Modified Guided Reading Lesson-Planning Framework

Source: Figure 2, MGR Lesson-Planning Framework from Avalos, M. A., Plasencia, A.,
Chavez, C., & Rascón, J. (2007). Modified guided reading: Gateway to English as a
second language and literacy learning. The Reading Teacher, 318-329.

Planning the lesson(s)

1. Determine objectives of lessons(s) based upon instructional needs (English-language
learning and literacy learning).
a. Determine the main idea or essential message from text and supporting
information.
b. Read for information to use in performing a task and learning a new task.
c. Identify words and construct meaning from the text.
Objectives should reflect/connect to your unit idea from your Modified Lesson Plan #1
assignment.

Objectives
a. Students will listen/read to poems and discuss the meaning given guided
questions and group support.
b. Students will identify the free verse structure of the poems and the lack of
punctuation.
c. Students will use visualization when reading poems, and will use this to
illustrate poems.
d. Students will write poems given graphic organizers and models.
A. The student will understand that poems use the senses to convey a message (ex: the
feel of the sun in “Morning Sun” or the look of a tomato in “Laughing Tomatoes”).
B. Students will recognize the use of senses in poems and will use the senses when
writing poems.
C. Students will identify key descriptive words in the poems that help them visualize.

2. Group students by name/oral L2 level-instructional reading level (e.g., Student 1/1-

first grade, Student 2/1-first grade).
Plan for a small group that would have the 2 ELs in your class at Developing (Level 3)
language proficiency. Note relevant characteristics of these students regarding their
language proficiency level as well as their Can Do descriptors related to speaking,
listening, reading, & writing for their grade level.

Student 1/3-second grade: using short phrases, understanding directions, asks and
answers simple questions, word bank of about 3000 words
Student 2/3-second grade: using short phrases, understanding directions, asks and
answers simple questions, word bank of about 3000 words
Student 3/native English speaker-second grade
Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will need less support.
This framework should be adjusted to reflect more student responsibility as the teacher
facilitates learning and guides when necessary.
 Student 4/native English speaker-second grade
Student 5/native English speaker-second grade
Student 6/native English speaker-second grade

Relevant WIDA:
Listening:
a. Expressing Illustrating events in response to audio recordings of stories or
poems
b. Completing graphic organizers or representations from oral comparison
c. Identifying similarities and differences from oral content related materials
or equipment
Speaking:
a. Expressing own ideas consistent with the topic discussed
b. Asking and answering questions in a collaborative group
c. Describe relationship between objects
d. Stating information from personal or school related experiences
Reading:
a. Creating timelines or graphic organizers from illustrated related statements
or paragraphs
b. Locating details in content area texts or media
Writing:
a. Expressing ideas in various genres
b. Stating ideas about content-related topics

3. Select guided-reading books based upon objectives and students’ instructional

reading levels.
Note the title, author, and reading level of the text you would use with this small group.
Also provide one paragraph about the book that summaries the text and justifies why it
is a good fit for the unit.

I am choosing to look at two books of poems written by the same author. These poems
are written in Spanish and English. The Lexile for these poems is 300-400L. I am
selecting poems out of both books that I think my students will be able to visualize and
relate to. A summary of each poem is listed below under the book it comes from; the
summaries seem very brief because most of the poems are short. I chose select poems
instead of the whole collections because there needs to be a lot of discussion about
what the poems mean. I feel that these poems are a good fit because they use
descriptive words and understandable figurative language. Most of the poems are short,
which will be less overwhelming for students. I also feel it is good because it is
something that students can connect with.

Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems by Francisco X. Alareón

 “Clouds”: Clouds are mountains in the sky
Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will need less support.
This framework should be adjusted to reflect more student responsibility as the teacher
facilitates learning and guides when necessary.
  “To Write Poetry”: You need to use your senses when you write poetry.
 “A Blank White Page”: A blank page is like a meadow after snow.
 “In Winter”: In winter, it rains all the time.
Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems by Francisco X. Alareón
 “Dew”: Dew comes from the night.
 “Morning Sun”: The sun comes every morning and warms you up.
 “First Rain”: Rain is like the sky crying.
 “Laughing Tomatoes”: Tomatoes grow round, change color, and have green
plants.

