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Selecting Strategies for Reading Development

Sierra Rosario

American College of Education

LIT 5333 – Integrating Literacy Concepts

Dr. Davis

November 15, 2020

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Selecting Strategies for Reading Development

Thematic units strengthen teaching and create meaningful, cross-discipline learning

experiences for students. Teachers use thematic units to increase students’ interest, keep them

engaged, and draw on connections between the real world and life experiences. The focus for

the following first grade thematic unit of study is “Patterns in the Sky.” Thematic units were

selected from the Internet and evaluated. Unique components of each unit were compared to

identify common strategies, skills, essential questions, and sequences. Five strategies targeting

multiple literacy skills were selected and redesigned into a newly developed thematic unit. The

redesigned “Space” thematic unit supports multiple literacy skills while engaging students in

hands-on activities to enhance reading development.

Comparing and Contrasting Thematic Units

When reviewing each thematic unit, several common components were present. First,

each unit shared similar objectives, which consisted of developing the understanding that the

sun, moon, and stars move across the sky in a pattern. Secondly, each unit integrated outdoor

observations to view the sun and day moon. Each unit also had students observe their shadows

throughout the day to help recognize the position and patterns of the sun, moon, and stars in the

sky.

Many unique components appeared within the thematic units. While one unit utilized

multiple mentor texts, it also called for students to reread the text What the Sun Sees, What the

Moon Sees by Nancy Tafuri in order to study the author’s craft of writing a narrative poem. This

unique addition supports fluency, allowing them to give more attention to making sense of what

they have read. It also allows students to use their understanding of descriptive language,

author’s craft, and patterns in the sky to create their own narrative poem.
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Two out of the five thematic units integrated key vocabulary words for students to learn

and use when speaking and writing. Some key vocabulary words included, “across, appear,

motion, position, visible”, etc. This unique integration is often neglected, but is an essential

reading strategy that supports students understanding of what they hear, read, and write.

Vocabulary plays an important role in learning to read and should be integrated throughout all

curriculums. Another unit included observations of the moon everyday at the same time and in

the same location over a month. Students would write daily recordings of their observations,

collect data, and analyze the position and movement of the moon in the sky. This unique

component supports cross-curricular learning, which extends students’ learning.

Each thematic unit used the theme of “Patterns in the Sky” to address multiple skills. All

units included writing activities to extend readings, discussions, and videos. Students identified

cause and effect relationships, analyze data, carry out investigations, create models, and

construct explanations using key vocabulary words. Reading comprehension was also supported

by obtaining information from numerous readings and videos.

While many skills were addressed, some common “big questions” were part of the five

thematic units. The questions included: What makes a pattern? What patterns can we observe in

the sky? How does the sun and moon move across the sky? How does the Earth move around

the sun? These “big questions” are answered through a sequence of activities. Sequencing

activities is essential to students’ learning because it creates cohesion and purpose that is

meaningful. After reviewing the thematic units, it was evident that the cross-content activities

allowed students’ to activate prior knowledge, introduce vocabulary, ask and answer questions,

predict, obverse, investigate, analyze, and apply concepts to develop fluency, vocabulary, and

other essential reading skills.

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Five Selected Literacy Strategies

Based on the thematic units, five strategies were selected to support multiple reading

skills. These skills include compare and contrast, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and

writing. These strategies are combined into a newly developed thematic unit to support the

emergent reading skills of first grade students.

ELA Skill Activity

Compare and Contrast Position of shadows in the morning vs.

afternoon
Vocabulary Vocabulary from texts
Fluency Reader’s Theatre
Comprehension Phases of the Moon sequencing cards
Writing Personal narrative – “Things I do in the day”

Newly Developed Thematic Unit

When planning a thematic unit, educators need to take into account students’ strengths

and weaknesses in numerous areas. By differentiating lessons, educators are able to meet all

students’ needs. Furthermore, students are able to perform at that their best ability while

developing an understanding of the content being presented. This thematic unit ties into the

theme of “Space” because students are using a variety reading strategies to develop a deep

understanding of the sun, moon, and stars.

Grade Level: First Space Unit Time Requirements:

Grade 5 hours

Desired Outcomes Direct Assessments

(Goals & Objectives) (Connection to Goals & Objectives)

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The students will be able to 1. Trace shadows outside at different times throughout

(SWBAT): the school day.

2. Match and identify space vocabulary.

1. Observe the appearance of
3. Use sequence words to write a personal narrative
the sun, moon, and stars.
about what students do in a day.
2. Identify the appearance of
4. Choose from a selection of texts or pre-written
the sun, moon, and stars.
scripts that connect to the theme of “Space”.
3. Describe the appearance
5. Sequence the phases of the moon in the correct
of the sun, moon, and stars
order.
using key vocabulary

words.

4. Identify key vocabulary

words.

5. Read grade-level-text

orally with accuracy and

expression.

6. Observe how shadows

change as time passes.

7. Construct an explanation

about why shadows move.

8. Recall facts about the sun,

moon, and stars.

