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Teacher’s Guide Grade 1 • Unit 9

Make Connections/Identify Cause and Effect

Unit 9/Week 3 at a Glance

Day Mini-Lessons

ONE • Build Background and Introduce the Original Song

• Introduce the Reader’s Theater Script

• Front-Load Vocabulary

• Read Aloud the Script: Model Fluent Reading

TWO • Retell the Script: Analyze Story Elements

• Reread the Script

• Build Comprehension: Analyze Characters

THREE • Introduce Fluency Skills: Expression—Characterization and Feelings

FOUR • Practice and Self-Assess Fluency Skills: Expression—Characterization and Feelings

• Apply Fluency Skills to Reader’s Theater

FIVE • Prepare for and Manage Student Performances: Audience and Performer Expectations

• Show Time!

• Assess and Reflect

Nursery Rhymes and Songs

Itsy Bitsy SpiderClimbs Again

An adaptation of a traditional song

by Jeffrey B. Fuerst • illustrated by Daryll Collins

Day One

Benchmark Literacy • Grade 1 • Unit 9/Week 3 ©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC2

Read-Aloud (10 minutes)

Select a favorite fiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Make Connections.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles provided in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.

Mini-Lessons (20 minutes)

Build Background and Introduce the Original Song

Ask: Has anyone heard the song “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”? Raise your hand if you know this song. Allow responses.

Invite individual students who have heard the song to tell you what the song is about.

Invite volunteers to recite or sing the original song lyrics, if they can.

Read Aloud the Original Song Lyrics: The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Display the inside front cover of the big book Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again or display this page of the interactive e-book using the Whiteboard CD-ROM.

Read aloud the original song, or play the modeled reading using the interactive e-book.

Invite students to echo-read the song with you one line at a time. Point to each word as you read it.

Invite students to choral-read or choral-sing the entire song with you for repeated oral reading practice.

Discuss what happens and why in “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and create a simple Sequence of Events Chart (BLM 1) to show the events. Use the following question prompts only as needed:

•Whatdidtheitsybitsyspiderdo?•Whatcausedtheitsybitsyspidertogetwashedout?•Whydidtheraindryup?•Whatdidtheitsybitsyspiderdowhenthesuncameout?

Post the Sequence of Events Chart to use as an anchor chart.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Review or learn a traditional song.

• Make connections to a song and a script.

• Identify cause and effect.

• Analyze story elements.

• Analyze character.

• Listen to a fluent reading of the script.

• Build oral language and vocabulary through whole-group and partner discussion.

Related Resources

• Reader’s Theater Whiteboard CD-ROM

• Sequence of Events Chart (BLM 1)

Reader’s Theater Big Book Inside Front Cover





©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC Benchmark Literacy • Grade 1 • Unit 9/Week 3 3

Day One

Make Content Comprehensible for ELLs

BeginningDisplay the inside front cover of the big book. As you introduce the original song, point to and name the spider and the water spout. Then sing the song with students, using hand gestures to show the spider climbing up the water spout; the rain coming down; the sun coming out; and the spider climbing up again.

Beginning and IntermediateHave students tell what color the itsy bitsy spider’s shirt, pants, and sneakers are. Use the following sentence frame: The itsy bitsy spider is wearing (a) shirt (pants, sneakers). Ask: Whatcoloristheitsybitsyspider’s nose? (pink)

AdvancedHave students describe the characteristics of real spiders by answering the following questions:

• Howmanylegsdospidershave?• Whatdospiderseat?• Howdotheycatchtheinsectsthey

eat?

Model sentence frames. Support ELLs by modeling how to use the following sentence frames to discuss the song:

The itsy bitsy spider .The rain .The sun .At the end of the song, .

Introduce the Reader’s Theater Script

Display the big book Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again on an easel, or use the Whiteboard CD-ROM to display the book on your whiteboard.

Read aloud the title and the author’s and illustrator’s names on the cover. Invite students to identify and discuss what they see in the cover illustration.

Explain to students that throughout the week they will be reading a new version of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” as a group.

Say: Let’stalkaboutsomeoftheotherscriptsthatwehavealreadyperformed.Howdidtheauthoradapt,orchange,thecharactersandevents?Didyoulikethechangestheauthormade?Why?

Tell students that at the end of the week they will perform this reader’s theater adaptation.