4. Analyze the text and identify literacy challenges based upon your knowledge of the
students.
a. Semantics:
i. Vocabulary:
1. Focus on common English morphemes (e.g., affixes) or
orthographic patterns
2. Identify two to three words for receptive vocabulary and five to
nine words for productive vocabulary
3. Understand the meaning of the story whenever possible
ii. Figurative language:
iii. Homophones (words that sound the same, different meanings):
1. Homographs (words that are spelled the same but have
different meanings and origins):
b. Grammar (complex syntax, punctuation):
c. Text structure (narrative, expository):
d. Content or concept (cultural relevance):
e. Strategy instruction (if needed, identify good places to insert strategy
instruction during shared reading [e.g., think-alouds, elicitation of predictions,
word solving])
Note literacy challenges from the selected text you would address during instruction
with this small group.

a. Semantics:
i. Vocabulary:
1. Focus on common English morphemes (e.g., affixes) or
orthographic patterns
a. We will focus on –ing. We will talk about the /ing/
sound it makes, and how the /ng/ sound is different.
2. Receptive/Productive
a. Identify two to three words for receptive vocabulary
i. Dew
ii. Through
b. and five to nine words for productive vocabulary

Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will need less support.
This framework should be adjusted to reflect more student responsibility as the teacher
facilitates learning and guides when necessary.
 i. Cross
ii. Meadow
iii. Nonstop
iv. Round
v. Flavor
vi. Mountains
vii. Earth
3. Understand the meaning of the story whenever possible
ii. Figurative language:
1. The sun calls
2. The tomatoes laugh
3. Clouds are floating mountains
4. The sky becomes the sea
5. Blank paper is a snowy meadow
iii. Homophones (words that sound the same, different meanings):
sun/son
1. Homographs (words that are spelled the same but have
different meanings and origins):
a. Call: talk on the phone, talking to someone to get
their attention
b. Earth: the name of our planet, the ground
b. Grammar (complex syntax, punctuation):
a. The only punctuation is quotation marks and a question mark. Why
do you think he didn’t use periods or other ending punctuation?
Think about how you pause at punctuation. How does it change the
way you say the poems? Does it make them like music?
c. Text structure (narrative, expository): This is poem. It describes things.
What about the way the poem is written helps us understand? What kind of
words does the author use? Can you find the descriptive words?
d. Content or concept (cultural relevance): Do you think people around the
world might write about some of the same things? What is the same and
what might be different? Why do you think the author wrote the poems in
Spanish and English?
e. Strategy instruction (if needed, identify good places to insert strategy
instruction during shared reading [e.g., think-alouds, elicitation of
predictions, word solving]): The main strategy is visualizing. In addition to
having visual aids, such as pictures of a snowy meadow and tomato plants, I
will have students create their own images. As I read each poem, I will have
students close their eyes and try to make a picture in their heads. We will
draw some of these pictures to share with the group.

Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will need less support.
This framework should be adjusted to reflect more student responsibility as the teacher
facilitates learning and guides when necessary.
Extending the lessons(s)
Word work: ing
Activity: I will have students find examples of –ing in the poems. They will write these
words down on whiteboards. Then, we will erase the –ing from words. We will look at
what is left and see if it is still a word (ex: crying  cry, spring  spr). We will talk
about how some words have –ing as part of the word and always need it, like spring.
We will talk about how some verbs have –ing to change the tense, like raining. Then,
we will add –ing to other verbs that were not in the story

Justification: I think this will help students see how to use –ing in speaking and
writing. It will also show them that sometimes –ing is just part of the word, and how
they can figure out which it is (take away the –ing and see what is left). This will help
students gain meanings from the poems, as well as being able to read poems with –ing
words confidently.

Writing:
Activity: Each student will be given a piece of tomato (checking for allergies first), like
we read about. We will talk about how it looks, tastes, smells, and feels. We will fill in
a graphic organizer with descriptive words falling into each of these categories as we
talk. Then, students will each write a short, free verse poem about the tomato, using
their graphic organizers to help guide them. If students are having trouble, I will help
them or another student from their group will help them.

Justification: I think giving students the tomatoes will help them be able to think about
their senses and descriptive words. I think the graphic organizer and group discussion
will scaffold their writing. This will help EL students be able to write about different
topics by giving them a new support, and will help them learn to write in a new genre
by seeing the models we talking about and creating a similar one.

Possible minilessons:
Activity: I will read a poem how it is written. Then, I will read it as if there are periods
at the end of every thought or line. I will do this for several poems. I will ask the
students to compare the two readings. Possible questions are: What was different?
What was the same? What did I do that changed the poem? Which do you like better?
Why do we not always use punctuation when writing?

Justification: I think this will help students understand why the traditional punctuation
rules are not always followed with poetry. It is confusing to students when they are just
told that poems do not need periods. That does not explain why. I think this will help
my students understand the reasoning so they can read poems more fluently and write
them more confidently. I think this will help my EL students learn to write in a new
genre and to learn how poems are read fluently.

Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will need less support.
This framework should be adjusted to reflect more student responsibility as the teacher
facilitates learning and guides when necessary.
Note. As ELLs become more proficient (orally and literary), they will need less support.
This framework should be adjusted to reflect more student responsibility as the teacher
facilitates learning and guides when necessary.