CONTEXT

After completing the QRI and two spelling inventories, Laylana was identified as a beginning reader in the
letter name-alphabetic stage. She embodies those characteristics by being able to correctly spell initial and
final consonants, as well as some blends and diagraphs. Her comprehension was within the first grade
instructional level, but I noticed she struggled with more implicit understanding compared to explicit.
Laylana is building up her repertoire of sight words so that she can start focusing on comprehension with
more attention. It is common for beginning readers to have slow rates of words per minute 50 or fewer
and hers is an average of 45 words per minute.

MONDAY

Reading Workshop
(~60 minutes)

Whole Group (Drawing Inferences SOL 1.10)

Whose Shoe Is This?
Bring an old shoe out for the class to view and pass around. Then ask
the students to think about the person to whom this shoe might
belong. Chart as many of the students inferences in one column.
Then request that they cite their evidence in the other column,
linking their inferences to something solid.
Guided Reading (Predicting SOL 1.9 a,b,d)
Before
Introduce Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book by Cynthia Rylant
Ask and discuss the following questions: What do you think this
story will be about? What clues did you get from the title and the
pictures?
During
Students read An Idea quietly to themselves
Scaffold and clarify for individual students
After
Review and summarize what the students read
Discuss students responses to the following question: What do you
think will happen next?
Independent Reading (Students choice)
Track progress on recording sheet (include title, author, and pages read)

Writing Workshop
(~25 minutes)

Mini-lesson (SOL 1.13)

Write a list of reading interests
Narrow topic down to one and write the sentence I like to read books
about
Continue discussing why we find those specific books appealing
Use those ideas to write complete sentences
Writing
Just like Mr. Putter and Tabby, students will brainstorm and record several
ideas that interests them
Students should narrow their idea down to one, which will be their focus for
their own book
Share
Ask students to share their ideas, which may help their classmates
brainstorm or finalize their own
This is also an opportunity for peers to provide feedback

Word Study
(~20 minutes)

Give students words to review and cut (List 13: Preconsonantal Nasals)
Open sort then to be discussed with teacher individually

TUESDAY

Reading Workshop
(~60 minutes)

Whole Group (Drawing Inferences SOL 1.9)

Read The Other Side by Istvan Banyai
Wordless books can be used to help students practice inferring.
Although it provides very little evidence to go on, the story fuels
curiosity and encourages the reader to draw inferences for each new
page.
Guided Reading (Predicting SOL 1.9 a,b,d)
Before
Summarize An Idea and review their predictions from the previous
day
Reread sections of text as necessary
During
Students read Chapter One in Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the
Book quietly to themselves
Scaffold and clarify for individual students
After
Ask students to determine how their predictions compared to their
reading. For those whose predications were accurate, ask them to
share their thinking as they made them the day before.
Independent Reading (Students choice)
Track progress on recording sheet (include title, author, and pages read)

Writing Workshop
(~25 minutes)

Writing (SOL 1.13)

Students should use their brainstorming pieces to write a first draft of their
story.
Their drafts should have complete sentences, descriptive words, punctuation,
correct spelling for sight words, and capital letters at the beginning of
sentences.

Word Study
(~20 minutes)

Center 1: Guided word block building

Print out the cube template and write the beginnings of the words on
one and the endings on another.
Students will roll both cubes and decide if together they produce a
word. The teacher should be available for guidance since there are
additional words that can be made and are not on their word study
list, as well as several pairings that do not create real words.
If a pairing is not a real word, the student gets to roll again. If the
pairing is a real word, then the student needs to accurately and
fluently read the word.
Center 2: Write individual stories for personal readers
Personal readers are collections of short pieces help students develop
a concept of word and print, as well as sight vocabulary.
Students can write their own story or experience that includes several
of the word study words. They can then be reviewed and edited by a
family member or the teacher. The teacher can also print and pass
out poems to support reading and sight words.

WEDNESDAY

Reading Workshop
(~60 minutes)

Writing Workshop
(~25 minutes)

Word Study
(~20 minutes)

Whole Group (Drawing Inferences SOL 1.9)

