The Lesson Plans and Thematic UnitLesson plans are very important documents for teachers.
They should be integrated with the thematic units in the reading context to facilitate the teaching-learning process. It is through a well structured lesson plan that instructions in a classroom flow. For instance, a lesson involving a sequence of activities needs to be planned in away that time should not be wasted and learning of specific skills take place. In essence, lesson plans give an outline of not only reading, writing or listening but also tries to practically involve students into participation in classroom.
Lesson plans engage students in enriching activities prior to reading passages which enable them to activate and improve the existing knowledge before reading a prescribed text. Firstly, the teacher enhances the last section of reading to activate the background information and vocabulary. Secondly, the teacher can teach the skill in the manual in the context of the story rather than in isolation. Eventually, the student should be given an opportunity to answer questions regarding the text and probably predict about the content and the results.
The students read the text silently and thereafter a brief discussion ensues to evaluate if the instructional goals have been achieved. The strategy to evaluate the student effectively should be done by comparing students’ scores on comprehension skill sheets or reading tests before and after the lesson. For K-6 students, questioning, challenging, and evaluating the texts they listen to is crucial.The appropriate strategies that should be taken to ensure that learning is taking place should be based on facilitating students with an opportunity to interact with others and to enable them interpret texts.
Students should also be in a position to understand about the world and themselves. This should be done bearing in mind that a K-6 student has to make meaning through the art of language; talking, listening, reading and writing. The other skills that are taught along with reading are important since they ensure that the learner is able to decode and interpret the text.It is equally important to consider the contextual and semantic information while developing a lesson plan since they cause a range of automatic monitoring and self-correcting methods.
Other strategies that can be used are the use of pictorials, accompaniments of graphics to predict and locate information. In addition, when reading, the students are expected to read aloud, use appropriate tone, stress, pause, intone and pronounce appropriately.Lesson plan: Recounting Reading LessonAppropriate level: Grade 5PurposeStudents should be able to enhance their abilities to get the meaning of vocabularies from the text’s context.Students should learn strategies to improve reading comprehensionStudents are supposed to extract the details and the theme from the text.
DescriptionThis session involves a reading based on the theme of toy games. It will involve students in supplementary activities before reading the comprehension. In so doing, the students’ previous knowledge will be awakened before they start reading. The vocabularies in the passage are discussed prior it reading.
Material: Use copies the reading passage on toy games.ProcedureThe lesson starts with the activities to build the background knowledge and vocabulary. This might entail revisiting the previous section of the reading lesson.Lesson skills are taught from the teacher’s manual in the context of the story.
Students are asked questions in order to know if they can predict the content of the story and the final result.Students are given time to read the story silently so that they can apply their prior knowledge and comprehension skills by themselves.A discussion is done to find out whether the objectives of the lesson have been accomplished.EvaluationUse the following rubric to evaluate studentsThree points: Students engaged in highly charged discussion of the details that the text alluded to and demonstrated solid understanding of the text’s content.
They showed well understanding in the vocabulary that was used in the text.Two points: Students were generally involved in the discussion. Students’ were challenged in getting the implicit meanings of words from their context though they finally figured the meanings out.One point: Student shallowly participated in the discussion.
They could not predict what would happen in the text.Lesson plan: Direct reading thinking activityObjectivesStudents should demonstrate;Ability to gather information from readingAbility to report factual information i.e. from the reading the text to writing.
OverviewStudents are expected to use a selected text about toy games. The texts preferred at this level can either be fictitious.Appropriate level: Grade 4ProcedureStudents read a selection title and make predictions about content about toy games and how they can enable children to learn.Students read to a first predetermined stop.
They confirm, refine or reject their initial hypotheses and justify their ideas with reference to the text. Students then make new hypotheses.Students read the next section and follow procedures in the previous step. This cycle continues until the text is completely read.
Follow-up activities may be completed after the text is read.The teacher is to facilitate thinking by asking questions. This is to enable students to share thoughts they have and to use them to their own knowledge and experience.EvaluationUse the three rubrics to evaluate student’s performance during the lesson.
Three points: The students predicted the direction of the story. They discussed the theme with a lot of alacrity and could figure out contextual meaning of words.Two points: Students discussed generally about the text. They could vaguely point out the direction in which the text would go.
One point: Students could not predict the direction of the story. Their knowledge on the theme was wanting.Lesson plan: Request or Reciprocal QuestioningAppropriate level: Grade 5Subject: Language art and ReadingOverviewThis involves a highly developed art of intelligent questioning with a major reflector of learning. This questioning skill can be developed if a child can be given a better reason for asking a question rather than to demonstrate his terrible ignorance.
