Session 2: The First 60 Days of Instruction: Examining
Critical Lesson Types that Build Across Grades
Sequence of Sessions
Overarching Objectives of this July 2013 Network Team Institute
1. Participants will be able to accurately identify the instructional and support materials (e.g., cards, posters) required for Skills strand
implementation and will demonstrate use of support materials in ways that coincide with instructional lessons/pacing.
2. Participants will be able to articulate the assessment procedures and tools available in the CKLA Skills strand and will apply this knowledge to
case studies, demonstrating initial placements consistent with the guidance given in CKLA and use of CKLA ongoing assessments to support a
flexible grouping approach.
3. Participants will be able to demonstrate how CKLA Skills strand materials can be used to support a differentiated approach to Tier 1
instruction and will be able to describe how CKLA Skills materials could be incorporated into a multi-tiered approach to K–2 ELA instruction.
4. Participants will be able to identify the student learning goals that will be covered grade-by-grade (K–2) in the first 60 days of instruction and
the lesson types that will support this learning.
High-Level Purpose of this Session
Participants will consider the general pacing and scope and sequence of lesson types for the Skills strand across the year. Participants will focus
deeply on two to three key lesson types and will gain experience in dissecting the lesson for planning purposes, practicing key instructional
strategies used within varied lesson types, and will consider how adjustments may be made within lessons to support various learners. Principals
will take a similarly ‘deep dive’ into the lessons with a grade level team, with the purpose of gaining a strong working knowledge of the program,
which is necessary for their support as instructional leaders.
Related Learning Experiences
1. This training is the second in a series of trainings on the use of CKLA–NY. It provides background knowledge that will be relevant to upcoming
trainings on implementing additional lessons from the Skills strand to occur at a future date.
Session Outcomes
What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of this session?
How will we know that they are able to do this?
In this session participants will:
1. Gain familiarity with the scope and sequence of the skills strand and lesson types
that are critical across all grades.
2. Gain knowledge of how to dissect the lessons within the Teachers’ Guide for
planning and implementation purposes and will gain skill in implementing key lesson
types.
Session Overview
Section
Time
Overview
Prepared Resources
25
Section 1:
Examining a Basic minutes
Code Lesson and
Creating a
Checklist
Instructors will model
dissection of a Basic Code
lesson identifying critical
behaviors for
implementation.
PPT:
Section 2:
Examining a Tricky
Word Lesson and
Creating a Checklist
Instructors will guide
PPT:
dissection of a Tricky Word 1. NTI_July2013_Session2_TheFirst60daysofInstruction_KeylessonTy
lesson identifying critical
pes.pptx
behaviors for
implementation.
Handouts:
1. BlankChecklist_TrickyWordLesson
2. Checklist_TrickyWordLesson
3. GradeK_TrickyWord
45
minutes
1. NTI_July2013_Session2_TheFirst60daysofInstruction_KeylessonTy
pes.pptx
Handouts:
1. CondensedLessonTypes
2. BlankChecklist_BasicCodeLesson
3. Checklist_BasicCodeLesson
4. GradeK_BasicCode
5. Grade1_BasicCode
6. Grade1_BasicCodeReader
7. Grade1_BasicCodeWkbkpages
8. Grade2_BasicCode&CloseReadLesson
Facilitator
Preparation
4. Grade1_TrickyWord
5. Grade2_TrickyWord
Section 3:
Examining
Advanced Code:
Alternative Spelling
and Tricky Spelling
Lessons and
Creating Checklists
90
minutes
Participants will dissect an PPT:
Advanced Code lesson
1. NTI_July2013_Session2_TheFirst60daysofInstruction_KeylessonTy
identifying critical
pes.pptx
behaviors for
implementation.
Handouts:
1. BlankChecklistTricky.SpellAlt
2. Checklist_TrickySpellAlt
3. GradeK_TrickySpelling
4. GradeK_TrickySpellingReader
5. GradeK_TrickySpellingWkbk
6. GradeK_SpellingAlternatives
7. Grade1_TrickySpelling
8. Grade2_TrickySpelling
9. Grade2_SpellingAlternative
10. Grade1_VowelDigraphs_Lesson
11. BlankChecklist_VowelDigraphs
12. Checklist_VowelDigraphs
13. Basic&AdvancedDescriptions
14. VowelDigraphDescription
Section 4: Your
Turn: Grade
Specific Lesson
30
minutes
Participants will dissect a
grade specific lesson
identifying critical
behaviors for
implementation.
Materials used include:
1. NTI_July2013_Session2_TheFirst60daysofInstruction_KeyLessonT
ypes.pptx
Handouts:
1. BlankChecklist_DemoStory
2. Checklist_DemoStory
3. GradeK_DemonstrationStory
4. GradeK_FastFredDemoStory
5. BlankChecklist_ReadingTime
6. Checklist_ReadingTime
7. Grade1_ReadingTime_Lesson
8. Grade1_ReadingTime_TwoDogs
9. Grade1_TwoDogs_Wkbkpages
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Grade1_ReadingLessonAnecdotal
BlankChecklist_CloseRead
Checklist_CloseRead
Grade2_BasicCode&CloseReadLesson
Grade2_TheMilk_CloseReadLesson
Session Roadmap
Section 1: Examining a Basic Code Lesson
and Creating a Checklist
Time: 25 minutes
[30 minutes] In this section, you will…
Materials used include:
1. Gain knowledge in how to dissect a Basic Code
1. NTI_July2013_Session2_ TheFirst60daysofInstruction_KeylessonTypes.pptx
lesson for planning and implementation purposes
Handouts:
1. CondensedLessonTypes
2. BlankChecklist_BasicCodeLesson
3. Checklist_BasicCodeLesson
4. GradeK_BasicCode
5. Grade1_BasicCode
6. Grade1_BasicCodeReader
7. Grade1_BasicCodeWkbkpages
8. Grade2_Basic Code&CloseReadLesson
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions: (Please Note: Here we
provide key ideas per slide. A full script is provided
within the power point slides in the “Notes” view).
GROUP
Slide 3
Key Points:
1. Some lesson types repeat across grades and are critical.
2. A cornerstone of all lesson types is the basic code.
3. Will be taught approximately 40 times in K, less in 1st. Only in
review in 2nd, but it has many critical parts that become the basis
for alter lesson types.
Handout:

