Pre-Service Teacher Copy

Lesson Plan (Micro Lesson)

Read a Story to a small group


Year Level(s): 3 /4 (small group) Learning Area/ACARA Focus: Literacy -
Comprehension

Date/Time: 20.8.14 (10:00-10:20am) Lesson Focus: Speaking, Listening & Questioning


Background Information:

Students are from a split Year 3 /4 class setting which accommodates students with varying
academic ability levels. The students have various levels of understanding, speaking and listening
abilities within the Literacy learning area.




Teaching/Learning Purpose(s) (written in terms of outcomes):

At the conclusion of the lesson the students should be able to:

Demonstrate appropriate listening skills as a result of being part of a small reading group.
Demonstrate appropriate speaking skills as a result of answering questions about the text.
Display appropriate written skills by using correct grammar and spelling when
completing comprehension worksheet related to the text.
Ability to recall examples of text through verbal and written questioning e.g. identify the
subject/theme and recall information about the text.



Preparation:

Provide copy of book for reading to small group Our Cat Flossie.
Prepare comprehension worksheet.
Ensure students have available to them a lead pencil for writing answers.









Learning Experiences:

1. How will I engage the learners?
Introduction (5 minutes):

Ensure students are listening through use of classroom management techniques.
Ensure 100% attention before commencement of lesson (e.g. clap hands hands
on head, shoulders, arms folded, look at me, or finger to lip, look & wait until
attention is gained. Any stragglers advise that I would like your attention in 5,
4, 3.. use a count-down method to indicate to the student/s I want their
attention when I reach 1).
Advise students that the lesson will involve me reading them a story. Tell them
that one of my favourite things is cats (speak briefly of my own personal
experience), then explain that because of my interest in cats I will be reading
them a story about cats.
Prior to reading the story inform the students of the title (Out Cat Flossie) and
before reading the story I would like to ask some questions. Advise students that
when I say Hands up.. that means I will only ask students who follow this
instruction and that I will not ask students who call out.
Conduct a short questioning session prior to reading the story:
o Who likes cats? (closed group question)
o Who has a cat? (closed group question)
o What is your cats name? (closed question)
o Describe your cat to me? (open question)
o Describe the best thing about your cat? (open question)
Read story to students, on conclusion praise good listening. Advise students of
comprehension worksheet to be completed.

2. Student tasks and activities (what will the students do to achieve the lesson purpose(s)?
Activity (10 minutes):

Students will complete a comprehension worksheet (see attached). At
commencement of activity tell students how long they have to complete the
worksheet.

3. Conclusion (how do you summarize the learning and relate it to the lesson purpose(s)?
Conclusion (5 minutes):

Re-group and conduct short questioning session to discuss the answers the
students have written on their worksheets (choose different students for different
questions).
To conclude the lesson, praise the students on their efforts in listening, speaking
and recalling texts.



Assessment and evaluation: (How do you know the students have achieved the learning
purpose/s)?

When students can display the ability to recall examples of text through verbal and
written questioning.



Evaluate your own performance

I dealt with student management well by gaining the students attention immediately. I waited
until all students were seated on the mat where the story telling session was being conducted.
I successfully gained their attention by using strategies I had observed being used by the
classroom teacher (arm up in the air, looking & waiting, then use of the script hands on heads,
shoulders, arms folded, and eyes to me). I was pleased that I gained the students attention
reasonably quickly and effectively.

I felt that I needed to improve in my ability to gauge the reading comprehension level of some of
the students in the group (note the group comprised of 6 students). Whilst I chose well for
approximately 60-70% of the group, there were a small percentage of students that appeared to be
disinterested in the story. In the reading comprehension lesson held immediately afterwards I
observed that the classroom teacher had selected text considerably higher than what I had
selected for my group session.

I made good use of questioning by conducting a short verbal questioning session prior to reading
the story and then again at the conclusion of the story. Subsequent to the story I provided each
student with a worksheet which contained five questions about the text. I included both closed
questioning and some short open questioning into my worksheet.

I made good use of the worksheet by also using it as an assessment tool. By marking each of the
students worksheets I was able to evaluate their level of reading comprehension. I believe that I
developed the worksheets used for questioning at a reasonably appropriate level. I think that for
the majority of the small group the worksheet was developed at a reasonably suitable level. After
some assessment I think that the worksheet was a bit easy for 1-2 students, and reasonably too
high for 1 student.

On reflection I think that overall both my planning and performance during the small group
session was successful. I think, however, that I neglected to cater the session for one student in
particular. I did not allow myself the time to be able to provide 1:1 support for this particular
student who initially sat well to listen to the story but refused to complete the worksheet. In
hindsight, I think I should have omitted the second verbal questioning session. This may have
enabled me give 1:1 support to this one student to achieve the whole group session instead of
only part of the session.