The teacher will guide the students through various passages for the student to comprehend the remaining selection successfully.ObjectivesThe learner will read independently for enjoyment.The learner will actively read by applying self-questioning techniques on toy games. In addition, they should use the current content or thematic content appropriately reflecting their knowledge background.
Learners should discuss context clues sharing multiple and alternative meanings of vocabulary.Materials: Use of a text with the theme of toy gamesProcedureThe passage will be read silently. Then the students will take turns asking questions about the passage and what it means.Students will ask questions first, and then the teacher will ask questions later; the teacher should not play dumb.
The responder should be able to justify his or her question. In case of uncertainty the responder is allowed to check answer form the text. The teacher should attempt to serve as a model of good questioning behavior. This means that the types of questions asked are what will be coming back to the teacher when the student asks.
EvaluationUse the three rubrics to evaluate the student’s performance.Three points: Students asked relevant questions on the theme showing that, in deed they enjoyed reading the text. They showed a solid understanding of the theme and sustained the discussion relevantly.Two points: Student asked not very clear questions.
They show a relatively good understanding of the theme and could recall some facts.One point: Students were limited to factual recall and recognition. The understanding of the theme was wanting.Lesson Plan: Developmental Reading AssessmentAppropriate level: Grade 3ObjectiveThe aim of this session is to evaluate reading comprehension through reading and retelling of the text.
It in this sense focuses on the independence of the reader.Student to develop reading, viewing and comprehension skillsStudents to develop skills and strategies for using context, grammar, word usage and phonics in short text on the topic of toy game which is presumably familiar.Students should discuss and respond to this text. The students should equally identify some language features.
Materials: An extract from the theme of toy games will be used. The text will have a considerable length so as to evaluate if the students can sustain their thoughts on the flow of the story.ProcedureStudents are placed in a classroom part that allows one on one observation and conversation without destruction or interruptions.Other students should not overhear the text being read aloud or retold.
This assessment should take place in one sitting.It should not be broken in the middle of a level. In case the student needs further assessment, the teacher should continue another time.EvaluationUse the following rubrics to evaluate the performance of the students.
Three points: Students could retell the story almost providing all the details explained in the text; there shows that there was thorough understanding of the details in the text.Two points: Students retells bits of the story; they gave some details on the details covered but not wholesomely.One point: Students could not retell any bit of the story; they could not identify the details from the text.Lesson Plan: Language Experience LessonAppropriate level: Grade 4ObjectivesStudents should demonstrate:Ability to gather meaning from reading or listening to others read resources relate to their personal experiences.
Ability to make meaning known by speaking in informal situations.Ability to report factual information using various examples provided in the text of study.Ability to tell and retell personal experiences in regard to the theme.Materials: Copies on text on toy gamesProcedureThe procedure involves the whole class as a group.
The class will be involved in discussing the experience and using the record kept by teacher of experience for reading and writing activities.The teacher uses their records of experience for further literary opportunities. This approach is expected to provide meaningful texts for students to read either with support of others or alone.Students will do shared reading that will help them develop concepts of words and sentences.
Later on the students will do sentence matching and attempt to read during the shared reading.Sequence words are formulated into sentences by child led rereading activities whereby a student is to become the teacher.EvaluationUse the following rubrics to evaluate student’s performance.Three points: Students highly engaged in classroom and group discussion.
They had a sense of the main idea and had an evidence to support each detail. They demonstrated basic understanding of the main idea.Two points: Students generally engaged in discussion. They had a clue about the main idea but had no evidenceOne point: Student did not engage in discussion fully.
They could not figure out the main idea and any evidence.Lesson Plan: Specific SkillFormatEach activity consists of step-by-step teacher’s notes to guide the teacher through the main task, and post reading follow up suggestions.Appropriate Level: Grade 4Skills: The activities in this session are designed to focus on one or more particular reading skills including vocabulary.VocabularyA vocabulary section in this case will contain any words that the students are unfamiliar with.
You may choose to pre-teach any words the students may not know.ProcedureThere is a suggested procedure for each activity such that each skill will be given the right amount of time and an exercise thereafter.Put students in groups and ask them to list as many toy games as possible. It is from this that the teacher will know their knowledge background.
Then the teacher to explain to students what they are going to read in the text.The teacher discusses each skill i.e. vocabularies, reading for details and reading for opinions, in this case.
EvaluationThree point rubrics are used to evaluate students in this class.Three points: Students highly engaged in class and group discussions. They enthusiastically read the text provided. They showed a high understanding of the main idea.
Two points: Students generally engaged in a class and group discussions had a general sense of the main idea and picked at least one supporting detail.One point: Students participated minimally in class and group discussion; were unable to identify the main idea of the text and found one or none supporting details. They did not demonstrate basic understanding of the concept. ReferencesMulwa, J.
(1999) Developing effective lesson plans, Macmillan, pp24-87
