Tara Strade & Isabella Marsala

LAI 474 – Final Evidence-Based Practice Lesson Plan

Overview

Teacher(s): Subject: English Language Arts Grade: 2

Strade/Marsala

Lesson length: 15 Lesson Topic/Unit: Reading Comprehension

minutes

Learning Objectives:

I. By the end of this lesson, students will II. By the end of this lesson, III. I will know that students have met
know: students will be able to: this objective when:

Students will know how to list and identify
comprehension strategies and then apply
them to a text by switching between the
roles of a Coach and a Reader with their
PALS partner. Students will know how to
give and receive positive peer feedback to
improve their reading comprehension skills.
When presented with the PALs
comprehension strategy - paragraph
shrinking, students will
successfully implement the
technique of identifying main ideas
and elaborating on paragraph
content by volleying between the
role of a “Coach” and “Reader” 3
out of 3 trials.
Students will take turns reading,
pausing, and summarizing the main
points of each paragraph and recording
it in their reading logs, which will be
collected following the activity.
Students will provide each other with
positive feedback as a way to monitor
comprehension.

IV. Essential question(s) for students to answer: Why is reading comprehension important to me?

How can I use various strategies to successfully comprehend text alongside a buddy?
State Standards:
According to the NYS Common Core Standards for Reading: Foundational Skills, Grade 2, this lesson should address the
following under “Reading Standards,” “Speaking and Listening Standards,” and “Foundational Skills”:

READING STANDARDS

“1. Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a
text.”

(National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010, p. 11)

SPEAKING AND LISTENING STANDARDS

“1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in
small and larger groups.

a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking
one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.

c. Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion.”

(National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010, p. 23)

FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS

“4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

a) Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.”

(National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010, p. 17)

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core
State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects | K–5.
Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers: Washington D.C.

Context for Learning/Background Information

Situating the Lesson: In this section, list/describe topics of previous lessons related to the topic of this lesson that
students should be familiar with.

Reading comprehension

Lesson Content: In this section, briefly list/describe the content of the current lesson. (2-3 sentences)
Through Paragraph Shrinking, a Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS), students will work with their PALS buddy to read
and coach one another through (a text) to practice their reading comprehension skills. The higher-performing reader will
model this strategy for the lower-performing reader by identifying the main ideas of one paragraph and by summarizing the
paragraph he/she just read in 10 words or less. After the higher-performing reader concludes their section, the lower-
performing will provide positive peer feedback as modelled by the teachers before switching to the role of “reader.” The
lower-performing reader will continue the text where the higher-performing reader left off, will repeat the exercise, and allow
his/her PALS buddy to provide positive peer feedback. When finished, students will record their progress in their reading logs
by listing one thing he/she can improve on and one thing he/she did well.

Lesson Rationale/Evidence Based Practice: In this section, describe why students need this lesson the way
you have planned it. What are you offering them? What EBP are you implementing? What needs are you addressing? (2-3
sentences)

Through Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) – Paragraph Shrinking, higher-performing readers are paired with lower-
performing readers to provide an opportunity for students to receive and provide positive peer feedback in regards to their
reading comprehension skills. Students take turns in the roles of “Reader” and “Coach” by allowing one student to read and
identify the main ideas of the text first while the other provides feedback before switching. Students are given five minutes
each to read the text aloud, identify the most important details of the text - who, what, where, when, why - and summarize
what he/she read in 10 words or fewer.

PALS is a type of peer-mediated instruction that compliments the reading curriculum across content areas. Students are paired
based on his/her reading level - higher-performing readers are paired with lower-performing readers. This allows lower-
performing readers the chance to strengthen their reading comprehension ability through positive peer feedback, while higher-
performing readers work on mastering their comprehension skills by supporting and guiding his/her partner through Paragraph
Shrinking. While using PALS, teachers are able to circulate the classroom and monitor student progress, as well as to assist
with any questions or concerns that arise across PALS buddies. Finally, the consistency of using the same PALS buddies each
week allows students to continue to work with one another as they attempt to reach mastery in reading comprehension (Sáenz,
Fuchs & Fuchs, 2005).

