Read Aloud Module for Second Grade
Dex, The Heart of a Hero
This close reading text module embeds best practices in reading and writing into a series of lessons around one piece of complex text. The module is meant to be taught as a read aloud. The lessons focus on text-dependent questions and evidence-based writing and discussion prompts. It involves rereading the text for different purposes, with the goal of having students reach a solid understanding of the text by the end of the module.
This module is structured as a series of phases, which are explained in more detail on page 2. The phases start by leading students to an understanding of what the author is saying at a summary level before proceeding to a deeper analysis of the text. It is critical that the phases are taught in order, to help students arrive at this higher-level understanding by the end of the module.
Reading tasks
Students start by listening to a story being read aloud by the teacher. The teacher then reads the text aloud again, chunking it as appropriate, and pausing throughout the reading to ask text-dependent questions. The teacher leads students through several re-readings of the text, each for a different purpose, leading towards students’ developing a solid understanding of the text, as demonstrated through their evidence-based written and oral responses.
Writing tasks
Writing tasks are embedded in the culminating tasks for each phase.
Discussion tasks
The goal of discussions are to allow students an opportunity to synthesize their thoughts before composing an evidence-based writing piece. Classroom discussions during teaching of the close reading text module should be grounded in textual evidence. Discussion norms should encourage students to actively listen to, build on, and/or question each other’s responses. These tasks will prepare them for the culminating writing task at the end of each phase. As aligned with the TEKS, students should engage in these class discussions by listening to and interpreting a speaker’s purpose, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence that supports a speaker’s claim
Vocabulary tasks
Target vocabulary words are highlighted in the text excerpt on the following pages. These words can be introduced during the first readings in Phase 1, and should be discussed, practiced, and reinforced in subsequent readings throughout the module. Additional vocabulary words can be included in teaching, depending on student need.
Multiple Response Strategies
Multiple response strategies should be used throughout this read aloud text.
Overview of Phases
Teaching of this close reading text module can be broken into three phases:
Phase One (1 day)Purpose
● Students listen to a read aloud to enjoy the book, both writing and pictures, and to experience it as a whole. This will give them some context and sense of completion before they dive into examining the parts of the book more carefully.
● Students become familiar with the text and are introduced to academic vocabulary.
● Students build a foundational understanding of the text.
Procedure
Before the Lesson
1. Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis below. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description to help you prepare to teach the book and be clear about what you want your students to take away from the work.
Key Understandings/Focusing Question
➔ Describe how the character’s changes throughout the story. Dexters commitment, determination, spirit, and heart helps him fulfill his dream.
➔ What is this story trying to teach us? No matter how little you are, you can still do very big things.
Synopsis
➔ Dexter the dog is so little that Cleevis the tomcat bullies him. But little Dex has big dreams. He wants to be a superhero. He reads all the comic books he can, builds his muscles, and even orders a hero suit. Suddenly, even Cleevis needs his help! Dexter has determination, spirit, and heart as he proves, above all, that no matter how little you are, you can still do very big things.
2. Read the entire book, adding your own insights to the understandings identified. Also note the stopping points for the text-inspired questions and activities. Hint: you may want to copy the questions, vocabulary words, and activities over onto sticky notes so they can be stuck to the right pages for each day’s questions and vocabulary work.
During the Lesson
3. Read aloud the entire book with minimal interruptions. Stop to provide word meanings or clarify only when you know the majority of your students will be confused.
4. Re-read aloud the entire book to address new vocabulary words noted at the bottom of this module.
Possible LO and DOL
● Possible LO: (2.5B)Students will listen to a read aloud and use literacy skills (listening and speaking) to determine the relevant meaning of unfamiliar words.
● Possible DOL: Given read aloud text, students will write in their own words the meaning of 5 new words from the story.
Phase Two (2 days)
Purpose
● Students continue to analyze the piece through rereading and engage in evidence-based discussion.
● Students promote discussion that leads to understanding.
Procedure
Before the Lesson
1. The majority of questions, activities, and tasks should be based on the writing, pictures and features unique to this text (be text specific). Questions that address text-to-self or text-to-world connections - what we like to call text inspired questions or activities - should be held until after the children have really gotten to know the book.
During the Lesson
2. Teacher reads the text to students while asking questions that build understanding towards a specific TEKS SE. These questions move towards a deeper understanding of the text. Students respond using various multiple response strategies that include discussion and writing.
3. Students complete a culminating, text-dependent writing task.
Possible LO and DOL
● Possible LO (Figure 19 (E)): Students will retell important events of the story in logical order.
● Possible DOL: Using a graphic organizer, students will retell the main events of the story in logical order.
Phase Three (2 days)
Purpose
● Students continue to analyze the piece through rereading and engage in evidence-based discussion.
● Students describe characters in a read aloud.
Procedure
1. Teacher reads the text to students while asking questions that build a deeper understanding of the text.
2. Students complete a culminating, text-dependent writing task.
Possible LO and DOL
● Possible LO (2.9B): Students will describe traits in main characters in works of fiction.