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.

The sun came out. It dried up all the rain.

The rain came down. It washed the spider out of the water spout.

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout again.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Sample Sequence of Events Chart Annotations (BLM 1)

Reader’s Theater Big Book






Day One

Activate metacognitive strategies. Use some or all of the following prompts to help students use strategies to think and make predictions about the script they will read:

Make connections. Ask: Whatconnectionscanyoualreadymakebetweenthis script and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” song?

Determine text importance. Ask: Whatcluesdoesthecoverillustrationgiveyou that help you predict what will happen in the script?

Make inferences. Ask: Wherecanyoufindcluesinthescriptthatwillhelpyoufigureoutwhatishappening?

Read aloud the title page, including the title, cast of characters, and setting.

Invite students to explore the layout, text, and illustrations.

Point out the color coding of the characters’ names and the image icons, and explain how these help readers know when to read their part.

Discuss the anchor chart of the original and review the concept of an adaptation. Ask: Ifyouweretowriteanewversionofthissong,whatpartswouldyouwanttokeep?Whatnewthingswouldyouadd?

Front-Load Vocabulary

Turn to the picture, sight, and enrichment words on pages 2–3, or display these pages using the e-book on the Whiteboard CD-ROM.

Say: Wewillfindmanykindsofwordsinthisscript.Thewordsyouseehereare all in the script. Let’s read these words together before we start reading.

Point to each picture word and read it with students. Then ask students to use each picture word in a sentence.

Invite volunteers to read any sight words they already know. Invite other students to repeat each word and suggest a meaningful sentence using the word.

Point to each enrichment word as you say it. Use the following prompts to encourage students to incorporate these words into their oral vocabulary:

•Whatotheranimalscanyounamethatareitsy bitsy, or tiny? •Whataretwowaysthatclothescanbedried?•Whathappenswhenwater freezes?

Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again, page 2

Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again, page 3

2

Picture Words

Sight Words

am at help here

I look the up

climbed

falling

3

Enrichment Words

bitsy dried

itsy water

sun

rain


Day One

Support Special Needs LearnersThroughout the week, use the following strategies to help students who have learning disabilities access the content and focus on skills and strategies.

Support visual learners and students with attention issues by projecting the whiteboard version of the big book. Have students highlight key words on the whiteboard as they say them.

Support auditory learners by playing the e-book readings of the song and script.

During independent workstation time, pair special needs students with more fluent readers for partner-reading practice of the script.

Group students heterogeneously for small-group reading of the script so that struggling students benefit from working with more fluent readers.

Assign multiple students to specific roles so that they can support one another.

Fluency Quick-CheckThroughout the week, refer to the Fluency Rubric provided in the Benchmark Literacy Ongoing Assessments to help you informally assess where students are in their development of key areas of fluency.

Read Aloud the Script: Model Fluent Reading

Have students listen and follow along as you read the whole script aloud to model fluency and expression. Be sure to make your voice show excitement for exclamations and fall at the end of statements. (As an alternative, play the talking e-book on the Whiteboard CD-ROM, and instruct students to listen and follow along as the text is read and highlighted.)

Connect and transfer. Say: Today we made connections between the song “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and the script. Tomorrow, we will use this strategy as wefigureoutwhathappensinthescriptandwhyithappens.Rememberthatgood readers are always using what they know to make new connections and figureoutwhythingshappen.

Small-Group Reading Instruction (60 minutes)

Based on students’ instructional reading levels and comprehension needs, select titles that provide opportunities for students to continue to practice identifying cause and effect (see the list provided on the Small-Group Reading Instructional Planner), or select titles that enable students to review previously taught comprehension strategies.

Use the instruction provided in the Teacher’s Guide to introduce the texts.

Individual Student Conferences (10 minutes)

Confer with individual students on their text selections and application of strategies. Use the Reading Conference Note-Taking Form to help guide your conference.

Phonics Workshop (20 minutes)

Use the Day 1 instruction provided in BuildUp Phonics Skill Bag 27.

Fluency Rubric

Name Date

The key elements of reading fluency—accuracy, speed, pacing, pausing, inflection/intonation, expression, phrasing, and the integration of these skills—may be assessed any time a student reads aloud. Discuss the assessment rubric, modeling each description, so students know what you expect.

