#1582. Teaching comprehension through poetry

Reading/Writing, level: Elementary
Posted Sat Feb 19 21:26:17 PST 2000 by Erica ().
Materials Required: chart paper to copy poem, and one copy of the poem for each studentt
Activity Time: 30-40 minutes
Concepts Taught: Teaching story elements( setting, characters, problem, and solution)

Four Blocks Guided Reading Lesson Using Poetry
Activate prior knowledge about things that happen in the winter. Ask the students what kinds of problems can they have in the winter?

Have the children make a prediction about what the poem may be about.

Introduce vocabulary words (these are the words that the students need to know the meaning of in order to comprehend the poem) worry- protect-cozy- couduroys. Discuss the meaning of each word.

Mini- Lesson-Self- Monitoring- tell the class that this is a strategy that good readers use to make sure they understand what they are reading. Read the first verse of the poem out loud and model how good readers construct menaing by retelling what they have just read. Call on voluteers to self-monitor from the first verse of the poem.

Set a purpose for reading- The purpose for reading today is to self-monitor with a partner while reading the poem. After the stidents finish reading they need to decide with a partner why the author wrote this poem. Then discuss if the author really had a problem.

Children read the poem with a partner.

After reading have a whole class discussion on why the author wrote this poem. Ask each group to identify the problem the author had.

Winter Worries
By: Jane W. Krows

Oh, lucky, lucky, lucky me!
I'm lucky as a child can be.
When winter winds my ears would harm,
My fuzzy earmuffs keep them warm.

When ice and snow take little nips,
Warm mittens cover finger tips.
My cozy coat keeps out the breeze,
My corduroys protect my knees.

But, up to know, no clothes are sold,
To keep my nose from getting cold!