View Pixar short film For The Birds
Most of Pixars short films can be used for inferring. Play For The
Birds it at least once without any interruptions.
During the second view, stop when the big bird waves to the group
of smaller birds. Ask students to make an inference statement, such
as, I infer _______ because __________.
Stop again when the smaller birds move down the wire away from
the big bird. Again, ask students to make an inference statement.
Stop the video when the smaller birds start pecking at the feet of the
bigger bird. Ask students to make an inference statement.
Watch the video for a third time without any interruptions.
Guided Reading (Summarizing SOL 1.9g)
Before
Summarize Chapter One
Reread sections of text as necessary
During
Read Good Things in Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book
Scaffold and clarify for individual students
After
Break up students into three groups (depending on size of group may
be individual or with partners). Each group will be responsible for
distinguishing and paraphrasing the big ideas from one of the three
chapters. Remind students to think of setting, characters, and big
ideas.
Students will then collectively summarize the entire text
Independent Reading (Students choice)
Track progress on recording sheet (include title, author, and pages read)
Share
As students finish their first drafts, they can pair up with a peer that is also
finished. They will each read their drafts and provide feedback for one
another.
Students should make any necessary changes before having a one-on-one
conference with the teacher. Grammar, spelling, and content will be
discussed.
Writing (SOL 1.13)
If there is time, students will begin working on their final drafts.
Center 1: Read personal readers with a partner
Center 2: Put in an m or n preconsonantal nasals activity
The difference between rag and rang is subtle, but these contrasts can
help learners understand how the preconsonantal nasals work.
The teacher should create word pairs including: rap/ramp, cap/camp,
bad/band, had/hand, sad/sand, and lad/land
Each word should be printed on individual cards. All the word cards
are shuffled and dealt to a small group of students. Players look for
pairs in their hands and lay them down before play begins. When
pairs are laid down, the student should accurately and fluently say
them aloud. Students then take turns laying down a word from their
hand. The student who has the match to the pair takes the card,
matches it to the word in his or her hands, and adds the two cards to
his or her pile. The student with the most cards is the winner.

THURSDAY

Reading Workshop
(~60 minutes)

Writing Workshop
(~25 minutes)

Word Study
(~20 minutes)

Whole Group (Drawing Inferences SOL 1.10)

Mystery Box
Place an item within the mystery box and have students guess its
contents. Record their guesses in black on a whole group graphic
organizer.
Distribute one clue to each student and have him or her record it.
They should find a friend with a different clue, until they have all
four.
They should make new guesses and record them on the whole group
graphic organizer in a colored marker. Now students should discuss
the appropriateness of all guesses recorded to help determine what
the item may be. Once a final guess is made, open the mystery box to
confirm or deny their guess.
Guided Reading (Connecting SOL 1.9c)
Before
Review the concepts of text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text
links
During
Reread An Idea to practice fluency and review story
Scaffold and clarify for students, as necessary
After
Ask students to make this text-to-self connection: In the story, Mr.
Putter and Tabby Write The Book, Mr. Putter decides to stay in and
write a book because it is snowing outside. What would you do if a
big snow kept you inside?
Independent Reading (Students choice)
Track progress on recording sheet (include title, author, and pages read)
Share
Students should continue to have one-on-one conferences with the teacher.
Grammar, spelling, and content will be discussed.
Writing (SOL 1.13)
Students will work on their final draft.
Center 1: Racetrack word game with guided small groups
The teacher should provide the racetrack board, tokens, a die, word
cards, pencil, and piece of paper.
One at a time, students roll the die and move the correct number of
spaces. They then choose a word card that is fanned out facedown on
the table. The teacher picks up the card and reads it to the student.
Depending on what the space says, the student will either have to
write the word, use it in a sentence, or find it in the classroom. Some
spaces require two words to be chosen and carried out. If the student
lands on the star, it is his or her choice on how to handle the word.
Center 2: Word hunt in familiar classroom texts with a partner
Students hunt for words that are on their word study list and those
with similar patterns, using resources in and outside the classroom.
This may include picture books, magazines, posters, or personal
readers. As they find words, they can record them on individual
papers, group charts, or into an alphabet scrapbook.
Word hunts can be made into a game in which teams of two or three
students hunt for words in a given time period. Students read the
words to the teacher or group.

FRIDAY

Reading Workshop
(~60 minutes)

Writing Workshop
(~25 minutes)
Word Study
(~20 minutes)

Whole Group (Drawing Inferences SOL 1.10)

Magazine Sensory Experiences
Go through a set of magazines, tearing out advertisements that might
seem interesting to children, such as pets, families, or sports.
In each ad, cover an item that would force the viewer to infer
Students should examine the evidence still in the ad and use it to help
them infer what the missing item could be.
Remove the covering to confirm or deny their thinking.
Have several of these available to continue drawing inferences
Guided Reading (Drawing Inferences SOL 1.9)
Before
Review what is necessary to draw inferences (evidence) and what an
inference statement looks like
During
Reread Chapter One to practice fluency and review story
Scaffold and clarify for students, as necessary
After
Ask students the following implicit comprehension questions: Why
does Mr. Putter keep doing things instead of writing his book? What
genre is this book?
Independent Reading (Students choice)
Track progress on recording sheet (include title, author, and pages read)
Writing (SOL 1.13)
Students should continue finalizing their writing
Share
Those that finish will be able to present their stories to the class
Sort and review words
Assessment