Teacher Name: ______
Date/Time: ______
Observer Name: ______ /

Grades K-3 Literacy By 3 Observation Checklist

What’s Happening
Whole group instruction
Guided reading small group instruction
Teacher conferring with one student
Teacher assessing one student
Students using principled habits to read to self, read to someone, work on writing, word work, or listen to reading
The Learning Environment / Y/N
Is the small group teaching table ready for guided reading groups?
Are anchor charts displaying principled habits for independent practice used as teaching tools?
Do you see a classroom library with levels and genres clearly labeled (red tubs)?
Whole Group Instruction / Y/N/NA
Word Study
Are students practicing decoding or vocabulary enhancement skills aligned to learning objective?
Is the instruction challenging enough to maintain student interest yet attainable for most students?
Read Aloud
Is there evidence of alignment of objectives between the read aloud and the mini-lesson?
Are students demonstrating thinking skills and/or close reading strategies through the read aloud?
Does the teacher demonstrate close reading strategies? (i.e. Aha Moments, Repetitions, Memories,Contrasts and Contradictions, Words of the Wiser, Tough Questions)
Mini-Lesson – Comprehension Skills and Strategies
Is the objective aligned with the read aloud text?
Do students practice the skill/strategy in applicable ways?
Is the mini-lesson linked to ongoing work for the day?
Mini-Lesson – Debriefing (2-3 minutes)
Are students encouraged to share what they need to work on to support their work?
Do students connect the mini-lesson to the read aloud/independent reading/writing lesson?
Do students demonstrate understanding of the mini-lesson?
Guided Reading/Work Stations / Y/N/NA
Small Group Instruction
(for levels A-N, students should ALL stagger read the whole time)
Is the teacher meeting with a small group of students?
Are the other students working independently and not interrupting the teacher?
Is there evidence of planning and record keeping?
Small Group Instruction – Before Reading (3-4 minutes)
Are students making connections to story/text topic using partner talk?
Does the teacher provide background knowledge and a clear purpose to students before they read?
Small Group Instruction – During Reading (7-8 minutes)
Are students whisper reading independently - not chorally, not round robin?
Are all students reading the same book at an instructional level -
93-96% accuracy?
Is the teacher listening to individual students read and taking anecdotal notes?
Does the teacher provide “just in time” intervention?
Small Group Instruction – After Reading (3-4 minutes)
Does the teacher facilitate a discussion based on text evidence?
Does the teacher address an instructional need s/he identified as students read and discussed the story?
Independent ReadingWork Station
Ask student(s), “Will you please read to me?” (1 minute or less)
After reading, does this text appear to be on the student’s independent reading level?
Can the student tell you what he/she is working on as a reader?
Writer’s Workshop
Mini-lesson
Does the teacher connect the writing lesson to the read aloud and reading lesson?
If a text is used, does the teacher select effective examples for modeling the desired outcome in writing? (i.e. simile, metaphor, personification)
Independent writing
Are students writing in notebooks?
Can students state which part of the writing process they are working on?
  • Prewriting
  • Drafting (Writing)
  • Responding
  • Revising
  • Editing
  • Publishing

Is the teacher conferencing with an individual or small group of students?
Sharing
Are students prepared to share something they have written? (not necessarily that day)
Does the teacher provide positive feedback that aligns with the mini-lesson?
Comments
Teacher Name: ______
Date/Time: ______
Observer Name: ______ /

Grades 3-5 Literacy By 3 Observation Checklist

What’s Happening
Whole group instruction
Literature circles and/or guided reading groups
Teacher conferring with one student
Teacher assessing one student
Students using principled habits to read to self, work on writing, or word work
The Learning Environment / Y/N
Are anchor charts displaying principled habits for independent practice used as teaching tools?
Do you see a classroom library with levels and genres clearly labeled (red tubs)?
Are expectations for the various members of literature circles displayed around the room? (i.e. connector, discussion director, illustrator, summarizer, et al)
Whole Group Instruction / Y/N/NA
Word Study
Are students practicing skills related to vocabulary enhancement? (In identified fifth grades, this may be the ALIAS program.)
Is the instruction challenging enough to maintain student interest yet attainable for most students?
Read Aloud
Is there evidence of alignment of objectives between the read aloud and the mini-lesson?
Are students demonstrating thinking skills and/or close reading strategies through the read aloud?
Does the teacher demonstrate close reading strategies? (i.e. Aha Moments, Repetitions, Memories,
Contrasts and Contradictions, Words of the Wiser, Tough Questions)
Mini-Lesson – Comprehension Skills and Strategies
Is the objective aligned with the read aloud text?
Do students practice the skill/strategy in applicable ways?
Is the mini-lesson linked to ongoing work for the day?
Mini-Lesson – Debriefing (2-3 minutes)
Are students encouraged to share what they need to work on to support their work?
Do students connect the mini-lesson to the read aloud/independent reading/writing lesson?
Do students demonstrate understanding through exit slips, retells or use of notebooks?
Literature Circles/Work Stations / Y/N/NA
Small Group Instruction
Is the teacher meeting with a small group of students?
Are the other students working in literature circles and not interrupting the teacher?
Are students applying reading comprehension strategies and skills?
Does the teacher facilitate a discussion around a text dependent question?
Does the teacher address an instructional need s/he identified as students read and discussed the story?
Independent Reading Work Station
Ask student(s), “Will you please read to me?” (1 minute or less)
After reading, does this text appear to be on the student’s independent reading level?
Can the student tell you what he/she is working on as a reader?
Word Study
Are students engaged in grade-level word work? (identifying synonyms, locating the most appropriate meaning of a word in context, multiple meaning words)
Work on Writing (research)
Are students conducting independent research on a select topic?
Writer’s Workshop
Mini-lesson
Does the teacher connect the writing lesson to the read aloud and reading lesson?
If a text is used, does the teacher select effective examples for modeling the desired outcome in writing? (I.e. simile, metaphor, personification)
Independent Writing
Are students writing in notebooks?
Can students state which part of the writing process they are working on?
  • Prewriting
  • Drafting (Writing)
  • Responding
  • Revising
  • Editing
  • Publishing

Is the teacher conferencing with an individual or small group of students?
Sharing
Are students prepared to share something they have written? (not necessarily that day)
Does the teacher provide positive feedback that aligns with the mini-lesson?
Comments
GLOBAL GRADUATE
/ © Houston ISD Curriculum 2015-2016
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