TABLE OF CONTENTS - FCRR

WORKBOOK

In partnership with

Page 2 of 95

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page #

Module 1: Explicit Vocabulary Instruction Guiding Pages

………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

Module 1: Explicit Vocabulary Instruction Selected Lesson Plans

………………………………………………………………………………………… 16

Module 2: Explicit Support for Expressive Language Guiding Pages

………………………………………………………………………………………… 30

Module 2: Explicit Support for Expressive Language Selected Lesson Plans

………………………………………………………………………………………… 43

Module 3: Dialogic Reading Guiding Pages

………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………… 45

Module 3: Dialogic Reading Selected Lesson Plans

………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 54

Module 4: Incidental Support for Expressive Language Guiding Pages

………………………..……………………………………………………………………………… 66

Modules 1-4: Lesson Plan Templates

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 78

Page 3 of 95

Module 1:

Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

Guiding Pages

Theme – Wetlands

More lessons and other project materials can be found on the

project website. The web address is:

http://bit.ly/languageandvocabulary.

Page 4 of 95

MODULE 1 – EXPLICIT VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION

WEEK #1

In week #1, the focus is on learning about the three Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies: (1)

Category Lesson, (2) Network Lesson, and (3) Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction. Begin by watching

the three videos – one for each instructional strategy. Then, plan how to implement these instructional

strategies in your classroom. Use steps A-F to guide you through the first week of Module 1.

❑ 1A. LEARN. Read the overview of the three Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies below or on

the project website. Then, answer the reflection questions in the workbook or online.

Explicit vocabulary instructional strategies are beneficial because they help children learn a set of new

words that are useful in meaningful contexts. Recent research indicates that vocabulary instruction is

most effective when children learn more than just to recognize a word or its picture. Vocabulary

knowledge is deeper, longer lasting, and has more impact on later learning when children can tell you

what the word means, even in their own, child-like way. This does not mean that our goal is for children

to memorize definitions. Instead, we use the definitions to build their conceptual understanding of what

words stand for and how they connect to other words on the same subject or that mean similar things.

In Module 1, we will be learning three explicit vocabulary instructional strategies. They are book

embedded vocabulary instruction, network activities and category activities. Key features common

among all three of these explicit vocabulary teaching strategies include: repeated exposure to words,

child friendly definitions provided by the teacher, and labeling the target word for the child first instead

of having the children guess the word.

Category Lesson

The goal of the category lesson is to increase children’s vocabulary depth and breadth by grouping

words into various categories based on their meanings. This activity allows children to actively engage in

developmentally appropriate sorting of familiar and new words within a particular theme.

The lesson begins by defining the two main categories into which words will be sorted. Next children will

be taught a gesture or hand motion for both words. The teacher will have children generate examples

for the first category, followed by the second. During this portion of the lesson, the teacher will

elaborate on the examples by sharing information.

After the children have identified examples for each category, the group will play the “What’s Your Sign”

game. The teacher will name an example of something that is either one category or the other and the

children will show the gesture for the appropriate category. Throughout the lesson, teachers should

prompt children to explain why they chose a particular category into which to sort their examples.

❑ 1B. WATCH. Watch video Module 1 Category Lesson. In this video, Ms. Tamiah implements the

Category Lesson using the Wetlands theme. Listen as she discusses and teaches the children how to

categorize things into salt versus freshwater. Use this link: http://fcrr.fsu.acsitefactory.com/early-

childhood/florida/explicit_vocabulary_instruction.

http://fcrr.fsu.acsitefactory.com/early-childhood/florida/explicit_vocabulary_instruction


Page 5 of 95

Network Lesson

A Network Lesson helps children form and explore connections between words by discussing and

describing how words are connected. By making these connections, children will understand the

concepts and words being taught. In the Network Lessons, words may be connected by being synonyms,

antonyms, or by sharing a common context. Network Lessons are implemented using the following steps

below.

The lesson begins by introducing the center target word and providing a child friendly definition.

Throughout the lesson the teacher can choose to represent the words in written form, with a sketch, a

stock photo, the images provided, or any combination thereof. Once the center word has been

presented, the teacher will provide 2-3 examples of words in the network chart, explicitly stating how

each word is connected to the center target word.

