DIRECT INSTRUCTION PLANNING FORMAT – SAMPLE 1

1. Lesson Plan Information

Subject/Course: Language Name: Adapted from M. Parr
Grade Level: 1/2 (Reading Level J) Date: January 21
Topic: Guided Reading: Group 1 Time and Length of Period:
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats 9:30-10:00 (30 minutes)

2. Expectation(s) and Learning Skills

The students will:

 Use self-correction strategies such as re-reading, asking questions

 Use their knowledge of word endings with “ing” and “ed” to recognize the same word in
different forms
 Use a variety of reading strategies to understand a piece of writing (e.g., reread, predict
content, ask questions)

Today, students will: remove target endings of simple words (“ing” and “ed”) to create
root words and add target endings to change the tense of action words within simple,
complete sentences.

3. Pre-assessment
A. (i) Students:

 have good command of the English language and can use ‘ed’ and ‘ing’ endings
appropriately in oral language situations
 speak in simple and complete sentences
 understand that a period means a full stop (i.e., we take a big breath) and a comma
means a pause (i.e., we take a little breath)
 have already learned the song “Ten Little Snowmen” and understand that by the end of a
song, all must be singing, quiet and ready to learn

(ii) Differentiation of content, process, and/or product (may be accommodations

and/or modifications)

 All students within the reading group are fluent at the current reading level
B. Learning Environment:

4 groups are working at learning centres.

5th group with teacher for guided reading lesson at the carpet for target expectations of
lesson
C. Resources/Materials:

 A copy of the guided reading book: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats for each student
in the group
 Simple words with “ed” and “ing” endings on word cards

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4. Content (The What) Teaching/Learning Strategies (The How)
A. Introduction (motivational steps/hook/activation of students’ prior knowledge)
(5 minutes)

Before Reading
Motivation / invitation to read –activating prior knowledge

To gain students’ attention, sing: Ten Little Snowmen (One little, two little, three little snowmen,
four little, five little, six little snowmen. Seven little, eight little, nine little snowmen, ten little
snowmen round).

Dramatic walk in the snow

Invite students to take an imaginary walk in the snow. Where do they see snow? What sounds
might the snow make? What might they do in the snow? What would happen if they brought the
snow inside? Elicit words from the story to activate prior knowledge and make connections to
their personal experiences

B. Content for New Learning B. Teaching/Learning Strategies for New Learning

(18 minutes)

* Please note: Think aloud *During students’ independent work, I will complete one or two
strategies are included on post-it running records.
notes in the guided reading
book.
1. BEFORE READING: 1. Draw students’ attention to the title of the book and
Introduction of the Book the author.
Title: The Snowy Day
Author : Ezra Jack Keats Ask whether they have read other poems or stories
written by this author.
2. Ask students to predict what the story might be
2. Predictions using the cover
about by observing the cover illustrations.
illustrations
Let’s look at the cover. What season is it? How do we
know?

What is the little boy doing? What sounds might he be

making?

Elicit sounds that snow might make as he is walking

in it.
Point at the footprints and ask - What are these
called? What do you think this story might be about?

3. Book Introduction: 3. Walk through the book, talking about the story
- Making Connections found in the pictures and looking for ways to
- Activating prior connect students’ prior knowledge with the story.
knowledge Scaffold important or new language/structures
found in the story by drawing students’ attention to
clues found in the pictures and activating prior
knowledge.
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 (Think Aloud) My script might sound like:
window pp. 1/2 This little boy’s name is Peter. One snowy
day, he looked out the window. What did he see?
He saw snow that had fallen during the night and
covered everything.
snowsuit, breakfast, path pp. 3/4 He was so excited that he put his snowsuit on
after breakfast and went outside to play. Look how
focus on words that make a sound: high the snow is piled on the street to make a
crunch path for walking.

pointing
pp. 5/6 Peter walked in the snow. The snow is crunchy. His
feet sink in the snow – crunch, crunch, crunch. Let’s
say that together – crunch, crunch, crunch. First he
walks with his toes pointing out, then with his toes
. pointing in.
pp. 7/8 Then he dragged his feet slowly to make tracks. What
focus on why the author printed s- clue does the author give us to tell us how Peter
l-o-w-l-y the way he did dragged his feet? That’s right – he separates the
letters in the word. How do you think he wants us to
say the word ‘slowly’?
pp. 9/10 Peter found something sticking out of the snow and
now he is making a new track.
I wonder what it was. Does the picture give us a
clue?
Yes, he found a stick that was just right for smacking
focus on words that make a sound: a snow-covered tree.
smacking
snow-covered pp. 11/12 Poor Peter. What happened when he was smacking
focus on words that make a sound: the snow-covered tree? The snow fell down on his
plop head. What sound might the snow make as it falls on
exclamation mark! top of Peter’s head? Plop! Let’s say that together.
Let’s look at the word plop – how do we know how
Thought the author wants us to say that word? That’s right –
he put an exclamation mark after the word.
pp. 13/14 Peter kept walking and thought it might be fun to join
the big boys in a snowball fight. Oh, oh, he got hit. He
smiling
knows that he’s not old enough yet.
mountain climber, tall heaping
mound of snow pp. 15/16 Peter made a smiling snowman and then angels.
pp. 17/18 Then he pretended he was a mountain climber and
climbed a tall heaping mountain of snow. When he
packed, round, firm, warm got to the top, he slid down.

pp. 19/20 Peter picked up a handful of snow, then another.

