Teacher's Guide for LADYBUG ^®

The following teacher's guide is designed to support students as they listen, read and compose responses (drawing and emergent writing) to selections in the September 2005 issue of LADYBUG ^® magazine. Narrative selections in the issue are referred to as stories and differentiated from poems and songs. This helps children begin to notice structural changes in genres.

Lessons are designed with multiple formats for instruction and learning. These include whole class, small group, partners, individual, and center work.

Particular readings are used as a starting point for discussion on signs of fall, using imagination in play, and making connections with experiences outside of school. Articles are used as content for read-alouds, shared reading, and listening activities. Language Experience, modeled writing, drawing, interactive writing, and independent writing are also incorporated into planned response formats, depending on children's developmental literacy level (Tompkins & Collom, 2004).

Throughout the guide skills in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary (word meaning), word recognition, listening, beginning reading, listening comprehension, and writing will be refined as children build concept knowledge and language skills. Activities will offer differentiated levels of responding to accommodate children's diverse needs, interests, and competencies. The readings may not follow the order of presentation in the issue; issue selections are sequenced in a way that matches the flow of the concept presentation.

Tompkins, G. and S. Collom. 2004. Sharing the Pen. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall.

The Overall Plan

Title: Signs of Fall

Time: approximately 20-25 minutes each session. Independent Practice is completed later in the day.

Objective: Following instruction and teacher modeling, students will demonstrate through oral responses and artistic productions that they've:

1. analyzed word similarities and differences as reflected in their ability to find and frame words.
2. become increasingly aware of word structures and/or print conventions as reflected in their "I noticed . . . " statements.
3. begun to develop speech to print match as noted in their ability to track words and chorally read during shared reading.
4. increased their listening and speaking vocabulary as well as discourse skills.
5. grown in listening comprehension.
6. begun to develop a sense of story elements as reflected in their predictions and responses.
7. acquired and/or expanded basic concepts about print.

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, and Synthesis

Materials:

• copies of the September issue of LADYBUG ^®
• chart paper
• 4" X 4" pieces of drawing paper or post-its
• crayons
• colorful leaves (real or artificial)
• pictures of trees in autumn colors
• pictures of fruit trees at harvest time
• acorns and horse chestnuts (real or artificial)

Session 1

1. Begin by telling the students that you're already feeling like summer is over and fall has begun because of things happening all around you. (Certain seasonal changes are specific to regions of the country. This will make the discussion and charted ideas unique.)

   "Fall comes after summer and before winter. It's when children go back to school. It's also when animals get ready for winter. Even though it's not really fall yet - not until we get to September 23rd - it seems like fall to me and not summer anymore. That's because I see lots of ads on TV for back to school supplies. And, I get store flyers in the mail about school sales every day. Record these reasons on a Signs of Fall chart.
   
   

   Signs of Fall back to school ads on TV back to school mail

   
   
   "Does it seem to you that fall's begun? Why?" Record their responses on the Signs of Fall chart.

2. Discuss responses. These will vary due to differences in children's personal experiences as well as regions of the country. Scribe children's ideas on the chart. Help them express their thinking clearly and succinctly.
3. Read over the chart together. Point to each word as it's read. After reading over the list, say, "I noticed that we have numbers on the chart that help us count our ideas. The numbers are right here - one, two, three," etc. Ask if anyone noticed a word that has a letter that's in his/her name. Have that child come up and point it out. Ask the child to identify what s/he noticed. Someone might notice a word that s/he can read. Have them point out whatever they noticed. (The I noticed strategy draws children's attention to print forms.)
4. Assign students a partner and give each dyad a copy of LADYBUG ^® to share. Introduce the magazine. Discuss the cover and illustrations. Direct children's attention as you guide a picture walk through the magazine. When picture-walking children notice illustrations; they share personal comments, reactions, and prediction related to what they see. However, it's not necessary to stop at every page. Tell students that tomorrow you'll read a story from the magazine. It will be about a little girl named Grace who learns about signs of fall. Tonight they should talk to a family member about signs of fall. They can also ask family members if they know another name for fall.
5. Later in the day, children will draw a sign of fall on a 4" X 4" piece of paper or post-it. These will be added to the Signs of Fall chart.