Slide 4
CondensedLessonTypes
Key Point:
1. The purpose of this lesson type is to teach students to hear a
particular sound, and to write a “picture” of that sound using the
most common (or least ambiguous) spelling for the sound.
Slide 5
Key Points:
1. A basic code lesson is dedicated to a single sound and will usually
contain the following elements:
a. (Warm-up/review).
b. Introduction of Sound (orally).
c. Oral Language Exercises.
d. Teacher Modeling.
e. Worksheet.
f. (Additional reading and writing activities).
Slide 6
Key Points:
1. The Basic Code Lesson is not meant to be done in bits and pieces,
or selectively.
2. It has a sequence, with one part leaning on the previous part.
3. It will be less effective if subdivided.
4. Same is true of other lessons.
5. Please try to do all the exercises, but with fewer examples if
necessary.
Slide 7
Key Points:
1. We will build a process of examining lessons to create a checklist
to focus planning and practice.
2. Administrators can use this to guide their observations
3. This “thin slice” examination will help teachers focus attention on
most important instructional behaviors as they learn this new
program.
Handouts:

Slide 8
BlankChecklist_BasicCodeLesson
Key Points:
1. Our sample checklist includes key ideas, but you may expand on
this list.
2. The list should include critical instructional features
3. The list should include key quality behaviors
4. We will analyze and “chart” the lesson to see what is critical
Handout:

Checklist_BasicCodeLesson
Slide 9
Key Points:
1. This is an oral task, no letters
2. There are very specific gestures used for blending 3, 4, 5 syllable
words. These should be taught explicitly
3. Very specific examples are used.
4. Saying the sounds as if you were the student will help you
internalize the lesson as you plan and chart
Slide 10
Key Points:
1. The critical aspects of the lesson guided the questions we ask
here.
2. The questions are designed to probe the most important
instructional features?
3. The lessons make obvious the most important instructional
features by:
a. the precision with which they discuss them,
b. the depth of detail provided, and
c. the extent to which these features repeat across lessons.
Slide 11
Key Points:
1. This is an oral task, no letters
2. A focus on articulation is explicitly taught as a technique to
support learning of the sound
Slide 12
Key Points:
1. Note here that we pulled from the lesson language, but we also
brought in knowledge we know is important.
2. You may also bring in expertise to these checklists.
3. Some of this may evolve as you work with the program and some
will be there as you dig deeply into the lesson content.
Slide 13
Key Points:
1. What are the key ways the teacher interacts with the materials
(organization, techniques, nonverbal modeling)?
2. What are the key ways the teacher interacts with the students to
support learning?
3. Notice what is important about the way the teacher interacts
with the material, with the students.
4. Consider how precise the directions and language used are.
Slide 14
Key Points:
1. Participants will use the basic code checklist created to watch a
demonstration “basic code” lesson.
2. Participants will note evidence (or lack of) on their checklists
3. Participants consider as a table additional behaviors or
instructional features they should see in a high-quality lesson.
Handouts:

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
Basic&AdvancedDescription
BlankChecklist_BasicCodeLesson
GradeK_BasicCode
Grade1_BasicCode
Grade1_BasicCodeReader
Grade1_BasicCodeWkbkpages
Grade2_BasicCode&CloseReadLesson
Slide 15
Key Points:
1. Select someone from the table to be a spokesperson
2. Note one additional behavior, not on our checklist, that you may
want to add as a critical instructional feature
3. Keep it to a single sentence
4. The spokesperson points to the next table
Section 2: Examining a Tricky Word Lesson Time: 30 minutes
and Creating a Checklist
[30 minutes] In this section, you will…
Materials used include:
2. Gain knowledge in how to dissect a Tricky Word PPT:
lesson for planning and implementation purposes NTI_July2013_Session2_ TheFirst60daysofInstruction_KeylessonTypes
Handouts:
BlankChecklist_TrickyWordLesson
Checklist_TrickyWordLesson
GradeK_TrickyWord
Grade1_TrickyWord
Grade2_TrickyWord
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions: (Please Note: Here we
provide key ideas per slide. A full script is provided
within the power point slides in the “Notes” view).
GROUP
Slide 17
Key Points:
1. The purpose of this lesson type is to introduce a word that is
needed for instruction but contains spellings that have not yet
been taught.
Slide 18
Key Points:
1. Sight word is an ambiguous term; it can mean two things:
2. A high-frequency word students need to see a lot and learn to
recognize speedily.
3. A word that does not “play by the rules” — that is not spelled or
pronounced as you would expect.
Slide 19
Key Points:
1. Some site words are high-frequency words that CAN be decoded
(right side of Venn diagram)
2. Some site words are high frequency words that CANNOT be
decoded (Center/Overlap of Venn Diagram)
3. Tricky words are words that cannot be decoded based on what
has been taught regardless of whether they are high-frequency or
not (Left side of Venn diagram)
Slide 20
Key Points:
1. Regular high-frequency words like in, on, this, & at do not require
special treatment; students can read these words via blending
2. High-frequency words that also qualify as tricky words (I, a, of,
one, was, two) do need special attention.
Slide 21
Key Points:
1. The trickiness of a word is relative to which spellings have been
taught.
2. The more spelling patterns the students know, the fewer words
need to be described as tricky.
Slide 22
Key Points:
1. Some words are taught initially as tricky words but, later on,
students learn they are part of a spelling pattern. Examples: he,
she, we, be, me; no & so; my & by.
2. Other tricky words are never absorbed into the spelling patterns:
Examples: one, of, two, could.
Slide 23
Key Points:
1. Most words are not 100% tricky; they have tricky parts.
2. Strategy: Instead of teaching the whole word as something tricky
that needs to be memorized as a whole, draw attention to regular
parts and tricky parts within the word. (Break it down!)
Slide 24
Key Points:
1. Participants will examine a lesson at their grade level to create a
checklist that included questions to probe critical instructional
features
2. They should ask, “What are the key ways the teacher should
interact with the materials (e.g., teaching techniques, specific
language)?” and
3. “What are the key ways the teacher should interact with the
students to support learning?”
Handouts:




Slide 25
BlankChecklist_TrickyWordLesson
GradeK_TrickyWord
Grade1_TrickyWord
Grade2_TrickyWord
Key Points
1. Participants will review a completed Tricky Word Lesson Checklist
and compare it to their own.
2. Participants should consider ways your list may differ/be similar.
3. Tell participants to use this to expand/add to/refine your list.
4. Have participants change at least one thing.
Handout:

Slide 26
Checklist_TrickyWordLesson
Key Points:
1. [Trainer should conduct a demonstration Tricky Word Lesson]
2. Participants should use their checklist to evaluate the
demonstration.
3. Participants should take special care to determine if the items on
their list are “observable.”
Slide 27
Key Point:
1. Tricky word lessons will be encountered approximately:
a. 15 times in K
b. 10 times in G1
c. 11 Times in G2
Section 3: Examining Advanced Code:
Alternative Spelling and Tricky Spelling
Lessons and Creating Checklists
Time: 30 minutes
[30 minutes] In this section, you will…
3. Gain knowledge in how to dissect an Advanced
Code lesson for planning and implementation
purposes
Materials used include:
1. PPT: NTI_July2013_Session2_ TheFirst60daysofInstruction_KeylessonTypes.pptx
Handouts:
1. BlankChecklistTricky.SpellAlt
2. Checklist_TrickySpellAlt
3. GradeK_TrickySpelling
4. GradeK_TrickySpellingReader
5. GradeK_TrickySpellingWkbk
6. GradeK_SpellingAlternatives
7. Grade1_TrickySpelling
8. Grade2_TrickySpelling
9. Grade2_SpellingAlternative
10. Grade1_VowelDigraphs_Lesson
11. BlankChecklist_VowelDigraphs
12. Checklist_VowelDigraphs
13. Basic&AdvancedDescriptions
14. VowelDigraphDescription
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Slide 29
Script/ Activity directions: (Please Note: Here we
provide key ideas per slide. A full script is provided
within the power point slides in the “Notes” view).
Key Point:
1. The purpose of this lesson type is to introduce one or more
additional spellings for a sound, beyond the basic code spelling
students have already learned.
Slide 30
Key Points:
1. The basic code spelling for the /ae/ sound is a__e
2. This spelling is taught at the end of Kindergarten and again in
Grade 1.
3. This spelling is reviewed in Grade 2
Slide 31
Key Points:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
There are other “alternatives” for spelling /ae/.
It can be spelled “a” as in “baby.”
It can be spelled “ai” as in “paint.”
It can be spelled “ay” as in “hay.”
These spelling alternatives are taught in Grades 1 and 2.
GROUP
Slide 32
Key Point:
1. In Grade 2 we also teach some additional alternative spellings:
a. “eigh” as in “freight.”
b. “ey” as in “greyhounds.”
c. “ea” as in “steak.”
Slide 33
Key Points:
1. Alternative Spellings are part of the Advanced Code
2. In introducing: Just as we can draw a picture of a flower two
ways, so we can draw a picture of a sound two ways.
Slide 34
Key Points:
1. Spelling alternatives are taught using the following process:
a. Introduce the sound orally.
b. Remind the students they’ve already learned one way to
spell this sound (the basic code spelling).
c. Remind them of other spellings they may have learned (if
applicable).
d. Introduce new spellings with example words.
e. Have students complete a word sort.
Slide 35
Key Points:
1. Word sorts are a key aspect of the program, especially for
teaching spelling alternatives.
2. When teaching spelling alternatives, the words in the sort will all
contain the target sound (e.g., /ae/), but they have it written with
different spellings (e.g. wait, say, cake).
3. Students sort the words by spelling.
Slide 36
Key Points:
1. When there are only 2 or 3 spelling alternatives for a sound, we
usually use the short treatment.
2. When there are 4 or more spelling alternatives, we usually use the
long treatment.
Slide 37
Key Points:
1. Short treatment of spelling alternatives typically lasts one day and
follows the following process:
a. Introduce the sound.
b. Introduce the new spellings.
c. Do a word sort where words containing the sound are
sorted by spelling.
d. New spelling or spellings begin to appear in readers and
on worksheets.
e. Wall display optional.
Slide 38
Key Points:
1. Long treatment of spelling alternatives, used when there are 4+
spelling alternatives for a sound.
2. Typically stretches over several lessons and follows the following
process:
a. Begins with an oral language activity and set up of a
“Spelling Tree.”
b. Ends with a Spelling Chart or other culminating activity.
c. Has a wall display.
Slide 39
Key Points:
1. Step 1: Spelling Tree displays are used so students can see the
relationships between the spellings (i.e., that they all address the
same sound) and sample words that use each spelling
2. To create the tree:
a. Add selected words from board sort to a “spelling tree” for
the sound (e.g., /ae/) on classroom wall or board.
b. Continue to add words to the spelling tree during next
several days of work on the sound (and possibly beyond).
c. Spelling Tree is a focal point of successive lessons.
Slide 40
Key Point:
1. Here is a sample spelling tree.
Slide 41
Key Points:
1. Step 2 in the long treatment for the spelling is a series of word
sorts.
2. Students sort words with a subset of taught spellings of the sound
and add words to the spelling tree.
Slide 42
Key Point:
1. Step 3 in the long treatment for the spelling is a culminating
activity that includes all of the spellings introduced for the sound.
Slide 43
Key Points:
1. On creative way to sort is a “brick” sort, with words posted on
tissue boxes.
2. Another way to sort is with cards in a pocket chart.
3. It is helpful for the sorts if students can write the words on the
cards for additional practice writing and spelling the sound.
Slide 44
Key Point:
1. Here is an example of a word wall with alternative spellings for
/ie/.
Slide 45
Key Point:
1. The purpose of a Tricky Spelling Lesson is to explicitly call
students’ attention to a spelling that can be pronounced and read
more than one way.
Slide 46
Key Point:
1. Tricky spellings present a challenge for students when reading
unfamiliar words because they can be pronounced in multiple
ways.
Slide 47
Key Points:
1. The analogy of a tug-o-war can help children understand the idea
of tricky spellings.
2. Consider the sound made by “ow” in the words “snow” and “how.”
Both are spelled the same, but they sound different.
Slide 48
Key Points:
1. Within each Tricky Spelling Lesson the teacher will follow the
same procedure to call students’ attention to the different
pronunciations of spellings using many word examples.
2. Children are taught to try different pronunciations until they can
recognize a pronunciation in a word that sounds familiar and
within context.
Slide 49
Key Points:
1. Using the same process that we have been using throughout the
day, participants will create a checklist for either a spelling
alternative lesson or a tricky spelling lesson
2. Participants will compare and contrast their checklists.
Handouts:












Slide 50
BlankChecklistTricky.SpellAlt
GradeK_TrickySpelling
GradeK_TrickySpellingReader
GradeK_TrickySpellingWkbk
GradeK_SpellingAlternatives
Grade1_TrickySpelling
Grade2_TrickySpelling
Grade2_SpellingAlternative
Basic&AdvancedDescriptions
Grade1_VowelDigraphs_Lesson
BlankChecklist_VowelDigraphs
VowelDigraphsDescription
Key Points:
1. Participants will compare their checklists to one provided by the
instructor.
2. Participants will make changes to enhance their checklist based
on the one provided.
Handouts:


Checklist_TrickySpellAlt
Checklist_VowelDigraphs
Slide 51
Key Points:
1. The instructor will present a demonstration Spelling Alternatives
lesson.
2. Participants will use their checklists to look for critical elements
and behaviors during the lesson.
Section 4: Your Turn: Grade Specific
Lesson
Time: 30 minutes
[30 minutes] In this section, you will…
Materials used include:
4. Gain knowledge in how to dissect a grade specific
1. NTI_July2013_Session2_TheFirst60daysofInstruction_KeyLessonTypes
lesson of a type that has not yet been covered:
a. Kindergarten – Demonstration Reading Handouts:
1. BlankChecklist_DemoStory
Lesson
2. Checklist_DemoStory
b. Grade 1 – Reading(Time)Lesson
3. GradeK_DemonstrationStory
c. Grade 2 – Close Reading Lesson
4. GradeK_FastFredDemoStory
5. BlankChecklist_ReadingTime
6. Checklist_ReadingTime
7. Grade1_ReadingTime_Lesson
8. Grade1_ReadingLessonAnecdotal
9. Grade1_ReadingTime_TwoDogs
10. Grade1_TwoDogs_Wkbkpages
11. BlankChecklist_CloseRead
12. Checklist_CloseRead
13. Grade2CloseRead_BasicCodeLesson
14. Grade2_TheMilk_CloseReadLesson
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions: (Please Note: Here
we provide key ideas per slide. A full script is
provided within the power point slides in the
“Notes” view).
GROUP
Slide 53
Key Point:
1. Using the same process that we have been using
throughout the day, participants will create a checklist
for a new lesson type at their grade level:
a. Kindergarten – Demonstration Reading Lesson
b. First Grade – Reading (Time) Lesson
c. Second Grade – Close Read Lesson
Handouts:














BlankChecklist_DemoStory
Checklist_DemoStory
GradeK_DemonstrationStory
GradeK_FastFredDemoStory
BlankChecklist_ReadingTime
Checklist_ReadingTime
Grade1_ReadingTime_Lesson
Grade1_ReadingLessonAnecdotal
Grade1_ReadingTime_TwoDogs
Grade1_TwoDogs_Wkbkpages
BlankChecklist_CloseRead
Checklist_CloseRead
Grade2CloseRead_BasicCodeLesson
Grade2_TheMilk_CloseReadLesson
Use the following icons in the script to indicate different learning modes.
Video
Reflect on a
prompt
Active learning
Turnkey Materials Provided:
See handouts for lesson type checklists (blank for use during activity; completed to be reflected on after the activity).
Additional Suggested Resources
Turn and talk