Individualized Instruction
Use the information from the Case Studies Distributed in Class
IEP Goals: In this section, list the IEP goals that this lesson addresses. You can list them by student/pseudonym.

Ashley will demonstrate the ability to use learned strategies such as PALS to decode words as well as to demonstrate
satisfactory comprehension when reading a story at her grade level, measured by informal reading assessments and teacher
observations.

When given reading material, Thomas will correctly decode full sentences, paragraphs, or stories with 80% success over a 10
month period. Evaluations will be conducted quarterly through teacher observation.

IEP Accommodations: In this section, list the classroom & teaching accommodations that must be provided. You can
list them as accommodations or by student/pseudonym. This should include plans for using assistive/instructional technology.

Ashley: Following PALS - Paragraph Shrinking, Ashley will be instructed to flip over an icon when she is ready to whisper to
either Izzy or Tara about one thing she can improve on and one thing she did well to record in her reading log. This gives her
the space to reflect verbally, as she has a hard time with spelling and writing. The story, “The 3 Little Pigs and the Scientific
Wolf”, is based around her interest of simple machines, as to encourage her active participation - Izzy or Tara will remind her
of this during the transition into the activity. Izzy and Tara will also carefully watch the dynamic between her and her PALS
buddy to ensure it is a good fit in the future.

Thomas: Visual aids of the steps the students are to follow when completing the PALS - Paragraph Shrinking activity will be
placed between each partner so Thomas has something to refer to in order to stay on task. Thomas has a virtual journal
established as his reading log, so he will be provided a laptop to type one thing he did well and one thing he can improve on.
Finally, the paragraph will have a voiceover so Thomas can listen to the text before identifying the main ideas and
summarizing what he heard in 10 words or fewer.

Accommodations for Students from Diverse Cultural &/or Linguistic Backgrounds: In this
section, list any relevant accommodations or other information that you will provide given unique student needs arising from
their cultural or linguistic backgrounds.

Julia: The text will be available in Spanish, as to allow the student to see the textual connections between her native language
and English.

Intrinsic Load: Given the content being taught, and unique student needs, predict the level and impact of intrinsic
cognitive load for the lesson on students. Remember, intrinsic load is impacted by the inherent complexity of content,
interactivity between content elements being taught, and existing student background knowledge and motivation. Can you
make any instructional decisions at this planning phase to limit the impact of intrinsic load?

The story “The 3 Little Pigs and the Scientific Wolf” is centered around Ashley’s love of simple machines and ties in well
with our science lessons on how simple machines work. This story provides a fun twist on a classic tale by adding a scientific
element to it!

Co-Teaching & Collaboration

Co-Teaching: In this section, select the co-teaching format Grouping: In this section, describe the way(s) in
that you will be using in this lesson. which students will be assigned to instructional groups.
Check one or more. It is possible to use several strategies during Which teacher will lead/instruct each group?
a lesson.
☐ One Teach, One Support Using Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) –
Paragraph Shrinking, students have been partnered based
☐ Station Teaching on reading ability: higher-performing readers are partnered
with lower-performing readers, and vice versa. Thus, the
X Team Teaching
lower-performing readers are spread evenly across the
☐ Alternative Teaching classroom, allowing Strade and Marsala to circulate during
the lesson without hovering over any one pair. Given we
☐ Parallel Teaching are team teaching, both teachers will model what the
What is each teacher’s role within the model(s) you selected? reading and positive peer feedback should look like, while
offering plenty of time for students to lead the lesson
Strade and Marsala are equally responsible for planning, independently alongside their partners.
instruction of content, assessment, and grade assignment.
Though this will require the greatest amount of planning time,
trust, communication, and coordination of effort, our
collaboration is pivotal in meeting the needs of all our students.
We want to work as a team, without sacrificing participation
time from our students.