1. Ask students if anyone knows another name for fall after talking about signs of fall at home.
2. Explain that the season of fall is also called autumn. It has two names. In Autumn, the leaves on many kinds of trees turn beautiful colors. Then, they fall to the ground and we rake them up.
3. Direct children's attention to the story "Autumn Treasures" by Edna Ledgard. Have them skim the illustrations in this story and make predictions about its content. Additional pictures of trees with leaves in full autumn colors would be helpful, particularly in areas of the country that don't have this seasonal marker. Have real leaves that have changed color or artificial ones from a craft store available for children to handle. (They'll also use these for the art project.)
4. Tell students that the character in our story, Grace, is learning about fall. She also finds treasures that she wants to keep forever! Discuss what makes something a treasure.
5. Pass the leaves around the circle. Have children examine the leaves and think of words to describe them. Explain that we're working like scientists when we examine carefully and write down what we observe. Scientists are always observing and recording - writing down what they see.
6. After the leaves have gone around the circle, point children's attention to a chart with illustrations of each leaf type examined. Tell students that scientists usually sketch or draw what they observe as well as write about it. Sometimes they put names on their drawing. These are called labels. Label each leaf by its name. Label leaf parts (e.g. the veins on one, a stem on another, etc.)
7. Ask children to share their observations. The teacher will scribe these onto the chart.
   
   

   Autumn Leaves, Acorns, Horse Chestnuts We noticed that . . .

   
   
   
8. Read the story aloud; stop at the end of each page to discuss the content. Have examples of acorns and horse chestnuts - either real or artificial ones from a craft store. Have children examine them. Identify these as seeds; they can become new trees if they find a place to grow. Acorns and horse chestnuts are more signs of fall. Squirrels busily gather acorns in the fall so they'll have food during the snowy winter. That's another sign that it's fall. If this observation was recorded on the Signs of Fall chart when it was created, point it out. If it didn't come up in the discussion, record it now and explain why squirrels and other animals store food in the fall.

1. Later in the day, the class will work on the art project described in the story. (If done at the Art Center while other children are engaged in different activities, have a teaching assistant, parent volunteer or older student come in to facilitate and/or monitor.)
2. Children will look for signs of fall on their way home and at home. They'll be ready to share these at News Time tomorrow.

1. Ask children if they noticed any signs of fall yesterday on their way home or at home. Add children's responses on the Signs of Fall chart.
2. Suggest to children (if not already mentioned) that you've noticed lots of school busses on the road in the morning and afternoon. This is a sign of fall and back to school; we don't see as many buses filled with children on their way to school in the summer. Add this to the Signs of Fall chart.
3. Have partners turn to the song, "The Wheels on the Bus." Ask them to look over the illustrations and share their thinking. Discuss the characters in the illustrations. Direct children in a practice of movements demonstrated by these characters.
4. Sing the song for them as children follow along with their copy of LADYBUG ^®. Incorporate the movements that accompany each verse. Children can sing along if they know the words.
5. Have children look at a chart with the song lyrics rewritten in larger font. Sing the song again; point to each word in the lyrics as it's sung. The children can do the movements as they follow the words while you're singing.
6. Ask someone to frame the word round (pointer finger vertical and thumb horizontal makes a frame - use both hands). The child comes up to the chart and places a finger frame at the beginning of round (left hand) and another (right hand) at the end of round.

   | round |
   _______

7. Ask children if there are other words they want to find and frame.
8. Later in the day children can make an illustration for the song chart on 4" x 4" paper or post-its. These are added to the chart.
9. The song can be revisited another day. The class can collaborate on writing additional verses as suggested. These are added to the charted song.

1. Ask children if anyone has ever suggested that they use their imagination. Ask them what that means. If they're having difficulty, ask if they've ever pretended to be a princess or a super hero. Did they ever dress up and act like one of these characters? If they did pretend like that, they were using their imagination to create make-believe.
2. Tell them that today, you'll read a story about Benjamin. Benjamin used his imagination to pretend. He was so good at it that two bigger kids, Peter and Caroline, took a pretend ride with him.
3. Have children skim through the illustrations for "Benjamin's Bus" by Sharon Bailly. Ask them to share comments and make predictions.
4. Read the story aloud, stopping at appropriate points to discuss the characters, setting, problem, events, and solution. Casually, use story element terms as appropriate throughout the discussion. Children will naturally begin to understand these terms when they're used in context over and over.
5. Later in the day during play time children can pretend to drive or ride in a bus; car, boat, or plane.

1. Say to children, "We've talked about leaves changing color in autumn. But, other things about trees also make me think of fall. One of these is that some trees, like apple trees, give us delicious food that's ready to eat in the fall." Add this to the Signs of Fall chart.
2. Show pictures of fruit trees and fruit harvesting. Discuss what the pictures show.
3. Have partners turn to the poem, "Every Tree" by Bette Killion. Ask for their comments, reactions, and predictions based on the illustration.
4. Read the poem aloud; children follow along. Reread and children join in.
5. Say, "I noticed that the author wrote the last word, fall, going down. It's right here. I wonder why she did that? What do you think?" Discuss. (The I noticed . . . strategy invites children to talk about print conventions.)
6. Ask children to share whatever they noticed. Ask if anyone noticed words that rhyme or sound alike at the end. Point these out.
7. Have the poem rewritten on chart paper with larger font. Reread it together (chorally) again. Call on children to frame words. Select a few easy, high frequency ones. Ask if anyone wants to find and frame a word.
8. Later in the day children can draw an illustration for the poem chart on a small piece of paper or post-it and add it to the chart.

