OBSERVING READING COMPREHENSION LESSONS Angela Barra/Language Acquisition/Literacy Specialist/

Just Right Books /
  • Is the “how to choose” a JRB Chart displayed?
  • After greeting: Are books/folders picked up and students reading within 2 minutes?
  • Teacher begins checking-in with students within 3 minutes of class start.
  • Teacher steps while “checking-in”:
  1. “How’s it going? Are you enjoying this book? Does it feel easy enough?”
  2. “What page are you on?” (Teacher choose a short piece of a previous page.)
  3. “Please read this short passage silently, then you will read it aloud to me.”
  4. Teacher listens for fluency, prosody, etc. Counsels student if there is a problem.
  5. “Now, close the book and tell me what you remember about what you just read.”
  6. “OK, thanks. And tell me, do you know what this word means?” (Teacher is asking about any perceived challenging vocab words.)
  7. If it appears that the book is NOT a JRB, teacher counsels student and helps them find a JRB.

Lessons / Precision Reading
  1. Teacher does a CLOZE read w/ prosity.
  2. Asks students to read silently to ID difficult vocab.
  3. Pronounce and/or give information on vocab that students have identified.
  4. Teacher reads aloud as students listen for “pauses.”
  5. Students ID pauses and teacher explains why.
  6. Choral read with pauses.
  7. Students (2 or 3) volunteer to be coached as they do a Precision Read.
  8. Teacher calls on students randomly for a RETELL.
/ Context Clues Vocab
  1. Is there a “Context Clues” chart (in process) displayed?
  2. Students read silently to ID new/unfamiliar vocabulary.
  3. Students share up to 7 words. Teacher lists on board.
  4. Teacher chooses up to 4 from the student list for “context clues.” (May tell meaning of the other 3 words.)
  5. Students are directed to 1 word at a time, reading “around” the word to locate context clues.
  6. With each word the teacher asks (in this order):
  • What clues did you find?
  • What do you think the word means?
  1. Teacher writes the clues on the chart or refers to a clue that is already on the chart.
/ Vocabulary-Retell
  1. Using a short selection, and students have a copy or all can see it.
  2. Teacher does a CLOZE read.
  3. Choose 3 or 4 challenging vocabulary words and write them on the board. (Using context clues, have students ID meanings, or just give them synonyms or short definitions.)
  4. Students re-read passage silently, preparing to retell by both paraphrasing and using the new vocabulary.
  5. Teacher asks students how many details they will be able to retell. Asks them to read silently one more time.
  6. Students retell to a partner.
  7. Teacher calls on students with equity sticks for retell- NOTE: students should tell all they remember before the teacher calls on more students.
  8. Have students re-read to ID details not mentioned.
/ Unpacking Complex Sentences
  1. When teaching strategy:
  • Teacher has students find simple, compound and complex sentences in a text.
  • Teacher chooses one complex sentence and demonstrates how to “unpack” the ideas in the sentence, creating many simple sentences.
  • Teacher chooses a second sentence and works with the class to “unpack.”
  • Students work on a third sentence in partners or individually.
  • Students are asked, to share their simple sentences (one student or team and one sentence). Teacher lists all the simple sentences on the board.
  1. When learned, indicate sentence and have students “unpack.”

Closing / Teachers should revisit their lesson objective. Ask students if the class has met the objective. Ask for “proof” by asking about vocabulary, or retell components. Use equity sticks. Let students know what lesson they will work on tomorrow.