Building Standards Aligned Read-Alouds
Grades P – 3 ELA
Summer 2017
We know from experience the hard work teachers face every day as they
strive to help their students meet the challenges set by higher standards.
We are dedicated to empowering teachers by providing free, high-quality
standards-aligned resources for the classroom, the opportunity for immersive
training through our Institute, and the option of support through our website
offerings.
We are a team of current and former classroom teachers, curriculum writers,
school leaders and education experts who have worked in the public, private,
and nonprofit sectors.
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Agenda
I.
Roman
II.
Numeraled
III.
In ALL
IV.
Decks
V.
Before OBJECTIVES
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Objectives
Participants will be able to:
• List objectives here in this format
• For all days
• All decks
• After AGENDA
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From Title of Previous Day’s Session(s)
Feedback on Feedback
Plus
Delta
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Welcome to the Read-Aloud
• Good Morning!
• Please relax and get comfortable. We’ll be working with the materials in the
middle of your tables in a few minutes, no need to do anything with them
yet – you’ll also be getting handouts in a little while.
• Looking forward to our work together!
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What is the Read Aloud Project?
1. With your group, examine the artifacts in each section.
•
What do you notice?
•
What do you wonder?
2. Record observations and questions on the chart paper
provided.
3. At the signal, move clockwise to the next station and repeat.
You will have approximately 5 minutes at each station.
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Discuss
What did you see that surprised or intrigued you?
In what ways might this Read-Aloud process be different from
Read-Alouds you’ve done before?
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Purpose and Goals of the Read Aloud
Project (RAP) for our Teachers
• Learning together what work worth doing looks like
for children in grades P-3
• Tapping into the power of collaboration to create
more together than any of us can separately
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Purpose and Goals of the Read Aloud
Project (RAP) for our Students
• Creating thoughtful readers while achieving the standards through listening
to books read aloud
• Building knowledge of the world and the words that describe it from the very
beginning days of school
• Allowing every child equal access to meaningful learning
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How do we begin?
Choosing the right book!
• Should not be anything students can read on their own
• Rule of thumb: 2-3 years above grade level of class, in some cases can be
even more
• Worth reading multiple times!
• Rich in opportunities to build knowledge
• Rich in opportunities to build vocabulary
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Building Knowledge
• From the standards, “…texts within and across grade levels need to be
selected from topics and themes that systematically develop the knowledge
base of students.”
• Also from the standards, “Within a grade level, there should be an adequate
number of titles on a single topic that would allow students to study that
topic for a sustained period.”
• This does not mean the death of Goodnight Moon or Dr. Seuss.
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A Key Difference
What About Skills and Strategies?
• Focus on MEANING
• Skills and strategies are embedded
• OK to go over them, at the end!
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What Makes a Read-Aloud Complex?
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What Makes a Read-Aloud Complex?
• Layers of meaning
• Purpose
• Concept complexity
• Vocabulary
• Sentence length & structure
• Figurative language
• Regional /historical usage
(dialects)
• Text features
• Genre
• Organization
Meaning
Structure
Language
Knowledge
• Background
• Experiences
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Listen: What makes this Read Aloud Complex?
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY
A fable by Mary Howitt (1799-1888)
“Will you step into my parlor?”
said the spider to the fly;
“ ’Tis the prettiest little parlor
that ever you did spy.
The way into my parlor is
up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things
to show when you are there.”
Thinking about complexity in The Spider and the Fly
“And take a lesson
from this tale…”
“For who goes up
your winding stair can
ne’er go down again.”
Meaning
Structure
Language
Knowledge
“Will you walk
into my parlor?”
said the Spider
to the Fly
“And if you like to
rest awhile, I’ll
snugly tuck you in”
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Example from The Spider and the Fly
4-5PAGE
Band
• SCREEN SHOT OF DIANA’S COMPLETED WHAT MAKES THIS READLEXILE:
ALOUD Grade
COMPLEX
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Other questions to consider…
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What does this look like in the template?
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You try!
Work with all of the members of your writing team to:
1. Read your book out loud. Enjoy it!
2. Complete the “What Makes This Read-Aloud
Complex” page in the template.
Refer to Step #1 and #2 on the Checklist
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Reflect
How might analyzing text in this way affect
instruction?
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Types of Text-Dependent Questions
When you're writing a set of questions,
consider the following categories:
•
Questions that support the understanding
of meaning.
•
Questions that support the understanding
of language.
•
Questions that support the understanding
of structure.
•
Questions that build a knowledge base.
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Crafting High Quality Text-Dependent Questions
Examples
Non-examples
How does the Spider trick the
Fly?
Have you ever been tricked by someone?
