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Selecting Strategies for Reading Development

Nicole Lowery-Boettcher

Department of Teaching and Learning, American College of Education

LIT 5333: Integrating Literacy Concepts

Dr. Bridgette L. Davis

November 12, 2020

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Selecting Strategies for Reading Development

Thematic units are fun and educational experiences for students. Teachers can teach a

theme or subject across different curriculum and students are able to learn through different

modes that fit their learning styles. The focus of the five thematic units of study is sound

vibrations for first grade. Five unites were selected, studied, and compared and contrasted.

Then five literacy strategies were selected to be in a redesigned sound vibrations unit. The

redesigned unit will engage students in learning as well as support multiple literacy skills.

Comparing and Contrasting Thematic Units

The five selected units that were selected are all based around the theme of sound and

its vibrations for first graders. When comparing the units, several common components

presented themselves. First, the five units shared common objectives revolving around sound

vibrations. Next, each unit had opportunities for students to have hands-on learning

experiences with sound vibrations. Also, most not only taught the students about sound

vibrations, but also incorporated ELA skills in the unit.

Many unique components appeared in the five thematic units. One unit used a KLEWS

chart. It is similar to a KWL chart, but science specific. A KLEWS chart starts for: know,

learn/learning, evidence/observations, wonder, and science. This unit starts with know and then

moves on to evidence. It moves to learn/learning and while students are learning they can ask

questions and put it in the wondering section. In the science section, it is where science specific

vocabulary words would go. Another had a read-along book as well as suggested stories to

read so that students can read as a class or small groups to integrate literacy while learning

about sound vibrations. After learning about sound vibrations, stunts would then put paint or

sparkles or sprinkles on a clear plastic wrap over a bowl to see how sound creates vibrations

with their eyes.

The five units used “Sound Vibrations” so address different skills. In the unit where they

read a book it targets comprehension. In that same unit they are having to write down what
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they are hearing and having to use their knowledge of phonemes and phonics to write the words

in a list format. Higher level thinking and critical thinking was also required in many of the units.

There were several “big questions” that were part of the five thematic units on sound

vibrations. Some questions that were considered are: What makes sounds? Why are there

different levels/pitches of sounds? Can sound make things vibrate? How do living things

communicate using sound?

Instructional sequence of activities is important to the cohesion of learning the unit’s

skills and ideas in a systematic way. All five units had a learning sequence that would build on

each other to help scaffold the learning so learning objectives could be reached. As students

move from lesson to lesson they are able to pull from their schema or background knowledge to

help understand the content. When things are not in a cohesive and systematic order, students

get confused and can start to lose interest.

Five Selected Literacy Strategies

Using the thematic “Sound Vibrations” units, five strategies have been included in a

redesigned unit to support multiple reading skills. These skills include reading fluency,

vocabulary development, comprehension, and review and enrichment. These will be integrated

to help enrich and develop literacy skills in first graders.

ELA Skill Activity

Compare and Contrast Sound vs Light Venn Diagram

Fluency Poem about sound waves

Vocabulary Sound vocabulary from text and videos

Conventions of standard English Writing observations down and adjectives that

describe sound
Comprehension Sequencing a story with sound in it
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Newly Developed Thematic Unit

The following unit is created around the theme of sound vibrations. It was created after

gathering five units of sound from different sources. The units were looked at and the best parts

of each unit was chosen and slightly changed to create a new thematic unit for sound vibrations.

Grade Level: 1st Sound Vibrations Unit Time Requirements:

5-hour lesson

Desired Outcomes Direct Assessments

(Goals & Objectives) (Connection to Goals & Objectives)
1. Create a Venn diagram on the similarities and differences
The students will be between light and sound waves.
able to (TSWBAT): 2. Read a poem about sounds as a class with ASL.
1. Identify 3. Correctly match sound vocabulary at the end of the unit.
characteristics 4. Using the sound adjectives, create sentences using those
and properties adjectives about what they hear outside.
of sound 5. Sequence a story and identify an important event.
waves.
2. Identify
similarities and
differences
between light
waves and
sound waves.
3. Read
grade-level
text orally with
accuracy,
appropriate
rate, and
expression.
4. Describe
sound using
adjectives.
5. Describe how
vibrating
matter makes
sound and
sound makes
matter vibrate.
6. Retell stories
in sequential
order with key
details.
7. Identify the
most important
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even in the
story.

Key Questions Resources

(Directly related to (Ways to find responses to Key Questions)
Outcomes)
1. How are light 1. Sound vs Light Venn Diagram on giant post-it posters
and sound 2. Sequence the stories The Little Old Lady Who Was Not
waves similar Afraid of Anything
and different? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jaEAVxl5Rk
2. How is sound 3. Adjectives that describe sound:
made? https://englishgrammarhere.com/adjectives/sound-adjectives
3. How would you -list-in-english/
describe 4. Read books and watch videos on Epic, Mystery Science, and
sound? Generation Genius
4. What https://www.getepic.com/app/explore-topics/11
happened in https://mysteryscience.com/light/mystery-1/sounds-vibrations
the story at the /105?r=9793465
beginning, https://www.generationgenius.com/videolessons/introduction-
middle, and to-sound-video-for-kids/
end of a story?

