Jordan Payne

READ Comprehension Mini-Lesson Reflection

Instead of using a book for my students comprehension lesson, my CT and I

analyzed the class reading data together and decided that they would benefit the most

from a hand crafted Non Fiction text structure lesson. It seemed that there were still quite

a few students that just were not getting the material. That being said, the students were

still looking at multiple pieces of writing and analyzing the text as a group. The passages

chosen were differentiated based on the group that they were in and could be read by the

students with 5 errors or less.

Before I began my lessons, I had each group complete a sort. They were required

to match the definition to the appropriate text structure. If there were mistakes, they

would talk them out and decide whether or not there was another text structure that more

accurately represented that definition. This set a clear focus of the lesson which was

reviewing Non Fiction text structures. They have already gone over these before all

though data on their testing performance showed that there were a significant amount of

students that still needed help in the area.

For each group, I provided them with different reading passages and materials.

The groups were divided into a High (those who scored a 100% on NF text structure

questions), Medium (those who scored a 50% on NF text structure questions), and Low

(those who scored a 0% on NF text structure questions) category. Some tweaks were

made to the groups the day of the lesson due to absences. These tweaks were made at my

CTs discretion.
 The High group received the most difficult text passages. They were a little longer

than the other groups and the last question incorporated the creation of a graphic

organizer for the question of their choice. They were required to use the appropriate

graphic organizer for the passage chosen and to fill in the graphic organizer with the

information provided.

The Medium group received a similar assignment although their passages were

slightly shorter and contained a different subject matter. The Low group, however, spent

the most time, overall, at the back table with me and completed a sort. I gave the students

index cards so that they could make their own headings for the text structures and from

there they placed each card in the spot where they thought it belonged. The students were

paired up with a partner so this required them to talk out each card and make a decision

together. As they were working, I walked around and monitored their progress and

offered assistance when they couldnt come to a consensus over a card.

All students regardless of their leveled group completed the same writing activity

at the end of their lesson. Some completed it during the time provided and some had to

take the assignment home for homework and bring them back to me the next day. I asked

them to write their own passage using a text structure of their choice. Once they had

written their passage, they needed to identify the text structure that they used and

describe why their passage fit with the text structure that they had chosen.

The students seemed to respond well to the lesson but I definitely think that the

lowest group was the most successful. They were really able to engage with each other

due to the nature of the lesson itself. They problem solved together, discussed what they

were thinking and provided reasons as to why they felt a card represented a particular text
structure. My CT was listening in on the conversation and she made a comment about

how she had never really seen or heard a certain student speak about the subject matter

the way that she was.

If I were to do this again, I would adjust the lesson more for the Medium and

High groups. Their lessons werent as engaging as the Lower group and the structure

could have allowed for a student or so to check out during the lesson. For the most part

they seemed engaged although probably would not have come out and said whether or

not they didnt understand because they feared that they would hold up the group.

Comprehension and Writing instruction is, in my opinion, one of the more

difficult forms of classroom instruction. The assessments that we have gone over in class

are based on multiple choice questions and are not an accurate way of assessing

comprehension as students may just be guessing and getting lucky. The only sure way

to understand that a child is comprehending a piece of writing is to discuss the passage

with that child. That is the only way that you will get a full picture of the childs thinking.

In order to plan lessons and make group arrangements, you will need to know

what reading level the child is on, how well they score on comprehension and writing

tasks and how they learn best. When making groups, you also have to consider group

dynamics and how the students will interact with each other. While that is not the most

important factor, it is valuable to recognize that some students will work better apart. I

would implement a schedule that aligns with what it is that my students need to know in

order to do well on their assessments although I would use the data collected to analyze

what it is that may need to be revisited in either a whole group lesson or with a small

group of students. I will need reading materials for my students, paper, pencils and
assessment strategies to best serve my students and help them to reach their reading

material.