First, the teachers will model PALS - Paragraph Shrinking for

the class and how to give positive peer feedback. Together, we
\will have the first student raise their hand and point to the
paragraph they should read. We will then have the second
student point to their section. As a class, we will prompt the
students with questions regarding the instructions listed on the
table: what is the first thing I should do? What is the second?
And so on. We will then begin the timer as students begin to
complete the activity independently. Throughout the lesson,
each teacher will walk around the room and observe each pair
during their reading. The teachers will interject when deemed
necessary and engage with the students by providing helpful
instruction. By utilizing team teaching, each group is able to be
monitored and receive help from the teacher.

Assessment of Student Learning

Assessment Procedures: In this section, describe the assessment procedures that will be used to measure learning of
the objective(s). Assessment procedure must be concrete and tangible, and teacher observation (without a record of it) is
unacceptable. Attach assessment probe or checklist to lesson plan. Multiple forms of assessment are strongly encouraged.

Students should give the teacher thumbs up following instructions as to ensure everyone is on the same page. In their PALS
buddies, students will provide positive peer feedback on their partners reading comprehension skills, specifically their ability
to summarize a text in 10 words or fewer and to identify the main ideas of the paragraph. Students will write down one thing
they did well and one thing they can work on in their reading logs, which will be collected and reviewed for future activities
surrounding reading comprehension. This will allow both the teachers and students to track their progress and for students to
hold themselves accountable for their goals.

Assessment Type(s): In this section, Assessment Criteria: In Feedback: In this section, describe
describe how you will assess students. this section, describe how students what feedback from the assessment(s)
will demonstrate mastery on your you will give students and how you will
assessment(s). give it to them.
Students will write one thing they did well
and one thing they can work on to improve Students will be able to name one Teachers will collect reading log
their reading comprehension in their reading thing to improve on and one thing journals to monitor progress and to
log. As teachers monitor the classroom, they did well after reading the text allow students to actively participating
Marsala and Strade will note: if students are with their PALS buddy. in tracking their goals in developing
paired appropriately, if they are taking turns reading comprehension skills.
as “Reader” and “Coach,” if they are
providing positive (constructive) peer
feedback, and if the students have recorded
one thing they can improve on and one
thing they did well in some fashion (i.e.
reading logs - virtual/paper, verbal, etc.)

Materials & Resources

Teacher Materials (I need): Attach teacher
instructional materials to lesson plan submission. If you are
using a SMARTBoard during lesson, include a file with
materials (saved as a pdf). If you are using external websites,
videos, etc, list the links below.
Student Materials (They need): Attach ALL
student instructional materials to lesson plan (i.e.,
worksheet, graphic organizer, test/quiz, etc).
Reading logs - paper and pencil

Copies of “The 3 Little Pigs and the Scientific Wolf” (including

translated Spanish copy), a laptop to view the online reading log
and voiceover of the text for Thomas, a notecard with the
instructions for Paragraph Shrinking per PALS buddies.

Behavior Management
Incorporate the information from the distributed Case Studies.
General Concerns: What routines
are already in place to help you manage
student behavior/keep students focused &
on task?
Specific Concerns: Are Feedback: How will you provide
there any specific antecedents, feedback to students about their
unique situations, or other student behavior during this lesson?
behavior concerns that may impact
this lesson? Indicate how you are
planning to confront those
concerns.

Teachers have implemented American Sign
Ashley does not typically like to
Language, specifically capitalizing on signs
work with other students - Marsala
such as “bathroom,” “help,” and
and Strade placed her with another
“understand.” Teachers will play light
buddy who also likes to build and
classical music while students silently finish
understands simple machines.
their reading logs.
Marsala and Strade will keep an
eye on their dynamic to ensure
Ashley is paired well and will
remain close by when the students
reach the point of providing peer
feedback, as Ashley also struggles
with differing opinions. Marsala
and Strade will be available to
intervene and help the partners if
any issues arise with Ashley, or
other students who are not paired
well.
Teachers will provide verbal feedback
such as “good job shrinking the
paragraph, Thomas!” or “that was a nice
comment, thank you Ashley”. Teachers
will also give thumbs up to encourage
positive behavior while reading,
including listening to their partner and
providing feedback that is constructive
and positively-phrased, rather than
hurtful. Marsala and Strade will not only
briefly model Paragraph Shrinking and
positive peer feedback, but will remind
students what they expect during this
activity:
1. Stay in your personal bubble -
sign “bathroom” or “help” if
you need anything from Ms.
Marsala or Strade
2. Listen with your eyes and ears
when your friend is speaking
3. Be kind when providing
advice on how to be a better
reader - help, not hurt!

