Lessons
Reader’s Toolkit interactive read aloud lessons are written by classroom teachers for classroom teachers! These lessons are intended to be used with the Reader’s Toolkit reading comprehension program. Students will need a Reader’s Toolkit, color coded strategy sticky notes and a pencil. Teachers will need a Reader’s Toolkit Teacher’s Guide/Activity Book, chart paper, and engaging literature. Lessons are organized by date, strategy, theme and author.
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| STRATEGY: Author's Message | |||
| Author | Title | Lesson Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steig, William | Brave Irene |  | Whole Group Read Aloud, Grades K - 5 Author's Message: Perseverance and Courage. Mrs. Bobbin, Irene's mother, isn't feeling well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. In spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing, Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, -- quite an errand for a little girl. Irene proves where there's a will, there's a way, in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy her most formidable opponent, the wicked wind, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission. Surely, this winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on. |
| Polacco, Patricia | Thank You, Mr. Falker | | NEW LESSON PLAN FORMAT: Author Study series. Intermediate. Realistic Fiction. Annotation: Overjoyed at the thought of starting school and learning to read, Trisha is dismayed when all the letters and numbers in her books are jumbled up. Only Mr. Falker recognizes her problem and takes the time to lead her to the magic of reading. . |
| Bennett, William J. | The Children's Book of Virtues | Whole Group Read Aloud Grades K-5 Short stories great for Character Education The stories have been chosen especially for a young audience to help introduce to children the essentials of good character: Courage, Perseverance, Responsibility, Work, Self-discipline, Compassion, Faith, Honesty, Loyalty, and Friendship. | |
| Gerstein, Mordicai | The Man Who Walked Between the Towers | | Intermediate, Middle and High School. Read Aloud or small group. Great for predictions, self questioning and author's message. Annotation: In 1974, French aerialist Philippe Petit threw a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and spent an hour walking, dancing, and performing high-wire tricks a quarter mile in the sky. This picture book captures the poetry and magic of the event with a poetry of its own: lyrical words and lovely paintings that present the detail, daring, and--in two dramatic foldout spreads-- the vertiginous drama of Petit's feat. |
| Woodson, Jacqueline | The Other Side | | Black History Month Lesson: Elementary level. Why did the author use a fence? Why did the author say someone would knock the fence down? What would your students say? Beautifully rendered in Lewis's striking, lifelike watercolor illustrations, this story by Woodson is a moving, lyrical narrative told in the hopeful voice of a child confused about the fence that divides the black side of town from the white side. |
| Van Allsburg, Chris | The Widow's Broom | ||
| STRATEGY: Create Mental Images | |||
| Author | Title | Lesson Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steig, William | Amos & Boris | Whole Group Read Aloud Grades K - 5 Author's Message: Friendship Great descriptive language for mental images. Amos the mouse and Boris the whale: a devoted pair of friends with nothing at all in common, except good hearts and a willingness to help their fellow mammal. The tender yet comical story of this friendship is recorded in text and pictures that are a model of rich simplicity. | |
| Ringgold, Faith | Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky | | Day 2: Black History Lesson, Underground Railroad. |
| Van Allsburg, Chris | Jumanji | ||
| Rylant, Cynthia | Night in the Country | Whole Group Read Aloud with Accountable Talk. Grades K - 5. Hear the sights and sounds of night in the country. Great story for mental images. Each page invites children to look, listen and explore. | |
| STRATEGY: Determining Importance | |||
| Author | Title | Lesson Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giblin, James Cross | George Washington: A Picture Book Biography | | Elementary, Read Aloud, Small Group, Biography, Timeline, Sequencing, Main Idea/Detail. Annotation: Examines the family life and career of the first American president, also discussing myths and legends, monuments to Washington, and Mount Vernon. |
| DiCamillo, Kate | Mercy Watson to the Rescue | | Elementary Grades/Whole Group or Guided Reading. Mercy Watson is the first book in a series of 4. It is a beginning chapter book with a 2.7 reading level. Your students will love the characters and funny story. This lesson is intended for the teacher to model main idea. The following Mercy Watson lessons will scaffold the students in identifying main idea. There are many activities for compare/contrast after reading all 4 books. |
| Davies, Nicola | One Tiny Turtle | PRIMARY GRADES, Use with K W L Graphic Organizer Annotation: Lyrical text offers fascinating information about the journey of the tiny, endangered loggerhead turtle, while charming paintings vividly illustrate one turtle's odyssey. Full color. | |
| Davies, Nicola | Surprising Sharks: Read and Wonder | PRIMARY GRADES, Determine Importance, Use with K W L Graphic Organizer. Reading Warehouse Annotation: " Everything works in this book — the informative yet humorous writing, the not-too-scary illustrations, and a superb layout that employs multisized text and bright color backgrounds to great effect." — THE HORN BOOK " SHAAAARRRKK!" That's probably the last word anyone wants to hear while swimming in the warm blue sea. But most sharks aren't at all what people expect. In fact, those who think all sharks are giant, man-eating killers are in for a surprise. The compelling narrative, colorful illustrations, and captivating facts in SURPRISING SHARKS reveal that sharks come in all shapes and sizes — and probably should be more afraid of humans than we are of them. | |
| STRATEGY: Make and Confirm Prediction | |||
