FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
1. Instructional Context This entry features a small group of 4 first grade students, 3 boys
and 1 girl, all of whom were 6 years old at the time the recording was made. The subject
matter of the class was language arts and the specific concept taught was the use of the
prediction strategy to foster reading comprehension. There were many relevant
characteristics of this group that influenced my instructional strategies for this period of
instruction. Three of the 4 students were currently receiving English Language Learner
(ELL) services as English was not their primary language nor was English spoken in the
home. The non-ELL student in the group had a linguistic deficit and was receiving speech
services to remediate his language delays. Because of these needs, collaboration with the
students’ support team of teachers was essential in planning appropriately for this lesson.
The range of abilities also influenced instruction. These students were grouped together
based on a specific need that all 4 learners had. Prior to planning for instruction, I met with
each student to get to know them and also had the opportunity to observe them in the regular
classroom. All 4 students appeared “shy” in the classroom; they never volunteered and if
called upon had difficulty speaking in front of the class and appeared uncomfortable but
when I met with them individually they appeared more relaxed and engaged comfortably in
conversation. There were no identified sensory or physical challenges to consider when
planning. The range of abilities and cognitive levels were similar so materials and
instructional methods were selected to match the needs of these particular learners. While
observing in the regular classroom I noticed that 2 of the students did exhibit signs of
social/behavioral and attention issues which was later corroborated by the classroom teacher
so this was taken into consideration when planning. Relevant features of my teaching
context that influenced the selection for this period of instruction included the scheduling of a
1
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
pull-out lesson so it would not interfere with the learner’s mandatory classroom instruction
and the availability of the shared resource classroom. Consideration of available resources
was also an issue to consider but not a problem, since a vast collection of instructional
materials were readily available. 2. Planning and Instruction Two comprehension
theories strongly influenced the planning and implementation for my comprehension
instruction on predicting; schema theory and constructivist theory. Both of these theories are
similar in that they emphasize the importance of a reader’s prior knowledge in helping them
to actively construct meaning from reading to enhance comprehension. Schema Theory tells
us it is important to activate prior knowledge in order to make sense of new information.
This new information is then connected or related to existing “schema” the learner has. This
interaction between a reader’s own knowledge and the text results in greater comprehension.
Constructivist Theory suggests that learners actively construct their own knowledge by
making connections between the text and their prior knowledge. These theories helped to
inform the design of my comprehension instruction on predicting. In order for these theories
to be effective, it is necessary that learners have some knowledge of the text or topic.
Knowing this helped me in the selection of appropriate instructional materials. Also
necessary is active engagement on the part of the learners. This knowledge helped inform
the sequence of my instruction and the type of activities I included. Social Development
Theory is a learning theory that also informed the planning and implementation of my lesson.
This theory is based upon the premise that social interaction plays a vital role in the
development of cognition. The range of skills that can be developed with adult guidance and
peer collaboration exceed what can be done alone. Because of this I planned to scaffold
instruction; I modeled, allowed time to practice with a peer under my close guidance,
2
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
provided feedback, and gave opportunities to apply new knowledge independently.
Assessment data helped me to gain insight in each student’s ability and helped me plan
appropriately for instruction. The primary assessment piece I considered was a required
reading comprehension test given in the regular classroom as part of the core basal reading
program. This test, which was a summative assessment, was administered at the end of a
major unit of instruction. It was a criteria-referenced test, which means a student was
expected to achieve a certain score or set criteria. The 4 students featured in this entry did
not meet the established criteria in the area of reading comprehension; specifically
predicting. In addition to this test, I utilized data obtained from a more informal measure of
assessment; an Informal Reading Inventory (IRI). This data helped me determine a reading
level which informed the level of reading materials I selected. (All 4 students were reading at
a kindergarten level which was one full grade level below.) For this reason I chose a readaloud activity rather than one which required the students to attend to the written text. As
part of the IRI, a prediction question prior to reading was included. I asked each students to
predict what the story might be about based on the title and a picture clue. All 4 students
were unsuccessful with this task. The informal data I gathered as I observed in the regular
classroom also was invaluable in helping me plan instruction. The identified students did not
volunteer to answer prediction questions. When called upon they gave no answer or an
incorrect response. All 4 students appeared “shy” and uncomfortable in the whole-group
setting and 2 of the students had a great deal of difficulty staying on task during the lesson I
observed. Also noted during my observation was the fact that the classroom teacher did not
directly or explicitly teach the predicting strategy during that time. All the data gathered
pointed to the need to address predicting. My informal observations also helped me see the
3
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
social and attention challenges these students experienced. The data generated helped me to
plan instruction in the following way. Since the students were not proficient and independent
readers at grade level, a teacher read-aloud was selected. I determined that a small group
pull-out model would be the most effective way to avoid the distractions common in a
regular classroom. A small, intimate group also helps learners feel more comfortable to take
risks with their learning. This type of grouping model also allows for more opportunities for
teacher to student and student to student interaction. The focus for this lesson was on
prediction, as this comprehension strategy serves an important role in keeping students
actively thinking while reading. It helps learners make a connection between what they
already know and the new knowledge they are acquiring. The specific reading goal for this
lesson is as follows: The students will use predicting as a way to think more deeply about
text and to develop an “I can’t wait to find out what happens next” feeling. This goal is
developmentally appropriate because readers from early on need to become aware that
thinking is necessary during reading in order to construct meaning. Achieving this goal in a
developmentally appropriate way is first through teacher modeling, and then practicing with
a peer under teacher guidance, followed by independent practice. The small-group setting
allows for the opportunity to monitor students closely and provide instant feedback. The
specific reading strategy presented was using predicting to help construct meaning and foster
comprehension. Other reading skills covered incidentally during this lesson included
sequencing, type of genre, and use of picture clues as ways to enhance comprehension.
