Interactive Read-Alouds
Grade 1
Second Nine Weeks
2 Days / 1 Day / 2 Days / 3 Days3 Days / 1 Day / 1 Day / 2 Days
1 Day / 2 Days
A Chair for My Mother /
Vera B. Williams
Lexile: 640
Readability: 2-3
Days: 2 (plus 1 day for rereading)
Grade: 1
Planning Note
Ø Try to have on hand an object that is charcoal in color.
Day 1
Beginning – Page with the three looking through window into burned house
Develop or Activate Background Knowledge
This book tells a wonderful story about a family when something very bad happens to them. Their house burns down. That doesn’t sound like a wonderful story, I know. What’s wonderful is what happens next and how the family works together. The book is called A Chair for My Mother. It was written by Vera B. Williams. She was also the illustrator.
Model a Comprehension Strategy and Ask Questions During Reading
As I read, I want you to listen to the details about their house before the fire. Later, I’ll ask you to draw what the house might have looked like before it burned, and I’ll ask you to write about your picture.
[End of first page]
What does she do with the other half?
[End of page with jar]
Why does her mother worry on some days?
[End of page with sleeping mother]
How many people put money into the jar?
Why do you think they put money in the jar? Talk to your partner.
[End of page with chair]
Now we know what the money is for. I can make an inference here. When I infer, I think about what I know so that I can figure out something new. I know that they want to buy a chair. And I know they must fill a large jar with money. So I can infer that the chair they want must cost a lot of money.
[End of page with tulips]
Let’s take a vote. When I say vote, raise one hand if you like the red tulips better and both hands if you like the yellow ones better. [Show picture] Vote!
[On page with fire engines, after reading “Don’t worry.”]
I’m a little confused right now. I need to make sure I understand. We always need to make sense of what we are reading. I’m trying to decide how many people were in the house. I’m not sure if there were two people or one. I will read part of the page again. [Reread, starting with “Mama yelled”] [Explain that the same woman can be called mother by one person and grandmother by another.]
[End of page with the three looking through window into burned house]
I can make a connection here. [Please personalize this story.] Once, when my mother was sick, my grandmother came to take care of her. That’s how families stick together in bad times and help each other out.
Discussion
That’s where we will stop for today. Who remembers what the jar is for? Who can tell me some details about how their house looked before it burned?
Teach Tier 2 Words
One word from our story bargain. What word? A bargain is when you buy something for a special low price. People like to find bargains when they shop. In our book, it says, “Whenever Grandma gets a good bargain on tomatoes or bananas or something she buys, she puts by the savings and they go into the jar.” To put by means to save. A bargain is when you buy something for a special low price. What word?
Another word from our story is charcoal. What word? Charcoal can mean two different things. It can mean a kind of wood that burns and that we use to cook with outside. But it is also the name of a color – a very dark gray color. In our book, it says, “What was left of the house was turned to charcoal and ashes.” Here is the picture, and this color is charcoal. Charcoal is the color very dark gray. What word?
Sentence Composing
Combine
Some days she has lots of tips. Some days she has only a little.
[Prompt the use of contrast words, such as but and although.]
Expand
Then Mother looks worried.
Written Response
Draw a picture of their house before the fire. Write about your picture.
A Chair for My Mother
Day 2
Page starting “The first day” – End
Planning Note
Ø Bring some rolls of coins in wrappers to show, especially a roll of quarters.
Review and Share Written Responses
[Ask partners to share their pictures. Discuss the story to this point. Remind them of where you had left off.]
Model a Comprehension Strategy and Ask Questions During Reading
As I read the rest of our book today, I want you to notice how Uncle Sandy helps. You can write about him later.
[End of page with street scene]
Why are people giving them so many things? What do they still need?
[End of page with full jar]
What do you think they will do now that the jar is full? Tell your partner.
[End of page inside bank]
[Show the coin rolls you brought. Ideally, you will be able to show a roll of quarters and a ten-dollar bill. Consider dramatically emptying the roll into a small jar.]
Why do the people at the bank want the coins in paper wrappers?
[End of page with blue vase]
I can make a connection here. I remember that Goldilocks sat in three different chairs before she found the one she liked. No wonder the girl thinks of that story!
[End of page in chair store]
Why did they want the chair right away?
[End of page with chair at home]
Why does her mother turn out the light?
Discussion
Let's map our story. Who is the main character?
Teach Tier 2 Words
One word from our story exchanged. What word? Exchange means to trade one thing for another. When I buy something that’s the wrong size, I have to take it back to the store and exchange it. In our book, it says, “The bank exchanged the coins for ten-dollar bills.” That means they took the coins and gave them paper money. Exchange means to trade one thing for another. What word?
Another word from our story is delivered. What word? If something is delivered, it is taken from one place to another for somebody. A mail carrier delivers letters. In our book, it says, “We couldn’t wait for it to be delivered.” If something is delivered, it is taken from one place to another for somebody. What word?
Sentence Composing
Combine
We tried out high chairs. We tried out low chairs. We tried out soft chairs.
[Prompt creating a series and using the word and before the last item.]
Unscramble
the chair / we / found / finally / dreaming of / we were
Written Response
Draw a picture of Uncle Sandy helping her put a coin in the jar. Write about your picture.