Once all examples have been demonstrated, allow children to generate their own ideas for other words

connected to the target word. Each word provided should be connected to the center word to highlight

the relationships. At the end of the lesson, the teacher will review the created network chart and

connect all the ideas and words back to the center word and the overarching theme.

❑ 1C. WATCH. Watch video Module 1 Network Lesson. In this video, Ms. April implements the Network

Lesson using the Wetlands theme. Listen as she and the children create a network chart using Saturate

as the target. Use this link: http://fcrr.fsu.acsitefactory.com/early-


Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction (BEVI)

The goal of Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction is to incorporate explicit vocabulary instruction

within a whole group shared reading experience. The shared reading strategy includes four parts: pre-

planning, pre-teaching target words, first encounter of the target words, and second encounter of the

target words. After these four parts are completed, the teacher will lead the children in a shared writing

experience.

During pre-planning, teachers should prepare by carefully selecting books that relate to a theme they

are teaching. Teachers should also select target vocabulary words within that book that support

children’s understanding of the book and of the larger thematic content the teacher wants them to

learn. Finally, the teacher will need to plan what the child-friendly definition is for each target word and

where they will pause during the book reading to briefly re-define the words.

During pre-teaching of the selected target words, the teacher introduces each of the target words

before actually reading the book. Using the most realistic illustration, the teacher will say the target

word, prompt the children to say the target word, and give a child friendly definition.

Next, the teacher will read the text as a read-aloud. However, when the reading comes to the first

encounter of the target words in the text, the teacher will: (1) review the target word, (2) have children

repeat the word, and (3) say the child friendly definition of the target word while pointing out the word

in the illustration. If a target word is encountered for a second time during the book reading, the teacher

will repeat these three steps.



Page 6 of 95

During the shared writing experience, the teacher should ask children to share what they have learned

from the book reading and what they would still like to find out. The teacher records the children’s

responses on chart paper, under the headings “Now we know…” and “Let’s find out…”

❑ 1D. WATCH. Watch video Module 1 BEVI Lesson. In this video, Ms. Tosha implements the BEVI lesson

with the book Wetlands. Later Ms. Tosha implements the shared writing extension portion of the BEVI

lesson. Both videos can be viewed using the link below: http://fcrr.fsu.acsitefactory.com/early-


❑ 1E. REFLECT.

What are the common features between all three Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies?

Why is it important to pre-teach words before beginning Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction?

Which part of the Category Lesson is the most important and why?

What is the objective of the Network Lesson?



Page 7 of 95

❑ 1F. PLAN.

Plan one or more of the Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies using the guiding questions below.

Think about how you may need to adjust your daily schedule in order to implement these lessons in

whole group.

Category Lesson

What will be your two main categories or groups?

What will the gestures be for those two category or group words?

What are a few fun facts you will share about some of the items sorted?

How will you define the target vocabulary words?

Network Lesson

What will your center target word be for your network lesson?

What are some examples of connected words you will share with the children?


Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction

What is the title of the shared reading book?

What are the 4-6 vocabulary words you will target during the shared reading experience?

What pages in the book are these vocabulary words best illustrated?


Page 8 of 95


WEEK #2

In week #2, the focus is on implementing one or more of the Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategy

lessons. During the implementation, keep in mind any issues, challenges, concerns or questions that are

encountered. These can be shared with your coach during the next visit. Use steps A-B to guide you

through the second week of Module 1.

❑ 2A. IMPLEMENT. Implement one or more of the Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies in your

classroom. You can use provided lesson plans, or you can create a lesson that follows the interests of

your students and fits the needs of your class.

❑ 2B. REFLECT. Throughout the week, use the charts below to reflect on implementation. For each

lesson, reflect on the children’s response.

• Do the target words seem too hard? If so, perhaps these become repeat target words that you

continue discussing throughout a theme or throughout the year.

• Do the target words seem too easy? If so, perhaps you teach a more advanced synonym or

antonym.

• Do the children seem to engage in one of the Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies more

than another? If so, you may need to implement that strategy or lesson more.