Preparing Students for Instructional Content

Estimated time: Remember you have a total of 15 minutes for this mini lesson.

Review of prerequisite skills: In this section, identify Student-Friendly Objective: Re-state the
any skills or content that you will review with students prior to
new instruction. This could be the warm-up, “do now”, or other
introductory part of lesson that reviews prior learning.
Students have practiced reading aloud prior to this lesson; this
lesson intentionally provides students with a new short story,
“The 3 Little Pigs and the Scientific Wolf”, to test their ability to
develop their reading comprehension through constructive peer
feedback.
lessons learning objective in student-friendly language.
I will work with my PALS buddy to coach them through
reading “The 3 Little Pigs and the Scientific Wolf.” I will
know how to find the most important things and to talk
about what I read in my own words. I will be able to help
my buddy become a better reader by giving positive
feedback, and my buddy will help me in the same way! I
will record my findings in my journal so Ms. Marsala and
Strade can see what I learned today :)

Essential Vocabulary
Estimated time:
Reviewing vocabulary: In this section, identify any Pre-teaching vocabulary: In this section,
vocabulary that must be reviewed or re-taught. identify any vocabulary you need to introduce or pre-teach
ahead of the main lesson. If this is a vocabulary-centered
Teachers will highlight new/ tricky words in the story before lesson, skip this section.
class and provide a visual reference guide at each of their desks
(a picture of each word). Before the lesson, teachers will remind
students if they come across a word they do not know to
1. Use context clues alongside their buddy
2. Refer to the visual guide
3. Sign “help” for Ms. Marsala or Strade to come over to
your table

Instruction
Estimated time: The majority of your lesson should be here, make sure the EBP is
evident.

Direct Instruction (I DO): In this Guided Practice (WE
section, describe the direct instruction that DO): In this section, describe the
will be provided. How will you
model/demonstrate ideas? How will you use
“think aloud” and cognitive modeling?
Strade and Marsala will pretend to be PALS
buddies by modeling Paragraph Shrinking -
Strade will read a sentence, identify a main
idea, and will receive positive feedback
from Marsala. Strade will remind students
of their expectations for reading before
signaling a 10 second countdown
(transition) to have students find their
buddies. Once seated, Marsala will then
explain how students will have 10 minutes
to take turns being a “reader” and a “coach”
while reading a paragraph aloud (5 minutes
each). Strade will use a timer to ensure the
activity stays on schedule, and will instruct
students when to switch. Marsala and Strade
will walk around the classroom as students
work with their buddies to provide
assistance and monitor their progress.
practice that students will be
provided with. Include how you will
determine that students are ready
to independently practice.
After modelling, Strade and
Marsala will guide students through
the sections they are expected to
read - who reads what first - and
the order of which they should
complete the activities based on the
instructions found on each desk.
Students should work in their
PALS buddies (shoulder buddies at
their tables), taking turns reading
one paragraph of the text aloud to
one another (5 minutes each).
Students are welcome to sit
anywhere in the room, so long as
they are comfortable and are able to
hear their partner. After reading
students will identify the main
ideas and summarize the paragraph
in 10 words or fewer, before
receiving peer feedback from their
buddy. After 5 minutes, students
will switch when instructed by
Strade. After both students have a
chance to be a reader and a coach,
students will take out their reading
logs.
Independent Practice (YOU
DO): In this section, describe the
independent practice students will
complete
In the future, students will
independently work in their PALS
buddies during the Paragraph Shrinking
activity without the teachers initially
modelling the lesson. Students are also
encouraged to independently write one
thing they can improve on and one thing
they did well in this activity in their own
words on a new page in their reading
logs. If students are struggling, Marsala
and Strade will be available for
guidance. This section should be dated
so they can continue to track their own
progress in developing reading
comprehension. Students will place their
reading logs in the center of their table
to be collected when everyone is
finished*
*Thomas will record his virtually, while
Ashley will have a mini-conference with
either Strade or Marsala to explain what
she learned verbally
 Closure
Estimated time: Keep this short

