Stephanie Welte

Readers Workshop Lesson

Rationale
The importance of this lesson is to have students begin to think about the important details
of a story. It is important that students not only read the story, but also understand and
comprehend what they are reading.
Standards:
RL.2.2 Key Ideas and Details
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their
central message, lesson, or moral.
L.2.4 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases
based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
Objectives:
Students will use different strategies taught in the mini-lesson to figure out a word
or group of words they cannot quite figure out just by looking at it.
Students will record the strategies they used, while reading the story on sticky
notes.
At the end of the story or the section they are reading, they will be able to write or
orally tell a short summary of what has occurred with the main lesson included.
Procedure:
1. Call all children to the carpet, Readers it is time to gather on the carpet, please go to
your designated carpet spot.
2. Show them the book, The Rainbow Fish, and ask, What do you think this story will
be about? Then point to the word rainbow, and ask, Does anyone know what this
word is? If someone does allow them to tell you, but either way say, Lets pretend
no one knew this word, what are some ways we could figure out what this word is?
Let the students think, pair, share about different ideas.
3. Hopefully some students will think of different ways to figure out the word. The
strategies to focus on are sounding out each letter starting with the first letter, using
picture or context clues to figure out the word, and if you can find a smaller word
that you already know within the whole word to figure out the rest of the word (for
example, rain or bow in the word rainbow).
4. As you introduce the strategies write them on the white board, so the students can
use it when they read on their own.
5. Read the story to them, stopping when there is a harder word, and thinking out loud
about how to figure out the pronunciation of the word. For example, dazzling You
would pause at the word and say, Hmm I dont think I know this word and I dont
want to just skip over it, because then I wouldnt fully understand the story! So
with that word you would sound out each letter to find pronunciation.

6. Have at least one example of each strategy so a word where you could use context
clues would be loneliest because from the story you can see the other fish have
abandoned him and he is all alone. For the finding a smaller word in the bigger word
use without (with or out) or wavered (wave).
7. After the story is over ask the students to explain the problem of the story, then how
the problem was solved? This story has a main lesson of sharing with others to be
happy, or not being selfish. Make sure the students understand that.
8. After that remind the students, Now when we go back and read our own books
remember to get your sticky notes and when you come to a word you dont know, I
want you to write it down and tell me which strategy you used to figure it out. And I
know there has to be at least one word for all of you in your reading today that is a
difficult word, so I should see everyone with sticky notes in their books.
9. As they read on their own, walk around, and conference or work in small groups if
needed to make sure everyone understands the strategies.
10. Then, when the students are done reading tell the students to continue with their
reading journals and to write what the main problem and the resolution of their
stories. Also any important details they can think of.
11. After the students have finished reading their books and writing in their journals
bring them all back together and ask for volunteers to tell some of the words they
had trouble with and the strategies they used. Remind students, Strategies for
reading are very important for good readers, this strategy is not a one time strategy
it is something that good readers will do all the time when they get stuck on a word.
Gradual Release
Focused instruction: Modeling how to figure out a tough word when you reading a
story
Guided instruction: Taking their ideas about how to solve the strategy and also
when they explain the problem and resolution of the story.
Collaborative: Think, pair, sharing with each other about the different ideas for
figuring out a word.
Independent: Letting the students going off on their own to read and try out the
different strategies. Also letting them work in the reading journals.
Materials:
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Sticky notes
Assessments:
I will know students understand the strategies introduced when I see their sticky
notes and when they volunteer to tell me. I can also see when I walk around and
conference with students. I would like to see them use each strategy once, but what
is most important is them actually figuring out the word. I want that to be at the
very least 90% accurate.
Another assessment is making sure they have at least 3 sticky notes within their
story, because all students will have words they do not know within their stories.

Students will also write in their reading journals to express they understand the
main points of their story.