Rational: Reading for comprehension is the most important
skill for children to develop in order to become great readers. Understanding
what is being read is crucial to the learning process. By encouraging
students to read a book that is interesting to them and then having them
reread a familiar book until they have fully mastered every word will ensure
comprehension skills as they are enhancing fluency.
Materials: Drawing paper, pencils or crayons, and the book called A Tree Full of Pigs written by Arnold Lobel.
Procedure:
1. Tell the students that you are going to read a
really funny story to them as they gather around and listen quietly.
Be sure to read with enthusiasm and excitement.
2. After you have read the book, have students return
to their seats and read the story for themselves. The words will
be familiar to them as they have just heard them read aloud. (For
lower level students, you may have them follow along as you read the story
for the first time.)
3. After the children have read the story independently,
have them look at each picture in the book. Discuss funny things
they are seeing in the pictures. Ask them questions relating to the
farmer and his wife. Count all of the pigs that are tied in the trees.
Have the children use their drawing paper and crayons and draw a picture
of their favorite part of the story. Have them write a sentence or
two telling about their picture. This may even be a time of sharing
with the group. Refresh others' minds as each child shares their
favorite incident.
4. Have the students summarize the book in their
own words. As a class, rewrite the story A Tree full of Pigs.
Write the summaries provided by the children on the chalkboard. (You
may want to write your summarized version of the story on poster-board
and have the kids draw pictures to illustrate your new book. When
the book is completed, have it laminated so that it may be enjoyed time
and time again.)
5. For assessment, I will have each child write his
or her own page in our new book summarizing a particular incident or event.
I will record how they have remembered and comprehended what they
have read. Also, it is important to reward them for the new skill
they have learned.
References:
Created by Candis Busby
A Tree Full of Pigs, by Arnold Lobel. Copyright:
New York, 1979. ISBN: 0-
590-75935-3
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