1. Say to children, "We've talked about squirrels gathering food during the fall. They""'re very busy searching and storing food for the long winter ahead. Squirrels are fun to watch as they scamper up and down trees."
2. Have partners turn to the poem, "Guess Who's Jumping" by Della Ross Ferreri. Ask for their comments, reactions, and predictions based on the illustration.
3. Read the poem aloud; children follow along. Reread and children join in.
4. Say, "I noticed that a lot of words have /ing/ at the end. These are words that show action. One's right here - swaying." Model swaying. Have children sway. "Here's another - shaking." Model shaking. Have children shake. "I wonder if anyone remembers a third /ing/ word. Can you find and frame it? Let's stand up and do that - jumping. We'll do three jumps - one for each squirrel in the picture - and then we'll sit down again."
5. Have the poem rewritten on chart paper with larger font. Reread it together (chorally) again. Call on children to frame words. Select a few easy, high frequency ones. Ask if anyone wants to find and frame a word. Ask children what acrobats are. Explain what an acrobat is if they're unfamiliar with the word. Find and frame acrobats for them. Ask if anyone has an I noticed to share.
6. Have children stand up again. Tell them we'll reread the poem and do the movements as we read the /ing/ words. With children standing, reread the poem chorally adding the movements. Repeat.
7. Later in the day children can draw an illustration for the poem chart on a small piece of paper or post-it and add it to the chart.

1. Ask children if anyone has a bird feeder at home. Share experiences. Ask if they've watched birds searching for food around their house or neighborhood. Have children share their experiences. Explain that they were acting like bird scientists when they were studying the birds. Ask how they had to behave when they did that. Discuss how bird watchers are patient; sometimes they have to wait a long time for certain birds to come around. They also have to be very quiet. They don't want to scare the birds away.
2. Tell them that today, you'll read a story about Marisol. Marisol wanted to see a bird called a roadrunner. Her Aunt Berta helped her set up food that would attract birds to the yard. Marisol was a bird watcher.
3. Have children skim through the illustrations for "Marisol and the Hungry Roadrunner" by Sheila Wood Foard. Ask them to share comments and make predictions related to the illustrations.
4. Read the story aloud, stopping at appropriate points to discuss the characters, setting, problem, events, and solution. Casually, use story element terms as appropriate throughout the discussion.
5. Tell children to watch birds in their yard and neighborhood after school. Tomorrow they'll tell about the birds they saw.
6. Explain that in the fall some birds fly to a warmer climate. They want to get away before the snow comes. After the winter is over and spring comes, these birds come back. This is called migration.

1. Ask if anyone has ever been to a car wash where your car gets on a track to get cleaned. As the car moves along, water and soap are sprayed on it and giant brushes swirl around to scrub it. Have children share experiences. Explain the process if children have not experienced this.
2. Tell students that today's story is about the experience Max and Kate had in a car wash. Have them turn to "Max and Kate" by Mick Manning. Ask them to share comments and make predictions related to the illustrations.
3. Read the story aloud. Stop at appropriate places to discuss the content and car washing process.
4. Explain that the print in this story is bigger and there are fewer words on a page. Children can finger point to the words as you reread the story. Partners should take turns page-by-page. Reread it again and now partners will read with you (chorally) as they point to the words. Repeat.
5. Call on children to find and frame words they recognize.
6. Later in the day children can reread the story to a buddy. Children, at the early emergent stage, may be picture reading (telling the story by talking about the illustrations and/or trying to "read" it from memory). Celebrate what they can do - more will come!

1. The teacher will record observational notes on children's oral responses and their ability to work together with a partner or in groups.
2. Children's illustrations will be evaluated for the accuracy of details represented.
3. The teacher will monitor children's growing ability to find and frame words, notice print conventions, and track the print during shared reading (speech to print matching).
4. Children's transfer of new words to their speaking vocabulary will be monitored.
5. Children's ability to express ideas clearly during discussions will be assessed.
6. The teacher will observe and make note of children's attentiveness, ability to follow directions, and listening comprehension.

Home

Back

Print

Updated: 11/21/09 03:28 pm
Log In