Lesson 2: The Quilt Story

What did students learn and which students struggled with the lesson?

· In this lesson the students learned how to look for details in a book. They made text-to-self connections. I asked the students to think about something that they love such as a blanket or favorite stuffed animal that they could not live without. I wanted them to be able to relate this feeling to the way the character felt in the book. I think the thing that the students struggled with the most was writing a sentence on the post-it note. Many of them still struggle greatly with their writing in general. Also, I gave the students a model of what I was looking for and many of the students wrote what I had said as a model. There were only a handful of “original” ideas.

What are alternate reads (interpretations) of your students' performance or products?

· I thought my students were really going to struggle with the text-to-self connections. I did not know if they were going to be able to see similarities or differences between themselves and the book. I guided them into what they should be looking for but they made the connections on their own. I modeled for them how they should be thinking and demonstrated how I would be thinking. I think the sentences that the students created are hard to read. The students are not used to writing without lines and many of the students are still working on their writing and are even still in the letter-string stage.

What did you learn about your students' literacy practices that extend beyond your objectives?

· I learned that the students knew a lot about feelings. They made great text-to-self connections between the book and their own lives. I also learned that the students in my class are capable of writing in complete sentences. I stressed this concept to them numerous times before they began and also numerous times while they were working. I gave them examples of a complete sentence and of a one word answer. They all did very well with this.

When and how will you re-teach the material to students who need additional support?

· I will re-teach this lesson to students that need additional support in a small group setting during a free choice. This is the best time to pull students from the classroom so that they are not missing important lessons. I will take them to a quiet setting. I will re-read the book to the students having them pay close attention to the way the character feels. I will then discuss with them the importance of feelings and hope to get them to understand how the character felt.

If you were to teach this same lesson again, what would you do differently and how do you think the changes would improve students' learning?

· If I could do this lesson again I would have paused and thought aloud as I was reading the books, letting them know that I think it may have been a clue to the answer of the question. I also would have let them know my objectives before I read the book to them so they know what they should expect and so they know what they should be looking for and paying attention to throughout the book. I think this would have improved the students’ learning because it would have given more time throughout the book to know what details to pay attention to. I also would have let the students know to use a model as a guide, not to copy word for word. Many of the students wrote the exact model that I told them. If I had emphasized this concept I think more of the students would have had more original responses to the question.