• Be sure to include specific questions to address with your coach when they visit.

Page 9 of 95

CATEGORY LESSON IMPLEMENTATION AND REFLECTION

This lesson was: ❑ Teacher created ❑Provided by the project

What will be your two main categories or groups? What are the gestures for those two category or group words? 1. 2. Do the children understand the similarities and differences between the two group words? If not, are their other gestures or explanations that could clarify the differences for the children?

What words to be sorted will you provide? How will you define those words to help the children better understand their meaning? 1. 2. 3. 4.

What are 2-3 fun facts to share about words for sorting? 1. 2. 3.

What were words the children provided for each category? Did any surprise you?

QUESTIONS / CONCERNS FOR THE COACH

Page 10 of 95

NETWORK LESSON IMPLEMENTATION AND REFLECTION


What will be your center target word? How will you represent this word visually (i.e., draw a sketch, show a picture, display the object)? Did the target word seem too easy? If so, teach a more advanced synonym or antonym. Did the target word seem too hard? If so, this word becomes a repeat target word discussed throughout a theme or throughout the year.

What connected words will you provide? How will you define the words in order to help the children better understand their meaning? How will you represent this word visually (i.e., draw a sketch, show a picture, display the object)? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Look back over your list of words. Do you have many parts of speech (i.e., nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)?

What were some of the words the children provided for the network lesson? Did any surprise you? Were the children able to explain how words connected to the center word?


Page 11 of 95

BOOK EMBEDDED VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION LESSON IMPLEMENTATION AND REFLECTION


What is the title of your shared reading book? Did the children seem interested in the book as you read it aloud? If not, maybe select a different book instead of continuing with the same book for the writing extension or more shared reading on another day.

What are the 4-5 vocabulary words you will target during the shared reading? What pages in the book are these vocabulary words best illustrated? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Look back over your list of words. Do you have a variety of parts of speech (i.e., nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)?

What were some facts children shared for the Now We Know side of the Writing Extension Activity? Is there anything the children shared that you need to look up, verify or double check before confirming with the children? If so, where can you find the necessary information (i.e., Google, library, other online sources)?


Page 12 of 95


WEEK #3

In week #3, the focus is on continuing teacher implementation of one or more of the Explicit Vocabulary

Instructional Strategies. After two weeks, teachers should feel more comfortable with the strategy. Use

step A to guide you through the third week of Module 1.

❑ 3A. OBSERVE & REFLECT. During this week’s visit, your coach will model and/or observe one of the

Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies implemented with the children in your classroom. Your coach

will ask you questions to reflect on the implementation. The checklist below can guide your continued

implementation of the whole group Category Lessons, Network Lessons and/or Book Embedded

Vocabulary Instruction Lessons. Take note of areas where you have checked no. These may be areas to

focus on during the visit with your coach.

Classroom Arrangements

1. Indoor open area where entire group can meet together without distractions during large group activities. □ Yes □ No

Time Use and Management

2. Category Lessons, Network Lessons, and Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons are prepped in advance. □ Yes □ No

3. Category Lessons, Network Lessons, and Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons are well-paced and meet planned objectives by completing implementation between 15-20 minutes.

□ Yes □ No

4. Category Lessons, Network Lessons, and Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons are implemented consistently throughout the week. Ideally 2-3 days each week.

□ Yes □ No

Language Supports

5. During Category Lessons, Network Lessons, and Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons, the teacher scaffolds children’s answers by modeling correct responses.

□ Yes □ No

6. During Category Lessons, Network Lessons, and Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons, the teacher appropriately uses upward or downward scaffolds to differentiate instruction.

□ Yes □ No

7. During Category Lessons, Network Lessons, and Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons, the teacher says the word aloud, provides a child-friendly definition and prompts the children to say the word aloud.

□ Yes □ No

Page 13 of 95


WEEK #4

In week #4, the focus is on enhancing your implementation of the Explicit Vocabulary Instructional

Strategies by receiving feedback from the coach during a lesson to further improve your implementation

strategies. Use step A to guide you through the fourth week of Module 1.