Instructional strategies were chosen to enhance the students’ ability to construct meaning
from reading. I broke the task down into simple, manageable steps by defining what
predicting is using relevant examples. No text was used early in the lesson; only picture
4
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
clues. I modeled my thought process while I predicted and then allowed students the
opportunity to practice with a peer. I selected instructional materials and text that were
appropriate and motivating and would help make the meta-cognitive strategy of predicting
accessible, meaningful, and enjoyable for the learners. The students first required a basic
understanding of what prediction means. I employed direct, explicit instruction to ensure all
learners had this foundation by defining what prediction is and its purpose in a
developmentally appropriate way. To ensure clarity on the part of the learners, I
incorporated examples from “real life; things they had background knowledge of and could
easily connect to. For example, I had the learners think about how they could predict what
was on the lunch menu based on what they could smell in the hallways of the school. Since
predicting is something that takes place in the mind of a reader, I made this thinking “public”
by thinking-loud or modeling, again using an example the students could relate to (the
weather). I incorporated an activity which required students to critically examine a picture
and predict what might happen next. Before I expected them to do this I again modeled the
process, including thinking aloud. After modeling I provided time to for guided practice with
a peer and feedback from me. This social interaction between peers and the teacher can
greatly enhance learning. I then incorporated the read-aloud text so students could practice
applying their prediction skills to reading without having to attend to the text themselves. I
wanted them to focus on predicting and thinking about the text rather than on decoding.
Including the wizard hats was an instructional strategy that helped the learners better
understand predicting as a way of “seeing into the future.” This was a developmentally
appropriate strategy to use because it made an abstract concept more concrete and hands-on.
It also served as a way to get the students to actively engage during the lesson. The “magic
5
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
wands” tied into the same wizard theme but were used more as a way to manage the class
discussion. This reading lesson was integrated with the following language arts areas;
speaking, listening, and viewing. The students were expected to critically view picture clues
in order to predict future events. They were also expected to listen critically during
instruction, during the read-aloud, and when classmates were speaking. Prior to giving oral
responses, they were given the opportunity to “practice: what they wanted to say with a peer.
Because I knew what my students needed, I was able to foster an environment that allowed
them to actively and purposefully construct meaning from reading as well as get enjoyment
out of reading. The small pull-out group model of deliver meant there were few distractions
and students had many opportunities to share in a setting that was more “stress-free” than the
regular classroom. This setting allowed me the opportunity to closely monitor each learner
so instruction could be adjusted if the need arose. These students, with their language
deficits, felt more willing to take risks in this intimate setting where they were an integral
part of the smaller community of learners. The materials used and made for these 4 students
were meant to motivate and be a developmentally appropriate way to guide these learners to
achieve the goal of the lesson. The read-aloud text was chosen because I knew each learner
had an interest in the topic as well as adequate background knowledge. The length of the text
was appropriate for their attention level. The illustrations provided a strong context to foster
comprehension. The “gimmicks” used (wizard hats and wands) were selected because they
were motivating and also helped make a difficult and abstract concept more understandable.