What does it feel like to be tricked?
What do you think, “set his
table ready means”?
If you were making Spider’s dinner, what would you
put on the menu? Brainstorm things Spider might eat,
and make a menu with pictures of each.
Who is talking here? How do
you know?
In this story, the Spider and the Fly are talking to each
other. I’m going to use two different voices when I
read so you can tell the difference. I’ll use a high,
sweet voice for the fly. (Doesn’t she look sweet?)
And a low, spooky voice for the Spider because he
looks like a scary character.
Ne’er is an old-fashioned
word. What word do you
know that sounds like ne’er?
Ne’er is an old-fashioned word that means never.
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Read the lesson plan. Color code each question or
activity to reflect the type of complexity it is
designed to address.
Meaning
Structure
Language
Knowledge
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Reflect
What did you notice about the way the
sequence was constructed?
What questions do you have?
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Crafting an RA Sequence
How do I start?
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Begin with the end in mind.
Identify a “Big Idea”…
FOCUSING QUESTION:
What do I want
my students to
learn?
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What’s the Big Idea?
•
Reverse-engineered or backward-designed
•
Crucial for creating a sequenced set of questions, activities,
and tasks – line of inquiry
•
Critical for creating an appropriate culminating assignment
A Big Idea for The Spider and the Fly
FOCUSING QUESTION:
Don’t let yourself be
tricked by sweet,
flattering words.
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Work backward to a Focusing Question or set of
Focusing Questions to guide your lessons.
FOCUSING QUESTION:
BIG IDEA:QUESTION:
Don’t be let yourself be
tricked by sweet,
flattering words.
How does the Spider
trick the Fly into his
web?
What is the lesson
in this story?
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Take a Test Drive
How many pieces of evidence can you find?
If you find fewer than FIVE, you need a stronger question.
What does this look like in the template?
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How does the Spider trick the Fly into his web?
What is this story trying to teach us?
Lesson Objective:
Students will listen to an illustrated narrative poem read aloud and use literacy skills (reading,
writing, discussing and listening) to understand the central message of the poem.
Teacher Instructions: (Before the Lesson)
Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings in the Synopsis below. Please do not read this to the
students. This is a description to help you prepare to teach the book and be clear about what you
want your students to take away from the work.
Big Idea/ Key Understanding/ Focusing Questions:
How does the Spider trick the Fly into his web? The spider uses flattery to trick the Fly into his
web. What is this story trying to teach us? Don’t let yourself be tricked by sweet, flattering
words.
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You try!
Work with all of the members of your writing team to:
1. Come to consensus about the “Big Idea” of your book.
2. Write the Big Idea and Synopsis in the template.
Refer to Step #3 on the Checklist
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Reflect
What are the advantages of identifying a
focus for the lesson set?
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Begin With the End in Mind.
Creating a Culminating Task
How will students show you they understand the
“Big Idea”?
• Write?
• Draw?
• Discuss?
• Present?
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Example of a Culminating Task
• What is “the lesson of this tale”? What is this story
trying to teach us?
Use pictures and words to show what the author wants
us to learn from the story in this book.
Circulate as students work, encouraging them to tell you
more about their drawings and writing. Share responses
in small groups or display on a bulletin board.
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What does this look like in the template?
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You try!
Work with all of the members of your writing team to:
1. Brainstorm possible Culminating Tasks that will show
students understand the “Big Idea” of your book.
2. Write the Culminating Task in the template.
Refer to Step #4 on the Checklist
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Share
What are some ideas for Culminating Tasks?
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Now that “the end” is clearly in mind…
How do we get there?
Go back to the text!
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A reminder of where we are headed
FOCUSING
QUESTION:
How does the
Spider trick the Fly
into his web?
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Where will my students need support?
Example from The Spider and The Fly
Layers of meaning:
The story has an
overall message:
“And take a
lesson from
this tale…”
Figurative
language:
“close heart and
ears and eyes”
Old-fashioned language:
“parlor” and “ne’er”
Meaning
Structure
Language
Knowledge
Structure:
Alternating dialogue
between two
characters:
“…said the Spider
to the Fly”
Knowledge:
Students may
need background
information on how
spiders live and eat
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How can I help students to understand
the lesson in the story?
Layers of meaning:
the lesson in
this tale
Meaning
A Set of Repeating Text-Dependent Questions:
• How does the Spider try to trick the Fly?
• What does the Fly do?
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How does the Spider trick the Fly into his web?
How does the Spider try to
trick the Fly into his web?
What does the Fly say or
do?
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Add an activity to help them see a pattern
in the answers…
How does the Spider try to trick the Fly
into his web?
What does the Fly
say or do?
