Read-Aloud Lesson Plan

Title: The Relatives Came

Author: Cynthia Rylant

Illustrator: Stephen Gammell

Suggested Grade Level: Third

Strategy: Monitor/Clarify

Submitted by: Dana Holmes

School: Wrens Elementary School

Planning / This is a wonderful work of fiction. The illustrations are colorful and bright, and they catch your attention. The vocabulary is simple, basically two and three-syllable words.
Before Reading: Prepare / I have a favorite relative, my grandmother, Christine. She is my favorite because she took care of me when I was sick and made me feel special when no one else was around. I lived with her until I was five and moved back in with my mom, so really she was my first mama. The title of the book I am going to read to you is The Relatives Came. This book reminded me of my grandmother. While I am reading to you, I want you monitor and clarify your understanding of what I am reading. Monitoring and clarifying are two strategies that good readers use as they read. When you monitor and clarify, you use illustrations, reread, or read ahead for clarification and understanding.
During Reading: Guide / Who are the main characters?
What can you tell me about the setting?
Is there a problem in the story?
At the beginning, we see the relatives packing up and getting ready to visit or travel to a different place. They live in Virginia, but our story does not tell us where they are going to visit.
What do the relatives mean when they say, “They left when their grapes were nearly purple enough to pick, but not quite.”
What is going on in the middle of the story? A lot of hugging. Do you think they really care about each other? How can you tell?
How did the story end?
After Reading: Extend / Who can demonstrate how to monitor and clarify? Remember when you monitor and clarify, you use the illustrations, reread, or read ahead.
If you had relatives like these, how could you make the world a better place? Whisper to a neighbor.
How long did the relatives stay? What did they mainly do during their visit?
Vocabulary Lesson / There was an interesting word in that book that I think we need to know.
The word is relative. What word?
Relatives are people that are related to you by blood or marriage.
In the book, the relatives go to Virginia to visit.
You know I have a lot of relatives around Burke County.
Can anyone else use your word in a sentence? What word are we working on?