The Marble Champ (Scott Foresman, pages 288-299)

By Gary Soto FIRST READING

Before reading

RIVET (GRTFBW, pages 70-74)

championship

opponent

trophy

strengthen

swollen

Guess The Covered Word (see Month By Month Phonics for Upper Grades)

A Tennis Triumph

Last night the girls’ tennis team brought home a trophy. The team members were very proud because they had won the state championship. To prepare for the tournament, the players spent as many hours hitting tennis balls as they could. Each girl worked on skills she wanted to strengthen. One girl practiced so hard that her elbow became swollen. Luckily, it shrank back to a normal size before the tournament, and she was allowed to play. On the day of the big event, the team was ready. Each teammate faced her opponent with a winning attitude and a great serve.

This story suggests using the Comprehension Strategy of Prediction. Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way, chapter 6 has several prediction lessons.

Prove It! (GRTFBW pages 64-66)

Before reading – Look at the cover, look at the pictures from the text and make predictions on what the book is going to be about, based on just these two factors. CLOSE THE BOOK WHILE MAKING PREDICTIONS or the fast readers will read quickly so they can make the “right” predictions. Have a TWO-MINUTE look, then books CLOSED rule. Number each prediction so you can talk about them more easily later. These are usually vague predictions, but that is fine. Remember that the comprehension strategy you are working on is predicting / anticipating. The children are wondering, and that is anticipating and anticipating aids comprehension.

During reading – Read the story. Their purpose is to decide which of the predictions is true, and to prepare to Prove It! by reading aloud the part that helped them figure out whether it was true or not. They read the chapter in whatever format (Everyone Read to Find Out… Everyone Read to Figure Out…, Partners, Three-Ring Circus, Pick-A-Page, etc.)

After reading – The teacher asks, “Who has a prediction they think is either true or false, and can read a part of the text that proves it?” The children continue to prove or disprove the predictions. The teacher puts a check next to those that are true, and either crosses out the untrue ones, or changes them to make them true if only a small change is necessary.

Discussion – What important things were learned from the text that they hadn’t been able to predict from the pictures. The children share some of the important events.

Prove It! is a wonderful prediction activity that leads to active reading by the children. It is important to carry out the steps of Prove It! each time you do the activity, so that children will learn to anticipate the purpose for which they need to read.

Last night the girls’ tennis team brought

home a trophy. The team members were

very proud because they had won the state

championship. To prepare for the

tournament, the players spent as many

hours hitting tennis balls as they could. Each

girl worked on skills she wanted to

strengthen. One girl practiced so hard that

her elbow became swollen. Luckily, it

shrank back to a normal size before the

tournament, and she was allowed to play.

On the day of the big event, the team was

ready. Each teammate faced her

opponent with a winning attitude and a

great serve.

The Marble Champ (Scott Foresman, pages 288-299)

By Gary Soto SECOND READING

Before reading – Understanding Plot (see TE page with student page 293 showing for these ideas). We want the students to understand plot. Teachers should remind students that a plot is a series of related events that center around a problem. The events that build toward solving the problem are called the rising action. Ask students to give examples of problems and rising action in the plots of other stories they have read.

During reading – The “ERT” or Everyone Read To... strategy encourages the students to really read the book. See Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way book chapter 18 pages 169-173.

Some of the guidelines found on page 173:

Choose text for which you think children need page by page guidance
Plan a before and after reading activity which will develop comprehension strategies.
Lead the children through the text a page or two at a time. Have students read to find out or figure out important events or information.
Include questions to which the answers are not literally stated, but which can be inferred.
Have the children raise their hands when they read the part that helps them to figure out the answer.
When most hands are up, ask a volunteer to give you the answer. Ask someone else to read the parts aloud that helped them figure out the answer.

When the answers are not literally stated, ask children to explain how they figured it out.

Read pages 289-290 Everyone read to find out what is Lupe good at? Everyone read to find out what is difficult for Lupe?

Read page 291 Everyone read to figure out what is Lupe’s plan? What is Lupe’s conflict?

Read pages 292-293 Everyone read to figure out what events are part of the rising action in the story?

Read pages 294-295 Everyone read to figure out what events are part of the rising action in the story?

Read pages 296-298 Everyone read to figure out what events are part of the rising action in the story?

Read page 299 Everyone read to figure out what the climax (or high point) of the story is. Everyone read to figure out the resolution (or outcome) of the story is.

After reading – After each section of text, the teacher should lead the class through a discussion of the “ERT”. Use the text to justify answers.