❑ 4A. IMPLEMENT & REFLECT. Based on previous Category Lessons, Network Lessons, and Book

Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons, reflect on the specific skills that are more challenging. Use

this to plan the priorities to focus on during implementation. Communicate with your coach to plan

areas of focus during your implementation.

Reflection with Early Childhood Coach

If your coach modeled a Category Lesson, Network Lesson, or Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction

Lesson, how was it different from your own lessons? What is one aspect of the coach’s implementation

that you would like to incorporate into your future lessons?

What Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards are the most obviously targeted in the Category Lessons?

What Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards are the most obviously targeted in the Network Lessons? How have you adapted the Network Lessons to engage the children and help the children better understand word relationships and word meanings?

Page 14 of 95


WEEK #5

In week #5, the focus is on planning for sustained implementation of the Explicit Vocabulary

Instructional Strategies in your classroom. Use step A-B to guide you through the fifth week of Module

1.

❑ 5A. REFLECT & PLAN. Below is a sustaining implementation checklist that focuses on the key elements

that should be in place for continued implementation. Review and complete the checklist. Pay particular

attention to the questions in which you select NO as the answer.

Sustaining Implementation Checklist

1. Do you have a dedicated time during the day that the Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies will be implemented?

□ Yes □ No

What time?

2. Do you feel that you’ve mastered the key principles of Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons?

□ Yes □ No If no, what key principles would you

like to continue working on?

3. Do you feel that you’ve mastered the key principles of Category Lessons?

□ Yes □ No

If no, what key principles would you


4. Do you feel that you’ve mastered the key principles of Network Lessons?

□ Yes □ No



5. Do you feel comfortable selecting books for Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lessons, selecting target words and developing your own lesson plans?

□ Yes □ No

If no, how can your coach assist you?

6. Can you commit to implementing any of the above lessons 2-3 days per week?

□ Yes □ No

7. Do you feel that you’ve mastered effective scaffolding techniques? (e.g., modeling, expansions)

□ Yes □ No

Page 15 of 95

❑ 5B. REFLECT.

Reinforcing vocabulary previously and explicitly taught throughout the preschool day is recommended. How have you intentionally used vocabulary words in your conversations with the children in your class? Where did these conversations occur?

Write down some newly taught vocabulary words that you have noticed children using with you and one

another outside of Category Lessons, Network Lessons, and Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction

Lessons.

Page 16 of 95

Module 1:

Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

Selected Lesson Plans

Theme – Wetlands




Page 17 of 95

Category Lesson Plan

Gigantic and Tiny

Theme or Concept: Wetlands

LEARNING GOALS: The goal is to increase children’s vocabulary by grouping words into various

categories based on their meanings. This activity allows children to actively engage in developmentally

appropriate kinesthetic sorting of familiar and new words within a particular theme.

What’s Your Sign?

INTRO / DEFINE:

Today we are talking about big and small things we might find in the oceans and in the

wetlands. Another word for something really big is gigantic. Whales are the largest animals

in the world! We could say that they are gigantic. Another word for something really small

is tiny. Tadpoles, or baby frogs, are tiny. There are a lot of plants and animals in the

wetlands that are gigantic and a lot of plants and animals that are tiny.

GESTURES: If something is very big, we can say that it is gigantic. (Stretch arms out to the sides

as far as possible). If something is very small, we can say that it is tiny. (Use your fingers to

indicate a very small distance).

We are going to sort wetland plants and animals into groups. Either they are gigantic, or

they are tiny.

If the plant or animal is really big, or gigantic, do this. (Stretch arms out to the sides as far as

possible). If the plant or animal is really small, or tiny, do this. (Use your fingers to indicate a

very small distance).

Gigantic Category: Help me think of some things that are gigantic.

Downward Scaffolding Suggestions:

● If a child mentions an object that typically doesn’t fit into the suggested category, the teacher can say, “When you picture that object in your mind, does it look very big (show gesture for gigantic) or very small (show gesture for tiny)?” or “That’s a tricky one, can you maybe think of an object that is even bigger or even smaller?”

● If needed, use a comparison to show the difference between sizes. For example, compared to a whale, a beaver is tiny.