Fluency Rubric Rating Elements of Fluent Reading Scale Accuracy

1 Multiple attempts at decoding words are unsuccessful. Word reading accuracy is inadequate/poor, below 90%.

2 Attempts to self-correct errors are usually unsuccessful. Word reading accuracy is marginal, between 90–93%.

3 Attempts to self-correct errors are successful. Word reading accuracy is good, between 94–97%.

4 Most words are read correctly on initial attempt. Minimal self-corrections, all successful. Word reading accuracy is excellent, 98–100%.

Rate: Speed, Pacing, Pausing 1 Reading is slow and laborious.

2 Reading is either moderately slow or inappropriately fast, and pausing is infrequent or ignored.

3 Reading is an unbalanced combination of slow and fast reading containing inconsistent pausing.

4 Reading is consistently natural, conversational, and appropriately varied (resembling natural oral language).

Prosody: Inflection/Intonation and Expression

1 Reads in an inexpressive, monotone manner and does not attend to punctuation.

2 Reads with some intonation (pitch/tone/volume/stress) and some attention to punctuation. Reads in a monotone at times.

3 Reads by adjusting intonation (pitch/tone/volume/stress) inappropriately. Consistently attends to punctuation.

4 Reads with intonation that reflects feeling, anticipation, tension, character development, and mood.

Prosody: Phrasing 1 Reads word by word. Does not attend to author’s syntax or sentence structures. Has limited

sense of phrase boundaries.

2 Reads slowly and in a choppy manner, usually in two-word phrases. Some attention is given to author’s syntax and sentence structures.

3 Reads in phrases of three to four words. Appropriate syntax is used.

4 Reads in longer, more meaningful phrases. Regularly uses phrase boundaries, punctuation, sentence structure, and author’s syntax to reflect comprehension and fluent reading.

Integration 1 Reading is monotone, laborious, inexpressive, and accuracy rate is poor, below 90%.

2 Reading is unbalanced with inconsistent rate and pacing, some phrasing, inadequate intonation and expression, marginal accuracy, between 90–93%.

3 Reading is somewhat adjusted with some variation in rate, appropriate prosody, and with good accuracy, between 94–97%.

4 Reads in an integrated manner with high accuracy, rate, intonation, and expression on a consistent basis. Fluent reading reflects understanding and interpretation of text.



Select a favorite fiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Make Connections.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles provided in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Retell the Script: Analyze Story Elements

Say: Yesterday we read Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again. Let’s take a few minutes to retell what we know about the characters and what they do in this script. Raise your hand if you would like to share something that happened in the script, and I will call on you.

Lead a discussion about the story characters and events. Allow students to recall as much information as they can without prompting. If necessary, use the following questions to guide students’ retelling:

•WhatdoesItsydoatthebeginningofthescript?•WhowatchesItsygoupthewaterspout?•Whathappensafteritbeginstorain?•HowdoItsy’sfriendsfeel?•Whathappenswhenthesuncomesout?

Support ELLs in retelling information by providing the following sentence frames to help them produce academic language:

Itsy goes .Itsy falls down because .The hot sun .

Shared Writing. Record students’ retelling on the Sequence of Events Chart (BLM 1) that you started on Day 1.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Retell story elements.

• Reread to build fluency.

• Analyze characters.


Related Resources


• Sequence of Events Chart (BLM 1)

• The Itsy Bitsy Spider (BLM 2)

Day Two






The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.


The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout again.

The rain came down. It washed the spider out of the water spout.

Itsy went up the water spout. His friends watched him.


Itsy climbed up the water spout again. His friends cheered.

The rain washed Itsy out. Itsy’s friends felt bad.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again

Sample Sequence of Events Chart Annotations (BLM 1)



BeginningInvite ELLs and other students to role-play their characters’ personalities. Point out that Itsy kept trying to climb the water spout and his friends cheered him on.

Beginning and IntermediateReread the picture, sight, and enrichment words on pages 2–3 of the big book. Provide opportunities for ELLs to use the words in oral sentences. For example, say: Itsy climbed awaterspout.Whatthingshaveyouclimbed? Do you like rain?

AdvancedHave students role-play other challenging things Itsy might do in the future. Have them also role-play what his friends would say.

Comprehension Quick-CheckNote students who have difficulty analyzing the story characters. Support them with the following explicit instruction.