Invites her to see cool things in his parlor O no, no
Says she can rest in a comfortable bed
O no, no
Offers her yummy things to eat
Tells her to look in the mirror to see how
pretty she is
Tells her that her wings and body and
eyes are beautiful
O no, no
I thank you, gentle sir
Comes nearer and
nearer
A Note on On Note-taking in Early Elementary
• Modeling is critical
• Notes can be taken by the teacher and/or students
• Notes can take the form of text, illustrations, or drawings
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Where will my students need support?
Alternating dialogue
between two
characters
Structure
Text-Dependent Questions:
• Who is talking here?
• How do you know Spider is talking?
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Add an activity to help them “feel” the
structure…
Hold up your
puppet to show
me who is
talking.
http://diterlizzi.com/home/project/the-spider-and-the-fly/
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Where will my students need support?
Text-Dependent Questions:
• What is a spider’s “table”?
• What does “set his table ready” mean?
Knowledge
Information about
how spiders live and
eat
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Build a Knowledge Base
Draw a picture of what Spider is doing.
Add an activity to assess understanding
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Where will my students need support?
Text-Dependent Questions:
• Ne’er is an old-fashioned word. What word do
you know that sounds like ne’er?
• Why do you think the bugs “ne’er come down
again”?
Language
Old-fashioned and
figurative language
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Add an Activity to Support Basic
Comprehension
Act out the passages
to help students paraphrase the poem (repeat
after each exchange between Spider and Fly):
Come into my living
room, little fly. It’s right
upstairs and there are
lots of cool things to
see there.
No way! When
someone goes into
your living room,
they never come
out again!
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Emphasize Vocabulary
Which words should be taught?
– Essential to text
– Likely to appear in future texts students will choose or be asked to read
Which words should get relatively more time and attention?
– Part of semantic word family
(grow, grows, grown, growing, growth; mix, mixes, mixed)
– Relatively more abstract
symbols, doubt, control
– Refer to an idea, concept, event likely less familiar to many students at
that grade level
symbol, “break through”, doubt
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Emphasize Vocabulary
Which words get relatively less time and attention
– Concrete
twirling, huge,
– Refer to an idea, concept, event likely more familiar or easy for most
students to visualize
circle (verb), tossed, huge, together
Words requiring less time are essential to teach.
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Using Your Complexity Analysis
How will you help students “get it”?
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A Model to Support the Work
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You try!
Work with all of the members of your writing team to:
1.
Brainstorm ideas for addressing the complexities you identified.
2.
Record your ideas in the “Helping Students Navigate Text Complexity
Worksheet”.
Refer to Step #5 on the Checklist
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Reflect
How will this type of planning help your
students to better understand complex
text?
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Preparing to Complete the Template
Break the text down into manageable “chunks” for rereading.
With your group, reread the text, dividing it into four (or more)
logical sections for instruction.
Refer to Step #6 on the Checklist
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And finally…
Design the sequence of text-dependent questions and activities
that will lead students to a deeper understanding of the text and
your “Big Idea”.
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Building Aligned Read-Alouds
Day 2 Grades P – 3 ELA
Summer 2017
What have we accomplished so far?
RAP: Checklist for Completing the Template
√
Check each step as it is completed.
Read the book/text closely.
Complete the What Makes This Text Complex page.
Write the Synopsis and clearly state the Big Ideas, Key Understandings, or Focusing Question in the template. Think about what
students will know and do as a result of this read-aloud.
Create the Culminating Task. What will students do to show you they understand the Big Idea?
Brainstorm ideas for helping students overcome the challenges in reading this complex text by completing the Helping Students
Navigate Text Complexity Worksheet.
Carefully re-read the book, and divide the book into four or more “chunks” for instruction.
Create a sequence of questions, activities, and tasks in the template. While working, identify and categorize vocabulary using the
Vocabulary table in the template (Note: this can be done while creating text dependent questions, or while re-reading the text
solely for vocabulary).
Verify state standards and insert into the template.
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Putting It All Together in the Template
FIRST READING:
Questions/Activities/Vocabulary/Tasks
Pull the students together or use a
document camera so that all can enjoy the
illustrations. Read aloud the entire book
with minimal interruption.
Since the poem is written as a dialogue
between the Spider and the Fly, consider
pulling in a second reader and taking parts,
or reading in two distinct voices.
Expected Outcome or Response (for each)
The goal here is for students to enjoy the
book – the words, the rhythm and the
pictures, and to experience it as a whole.
Don’t be concerned if students understand
very little on this first reading. The idea is to
give them some context and a sense of the
characters and story before they dive into
examining parts of the book more carefully.
After the first reading, have each student
create two stick puppets, one of Spider and
one of Fly to use during subsequent
readings.