● If a child gives an example of something found outside of the wetlands, the teacher can say, “Good thinking. Do we see _________ in the wetlands? Where can we find it?”

Page 18 of 95

Possible Answers for Gigantic

Take a moment to briefly elaborate on some objects that are gigantic.

Plant / Animal Fun Fact

Ocean Most of the air or oxygen that we breathe comes from the oceans.

Whale Whales are the largest animals that live on Earth!

Mangrove Mangrove trees can help form islands when dirt and leaves get caught in their roots.

Flood A flood occurs when there is a gigantic amount of rain.

Manatee Manatees are also called ‘sea cows’ because they only eat grass that grows in the

water where they live.

Predator A predator is gigantic compared to its prey. So, a cat looks gigantic to a mouse.

Alligator Alligators can be called ‘living fossils,’ because they haven’t changed much since the

time of the dinosaurs.

Fangs Fangs are large sharp teeth. Fangs are gigantic compared to other teeth.

Swamp Many birds and other animals like to build nests and lay their eggs around a swamp.

Since many birds and animals make a swamp their home, then a swamp is gigantic.

Croak The croak of a frog is gigantic compared to a frog’s peep or chirp. Only boy frogs can

croak.

Sky The sun’s rays are what light up the sky.

Tiny Category: Let’s think of some examples for the other group now. These would be things

that are really small or tiny. Think about plants, animals and other things we might find in

the wetlands that are really small.

Possible Answers for Tiny

Take a moment to briefly elaborate on some objects where appropriate.

Page 19 of 95

Plant / Animal Fun Fact

Mosquito Mosquitoes lay their eggs in swampy water.

Frog Frogs can live on land and in the water.

Beaver A beaver will build a dam in the water first. Then, the beaver will build its den in the

middle of the dam.

Fawn A baby deer is called a fawn. Fawns learn to walk very soon after they are born.

Tadpoles Tadpoles are tiny compared to frogs. We can also call them polliwogs.

Breeze A breeze is a tiny bit of wind.

Creep When an animal or person creeps, they take tiny steps so no one can hear them.

Decompose When something decomposes, it breaks down into tiny pieces.

Insects Insects, like dragonflies and mosquitoes, are tiny compared to mammals and reptiles.

CATEGORIZE: Now, that we talked about gigantic and tiny, let’s play a game called “What’s

Your Sign.” I am going to name an object that may be either gigantic or tiny. If the object

is gigantic, make this sign. (Stretch arms out to the sides as far as possible).

If the object is tiny, make this sign. (Use your fingers to indicate a very small distance).

● I am a whale. What’s my sign? Whales live in the ocean and are very large, or

gigantic. (Stretch arms out to the sides as far as possible). Everyone make the sign for

gigantic and say whale.

● I am a mosquito. What’s my sign? Mosquitoes like to live near water and are very

small, or tiny. (Use your fingers to indicate a very small distance). Everyone make the sign

for tiny and say mosquito.

● I am a frog. What’s my sign? Frogs can live on land or in water and are very small.

Compared to an alligator, they are tiny. (Use your fingers to indicate a very small distance).

Everyone make the sign for tiny and say frog.

● Here is a tricky one! I am a tadpole, or baby frog. What’s my sign? Tadpoles are

baby frogs. Compared to a frog, tadpoles are tiny. (Use your fingers to indicate a very

small distance). Everyone make the sign for tiny and say tadpole.

Page 20 of 95

● I am an ocean. What’s my sign? Oceans are very large and cover most of the Earth.

(Stretch arms out to the sides as far as possible). Everyone make the sign for gigantic and

say ocean.

● I am a shrimp. What’s my sign? Shrimp can be found in salt water or fresh water

and are very small animals. (Use your fingers to indicate a very small distance). Everyone

make the sign for tiny and say shrimp.

● I am a predator. What’s my sign? Predators are very large, or gigantic, compared to

their tiny prey that they catch and eat. (Stretch arms out to the sides as far as possible).

Everyone make the sign for gigantic and say predator.