Create sentence frames for each character for students to complete, such as:

Itsy is a spider. Spider 1 and Spider 2 are .

Point to specific illustrations and text in the big book to support students’ sentence frames.

Reinforce the fact that good readers pay careful attention to characters’ actions, words, feelings, and expressions.

Say: Remember, in order to read with the correct expression you need to understand your character.

Reread the Script

Conduct a shared reading of the entire book, inviting students to chime in when they know the words. You might want to assign specific students to help you read certain parts of the script. For example, some students could read the parts of Spider 1 and Spider 2. Others could read the part of the Water Spout.

Next, choral-read the script as a group. Encourage students to read with as much expression as they can.

Build Comprehension: Analyze Characters

Turn to the cast of characters on the title page.

Say:Whenyouperformareader’stheaterscript,youneedtounderstandyourcharacter.Thenyouwillbeabletoplaythatcharacterinaconvincingway.Forexample,youmightaskyourself,“Howwouldabravecharacterlookand act? How would a caring character act?”

Think/Pair/Share. Ask pairs of students to discuss one character from the script (Itsy Spider, Spider 1, or Spider 2) and to write one or two sentences that describe the character. Have pairs share their descriptive sentences with the class as you record them on a two-column chart about the characters. Have volunteers read aloud the sentences in each column. Discuss how each character might speak and act based on students’ descriptions.

Connect and transfer. Say: Tomorrow during small-group reading, each of youwillbeassignedaroleinthisscript.Wewillpracticereadingthescript.At the end of the week, you will get to perform the script. Remember to use allthestrategieswe’vepracticedtohelpyouunderstandyourpart.Youcanmakeconnectionstofigureoutwhythecharactersactthewaytheydo.

Day Two



Based on students’ instructional reading levels and comprehension needs, select titles that provide opportunities for students to continue to practice identifying cause and effect (see the list provided on the Small-Group Reading Instructional Planner), or select titles that enable students to review previously taught comprehension strategies.

Use the instruction provided in the Teacher’s Guide to introduce the texts.


Confer with individual students on their text selections and application of strategies. Use the Reading Conference Note-Taking Form to help guide your conference.



Home/School ConnectionHave students take home The Itsy Bitsy Spider (BLM 2) and read it with a family member. Have students draw a picture to illustrate the song.

Oral Language ExtensionDisplay the big book during independent workstation time. Have pairs of students retell and make connections to the script using the prompts and pictures on the inside back cover. Students should be prepared to discuss their ideas as well as their favorite character during independent conferencing time.

Day Two

The Itsy Bitsy Spider (BLM 2)

Name Date

Benchmark Literacy • Grade 1 • Unit 9/Week 3 ©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

BLM 2

The Itsy Bitsy SpiderParent Instructions: Read the song to your child. Point to each word as you read. Then read the words together. Finally, invite your child to draw a picture about the song.

The itsy bitsy spider

went up the water spout.

Down came the rain,

and washed the spider out.

Out came the sun,

and dried up all the rain.

And the itsy bitsy spider

climbed up the spout again.


Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Practice reading a story with effective expression.

• Compose a class Fluency anchor chart.


Related Resources

• Little Chick (BLM 3)

Day Three


Select a favorite nonfiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Make Connections.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles provided in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Introduce Fluency Skills: Expression—Characterization and Feelings

Explain:Wehavelearnedthatweuseexpressionwhenweread.Weuseclues—suchasthetitle,pictures,boldprint,orpunctuation—tofigureoutthemoodofapassage.Somepassageshavequotationmarks.Whenweseequotationmarks,weneedtothinkaboutwhatthatstorycharacterissaying.Thewords,alongwithhowthecharacteracts,giveuscluesaboutwhatthecharacterislikeandhowheorshefeels.Wethentrytomakeourvoicessound the way that character might talk.

Display the fluency poster “Little Chick” and read aloud the title. (Note: The poster is also available as BLM 3.)

Say: Thisisastoryaboutamissingchick.Thehenisveryworried,soIwilluseaworriedvoicetoreadherparts.Thefarmanimalstrytohelp,soIwilluseahelpfulvoicefortheirparts.LittleChickisverysurprisedthateveryoneislookingforher,soIwilluseasurprisedvoiceforherpart.Readingthecharacters’ words in these different ways will help the story sound right and make sense.