Puppets are downloadable from the author’s
website
http://diterlizzi.com/home/project/thespider-and-the-fly/, or can be drawn by the
students and attached to popsicle sticks.
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Text-Dependent Questions, Activities, and
Tasks
•
Pull students back to the text.
•
Can be literal (checking for understanding) but must also involve analysis,
synthesis, evaluation.
•
Focus on word, sentence, and paragraph, as well as larger ideas, themes,
or events.
•
Focus on difficult portions of text in order to enhance reading proficiency.
•
Lead students to a larger understanding – often culminate in prompts for
writing or discussion.
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Construct your own sequence of TDQ’s and tasks.
Questions/Activities/Vocabulary/Tasks
Expected Outcome or Response (for each)
Fill in the chart:
Direct the rest of the class to watch
the scene, and then pose the
following questions:
See sample graphic organizer in
Teacher Notes. Possible responses:
• How does the Spider try to trick
the Fly into his web?
• What does the Fly say?
Record a response to each question
on a class chart using words, pictures
from the text, quick sketches or some
combination of the three.
How does the
Spider try to
trick the Fly into
his web?
What does the Fly
say or do?
Tells her there are
cool things
to see in his
parlor.
Oh no, no!
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What does this look like in the template?
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You try!
Work with all of the members of your writing team to:
1.
Develop a series of text-specific questions, activities, tasks, and
vocabulary.
2.
This will take quite a bit of time…
3.
Be sure to capture your ideas in the template.
Refer to Step #7 on the Checklist
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Share
• Book
• Big Idea
• Culminating Task
• Questions/Activities to Address Complexity
• Meaning, Language, Structure, Knowledge
• Strongest Sequence of Questions
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But what about the standards?
• Reread your plan. List (by number), the standards you feel you solidly
address in the sequence you created.
• What do you notice?
Refer to Step #8 on the Checklist
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But what about the standards?
• Once all questions, activities, tasks, and vocabulary have been outlined –
align with the standards.
• Make any adjustments as needed or plan ahead
• Why wait to the end of the planning process?
Refer to Step #8 on the Checklist
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The standards
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Discuss
• In what ways is the sequence you created
similar to read-alouds you have done in
the past?
• In what ways is it different? What are
some of the reasons for these differences?
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Clean-up and Prepare
• Clean-up any loose threads in
your lesson progress – It’s OK
if you did not finish.
• Prepare to present your
progress:
–Why you chose the book
–Book synopsis
–Essential question
Lesson Share Out
Research Packs and Text Sets
Research Packs:
Text Sets:
• Guides students and teachers
through the process of focused
research and writing to inform
or explain.
• Centers on a single topic (i.e., insects, desert
animals, entrepreneurship) and contains a
variety of resources (i.e., books, articles,
videos, websites, infographics)
• Emphasizes key aspects of the
Common Core, including
building knowledge from
reading grade-level
informational text and using
evidence from text in writing.
• Purposely orders resources to support
students in building vocabulary and
knowledge
• Addresses a content standard
and builds a focused knowledge
base to solidly address Writing
Standards 2, 7 and 8.
• Includes suggested activities to be
completed after each resource to
demonstrate comprehension and students’
building knowledge and/or vocabulary
• Is designed to be completed with increasing
independence by students
Alignment Projects
Basal Alignment Project
Anthology Alignment Project
The Basal Alignment Project offers
replacement lessons for Basal readers
developed prior to the Common Core State
Standards. Hundreds of teachers worked
collaboratively to develop these materials.
Each lesson has been authored, edited, and
reviewed by a team of teachers to improve
CCSS alignment.
The Anthology Alignment Project offers
replacement lessons for anthologies
developed prior to the Common Core State
Standards. Hundreds of teachers worked
collaboratively to develop these materials.
Each lesson has been authored, edited, and
reviewed by a team of teachers to improve
CCSS alignment.
http://achievethecore.org/category/411/ela-literacy-lessons
Explore the Resources
Review
Tools for Both/And Elements of Aligned
Instruction
• Fluency Guides
• Fluency Rubric
• 44 Sounds / 150 Spellings Table
• Juicy Sentence Process
• Creating Text Dependent Questions Handout
• Complexity Wheel
• Read Aloud Project
• What else will help you?
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Both/And Aligned Instruction
Standing Take-Aways
• What do you now know that you did not know before?
• What do you now think that you did not think before?
• What will you now do that you did not do before?
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Image Credits
Slide 26-28: AmyRudat
Slide 39: VWC
Slide 40: Amy Rudat
Slide 47: http://diterlizzi.com/home/project/the-spider-and-the-fly/
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