Modified Guided Reading Lesson-Planning Framework

Source: Figure 2, MGR Lesson-Planning Framework from Avalos, M. A.,

Plasencia, A., Chavez, C., & Rascn, J. (2007). Modified guided reading: Gateway to
English as a second language and literacy learning. The Reading Teacher, 318-329.

Planning the lesson(s)

1. Determine objectives of lessons(s) based upon instructional needs (English-language
learning and literacy learning).
a. Determine the main idea or essential message from text and supporting
information.
b. Read for information to use in performing a task and learning a new task.
c. Identify words and construct meaning from the text.
8.7 The student will write in a variety of forms, including narration, exposition,

persuasion, and informational.

a) Identify intended audience.

e) Select specific vocabulary and information for audience and purpose.

Students will listen to a scenario about a food fight happening in school

with minimal details.

Students will be given a slip of paper that give them their intended

audience, either a friend, their parent, or their principal.

The students will then be paired into groups and work together to write a

paragraph sharing the story using a choice of details and words to make

for an appropriate tone depending on their audience.

Then each group will share their paragraph orally and the rest of the class

will guess who their audience is.

2. Group students by name/oral L2 level-instructional reading level (e.g., Student 1/1-

first grade, Student 2/1-first grade).
The 2 level 3 students will:
Predict the purpose of the story according to the title
Read each story and look for the purpose
Infer the purpose and the audience from word choice
Review what words made the purpose so clear
Record new words and find definitions to add to the class word
Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will
need less support. This framework should be adjusted to reflect more
student responsibility as the teacher facilitates learning and guides
when necessary.
 wall
Draft a list of words for each purpose: entertain, persuade, and
inform
Compare the words from each list and find words that could work
for both

3. Select guided-reading books based upon objectives and students instructional reading
levels.
Note the title, author, and reading level of the text you would use with
this small group. Also provide one paragraph about the book that
summaries the text and justifies why it is a good fit for the unit.

Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket Barbara Parks

This is a shorter story written for second grade level students.
Although this may prove to be easier for Level 3 students, it is a good
choice for pulling out text characteristics. I purposely chose an easier
to digest text so students could explore words choice and details with
greater ease. This story follows Junie B. Jones who believes that a
chicken will peck her head off if she goes to a farm. Not only does this
show the purpose of entertainment, but there is also a portion where
she tries to convince her parents to not let her go to the farm, so we
can explore persuasive writing.

The Tell-Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe

This story is about a man who commits murder and then is haunted
by his guilt, hearing heartbeats underneath his floor boards. This story
has the purpose of eliciting fear. Poes word choices make this a great
choice for identifying words that aid to his specific purpose in this
piece. This story is really for a general audience, even though it is
written at a third grade level, so it will open up discussion for how
audiences can be specific or general.

4. Analyze the text and identify literacy challenges based upon your knowledge of the
students.
a. Semantics:
i. Vocabulary:
1. Focus on common English morphemes (e.g., affixes) or
orthographic patterns
2. Identify two to three words for receptive vocabulary and five to
nine words for productive vocabulary
3. Understand the meaning of the story whenever possible
ii. Figurative language:
iii. Homophones (words that sound the same, different meanings):
Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will
need less support. This framework should be adjusted to reflect more
student responsibility as the teacher facilitates learning and guides
when necessary.
 1. Homographs (words that are spelled the same but have
different meanings and origins):
b. Grammar (complex syntax, punctuation):
c. Text structure (narrative, expository):
d. Content or concept (cultural relevance):
e. Strategy instruction (if needed, identify good places to insert strategy
instruction during shared reading [e.g., think-alouds, elicitation of predictions,
word solving])
Both stories have to do with some sort of rural setting, which relates to their rural
upbringing. We will start by predicting the purpose and the mood of the text from the title
of each book. We will then read sections of each text out loud.

I anticipate that idioms and word choice, like slang, might be an issue in Junie B. Jones.
Otherwise, the grammar in Junie B. Jones is quite simple because of the lower grade
level. This will make teaching words like, meanie, pecked, and whatever easier to
teach. I will also have to go over what waving to someone means, how a field trip works,
and answer any questions about visiting farms for fun.

Edgar Allan Poe uses more metaphors in his story. For this reason, I want to read the
entire story out loud and demonstrate my own think alouds and techniques I use as a
good reader. I will also have little sticky notes for the students to mark any bits of the text
that they might find confusing or do not understand. The story is written at a third grade
level, but I anticipate some confusion still. There is nothing that really stood out, so I will
take that as it comes. I will also explain that murder is very illegal and used in many
scary and thriller movies in our culture.

As we work through each story I will ask students to mark the words or phrases they
thought really aided to the purpose. I will ask them to also mark clues as to who the
audience is. Then we will compare our words and compromise a list together for each
type of story. I will then have them work in small groups to brainstorm more words for
each purpose.

Extending the lessons(s)

Word work:
Activity: Purpose Word Sort. Students will be given envelopes of words in small groups.
They will work together to group the words into groups. Each group of words will be
designated for a different purpose in writing.

Justification: This word sort will get students discussing different purposes and start
figuring out how important word choice is. This will also provide a bank of words that
they can use for their writing activity later. This is especially beneficial for EL students
because they will hear conversation from peers, not just their teacher, about the
connotation of certain words they may not be familiar with.
Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will
need less support. This framework should be adjusted to reflect more
student responsibility as the teacher facilitates learning and guides
when necessary.
Writing:
Activity: Students write 3-5 paragraphs to fit a certain purpose given a prescribed
audience. They will figure out how to properly persuade, entertain, or scare either little
kids, peers, or adults. The prompt and purpose will remain open for choice, but the
audience will be assigned. Then students will share their writing and peers will guess
what their purpose and who their audience was.

Justification: Allowing choice will scaffold the students to begin thinking about their own
word choices to write something appropriate for their audience and purpose, while still
allowing them to choose a topic they are comfortable exploring. This will also get them
writing for a purpose in paragraph structure, closer to a full essay length, preparing them
for the SOL at the end of the year.

Possible minilessons:
Activity: Food Fight Response. Students will listen to a scenario about a food fight. They
will then be given a prompt to share the story with a friend, a parent, or their principal.
They will write a paragraph in response and then share it with the class. The class will try
to guess who their audience was.

Justification: This makes for a good opening lesson to this unit. A food fight is probably
something that is equally as exciting and forbidden in other cultures. This will make it an
easy thing to respond to and start exploring purpose and audience for all level learners.

Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will
need less support. This framework should be adjusted to reflect more
student responsibility as the teacher facilitates learning and guides
when necessary.