What did Peter do with the snow? He packed it into a
round, firm ball and put it in his pocket for tomorrow.
Then he went into his warm house and told his
mother about his adventures. I wonder why she is
taking off his socks. Maybe they are wet.
melted, everywhere
pp. 21/22 Then Peter had a bath and thought about his
empty snowballs.
pp. 23/24 Before he went to sleep, he looked in his pocket.
What was he trying to find? His pocket was empty.
melted, everywhere Where is the snowball? It wasn’t there. How do you
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 think Peter felt?

deep pp. 25/26 In Peter’s dream, the sun melted all the snow away.
When he woke up, he was very happy. The snow
was still everywhere and new snow was falling.
4. Strategy Lesson: p. 27 After breakfast, Peter called to his friend and they
Word Endings: ‘ed’ ‘ing’ both went out to play in the deep snow.

4. The Snowy Day tells a story that has already

happened (maybe yesterday). Explain to students
that when someone is telling about a story that
happened yesterday – they often use ‘ed’ at the
ends of action words or verbs. Sometimes we hear
5.During Reading: the sound ‘ing’ at the ends of words. ‘ing’ is
Reading represented by the letters i, n, g.

5. Each student has a copy of the book. Students

read orally. The teacher guides and observes the
students as they read, keeping track of (and at
times discussing) strategy used. He/she evaluates
their use of strategies, and their ability to read ‘ed’
and ‘ing’ appropriately. Teacher takes running
record on 1 or 2 students.

5. Consolidation/Recapitulation Questions (Check for understanding / scaffolded

practice)
(4 minutes)
AFTER READING:
Comprehension Check
 Responding:
Review of initial predictions
This is what we thought the story would be about. Were we right? What was in the story that we
hadn’t considered?

Ask key questions to check comprehension:

Retell: What did Peter see when he looked out his window? What were some of the things Peter
did outside in the snow? What sounds did the snow make?
Relate: Tell about a time when you walked in the snow like Peter.
Reflect: How do you think Peter would have felt if the snow had really melted away?
6. Application (Moving from guided, scaffolded practice to increasingly independent
practice and understanding / gradual release of responsibility)
(5 minutes)
After having practised in the small group setting during the guided reading session, students will
sort word cards with ‘ed’ and ‘ing’ words by their endings. They will orally recall and/or
develop simple and complete sentences with selected words. One student will recite the
sentence while another acts it out. Demonstrate (with simple words) how ‘ed’ and ‘ing’ can be
“cut off” to create the root word and then, how ‘ed’ and ‘ing’ can be “added” to change the tense
of action words. Word cards will be available at the reading centre so that students can gain
extra practice reading the word, finding it in the text, matching it to the word in the text and
rereading the sentence in which the text is found.

Examples: Exploring: Word Work

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  Descriptive action words that end in ‘ed’: piled, covered, walked, dragged, pretended,
climbed, looked, dreamed, melted, called
 Descriptive action words that end in ‘ing’: walking, pointing, sticking, smacking, smiling,
heaping, falling
 The root word is formed by removing ‘ed’ or ‘ing’
 New words are formed by added ‘ed’ or ‘ing’ to the end of an action word. This often
changes the tense of an action word (review of concepts: yesterday, today and
tomorrow)

7. Lesson Conclusion
(2 minutes)
Ask: What did we learn about the endings of certain action words or verbs when the story takes
place in the past as it did in our story today? What other ending did we notice on some of our
words today?

Homework: When you do your reading work at home tonight with your take home book, try to
look for words that end in “ed” and “ing”.

8. Assessment (collection of data) / Evaluation (interpretation of data)

 Observe and record on checklist for oral reading strategies and comprehension
 Complete running records for one or two students
 Check students’ understanding of “ing” and “ed” endings in reading and writing

9. Student Teacher’s Reflections on the Lesson

A.
(i) Evidence of Student Learning Related to the Lesson Expectation(s)
Many of this group of students are beginning to use self-correction strategies with ease.
However, retelling and recalling the story with accuracy required a lot of assistance
especially for the Grade1 students even with the key questions used to check for
understanding.
The group has developed confidence in using rhyming words to learn new words and
was able to apply this strategy well during the reading. Similarly, their skill in using their
knowledge of word endings “ed” and “ing” to recognize the same word in different forms is
beginning to emerge. The students within the group were able to transfer their learning to
the independent phase of the lesson. As a whole, the group does require more practice in
using a wider variety of reading strategies to understand a piece of writing – many seem to
depend on one strategy e.g., text structure.

(ii) Next Steps for Student Learning Related to Lesson Expectation(s)

M and J appear to be ready to move to the next level (K) due to their fluency and
comprehension. K, S and T will remain at Level J for further strengthening.
I will make a chart on “Different Ways to Understand a Story” with this group during our
next guided reading session so that we can post it in the classroom as an easy reference
(anchor chart). Similarly, I think adding a tape recorder to the reading centre so that they
can practice retelling and recalling a story will help the Grade 1s gain more confidence in
this area.

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B. (i) Evidence of the Effectiveness of the Student Teacher

This lesson worked well because I had thoroughly planned my thinking aloud and knew
what I wanted to emphasize. With this group, I need to spend more time modelling
retelling and recalling stories.

Students were able to follow successfully the directions for using “ed” and “ing” endings
and transfer the modelling effectively to working with word cards both during the guided
reading group time and at the reading centres. Students were engaged during the guided
reading session and there was a smooth transition from group to independent work.
Students not working with the guided reading group were able to work independently at
learning centres for the most part. One student needed a visual cue to refocus and attend
to his task.

(ii) Next Steps Related to the Effectiveness of the Student Teacher

I will need to provide more opportunities for the students to talk about the
different reading strategies they are using to understand a piece of writing. Perhaps
making a chart of the various strategies we can use will help them remember that they
can use a variety of strategies for this purpose. In addition, we will review the routines for
working at centres and also post a list with pictograms as to what to do when finished at a
centre.

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