Lesson Review: In this section,
review the learning that occurred during
the lesson. Be specific and ask students to
review in a way that reflects what they
learned, rather than what the topic was or
what activities were used to facilitate
learning.
Students will use reading logs to record
their main ideas and summarizes of the
paragraph they read, as well as one thing
they need to improve on and one thing they
did well. This will encourage their
reflection of the activity and to monitor
their own progress. Due to time constraints,
reflection and review will occur between
partners, with teachers, and independently
in their reading logs, rather than with the
whole class.
Forward Look: In this
section, link this lesson to future
learning. State how this lesson is
related to the next lesson or future
learning.
This lesson is linked to future
learning through the students
reading logs. By dating their logs,
students are able to look back and
review the progress they have made
when it comes to reading
comprehension skills. This lesson
will also be performed with
different readings across content
areas for the next 3-4 weeks before
switching buddies, therefore giving
the students the opportunity to
continue to grow alongside their
PALS buddies.
Homework: Describe any
homework assignments. Use N/A if there
is no homework assignment.
Share your reading goals with your
families - what is one thing you did
well? What is one thing you can work
on? Talk about the main idea of the
story you read with someone when you
go home today!
No formal homework assignment
necessary, but students are encouraged
to practice their Paragraph Shrinking at
home with someone - a parent, sibling,
neighbor, friend, or even pet!

Extraneous Load: Explain how the instructional approach and materials you plan to use will keep students’
extraneous load as low as possible. Remember, extraneous load is increased when teachers talk too fast, use text-laden slides
or other modes of teaching that are not a match for how students have the best chance to learn.

The extraneous load of the students will be kept as low as possible because they are only partnered with one other student and
have two teachers at their convenience.

How does your instructional approach provide a match for lessening the impact of intrinsic load noted above?
How will your instructional materials help manage your own intrinsic and extraneous load as a teacher?

Preparation for CLASS Scoring (For Dimensions Not Already Explicitly Included Above)
Good things to think about – no need to answer.
What steps will you take to ensure the lesson will occur within a positive climate, show sensitivity to students and
demonstrate regard for student perspectives?
How will you maximize instructional time and keep distractions and non-instructional time to a minimum to
ensure productivity?
Are your instructional learning formats organized to facilitate active engagement and clear learning?
Are you planning to help students utilize higher order thinking skills? And apply their knowledge in some unique
way?
What are you planning to do to support content understanding and clear up misconceptions?
How will you promote active dialog between you and your students, and among the students? (As appropriate)
What explicit steps can you take to keep students engaged throughout the lesson?

References, Notes & Other Information

Be sure to include references for your EBP.

In this section, list any references for lesson plans, resources, or other ideas you used that are not primarily yours. This is also
where you will list the APA citations for the articles that were referenced.
In this section, include any other helpful information that is relevant for the lesson plan.

Brown, A. (2018). Reading Fluently to Support Comprehension | Lesson Plan | Education.com | Lesson plan. Retrieved
February 25, 2019, from https://www.education.com/lesson-plan/el-support-lesson-reading-fluently-to-support-
comprehension/

IRIS Center - Peabody College, Vanderbilt University (2019). PALS: A Reading Strategy - What types of activities can Mrs.
Nash use to increase her students' reading skills? Retrieved from
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/pals26/cresource/q2/p05/#content

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core
State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects | K–5.
Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers: Washington D.C.

Sáenz, L. M., Fuchs, L. S., & Fuchs, D. (2005). Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for English Language Learners with
Learning Disabilities. Exceptional Children, 71(3), 231-247. doi:10.1177/001440290507100302