● Possible DOL: Given a fictional story, students will use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Dex’s character in the story.
Legend: Multiple Response Strategies
* Table Talk # Think, Pair, Share ^ Response Card/White Board o Oral/Choral Response
Note: The Multiple Response Strategies are only suggestions that teachers might use. They should be adjusted based on the needs of students.
Teacher Guide to Text-Dependent Questions
Phase 1:Read Aloud/ Vocabulary / Phase 2:
Re-Read Aloud/ Questions/Activities/Tasks / Phase 3:
Partner Read/ Questions/Activities/
Tasks
Dex: The Heart of a Hero
by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner / 2.5 Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:
(B) use context to determine the relevant meaning of unfamiliar words or multiple-meaning words. / Figure 19.110.13 Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills in both assigned and independent reading to understand an author’s message. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers. Students are expected to:
(E) retell important events in stories in logical order. / 2.9 Reading/
Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(B) describe main characters in works of fiction, including their traits, motivations, and feelings.
Pull the students together or use a document camera so that all can enjoy the illustrations. Read aloud the entire book with minimal interruption.
The goal here is for students to enjoy the book—the words, the rhythm, and the pictures, and to experience it as a whole. Don’t be concerned if students understand very little on this first reading. The idea is to give them some context and a sense of the characters and story before they dive into examining parts of the book more carefully.
P. 152
Dexter was a little dog. His legs were little, his tail was little, his body was little. He looked like a plump sausage sitting on four little meatballs.
Being the size that he was, Dex was often overlooked. The other dogs grew tired of waiting for Dex to catch up when they played chase, and after a while they forgot to invite him at all. No one really seemed to notice him, except when Cleevis, the tomcat, demonstrated how he could stand right over Dex and not even ruffle his fur. / P. 152
Overlooked means that the other animals are not noticing or paying attention to Dex. / Reread p. 152
What evidence is provided to tell the reader about Dex’s relationship with the other animals?
How does Dex’s size cause him problems?
P. 154
Yes, everything about Dex was little-except for his dreams. He wanted to be a HERO. He could just see it. / P. 154
Turn to your partner and discuss what Dex means when he says that he wants to be a HERO.
P. 155
But wanting and being are two different things. Dex lived on dreams until one day, after crawling out from under Cleevis yet again, he decided there had to be more to life than gazing at the underside of a cat. There had to be more to him. If he could be a hero, he would!
So Dex started training. He read every superhero comic book he could find. He watched every hero movie ever made. He went to the library.
FURIOUSLY HE STUDIED, KNOWING EVERYTHING DEPENDED ON HIM… / P. 155
Reread the second sentence with me. What does it mean for Dex to have been gazing at the underside of a cat?
Studied means that Dex carefully thought out or prepared to become a hero.
Talk to the people at your table about what the author meant when she stated that everything DEPENDED on him (Dex).
P. 156
Dex figured that a hero must have strong muscles. He needed exercise, and lots of it.
Dex started trotting to the corner and back every morning. He hopped over every crack in the sidewalk.
He struggled to climb the garbage pile: up and over and down, then up and over and down again. All day long he worked, day after day. Even at bedtime, when he wanted to flop on the rug with his tongue hanging out, Dex forced himself to circle five extra times.
THE MIGHTY DEX PRESSED ON, THROUGH WIND AND RAIN AND STORM AND FATIGUE… / Reread P. 156
What does it mean to EXERCISE?
Fatigued is another way of saying very tired. / Reread P. 156
Why did Dex believe that he needed to exercise?
What did Dex do for exercise?
P. 157
When it got easier to run to the corner and back, Dex did it again, and then again. The he dragged a sock filled with sand as he ran, and then two socks. When Cleevis was bored and stood in the middle of the sidewalk to block his way, Dex dropped to the ground and slid right under him. He was too busy to be bothered by Cleevis. / (Note: Ask the following question after you have finished reading pg. 157)
What did Dex do after he decided that he had to be a hero? Turn to your partner and explain what he did to become one. / Reread p. 157
At this point, how is Dex’s interaction with Cleevis different from the beginning of the story?
P. 158
Dex was tired; he was sore. He was working so hard that he almost forgot what he was working for. But one night, as he dragged himself to bed after his last set of push-ups, Dex stopped in front of the mirror and flexed. He could feel them! He could see them! Muscles!
FASTER THAN A ROLLING BALL, STRONGER THAN THE TOUGHEST RAWHIDE, ABLE TO LEAP TALL FENCES IN A SINGLE BOUND!
Now, Dex didn’t “take” the stairs - he skimmed them! He leaped over hydrants; he vaulted up curbs. He could jump over the garbage mountain without touching the top! He could run like the wind; he felt as if his legs had springs! / Reread P. 158
To be sore is to have muscles that are painfully sensitive or tender. / Reread P. 158
What did Dex do that demonstrates that he was sore? / Reread p. 158
What evidence does the author provide to show Dex is committed to becoming a hero?
P. 159
Only one thing was missing. Finally, a small brown package arrived. Dex ripped it open.