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Guided Reading

Generic skills

• Dicussing
• Analysis
• Research

ENGLISH Year 5, 1999 Term 2

This term Guided Reading will start in Stage Three. Due to the success of Guided Reading in the K-2 classes it was seen to be appropriate to implement these methodologies in Years 3 to 6.

Initially, we will introduce some activities that will be used in Guided Reading groups, based around the short story A Secret Place by Victor Kelleher. Some of these activities will involve the whole class, others will be specific to graded groups.

Individual Differentiation

In week 3, each Year 5 class will be divided into four groups based on reading and comprehension ability. Girls that are seen as strong in their concept of literature will be challenged to use skills such as comparisons of events in novels to their own lives, going beyond the text to intuit deeper meanings and themes in novels and to answer questions based on models such as Williams. Girls that are struggling with comprehending language will focus on sequencing activities, identifying and using language, strengthening their literal and inferential comprehension, and reading aloud.

Generic Skills

Many of the generic skills are addressed in everyday English lessons. During Guided Reading the following generic skills will be focused on:

Following Instructions: As the nature of guided reading is such that the girls work in groups through a series of questions and activities related to a text, they will need to attend to written and verbal instructions.

Discussing: Girls will continuously verbalise their ideas and talk about literature with other student in their group.

Analysis: Many of the activities require the girls to compare chapters, show the relationship between characters, categorise information or focus on part of the 'whole'.

Research: Girls will be learning skills such as skim reading and note-taking to help them locate information in texts in order to answer questions and formulate arguments.

Assessment

Assessment will consist mainly of the marking of answers to questions. Also, anecdotal notes will be taken during group discussions. Prior to separation into groups, girls were assessed using torch tests, guided reading indicators and teacher notes from last year.

Sequencing Activity (GS: Analysis)

Dad’s unconscious. I don’t think I can reset his broken limb. I can’t remember much about the crash.

I used two planks off a crate as a splint to fix dad’s injury.

I went down to the river to get a drink for dad. I heard something swish and plop. A crocodile?

A plane flew overhead, we missed it. Damn the canopy.

The food rations are nearly finished. I have to get us out of here.

I’ve tied bandages and streamers along the edge of the river.

I’ve been trying to make fishing gear, but the copper wire isn’t strong enough.

Food! I only caught one fish-a bit gritty but it tasted good.

The 'net' has helped me catch more fish.

Mud on our arms and faces has helped keep away the mozzies.

There’s not much chance of a spotter plane now, I’ve started on the raft. While watching birds fly up the river, I almost felt as if I belonged here.

My first attempt at the raft failed — it sank. The crocodile watches me.

I tried tying empty drums onto the raft to help it float.

I dreamt about the crocodile; it felt so real, I woke up with a start, the sound of a plane's engine. I rushed down to the river, shouting and jumping. It flew out of sight, but our fire had produced a long grey column of smoke.

The clack clack of a helicopter. To them we must have seemed like savages. 'It’s about time you returned to the future'.

Three days have passed since the rescue. Dad’s alright.

If the future exists at all, it’s more like the past.

Group One

• Do the characters in the story learn things about life which you think are true and important?

• What events in your own life were you reminded of when you read the story?

• How do you think you would feel if similar things happened to you? What would you have done differently?

• How do colours, sounds and other sensations contribute to the power of certain scenes in the story?

• Why does the author say 'if the future exists at all it’s more like the past'? Do you agree with this statement?

• How does the title help tie the story together and add meaning to the story?

Group Two

• Design a story map which outlines the main events in the story.

• What is your favourite part of the story? Why?

• Day 13: Why do you think the author describes the crocodile as 'a hungry river-god'?

• Day 11: The author describes the crocodile as 'a sentinel guarding the open water'. Why?

• Find other references to the crocodile. What do you think the crocodile represents? Why does the author personify the crocodile?

• Day 14: What do you think is the significance of the forest looking empty, just as it had on the first day?

Group Three

• Use the sentence strips to sequence the story.

• Highlight the prepositions used in Day One.

• Highlight the conjunctions used in Day Two.

• Cloze passage.

• Find references to the crocodile (Day 3, 11, 12, 13, 14). How do the feelings of the main character change toward the crocodile throughout the story?

• Day 13: Why do you think the author describes the crocodile as 'a hungry river-god'?

Comprehension questions

• Predict what you think the story will be about.

• List the animals that live in the forest surrounding their camp. Use the skill of skim reading. (GS: Research)

• Describe the main character using words from the text and others. Is the main character a boy or a girl? Why? Also, write why you think the author has made it unclear.

• What is the main theme or idea in the story?

• What do you think the author wants you to learn or think about?

• Compare day 3 to day 13. What are the similarities and differences?

(Draw a table or a Venn diagram.)

How does this relate to the theme? (GS: Analysis)

• Comment on the author’s writing style. (complex sentences, use of grammar and language, tense, etc).

• Write a prologue to the story

• Write and epilogue in the same style as the story.