| Author | Title | Lesson Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steig, William | Amazing Bone | | Interactive Read Aloud, Elementary level. The story is about Pearl, a pig and a talking bone. She is excited to bring home her new friend but meets up with unexpected villains. Entralling pictures, witty story. |
| Polacco, Patricia | Babushka's Doll | | Primary, Intermediate to grade 5. Great lesson to explain the difference between a prediction and an inference. Also compare/constrast Natasha in the beginning of the story to the end of the story. Character traits. Annotation: Natasha isn't really a bad girl, she just doesn't like to wait. She's quite a handful for Babushka, her grandmother. So Babushka lets her play, just once, with a very special doll that once belonged to her--and Natasha discovers just how difficult a demanding child can be! |
| Steig, William | Sylvester and the Magic Pebble | | Whole Group Elementary, Fiction, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. He makes a wish that brings unexpected results. A joyful story with a tender ending. |
| Van Allsburg, Chris | Two Bad Ants | | Whole Group or Small Group Grades K - 5 Author's Message: Follow the Rules This is a great book for building class culture and making classroom rules. Two ants, eager to please their queen, set out to bring back all the crystals they can carry. Instead of following their group home, they are overwhelmed by their treasure, and decide to stay behind. This begins their dangerous ordeal. Exciting book with many inferences that lead to excellent prediction stopping points. |
| Jenkins, Steve | What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? | | NON-FICTION, Primary Level, Interactive book for Predictions and Self-Questioning Strategies. Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails. Beautiful illustrations. Back of book has additional information about the animals. Great introduction for beginner research projects. |
| Polacco, Patricia | When Lightning Comes in a Jar | | New Lesson: Intermediate level. Prediction. Annotation: Inspired by her own family, Polacco beautifully depicts an endearing family reunion that includes all of her aunts, uncles, cousins, and Gramma, who promises to teach the children how to catch RlightningS in a jar. |
| STRATEGY: Make Connections | |||
| Author | Title | Lesson Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanders, Nancy | D Is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet | | Black History Month Lesson: Intermediate, Middle, High. Build background knowledge with this African American Alphabet book. An easy "research" activity using sticky notes. 100 % student engagement! Anchor chart activity included. "D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet" showcases many of the remarkable achievements of and contributions from African Americans throughout history. Evocative watercolor paintings from Caldecott Honor-winning E. B. Lewis perfectly capture the spirit of each letter topics poem and expository text. |
| Van Allsburg, Chris | The Sweetest Fig | | Whole Group Read Aloud, Grades K - 8 Monsieur Bibot, the cold-hearted dentist (especially to his dog, Marcel), was given two ordinary looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. She told him they were special and would make all your dreams come true. He refused to believe such nonsense, however he ate one of the figs for a bedtime snack. This uncanny tale will intrigue readers of all ages. |
| STRATEGY: Self Questioning | |||
| Author | Title | Lesson Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steig, William | Shrek! | | VOCABULARY LESSON, Intermediate vocabulary, whole group or guided reading group. The story of Shrek is well know to most children. This allows the students to focus on new vocabulary. Every page is filled with rich vocabulary. A fun story and challenging new words to add to the students vocabulary. |
| Van Allsburg, Chris | The Stranger | ||
| STRATEGY: Uses All Strategies | |||
| Author | Title | Lesson Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbons, Gail | Apples | | NON-FICTION, Primary Level, Use the graphic organizer F - Q - R along with Reader's Toolkit reading strategies. This colorful book is packed with information, including cutaway views of apples showing their parts, a diagram of an apple press, charts of varieties of apples, and step-by-step instructions for planting and growing apple trees. |
| Polacco, Patricia | Babushka Baba Yaga | | NEW LESSON: Intermediate level. Prediction, Self Questioning Strategies. Annotation: Called a wicked witch, Baba Yaga lives all alone in the woods. How Baba Yaga adopts a village family and becomes Babushka Baba Yaga is an unforgettable story of love and loyalty as well as a gentle lesson on not judging by appearance alone. |
| Driscoll, Laura | George Washington Carver: The Peanut Wizard | | NON FICTION, K W L graphic organizer, SCIENCE (includes a science experiment with soil and lima beans, SOCIAL STUDIES (slavery, segregation), Math, whole group or small group. Smart About Scientists! These books feature fascinating biographical information about the world's greatest scientists, ideas on scientific thinking, and real science experiments kids can try at home. |
| Martin, Michael | Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad | | Day 1: Black History Month Lesson Includes: List of children's "Read Aloud" books to use for strategy lessons on Slavery, Underground Railroad, Martin Luther King, Freedom and Friendship. Day 1: K W L activity for Black History lessons. Day 1: Strategy lesson: Main Idea/Supporting Details using Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Chapter 1. |
| Levine, Ellen | Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad | | Black History Month Lesson: Elementary: Make Connections, Determine Importance, Author's Message, Self Questioning. In this powerful story, Levine weaves together the extraordinary events in the life of Henry "Box" Brown, who as a young boy hid in a wooden crate in one of the most amazing escapes using the Underground Railroad. Full color. |
| Kenath, Katherine | Wild Weather | | Guided Reading, Primary low level, K W L , picture of anchor chart attached. Build long term memory using K W L and the Reader's Toolkit strategies. |
