that just like it is always a good idea to change your predictions when you read the story and find out more, you are going to let them change their predictions as you read the story. Tell them that you will begin reading and every so often you will stop and allow them to raise their hand if they would like to change their prediction. 14. Begin reading. Stop right after you meet the billy goats (page 1). Ask if anyone would like to change their prediction. If any students raise their hands, ask them why they want to change their prediction. (You should guide students to the conclusion that they really do not have new information yet about who will be eaten, so it does not make sense to change their predictions yet.) 15. Then, stop after the first baby billy goat gives his excuse for why he should not be eaten (page 5). Model for the children a good reason to change your prediction by saying, cI see that this baby billy goat is tricky and he has a good excuse to keep the troll from eating him, so I am changing my prediction to the medium size billy goat. d Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 19 16. Ask if any students want to change their prediction. Allow those who would like to change to come up and move their bag. Give as many hints as you would like to get students to change their predictions especially if you know of some students who are particularly sensitive to closing. d 17. Continue reading and when you find out that the baby billy goat does not get eaten, collect any bags left on his picture and say, cThis billy goat got past the troll without getting eaten, so these predictions did not come true. d 18. Next, stop after the second billy goat gives his excuse for not being eaten (page 7). 19. Ask if any students want to change their prediction. Allow those who would like to change to come up and move their bag. 20. Then model for them why you are changing your bag by saying, cI see that this billy goat is a tricky animal too, so I am going to move my bag to the big billy goat. d 21. Allow another chance for students to move their bags if they would like. 22. Before you start reading again, ask students, cDo you see why sometimes the more you find out as you read, the more it makes sense to change your prediction? d (Yes). 23. Continue and remove any bags that are on the medium billy goat once you read that he does not get eaten. 24. Stop when the big billy goat threatens the troll (page 9). 25. Ask if any students want to change their prediction and call on them to come up and move their bags. 26. You can choose to leave your bag if you want, and tell them that you think the troll is not going to be scared, or you can move your bag to no billy goats getting eaten because you think the troll 9s face looks scared and the billy goat looks awfully big. 27. Note to teacher: If all the students have the idea that they should probably change, you can leave your bag so that they feel like they win. OR if some students are not changing off the big billy goat, you might want to change so that they get the idea that they might want to change too. 28. Finish the story and collect any more bags that were on the signs that do not have the right prediction. 29. Tell the students, that many times, changing your prediction while you are reading helps you get closer and closer to what happens in the story. Hold up the bags from the cno billy goats get eaten d sign and say that is what happened with these predictions. Then say, cSometimes even while we are reading and changing our predictions we still do not know what will happen next, and that is okay too because it means that the pictures might not have enough information for you to tell what happens next. d 30. Ask students if they are allowed to change their predictions while they are reading stories? (yes). 31. Tell them that this is an important new fact that they learned about predictions. 32. Remind the students that making predictions helps comprehension. It helps readers remember what happens in a story. 33. Tell the students that when you call them to return to their seats, they need to tell you one thing they remember happening in the story. As each child does this, mark their checklist for cretells at least one part of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. d E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. See Appendix A and step 11 and 33. Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 20 Lesson Nine: Predict: More Practice and Final Assessment (two days, 30 minutes per day) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand a variety of text, both fiction and non-fiction. (adapted from Core Knowledge, page 8 and Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #1) b. Students will recognize how to apply thinking skills to their reading. (adapted from Colorado State Standard, Reading and Writing #4) 2. Lesson Content a. How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have b. Understand and follow oral directions. c. Listen to and understand a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. d. Tell in his or her own words what happened in stories or parts of stories, and predict what will happen next in stories. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Students will make at least one prediction that makes sense. b. Students will recall/pronounce and define predict. B. Materials 1. Leopard patterns, enough for each child to have one and a few extra for mishaps (see Appendix F) 2. Scrap paper, enough for each child to use a few colors 3. Crayons/markers, enough for each child to share some with a partner or two partners 4. How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? 5. Glue, one for each child C. Key Vocabulary 1. Predict 3 thinking about what will happen next in a story 2. Prediction 3 a guess about what will happen next in a story D. Procedures/Activities Day One 1. Note to teacher: This lesson works well if you give directions at the carpet and then send students to their desks to do their work. It assumes that you are all ready to start on the carpet. 2. Ask students to stand and practice both of their new words and signals with you. Say, cOne, two, three, connect means thinking about what you already know about a story, predict means thinking about what will happen in the story. d 3. Once the kids are seated, hold up the book How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? and Other Tales. 4. Show the students the picture at the beginning and read the title. Ask them if they can think of anything to help them connect to the story before they read it. 5. Take a few answers. 6. Tell the students that this story is an African folk tale about a leopard who really thinks he is beautiful. He asks his friends to help him admire himself by counting his spots to see how many he has. 7. Tell the students that the animals are not really very good counters, and they come up with some funny and tricky answers. 8. Tell your students that their job is to predict how many spots the animals in the story decide that the leopard has. 9. Show them the leopard patterns. Tell them that they will each get a pattern to take back to their desk. When they get their pattern they need to follow certain steps: Kindergarten, Comprehension Skills: Connect and Predict Using Fiction Stories 2004 Colorado Summer Writing Institute 21 a. Get scrap paper bits to cut into spots. b. Make and glue as many spots on the leopard as you think the animals decided that he has. c. Add any other parts of your leopard (like eyes or a mouth) that you want using crayon or markers. d. Clean up your area and look at a book until everyone finishes. Gifted and T

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