Ask students to listen and follow along as you read the story aloud as described.

Say: Now I will read the characters’ parts showing different feelings. I will pretendthateveryoneisangry.

Read the first three paragraphs in an angry manner. Then repeat using other feelings, such as pride, delight, or confusion.

Ask: Whichwaysoundsthebest?Why?

Fluency Poster


Shared Writing. Invite students to help you create a class anchor chart to remind them how good readers read with expression, or reread the anchor chart from Unit 8. (See the example below.) When you are finished, ask students to echo-read the entire chart. Then post the chart in the classroom for future reference.

Connect and transfer. Say: Today during small-group reading, pay attention tothetoneofyourvoiceasyouread.Makesureyourtoneofvoicematchesthe way the character feels.


Use the small-group reading time to read Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again.

Use the Day 3 instruction provided in the Nursery Rhymes and Songs Teacher’s Guide to assign roles and guide students’ reading of the script.


Confer with individual students to discuss their script roles and how they plan to read their parts. Use the Reading Conference Note-Taking Form to help guide your conference.




Beginning and IntermediateOrally demonstrate how to read in a happy tone, a worried tone, and a surprised tone. Invite students to echo-read in the various tones.

Invite ELLs to talk about animals that live on a farm, using this sentence frame: A livesonafarm. Write students’ sentences on chart paper and read them aloud together.

All LevelsBefore reading the poster to model fluency, reinforce the identity of each animal character by showing pictures of a chick, a hen, a horse, a rabbit, a frog, and a pig.

Comprehension Quick-CheckThe goal of fluency practice is to increase comprehension. Use the following questions to check students’ comprehension of the story:

• WhywasHenworried?

• Wheredoyouthinkthisstorytakesplace?

• WhydoyouthinkLittleChickwassosurprised?

Home/School ConnectionInvite students to take home Little Chick (BLM 3) and choral-read it with a family member to build fluency.

Day Three

Sample Anchor Chart

Expression• We do not use the same tone of voice

for everything we read.

• Our tone of voice should match the mood of the passage.

• We can figure out, or anticipate, the mood from the title and other clues.

• We can use the author’s or characters’ words to confirm their feelings.

• Reading with expression helps the passage sound right and make sense.

• We use pacing, pausing, inflection/intonation, and phrasing to read with expression.



Select a favorite nonfiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Make Connections.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles provided in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Practice and Self-Assess Fluency Skills: Expression—Characterization and Feelings

Distribute copies of Little Chick (BLM 3).

Ask students to echo-read each sentence, and then have them choral-read the story with you.

Next, allow the group to choral-read the story without your assistance.

Distribute the Fluency Self-Assessment Master Checklist (BLM 4) and review the assessment criteria for expression and integration (see the checklist on page 12). Ask students to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on each question based on the group’s choral-reading. Discuss their responses.

Partner reading. Pair students, and ask them to read “Little Chick” together one or more times.

Monitor students’ partner-reading practice and provide responsive feedback using the appropriate prompts from the list on page 12.

Ask students to rate themselves on specific fluency skills covered in this lesson using their Fluency Self-Assessment Master Checklist (BLM 4).

Connect and transfer. Ask students to reflect on their fluency practice, using the following prompts:

•Whyisitimportanttomatchyourtoneofvoicetothewaythecharacter feels and acts?

•Howcanpunctuationhelpyoureadwithexpression?•Howwillyouusewhatyouhavelearnedasyoupracticereading

Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again?

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Use the characters’ words and actions to determine what they are like and how they feel.

• Demonstrate understanding of the text through purposeful expression.

• Use effective expression to make their reading sound like talking.

Related Resources

• Little Chick (BLM 3)

• Fluency Self-Assessment Master Checklist (BLM 4)

Day Four

Fluency Poster


Responsive Prompts for Expression

Goal Oriented• Let’s read the title and look at the pictures. That will help us anticipate the

mood of the passage.• I see quotation marks, so the character is talking. I need to make my voice

sound like the character’s voice. • I’ll pretend to be that character. Listen to how I make my reading sound

like he or she might talk.• I need to make my voice, face, and body match what the character is

saying when I read.• Listen to me read this. Can you hear how worried (helpful, surprised,

excited, frightened, sad) my voice sounds?