I ensured that all students had the opportunity to reach high standards and expectations by
providing instruction by carefully scaffolding with teacher modeling and guided practice
with a peer before independent practice. I broke a sophisticated task down into small
6
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
manageable steps and made my thought processes known by including “think-alouds” in my
instruction. 3. Video Recording Analysis The first segment of the video shows how my
classroom environment encourages reading development. For this particular lesson, I had to
utilize a small space within a larger shared classroom. With thorough, thoughtful, and
careful planning, any space can become a welcoming environment that provides learners
with what they need to be successful. The learning environment was set up with the specific
needs and interests of the targeted learners in mind. Because these particular students
appeared to “get lost” in the regular classroom, I made the decision to utilize a small kidneyshaped reading table rather than desks as a way help students keep focused and engaged in a
more intimate way. Sitting together at a small table helps all involved take more risks with
learning as they feel they are equal and valued members of the learning community. Since I
knew that there was a high likelihood that other instruction would be going on in the
classroom during my lesson, I made sure that the reading table was placed so my students
would face me, with their backs to the other teaching areas. Flexibility in classroom
arrangement helps ensure student focus and on-task behavior. All materials required for the
lesson were set up prior to the scheduled instruction. The recording shows the wizard hats,
wands, read-aloud text, and pocket chart materials which were integral components of this
lesson. Having materials readily available helps to ensure a smooth flow to the instruction.
The unique nature of the materials also focuses the learners and helps to get them excited
about learning. The one minute pan also shows other valuable resources available in the
classroom itself. While not used during the videotaped lesson, they help to create a
welcoming environment that fosters reading development; a variety of leveled books are
readily available, grade-level word walls help with reading and writing, instructional charts
7
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
serve as tools to remind students of strategies which help in constructing meaning. The
resources seen are there not because they are “cute” but because they really “count.” During
the lesson, skills and concepts were presented and built upon to help students construct
meaning from reading. Knowing what I did about these students, I determined they first
needed to acquire a basic understanding of what prediction means. After directly and
explicitly teaching this concept (1:10-1:40), I built upon this new knowledge by modeling
how to predict, using an everyday example (1:50-3:10). Next, to help the learners have a
more concrete understanding of what goes on in the mind of an active reader as he/she
predicts, I used the “wizard” analogy (3:23-4:04). I built upon this further by modeling
again, this time using picture clues and always “thinking” out loud to help the learners
understand what goes on in the mind of a proficient, active reader (4:11-5:39), The picture
clues used were sequenced to mimic story structure with a beginning, middle, and end and
were selected to match the background knowledge and interest level of the learners. Pictures
were used rather than text so this group of emergent readers could focus on predicting and
not on decoding. Using these picture clues, the learners then practiced predicting with a
partner but still under my close guidance (5:44-10:12). Once students demonstrated a basic
understanding of predicting, they were given the opportunity to predict independently, this
time using a read-aloud text with strong picture clues (10:25-end ). In addition to predicting
the story plot, I had the students predict the genre as being fiction or non-fiction (12:15) as
background knowledge of elements common to a genre help “good readers” predict with
greater accuracy. Iris had success stating the text was fiction but difficulty defining fiction
(12:55) so I used a mnemonic device to help her and the others remember that fiction means
fake or make-believe (13:08). In summary, the lesson’s instructional segments built upon
8
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
presented concepts and gradually turned over responsibility for learning to the students but
always under my close guidance. Instructional resources used were selected to promote
reading development and were specifically selected or designed to meet the abilities, needs,
and interests of the learners. Since I knew from my data collection that these students were
having difficulty with the comprehension strategy of predicting as it was being taught with a
traditional basal approach, my goal was to help them access this information in a more
developmentally appropriate way. This is why my instructional resources included teaching
tools somewhat unconventional; the wizard hats and wizard references. These resources
helped the students achieve the learning goal. Relating predicting to what a wizard does
(looks into the future) helped students make a meaningful connection to what a good reader
does which is to predict the future of the story. These resources also served to motivate the
students which kept them focused and engaged during the lesson. The hands-on nature of
these resources made the sophisticated and abstract concept of predicting much more
meaningful and concrete for my students. To make the strategy of predicting
developmentally appropriate for these emergent readers, I gathered a series of pictures
depicting events my students had background knowledge of. Being able to make connections
helped them successfully understand and practice predicting without having to attend to
written text, something they were not yet able to do independently. The read-aloud text was
chosen because it was of great interest to all the learners, they all had background knowledge
of the topic, and the text format was such that the listener or reader had many opportunities to
predict the next story event which was hidden under a flap on each page. The multiple
opportunities to predict during the story gave the learners ample practice in a
developmentally appropriate way. All instructional materials used during the lesson were
9
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
organized and readily available. This is critical to ensure a smooth flow to a lesson. It also
prevents loss of precious instructional time. To further students’ abilities in constructing
meaning, teacher-to-student interaction was one instructional delivery model utilized during
the lesson. This was appropriate because the learners required direct and focused instruction
in predicting in order to increase their knowledge of what predicting is and how and why
“good readers” use this strategy. Another teacher-to-student interaction was through teacher
modeling for the group of learners. Modeling the thought processes that are involved in
predicting helped the students better understand what goes on in the mind of “good readers”
as they are actively thinking about the text in order to successfully predict. This metacognitive modeling gave students first had experience with reading as a thinking process.