Learning Activities

Large Group [LG] ~ Building
background [bb]
Large Group [LG] ~ Direct
Instruction [di]
Large Group [LG] ~
Pre-reading [pr]
Large Group [LG] ~
Discussion [dq]
Objective ~ Know
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY
.W.1.2
Write
informative
information
Small Group [SG] ~ Discovery Centers [CS] ~ Technology [t] Individual [I] ~ Choice
Learning [dl] Board [cb]
Small Group [SG] ~ Creative Centers [CS] ~ Listening [l] Individual [I] ~ Research
Problem Solving [cps] Project [rp]
Small Group [SG] ~ Creating Centers [CS] ~ Art & Music Individual [I] ~ Portfolio [p]
Connections [cc] [am]
Small Group [SG] ~ Workshop Centers [CS] ~ Writing [w] Individual [I] ~
[wp] Presentation [ppt]
Delivery
Approach ~ Focus Activity ~ Do Support
How
LG- Building First, create a KWELS chart and Chart paper of
background have the students list what they think KWELS chart,
and Direct they know about sound. The students access to
Instruction will watch one of the two videos on Generation
sound. Today, watch Generation Genius video
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about what they Genius. After watching the video and about sound,
learned about doing the activity with sprinkles and a bowl, clear
sound. speaker, the teacher will create a wrap, rubber
Venn Diagram and compare and band, large
contrast what they know about light speaker,
waves from previous lessons and sprinkles,
what they have learned about. They interactive
will write in their interactive notebook
notebooks: Today I learned that…..
CCSS.ELA-LITER LG- Building Today the class will watch the video Access to
ACY.W.1.2 background and do the activity from Mystery Mystery
Write informative and Direct Science. After completing the lesson Science video
information about Instruction and activity students will add to the Sounds and
what they learned Venn Diagram and to the KWELS Vibrations,
about sound. chart. Students will then write in their rulers, chart
interactive notebook what they know paper of
about sound. They will start with this KWELS chart
sentence starter: I know that
sound…
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY LG-Discussion Read Vibrations Make Sound in Epic. Access to Epic
.L.1.1.F https://www.getepic.com/app/read/90 to the story
Use adjectives to 23. After reading, create a list of Vibrations
describe sound. adjectives that describe sound on a Make Sound,
poster post-it. Have the students poster post-it,
write down some of their favorites in student
their interactive notebook. interactive
notebooks.
CCSS.ELA-LITER LG-Discussion Read poem about sound called What Student copies
ACY.RF.1.4 C-Listening do you Hear? by Wendy Oh. After of poem,
Read the poem and technology reading have kids point out the highlighters or
with sufficient adjectives that describe sound. yellow marker,
accuracy and Students will highlight the adjectives Chromebooks,
fluency to support on their own copy of the poem. The headphones,
comprehension. class will reread the poem and learn poem on board
more ASL for this poem. Students or large poster
will then practice reading and signing
with the support of a recording they
can watch on their Chromebooks.
CCSS.ELA-LITER LG-Direct Read The Little Old Lady Who Was The Little Old
ACY.L.1.2 Instruction Not Afraid of Anything. After reading, Lady Who Was
Demonstrate have students retell the story in Not Afraid of
command of the correct sequence. Have students Anything text,
conventions of write in their interactive notebook interactive
standard English while the teacher is writing the notebook.
capitalization, beginning, middle, and end under the
punctuation, and document camera. When finished,
spelling when go outside and have the students
writing. write down what they hear for 5
CCSS.ELA-LITER minutes. Come back inside and
ACY.RI.1.1 have students share what they heard
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Ask and answer and what would have made that

questions about noise.
key details in a
text. Go back over the KWELS chart and
CCSS.ELA-LITER discuss what the class has now
ACY.RI.1.2 learned about sound.
Identify the main
topic and retell key
details of a text.

Summary: Sound and light waves are similar, but different. Sound is produced by
(Key ideas to matter vibrating and sound can make matter vibrate. Adjectives are used
remember) to describe nouns. Stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Stories
have a main idea and key details.
Connections: Sound and light can be used to communicate close by, but also long
(Transition for distances. The next lesson will be how people and animals use sound and
next lesson) light to communicate from long distances.
Start moving into writing summaries for non-fiction texts and not just fiction
texts. A non-fiction text has a main idea and key details just like a fiction
text.

Conclusion

Units are a great way for teachers to teach a topic or subject by weaving the content

through multiple content areas. Teachers right now are teaching in the middle of a pandemic in

the year 2020 and have less and less time with students. Teachers need to plan better and

smarter so that lessons and units have multiple content areas within it so they can be teaching

multiple things at the same time. It is like the idea of working smarter, not harder. Creating

thematic units is way to work smarter, not harder.

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References

English Language Arts Standards. (2020, November 15). Reading: Information Text. Grade 1.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/1/

English Language Arts Standards. (2020, November 15). Reading: Literature. Grade 1.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/1/

English Language Arts Standards. (2020, November 15). Writing. Grade 1.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/1/

Generation Genius. (2020, November 12). Introduction to Sound. Generation Genius.

https://www.generationgenius.com/videolessons/introduction-to-sound-video-for-kids/

Jones, Karen. (2020, November 12). Little 1st grade science thinkers. Teachers Pay Teachers.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Little-1st-Grade-SCIENCE-Thinkers-UNI

T-1-Light-and-Sound-4063249?st=56512e9d818e233cccbab62553425389

Mystery Science. (2020, November 13). How do they make silly sound in cartoons? Mystery

Science. https://mysteryscience.com/light/mystery-1/sounds-vibrations/105?r=9793465

OneStopSTEMShop. (2020, November 12). 1st grade NGSS physical science complete stem

unit! Light and sound- (1-PS4). Teachers Pay Teachers.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/1st-Grade-NGSS-Physical-Science-COM

PLETE-STEM-Unit-Light-Sound-1-PS4-4469744

Oh, Wendy. (2020, November 14). What do you hear? Teachers Pay Teachers.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sound-Energy-Poem-2960553

Yablonski, Kathryn. (2020, November 12). Investigating sound. BetterLesson.

https://betterlesson.com/lesson/631407/investigating-sound?from=master_teacher_curri

culum
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Appendix