Directive and Corrective Feedback• What kind of passage do you think this will be? How should you read it?• Make your voice sound worried (helpful, surprised, excited, frightened,

sad).• Make your tone of voice match the character’s words.• Make the character’s voice match his or her actions and feelings.• Read it like the author would say it.• Repeat after me and read with expression.• Use the punctuation to help you put expression in your voice when you read.

Self-Monitoring and Reflection• How did you know what tone of voice to use?• Did you read with expression?• Where did you read with good expression?• What part do you need to read again with more expression?• Did you have any trouble reading with expression?• Did you use pacing (pausing, inflection/intonation, phrasing) to help you

read with expression?

Validating and Confirming• You noticed the funny pictures, so you used a happy tone of voice. Good

thinking.• You sounded worried (helpful, surprised, excited, frightened, sad) when

you read that.• I like the way you read it like the character was talking.• I like the way you read with expression.• I noticed that you read it just like talking.• You paid careful attention to pacing (pausing, inflection/intonation,

phrasing) to help you read with expression. Good work!


BeginningAllow ELLs to participate through active listening while other students demonstrate effective expression. Invite them to indicate when students sound as if they are talking the same way the characters would.

Intermediate and AdvancedAllow ELLs to read parts of the script chorally with you or other students as they demonstrate effective expression.

Day Four

Fluency Self-Assessment Master Checklist (BLM 4)

Name Date


BLM 4

s S

Speed/PacingDid my speed and pacing match the kind of text I was reading? Did my speed and pacing match what the character was saying? Did I read with a natural talking voice?Did I slow my reading down when appropriate?Did I pay attention to punctuation? PausingDid I pause to keep from running all my words together? Did I pause in the correct locations?Did I pause for the appropriate length of time?Did I pause to help my reading make sense? Did I use punctuation to help me figure out when to pause? Inflection/IntonationDid I make my voice rise at a question mark?Did I make my voice fall at a period?Did I think about what the author was saying so I would know when to read louder or softer? Did I think about what the author was saying so I would know when to stress or emphasize words? Phrasing Did I notice the phrases?Did I read all the words in each phrase together?Did I think about what the words in the phrase mean when they are together?ExpressionDid I look for clues so I could anticipate the mood of the passage? Did I use my tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language to express what the author or characters were thinking or feeling?Did I change my reading when something new was about to happen?IntegrationDid I read the words right? (accuracy)Did I read the words at the right speed? (rate)Did I read with expression? (prosody)Did my reading sound like talking?Did I understand what I read?

Fluency Self-Assessment Master Checklist


Oral Language ExtensionHave pairs of students practice fluency during independent workstation time by reading “Little Chick” in the following ways:

• choral-read the story together

• partner-read, having one student read the part of Hen and the other student read the parts of the other animals

• partner-read again, this time switching roles

Remind students to support each other’s fluency development by providing support as needed and by giving positive feedback.

Home/School ConnectionHave students take home Little Chick (BLM 3) and read it with a family member to practice fluent reading. Tell students to have their family member sign their paper.

Apply Fluency Skills to Reader’s Theater

Display the Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again big book and turn to page 6.

Say: Let’stakewhatwehavelearnedaboutexpressionanduseitaswerereadafewpagesofthescript.ListenasIread.AfterIfinish,Iwantyoutotell me whether I sounded as if I were talking just like the character would.

Read pages 6–9. Vary your tone and read with expression. Follow the suggestions below or interpret the text in your own way:

• Itsy: speaks with a frightened voice on pages 7 and 9 • Spider 1 and Spider 2: speak with worried voices on page 6 and sad

voices on page 8• Narrator: speaks in an excited voice on page 6 and a sad voice on

page 8• Spout: speaks in an excited voice on page 7 and a sad voice on page 9

Ask students to comment on your reading and how it affected them as listeners. Then invite volunteers to read aloud with expression so that they sound just like the characters would.


Practice reading Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again. Use the Day 4 instruction provided in the Nursery Rhymes and Songs Teacher’s Guide to help students rehearse for their performance.


Confer with individual students on their fluency development. Use the Reading Conference Note-Taking Form to help guide your conference.



Day Four

Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again, pages 6–7

Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again, pages 8–9

6

Narrator: Then . . . boom!A thundercloud burst open.Down came a heavyrainstorm.