● I am a mangrove tree. What’s my sign? Mangroves are very large trees with long

roots that grow through water. They grow to be gigantic. (Stretch arms out to the sides

as far as possible). Everyone make the sign for gigantic and say mangrove.

● I am a fawn or baby deer. What’s my sign? Fawns are very small animals. If you put

a fawn next to a whale, it is tiny. (Use your fingers to indicate a very small distance).

Everyone make the sign for tiny and say fawn.

WRAP UP: Great job sorting things that are gigantic and tiny. We will keep talking about

wetlands, or swamps, which are gigantic since lots of animals and plants live there.

Page 21 of 95

Network Lesson Plan

Predator


LEARNING GOALS: The goal is to have children form connections between a center word and other

related words by suggesting words and explaining how they’re connected to the center word. By making

these connections, children will be able to better understand the concepts being taught.

INTRO: Today, we’re going to talk about the wetlands. There are a lot of words that we can

use to talk about the wetlands. We can use words to tell about things that happen in the

wetlands. We can use words to describe the wetlands. All these words go together in

some way. So, let’s think of words about wetlands.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Introduce the target word “Our target word for the day is...”. 2. Provide a child friendly definition and example “...means”. 3. Have children repeat target word. “Everybody say…”. 4. Place target word in the middle using a drawing, stock photo, or written word as your

representation. 5. Provide first example word by stating: “I’ll start with my example…” 6. Provide a child friendly definition and have the children repeat the word. 7. Explicitly state how/why the word is connected to the target word. 8. Using your choice of word representation (stock photo image, drawing, or written word) draw a

line from the target word to the example word to highlight the connection. 9. Repeat with two remaining examples. 10. Once all examples have been demonstrated, allow children to generate their own ideas by

calling on them one by one.

QUICK TIPS

● Be open to generated words suggested by children. The focus of the activity is to discuss how words connect to the target word. Remember to reinforce and draw attention to these connections.

● Words can be connected in the following ways: 1. Synonym 2. Antonym 3. Examples 4. Event

● Be sure to use the proper terms when highlighting connections. ● If children generate words that don’t connect to the target word or you’re unsure of how they

connect, write words in the “We Will Find Out” section. ● To illustrate words, you can use any of the following methods: simply write the word, use stock

photo images, or draw a representation of the word. ● Be ready to offer additional suggestions, as children may have a difficult time generating ideas

on their own.

Page 22 of 95

EXAMPLE:

Our target word for the day is PREDATOR. A PREDATOR is an animal that hunts

and eats other animals. There are PREDATORS that live in almost every habitat.

PREDATORS help their habitat, or where they live, by taking away some of the

other animals. That way, the land or water doesn’t get too crowded. Everybody say,

PREDATOR. [In the center of the chart, draw a picture of the best representation of PREDATOR or

show provided sketch of PREDATOR.]

Let’s think of things that help us understand the word PREDATOR. I’ll start with my

example. PREY. PREY is another name for an animal that may be hunted or eaten by

a PREDATOR. We could say that a deer drinking water from the water’s edge might

be PREY for an alligator hiding in the water. The alligator is a PREDATOR waiting to

attack its PREY. Everyone say PREY. (Draw picture of the best representation of PREY or show

provided sketch of PREY. Draw a line from PREY to PREDATOR).

That’s right. Animals that are PREY usually only eat plants. There are many animals

that live as PREY and provide food for PREDATORS.

Here’s another example. POUNCE. To POUNCE means to move or swoop suddenly and

quickly in order to catch something. When we jump to catch something, we are

POUNCING. A PREDATOR who has been quietly watching its prey may POUNCE to

catch it. Everybody say POUNCE. (Draw picture of the best representation of POUNCE or show a printed stock photo of POUNCE. Draw a line from POUNCE to PREDATOR).

That’s right. PREDATORS need to POUNCE quickly, or else their PREY may get

scared and run away. A hungry owl might POUNCE on a mouse.

Here’s my final example. HUNTER. A HUNTER is an animal that hunts or searches

for other animals to eat. Sometimes a HUNTER may need to wait for a long time

before finding PREY. A HUNTER is a PREDATOR. Everyone say HUNTER. (Draw picture of the best representation of HUNTER or show provided sketch of HUNTER. Draw a line from HUNTER to PREDATOR).