Student-to-students interaction was another model utilized. After I modeled the process, the
students were given the opportunity to practice predicting with a partner under my close
guidance. This was done to gradually increase the student’s responsibility for his/her own
learning and to guide them to become more active during the reading process. This studentto-student interaction, also called “turn and talk” in the recording, was successful in
supporting the student’s ability to construct meaning. It is evident that Iris and Jakub are
very pleased with their newly acquired ability to predict successfully (8:34). Teacher-tostudent interaction was again the model used during the read-aloud activity (10:25). The
students were expected to independently predict at pre-determined points in the reading.
This supported student learning by further increasing the degree of responsibility each
student had. Jakub became very confident in his ability to predict (11:33) because his
learning had been supported by me, first with modeling, followed by guided practice, and
ending with independent practice. This method of scaffolding learning supported his ability
10
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
to construct meaning by predicting. 4. Reflection The specific strategies employed in the
lesson did result in guiding the students to achieve the lesson’s goal on predicting. The
responses students made during the taped lesson indicated that the students had a greater
understanding of what prediction is as well as how to predict during the reading process. The
students were thinking deeply and had shown they were developing an “I can’t wait to find
out what happens” feeling, which was the goal of the lesson. As I reflect on the rest of the
lesson not seen in the recording, I am struck by how the student’s independent prediction
skills continued to improve. Not only were they able to make accurate predictions based on
the textual clues, they were also beginning to adjust predictions automatically and naturally.
This was a sure indication they were actively thinking during reading activities, something
good readers must do to construct meaning from text. Another component of the lesson not
seen in the recording was the assessment piece I administered at the conclusion of the lesson.
Resulting data showed that all 4 learners were able to explain the meaning of predicting,
were able to make predictions that made sense, and were also able to verbalize why good
readers predict. The most important outcome of this lesson happened in the classroom. The
classroom teacher informed me that the 4 students I worked with had successfully met the
criteria in a prediction subtest on a required basal reading test. As a follow-up to my lesson,
one week after the taping I observed in the regular classroom to determine if my students
were transferring their learning to the core reading instruction. I was very pleased to witness
these learners as they volunteered and confidently answered predictions questions from their
classroom teacher. I did not need to adjust my planned instruction in response to the
dynamics of the class at any time during my instruction. The lesson flowed smoothly, as
planned, and all students were attentive, engaged, and well-behaved. One successful aspect
11
FAKE
Entry 2 EMC/ LRLA
of the lesson seen on the recording involves my student Jakub, the boy whose back is to the
camera. Jakub’s classroom teacher, ELL teacher, and parents were all very concerned about
his reluctance to share during class discussions as well as his “poor comprehension and
inability to predict.” Because I planned my lesson to specifically address Jakub’s (and the
other student’s) needs, selected or made materials which were developmentally appropriate,
and set up the learning environment purposefully, Jakub really experienced success as he
showed confidence in sharing aloud and good comprehension of predicting. He made not
one but two predictions based on the picture clues in the story. His success showed me and
his support team of teachers the importance of modifying instruction, materials, and
environment. Jakub’s language ability and comprehension level were greater than anyone
thought. I did have the opportunity to teach this lesson again, this time to a large group or 25
students in a heterogeneous first classroom. Some modifications were made for the wholegroup setting. I used a big book so all students could see the picture clues as I read aloud. I
chose a fiction text that that was integrated with a science unit currently being taught so
students could make connections and predict. I did use my “gimmicks” but modified them
somewhat. I only used one wizard hat and one wand and these were given to the student who
was called up to predict to alleviate the management issues that most likely would have
ensued. The idea of the wizard and looking into the future was a successful “hook” so I did
not modify it. The direction my instruction will take is to “think out of the box” when
planning comprehension lessons. I will never underestimate a student’s potential for
language and literacy learning. Since comprehension is the goal of reading, direct and
explicit comprehension instruction cannot be put off or ignored until a child is a proficient
reader.
12