Spider 1: Look.

Spider 2: Look at the rain.

7

Spout: Oh no!

Itsy: Help!

8

Narrator: The rain washedthe spider out.

Spider 1: Look.

Spider 2: Look at Itsy.

9

Itsy: Help! I am falling.

Spout: Bye, Itsy.



Revisit the week’s read-alouds to make text-to-text connections and provide opportunities for reader response. Use the suggested activities in the Benchmark Literacy Overview, or implement ideas of your own.


Prepare for and Manage Student Performances: Audience and Performer Expectations

Prepare students for their reader’s theater performances by sharing your expectations of audience members and performers.

Audience expectations. Say: Whileyouarelisteningtotheothergroupsperform, I expect you to do the following:

• Give your classmates your full attention.• Do not speak to your neighbors or make any noise.• Enjoy their performance and show your appreciation by clapping when

they are finished.• Be prepared to give your feedback on the script, and always remember

to make your feedback constructive, or helpful.

Performer expectations. Say: Whileyouandyourgroupareperformingthescript, remember to do these things:

• Read in a loud, clear voice and act out your role.• Use expression and fluency to help everyone listening to understand

your character.• Remember to vary your voice and expression to match how the

character feels and acts.• When it is not your turn to read, follow along in the script so you know

when to come in.• If one of your group members gets lost or forgets to come in, prompt

him or her quietly.• Accept both suggestions and praise from your audience.

Show Time!

Invite students to perform the script for an audience, such as members of the class, students from other classes, school staff members, or parents.

Continue your performances during small-group reading time, giving each group the opportunity to perform.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Demonstrate their level of fluency development through an oral reading interpretation of the script.

• Demonstrate active listening skills.

• Reflect on and assess their own fluency development.

Related Resources


• Reader’s Theater Self-Assessment (BLM 5)

Day Five







Day Five

Home/School ConnectionYou may wish to print copies of the script from the Whiteboard CD-ROM and encourage students to perform the script at home with family members.

Support Participation of ELLs

BeginningAllow beginning ELLs to participate as active listeners. Do not overwhelm students with the entire script. Instead, make sure they know when to contribute to parts that you specify, for example, Spider 1 and Spider 2 or Spout. You may wish to post their lines on a language chart.

Intermediate and AdvancedPair ELLs with more fluent readers to chorally read their parts in the script.

Assessment TipDuring student performances, record anecdotal notes that focus on how students are developing fluency skills and how they are meeting performer and audience member expectations.

Assess and Reflect

After all groups have completed their performance, use the following self-assessment activity (also available in the Nursery Rhymes and Songs Teacher’s Guide) to help students reflect on their performance, identify how they have improved as readers and performers, and determine what they will focus on as they participate in future reader’s theater experiences throughout the year.

Draw a three-column reflection chart on chart paper. Include a column for Reflection Questions and columns to answer Yes or No in response. Use the following questions to guide the group’s assessment of their performance, or use the Reader’s Theater Self-Assessment (BLM 5). Place a check mark in the appropriate column, noting their responses.

• Did we make our reading sound smooth like talking?• Did we make our characters sound and feel like real people

(or animals/objects) with feelings?• Did we act out our parts with our voices and body language?• Were our parts at “just right” reading levels?• Did we practice our reading many times before performing?• Did we use expression to make our reading sound like talking?

Connect and transfer. Discuss ways to improve future performances based on the self-assessment and reflections.


Use the small-group reading time to continue students’ performances of Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbs Again.

After all groups have performed, use the Assess and Reflect activity above.


Have students use their self-reflection to show how they would read differently next time. Discuss how students plan to apply what they learned to future performances and independent reading.



Reader’s Theater Self-Assessment (BLM 5)


Name Date

BLM 5

Reader’s Theater Self-AssessmentDirections: Answer each question by coloring the face that best shows how you feel about your reading.

1. Did my reading sound like talking?

s S ß

2. Did I use my voice to show the character’s feelings?

s S ß

3. Did I say the lines like the character would say them?

s S ß

4. Did I use the punctuation marks to help me know how to say the words?

s S ß

5. Did I read with a good speed?

s S ß

6. Did I fix my mistakes when I read?

s S ß

7. Did I act like the character?

s S ß

8. Did I listen carefully to the other readers?

s S ß

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