City Dog, Country Frog /
Mo Willems
Lexile: 420 (with adult direction)
Grade Level Band: NA
Days: 1 (plus 1 day for rereading)
Grade: 1
Develop or Activate Background Knowledge
Our book today is called City Dog, Country Frog. It was written by Mo Willems, and it was illustrated by John J. Muth. I like this book because it makes me happy and sad at the same time. Those words tell about feelings, and they are opposites. It is the story of a dog from the city who moves to the country. Soon he meets a new friend, Country Frog. Let’s see what happens.
Model a Comprehension Strategy and Ask Questions During Reading
At the end of the book, City Dog meets a new friend. I’ll ask you to make a prediction about what happens. It will help to pay attention to City Dog and his friend right now, Country Frog.
[End of first page]
Why did he run so much?
[End of page ending with “But you’ll do”]
What does Country Frog mean when he says, “But you’ll do”?
[End of page with nose in water]
Why do you think that the dog’s nose is in the water?
[End of page ending with “City Dog games”]
I can infer something here. When we infer we put together the things we know to find out something new. I know that City Dog wants to teach Country Frog some games, and I know that he has a stick in his mouth. I can infer that they will use the stick in one of the games.
[End of page with fetching]
I inferred correctly, didn’t I?
[End of page with remember-ing games”]
What do you think remember-ing games are? Talk to your partner.
[Page with “That was fall.”]
What season comes next?
[Page with “That was winter.”]
What season comes next?
[Page with “froggy smile”]
Do you remember what Country Frog said when City Dog first met him?
[Last page]
Why did City Dog smile a froggy smile?
What happened to Country Frog? [They may suspect he died, but frogs hibernate.]
Is this a sad story or a happy story? Why?
Discussion
Let's map our story. Where does the story take place? Who are the two characters? Everything is fine for a while, but then City Dog has a problem. What is the problem? What does he do about it? How does the story end?
Teach Tier 2 Words
A word from our book is involved. We use the word involve to tell something that’s an important part. Baseball involves running. School involves reading. Cooking involves food. In our book, it says, “City Dog’s games involved sniffing and fetching and barking.” Those things were part of his games. We use the word involve to tell something that’s an important part. What word?
Another word from our book is admire. What word? Admire means to think that something or someone is very good. I admire the pictures you draw, and I admire you for trying hard here at school. In our book it says, “City Dog didn't stop to admire the green, green grass.” That’s because he was in a hurry to see his friend. Admire means to think that something or someone is very good. What word?
Sentence Composing
Imitate
City Dog didn't stop to sniff the falling leaves.
City Dog didn't stop to sniff the ______leaves.
______didn't stop to ______the falling ______.
Expand
Country Frog took a deep breath.
Written Response
Draw a picture of what City Dog and Chipmunk will do. Write about your picture.
Metal Man /
Aaron Reynolds
Lexile: AD470
Readability: NA
Days: 2 (plus 1 day for rereading)
Grade: 1
Day 1
Beginning – Page ending “out of the pieces”
Develop or Activate Background Knowledge
This book tells a wonderful story about a boy who lives in the city and loves watching a neighborhood man who is an artist. His art is made out of metal. You may have seen a welder before. They use a very hot torch to melt the edges of metal. Before it cools off and gets hard again they make sure the pieces of metal are touching. When they cool off they are stuck together. The book is called Metal Man because that is what the boy, whose name is Devin, likes to call him. It was illustrated by Paul Hoppe. In this book, Devon is the one telling the story. So we will hear the story from Devon’s point of view.
Model a Comprehension Strategy and Ask Questions During Reading
As I read, be thinking of something the metal man might make for you. You’ll have a chance to write about it later.
[End of first page]
I think I can already make an inference here. When I infer, I put facts together to find out something new. When Devon says, “You know where” to his sister, I can infer that he has been to see the metal man many times before.
[End of garage door page]
Do the words of the story sound a little funny to you? Why? [Prompt them to conclude that it's because a boy is telling the story.]
[After “but he don’t stop”]
Why doesn't the metal man tell Devon what he's making?
[End of page with Devon pointing]
Look at the picture of what metal man is making. Does it look like art, or is Devon's mother right and it’s only junk? Talk to your partner.
[End of page with “Not like school”]
Does metal man want everyone to see the same thing when they look at his art?
[End of page where he removes mask]
Why does metal man decide to let Devin use the torch today?
[End of page with “star-house”]
Why doesn't Devon want to tell him what he would like to make?
[End of page with saw]
Goggles are the special glasses they are wearing. Why do you think they are wearing them?
[End of page with close-up of the saw]
What does metal man mean when he tells Devon, “Draw it out in your head”?
[Before reading page with pieces]
Before I read this page, can you tell from the pictures what these pieces are supposed to be? Talk to your partner.
Have you ever seen a shape in a cloud? Can two people look at the same cloud and see two different things? Is it okay to look at art, maybe a painting, and see it in a different way than someone else sees it? I can make a connection here. I remember when I was little I would draw a picture and show it to my mother. She sometimes saw something different than I thought I had drawn. Maybe we were both right!