PLANNING FOR INSTRUCTION

The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon
knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners
and the community context.

Teaching is a complex activity that involves careful preparation and planning objectives and
activities on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis. In addition, long-term planning from my
experience ensures coverage of curriculum across a marking period, semester, and year. I
believe that it is the duty of teachers to demonstrate high expectations for students and select
strategies to promote the students learning. Beyond planning and preparation of materials,
effective organizing for instruction also involves the development of a conscious orientation
toward teaching and learning as the central focus of classroom activity. There is a need for
teaching and learning as a focus to be consistently communicated to students in the classroom.
So, teachers must use appropriate curricula, instructional strategies, and resources during the
planning process to address the diverse needs of students. Before I teach a lesson, I spend
some time planning the content of instruction, selecting teaching materials, and designing the
learning activities I feel might help in attending to the learning needs of my students. I also
present my lesson plan to my cooperating teacher for approval, believing that she might
suggest some strategies from her wealth of teaching experience that might be helpful.

Evidence
My first piece of evidence is a unit of study I created during my course (EN 440 Literacy III) at
Aquinas College. My unit of study was based on second grade Common Core State Standards. I
used appropriate curricular, instructional strategies and resources during my planning process
to address the diverse needs of my students, which I believe helped them to experience success
as readers.

Unit of Study: Reading is Thinking

Sister Kate Okolocha
Grade Level: Two
Dates:
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.1
(CCSS)
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when,
why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a
What standards are addressed in
text.
this unit?

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.2
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse
cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and
challenges.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing
how the beginning introduces the story and the ending
concludes the action.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters,
including by speaking in a different voice for each character
when reading dialogue aloud.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a
print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its
characters, setting, or plot.
Goals
Write in student friendly language:
I can, I will, The teacher will, etc.
Should be at least 4-6.

Bends in the Road

(Bends=Parts - Skills each part
should last 1-2 weeks)
What are the bends that need to be
taught to meet the goals? What are
the foundational skills that need to
be in place in order to meet the
goals?
Mini Lessons (Strategies)
What are the specific lessons that
need to be taught for those

1. I can read a book with a story tellers voice (good

expression).
2. I can read a book by figuring out what makes sense and
sounds right in a text (Accuracy).
3. I can interpret a book by stopping to think after I have read a
bit to check that I understand it.
4. I can picture what is going on in this story as I read and
think.
5. I can follow the events of a story, and sequence the retelling
from the beginning.
1. Readers make predictions of what a book might be about as
they read and think.
2. Readers can figure out the tricky words in a book.
3. Readers can check for comprehension by thinking about and
retelling the story in a book.

Bend 1 predictions
1. Readers, get your minds ready to read a book by looking
closely at the title and cover illustration. For example, say the
title out loud, name what you notice about the cover picture

foundational skills (bends)?

and think; what might this book be about? What do I expect to

see inside this book?
2. Readers, flip through the pages, look at the illustrations, and
think, Do the pictures match or differ from my expectations?
3. When reading a story, readers can stop and think: picture
what will happen next in the text you read and observe what
the characters are doing.
Bend 2 Tricky words
1. Readers, whenever you get to a tricky part in your book, go
back and reread the tricky words by running your finger
underneath it, from left to right to help you focus on the whole
word, and thinking about what would make sense at the tricky
words.
2. Readers, take a moment and look very closely at the pictures
or the letters in the word and see if it might help.
3. Readers, locate the beginning letters and make the sounds in
a way that will help you figure out what the word say.
4. Readers you also have to look closely and notice the end of
the word. For example, words such as looked, pay attention
and make the sound of /ed/.
Bend 3 Comprehension
1. When readers retell a story, they use the words first, next,
then, finally, to tell the story in order.
2. Readers, use characters name and retell the story in an
interesting voice. Use intonation to reflect the story, such as a
tone of surprise, a quiet tone for sad parts, and a suspenseful
tone for building suspense.
3. Readers, when you retell and get stuck, check the book to
help you clarify, confirm, and remember the part that you
couldnt remember clearly.

Classroom Library
What does the classroom library
have to have for this unit?
Materials and Resources

Workshop Structure
Support for Struggling Readers
How will you support ALL

1. Show readers how to find books in leveled library.

2. Show readers how to find just-right unleveled books.
3. Feature leveled book baskets that reflect the range of readers
in the classroom.
1. Big books to demonstrate print strategies.
2. Create charts of print strategies and game materials.
3. Introduce independent reading bins.
4. Make print strategy bookmarks and desk-top charts for
readers.
1. Private reading time, partner reading time with conferring.
2. Strategy lessons and guided reading groups.
1. Frequent support through individual conferences.
2.Guided reading support, at least three to four times a week
3. Print strategy reinforcement during writing workshop.

learners?
Support for Strong Readers
How will you support ALL
learners?
Home/School
What can be done to foster the
connection between home and
school?
Assessments
Formative? Summative?

Celebrations

4. Recommendations for Project Read after-school program.

1. Strategy lessons on reading for meaning and reading with
fluency.
2. Support for print strategy work on multisyllabic words or
unfamiliar vocabulary.
1. Send home letter describing print strategies to be covered
and language used to describe them in class.
2. Take-home book is a just-right book; readers read with or to
parents.
3. Evening workshop for parents: How to Support Your Young
Reader.
1. Put ability-based partners together based on early
assessments.
2. Use running records to assess students use of print
strategies.
3. Assess book choices.
4. Self-assessment: What strategies are easy or hard for
readers?
5. Home assessment: Ask families what strategies they see or
hear children using at home.
Read-aloud celebration: Readers pick book they can read really
well and invite parents or reading buddies to listen to stories.

How will you celebrate with

students? Is there a way to involve
parents? Is there a way to share
your celebration with the school?

Evidence #2
My second piece of evidence is a sketched activity plan format I used with my tutees from my
literacy class. I used it to plan the content of instruction, selecting teaching materials, and
designing the learning activities I believed were helpful to the learning needs of my tutees
during the tutoring sessions. The sketched activity plan format was very helpful because it
served as a base that guided me in planning all the lessons I taught throughout the tutoring
sessions.

Activity Plan #
(60 minutes for EN 440)
Tutor and Students Names: Tutor, Students names here
Date Lesson will be Used: date

Goals: Insert goal here It should include both a fluency and comprehension goal and not be specific to
the days lesson. It should be able to stand for most of tutoring.
Student Strengths: Dont forget what they are good at here! What reading skills are they proficient in?
*Chart will expand as much as you need as you type
Activity

Time

Details

Read Aloud (with

snack) *Must do

about 10-15
min

Include what you are intentionally

modeling while you read

Mini Lesson

5-7 minutes

Connection:
Teach: (demonstration, guided
practice, explanation with example,
inquiry)
Teaching Point (write in workshop
language):

Materials

Must include
level of the
books read by
students

Active Engagement: (guided practice,

imagine, stop and jot, turn and talk)
Link to ongoing Work: Restate teaching
point and invite child to try
Independent Practice
Guided Reading,
Strategy Group

Game or Activity

15-20 minutes
What is the
child doing
during this
time? What are
you doing?
15-20 min

Wrap Up *must do
5-10 min
Review mini lesson,
talk about next
session, make goals for
time in between
tutoring
Next Steps (Based on the data and your conferring, what skills will you focus on for the next lesson?)