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Key Questions Resources

(Directly related to Outcomes) (Ways to find responses to Key Questions)

1. What makes a shadow? 1. What Makes a Shadow? By Clyde Robert Bulla

2. What causes a shadow to 2. The Reasons for the Seasons by Gail Gibbons

move? 3. Moon! Earth’s Best Friend by Stacy McAnulty

3. Can the sun change the 4. The phases of the moon sequencing cards and

shape of a shadow over worksheet

time? (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product

4. Does the sun stay in the /The-Phases-Of-The-Moon-3683180?

same place all day? st=7f585e53a3ad3589cf09e929799a7a23)

5. Do shadows change over 5. YouTube video – Following the Sun: Crash

time? Course Kids #8.2 by Crash Course Kids

6. How does the sun move (https://youtu.be/1SN1BOpLZAs)

across the sky? 6. Reader’s Theatre

7. When are shadows short (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product

and long? /Science-1st-Grade-Readers-Theater-Pack-

8. What are the phases of the with-Picture-Clues-4566976?

moon? st=5323456cf0493b00faa34eda243f690f)

Learning Activities
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Objective ~ Delivery
Focus Activity ~ Do Support
Know Approach ~ How

CCSS.ELA- LG – Activate background knowledge by asking Following the Sun:

LITERACY.RI.1 Discussion/Buildin students what they already know about Crash Course

.9 g background shadows. Introduce shadows by taking Kids #8.2 by

Identify the students on a “shadow walk” outside of the Crash Course

Small Group –
definition of a school. Students will observe the shadow’s Kids
Discovery Learning
shadow. different shapes and sizes. The teacher will (https://youtu.be/1

Identify show Following the Sun: Crash Course SN1BOpLZAs)

differences and Kids #8.2 by Crash Course Kids. After,

similarities students will work is pairs to trace each

between the other’s shadows in the morning and

positions of afternoon. Finally, students will observe,

shadows in the record, and compare between the positions

morning vs. of shadows in the morning vs. afternoon in

afternoon. relation to the position of the sun.

CCSS.ELA- LG – Direct The teacher will display key vocabulary Chart paper with

LITERACY.L.1. Instruction/Discussi words with matching pictures on chart paper vocabulary picture

4.A Identify key on and read them to the class. While the and words and The

vocabulary teacher reads The Reasons for the Seasons Reasons for the

words. by Gail Gibbons, students will put a thumb Seasons by Gail

up when they heard key words. The teacher Gibbons.

will stop at each word to define and write

the definition on the chart paper. Students

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will be challenged to recall information

from the text while using the vocabulary

words.

CCSS.ELA- Small Group - The teacher will read What Makes a Pre-written Scripts

LITERACY.RF. Partners Shadow? By Clyde Robert Bulla. After, the –

1.4.B teacher will place students in pairs. Each (https://www.teach

Read grade- group will choose from a selection of texts erspayteachers.co

level text orally or pre-written scripts to read from. Students m/Product/Scienc

with accuracy, will take turn presenting to the class. e-1st-Grade-

appropriate Readers-Theater-

rate, and Pack-with-Picture-

expression on Clues-4566976?

successive st=5323456cf0493

readings. b00faa34eda243f6

90f)

CCSS.ELA- Large Group – Read the book Moon! Earth’s Best Friend Moon! Earth’s Best

LITERACY.RL. Direct by Stacy McAnulty with the entire class and Friend by Stacy

1.2 Instruction/Discussi lead a discussion on the correct order of the McAnulty and the

Retell stories, on phases of the moon. The teacher will put phases of the moon

including key students in pairs. Students will use the sequencing cards
Small Group -
details, and sequencing cards to put the phases of the and worksheet
Partners
demonstrate moon in order. After, students will label the

understanding phases on their worksheet and color!

of their central
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message or

lesson.

CCSS.ELA- LG –Discussion The teacher will discuss different things Sun, Moon and

LITERACY.W.1 people do during the day. As students Stars writing page

I – Writing
.3 brainstorm, the teacher will record answers. –

Write narratives Students will then use sequence words like https://www.teach

in which they first, next, then, and last to write a personal erspayteachers.co

recount two or narrative about the things they do in a day. m/Product/Sun-

more Moon-Stars-Next-

appropriately Generation-

sequenced Science-Aligned-

events, include Unit-2926947?

some details utm_source=FGR

regarding what %20Blog

happened, use %20Post&utm_ca

temporal words mpaign=Sun

to signal event %20Moon

order, and %20Stars%20-

provide some %20Sun%20Moon

sense of %20Stars

closure.

Summary: The sun stays in the same position. The sun’s position across the sky can
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(Key ideas to change the shape of shadows depending on the time of day. There are eight

remember) phases on the moon. The Earth rotates around the sun. The moon moves

around the sun and Earth.

Connections: The relationship between the sun and amount of light the Earth receives is

responsible for the season (connection to Weather Unit).

(Transition for

next lesson)

Conclusion

Thematic units strengthen teaching and allow teachers to connect multiple connect areas

in one while engaging students throughout each lesson. The focus of this first grade thematic

unit of study is “Space”. The five strategies that targeted multiple literacy skills include compare

and contrast, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing. These strategies were combined

into a newly developed thematic unit to support the emergent reading skills of first grade

students. By the end of this unit, students will develop a deep understanding of the relationship

between sun, moon, and stars.

References

Clyde Robert Bulla, & Otani, J. (2008). What makes a shadow? Mcgraw Hill/Sra.

Following the Sun: Crash Course Kids #8.2. (2015). YouTube. https://youtu.be/1SN1BOpLZAs

Gibbons, G. (2019). The Reasons For Seasons (New & Updated Edition). Holiday House Inc.

Mcanulty, S., & Lewis, S. (2019). Moon! : Earth’s best friend. Henry Holt And Company.

Science 1st Grade Reader’s Theater Pack with Picture Clues. (n.d.). Teachers Pay Teachers.
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Retrieved November 15, 2020, from

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-1st-Grade-Readers-Theater-Pack-

with-Picture-Clues-4566976?st=5323456cf0493b00faa34eda243f690f

The Phases Of The Moon. (n.d.). Teachers Pay Teachers. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Phases-Of-The-Moon-3683180?

st=7f585e53a3ad3589cf09e929799a7a23)