Guided Reading Lesson Plan

Book: How Can You Tell?

Date(s): 1/21, 1/23, & 1/28
Standards of Learning
Reading 2.6: The student will use semantic clues and syntax clues to expand
vocabulary when reading.
a) Use information in the story to read words.
d) Reread and self-correct
Reading 2.7: The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
b) Use knowledge of prefixes and suffixes.
Reading 2.9: The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of
nonfiction texts.
h) Read and reread familiar passages with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful
expression.
Objectives
Understand:
Students will
understand that
U1. A good reader uses
a variety of strategies to
expand vocabulary
when reading.

U2. Fluency is an
important part of
reading.

Know: Students will

know that

Do: Students will

K1. Vocabulary can be

expanded through
knowledge of prefixes
and suffixes, re-reading
and self-correcting, and
using information in the
story to read words.
K2. Fluency is the ability
to read with speed,
accuracy, and proper
expression.

D1. Use knowledge of

prefixes and suffixes to
expand vocabulary, reread and self-correct,
and use information in
the story to read words.
D2. Read a text with
fluency, accuracy, and
proper expression.

Assessment
Anecdotal notes will be used to monitor students progress. I will be looking
for the following things: strategies used to decode new vocabulary, ability to
recount important facts, and the fluency with which a passage is read.

Day 1
Before Reading
* Ask students to bring their

1. Introduce How Can You Tell?

a. Begin by telling students that the
1

word study notebooks to be

checked.

book is about how we can find

answers to many of the questions
we have about the world.
b. Perform a book walk with
students.
Look at page 1 (contents). Ask
students what a table of contents
is used for. Share with students
that the table of contents tells the
reader what page a new
chapter/section begins.
Look at page 2 and explain that
the girls in the picture are using a
balance to find out which object is
heavier.
Look at page 5 and explain that
the book has directions for
different activities that students
can do at home.
Look at page 16. Tell students
that a glossary defines important
words from the book. Ask
students what they think an index
is used for. Show students how an
index can be used to quickly find a
word in the book.
2. Ask students to predict 2-3 questions
that may be answered in the book.
3. Introduce new words
a. Write the following words on a
whiteboard and pronounce them
for students: scientist,
thermometer, temperature,
compare, conclusion, experiment,
measure, observe, and record.
Provide a definition for scientist,
thermometer, and temperature.
o Scientist: People who study
the world around us.
o Thermometer &
Temperature: A
thermometer is used to
measure temperature.
Temperature is how hot or
cold something is.
2

Show students a real

thermometer and the
illustration in the text.
Ask the students to explain the
meaning of each word to the
person sitting next to them.
The definition of compare,
conclusion, experiment, measure,
observe, and record will not be
introduced. Instead, prompt
students to use the text clues to
help them figure out the meaning
of the new words.
1. Students will take turns reading the text.
Listen, observe, prompt, coach, and teach
students.
a. Prompt for strategies
Monitor for Meaning: Are you
right? Does that make sense?
Reread that sentence and try to fix
it.
Decode unknown words: Can you
cover the ending and find a part
you know?
Fluency: Read a few words
together so it sounds smooth.
Read this part with me.
Retell: What did you just read?
Stop, think, and paraphrase what
you have read.
1. When 5 minutes are left in the lesson,
ask students to stop reading and to
mark their place.
2. Ask students to write down an important
fact they learned from the text.
3. Select two teaching points based on
needs of students. Possible teaching
points:
Vocabulary: Use context clues to
determine the meaning of
experiment (pg. 2) and observe (pg.
5)
Phrasing & Expression: Select a page
to reread with students chorally. Ask
students to orally retell what the text

During Reading

After Reading

on that page was about.

Day 2
Before Reading
* Ask students to bring their word
study notebooks to be checked.
During Reading

1. Ask students to recall what the

book is about.
1. Students continue reading How
Can You Tell? from where they left
off. Students will continue taking
turns reading the text. If book
was completed on Day 1, students
will reread the book aloud to
themselves on Day 2.
2. Day 1 procedures for During
Reading will be followed.
a. Prompt for strategies
Monitor for Meaning: Are
you right? Does that make
sense? Reread that
sentence and try to fix it.
Decode unknown words:
Can you cover the ending
and find a part you know?
Fluency: Read a few words
together so it sounds
smooth. Read this part with
me.
Retell: What did you just
read? Stop, think, and
paraphrase what you have
read.
1. Reading will be stopped after
approximately 15 minutes.
2. Teaching one or two strategies
based of needs of students.
Possible teaching point:
Chunk: Break the word
yourself on a whiteboard (pg.
4). Ask students to help you
break it into parts.
Cover the ending: Select a
word from the text, such as
containers (pg. 7), and ask
students to look for a part they

After Reading

know in the word.

Day 3
Reread text for fluency
* Ask students to bring their word
study notebooks to be checked.

1. Ask students to individually reread

the text aloud to practice fluency.
Focus on the flow and expression
of students reading rather than
attending to errors that make
sense.
1. Introduce the writing prompt to
students. Tell students to write
one paragraph.
Prompt: Write about a question
you have about nature. What
do you think the answer might
be? What experiment could
you do to find out if you are
right?

Guided writing