4th Grade Guided Reading

Guided Reading Lesson Plan

Text Title: Bridge to Terabithia

Level: Guided Reading T, DRA 50, Lexile 810L

Fiction, Drama

Introduction 

• Students will be previously grouped into guided reading groups according to their DRA levels. 
• I will call my highest reading group to the back table.
• "Will the yellow group please come back to the table?"
• Introduce phonics focus for the lesson.
• "You all have been working on reading unfamiliar words based on syllables, root words, and context clues." 
• "The book we are going to begin reading will include many words unfamiliar to you. I know you guys will be able to figure them out, though!"
• "Let's practice this skill before we read." 
• Phonics Focus: (CC): CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.3.A Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.
• Work Work Activity: Word Way

(words: sleepily, unhandy, soothingly, equipment, nauseatingly, unusually, tambourines, autoharp, pandemonium, parapets, shadowy, complaining, solemnly, congregation, gunnysack, immediately, reassess)

• Introduce vocabulary focus for this lesson.
• "You guys are going to learn a lot of new vocabulary through this book!"
• "Today we are going to focus on some verbs we will encounter when we read."
• "Let's play a game to see if we can figure out the meaning of some of these before we begin reading."
• Vocabulary Focus: Verbs
• Work Work Activity: 

(words: snicker, garble, reassess, yelp, douse, smirk, haul, consolidate, wheedle, hurtle, sob, slither, dumbfound, dangle, fumble, imitate, humiliate, glare, fascinate, swerve, mope, conspire)

Before Reading

• Pass out a copy of Bridge to Terabithia to each student.
• Introduce the book.
• "Today, we are starting a new book. It is called Bridge to Terabithia. What do you guys think this book will be about by looking at the cover and title?" (pause for student response)
• "Good thoughts! Let's read the summary on the back of the book to learn more."

• "This story has some tough topics, but we are going to read it and discuss those topics together. I know you guys can do it!"
• "Be looking for the vocabulary we discussed earlier, and don't forget to use your strategies to decode any unfamiliar words you come across while you read."

During Reading

• Comprehension non-fiction
• Students will discuss with their group as they read, and answer comprehension questions in their reading journals.
• "After you guys finish Chapter 1, you are going to discuss some questions as a group. I want everyone to participate!"
• Examples of discussion questions:
• Why has Jess gotten up early every morning during the summer?
• What is Jess's favorite teacher Miss Edmunds like? How is she different from the other teachers at Lark Creek Elementary?
• Why does Jess keep his drawing supplies hidden under his mattress? And why doesn't he dare show his drawings to his father?
• In the beginning of the story, why doesn't Jess have any friends? Why does he try to avoid Leslie when she first tries to be friendly with him? 
• During the first week of school, Jess begins to change his mind about getting to know Leslie. Why do you think he changes his mind?
• "After you finish your discussion, you will answer some questions by yourself in your reading journal."
• Examples of comprehension questions:
• Why does Jess feel that he has to be “the fastest kid in the fifth grade”? How does he prepare for this goal?
• Why does Jess tolerate May Belle as much as he does?
• How did foot racing become the boys’ main recess activity?
• Fluency and phrasing
• Students will take turns reading aloud to the group to practice fluency.
• "Abby, we will start with you today, and go around the circle to the left."
• Word decoding and vocabulary
• Students will use the strategies we practiced at the beginning of the lesson to read unfamiliar words.
• "Don't forget to use root words, context clues and syllables to help you decode words you don't know. If you have trouble, ask a buddy or get a dictionary!"
• They will flag words they cannot figure out with a sticky note, and look them up in a dictionary. They will write the definition in their own words on the sticky note.

After Reading

• Writing Activity: Problem/Feelings and Solution/Feeling
• Students will write three paragraphs. The first will be about the problem and how the character(s) felt about it, the second will be about the solution and how the character(s) felt about it, and the third will be about how the student felt about the problem and solution.

Supplies

• Group set of Bridge to Terabithia
• pencils for each student
• reading journals for each student
• sticky notes
• dictionaries
• Word Way sheet for each student
• SMART Board