That’s right. A HUNTER may swim or sit very quietly in order to sneak up on an

animal they are trying to catch. Otters are HUNTERS in the water. They swim

quietly and hunt for yummy fish to eat.

Now, prompt the children for their own ideas.

Page 23 of 95

Can anyone tell me another word that helps us better understand our target word

PREDATOR?

(Possible answer) quietly (Example)

(Possible answer) herbivore (Antonym)

(Possible answer) snake (Example)

(Possible answer) carnivore (Synonym)

ACTIVITY WRAP UP

Today we talked about a lot of words that help us to understand the meaning of

PREDATOR. We talked about PREY, POUNCE, and HUNTER. All these words are

connected to the word PREDATOR. PREY is an animal that a PREDATOR eats. (Trace the line connecting the pictures of PREY and PREDATOR with your finger).

POUNCE is how a PREDATOR moves quickly in order to catch another animal. (Trace

the line connecting POUNCE and PREDATOR with your finger), and a PREDATOR is a HUNTER

when they are looking for another animal to eat. (Trace the line connecting HUNTER and PREDATOR with your finger).

All these words go with PREDATOR.

Child Friendly Definition

PREDATOR An animal that hunts and eats other animals.

PREY The animal that may be hunted or eaten by a predator

POUNCE To move or swoop suddenly and quickly in order to catch something

HUNTER An animal who hunts or searches for other animals

Page 24 of 95

Page 25 of 95

Sketches may be printed out and cut apart to assist with the building of the predator network lesson.

Page 26 of 95

Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lesson Plan

About Habitats Wetlands


LEARNING GOALS: The goal is to incorporate explicit vocabulary instruction within the shared reading

experience. The four parts of the shared reading experience include planning, pre-teaching the selected

target words, first encounter of the target words in the text and second encounter of the target words in

the text. After the four parts of the shared reading, the teacher will lead the children in a shared writing

experience where vocabulary will be incorporated into demonstrating knowledge of concepts taught.

Book Title: About Habitats Wetlands by Cathryn Sill

Words to teach throughout the week: Choose the most realistic illustration. wetland pgs. 1-2, 15-16;

drain pgs. 7; float pgs. 11; marsh pgs. 13; protection pgs. 19, 29, 33; provide pgs. 19, 23, 25; soak pgs. 27

BEFORE / Pre-teach: Pre-teach the vocabulary words; about 3-4 words per reading of the book

Point to the best picture of the word in the book. Page numbers with the best picture of the word are

indicated with an asterisk in the child friendly definitions table at the end of the lesson plan.

Briefly label the vocabulary word for the children using the picture in the book.

Prompt children to repeat the vocabulary word.

“The ground in this picture is very damp. Everyone say DAMP.”

Say the definition of the word. See child friendly definitions. Have children repeat the vocabulary

word.

DURING / 1st Encounter: 1st encounter of the vocabulary word

Say vocabulary word as you encounter it in the text while reading the book.

While reading the book and pausing at targeted words, the teacher is encouraged to also pause for

other interactions that she would normally incorporate into her shared book reading.

Say, “That’s one of our new words.”


word. If there is a good picture of the word on the page, point to it.

DURING / 2nd Encounter: 2nd encounter of the vocabulary word

Say the vocabulary word as you encounter it in the text while reading the book.

While reading the book and pausing at targeted words, the teacher is encouraged to also pause for

other interactions that she would normally incorporate into her shared book reading.

Say, “That’s one of our new words.”

Page 27 of 95


word. If there is a good picture of the word on the page, point to it.

AFTER / Writing Extension: The teacher leads class with a shared writing experience.

The focus of this activity is to help build children’s content knowledge about wetlands.

On chart paper, write “Now we know…” and “Let’s find out…” at the top for all the children to see.

Then ask the children to share what they now know about wetlands after reading, About Habitats

Wetlands by Cathryn Sill. Attempt to write at least three sentences and include some target

vocabulary. Look at the example below for ideas to record in the “Now we know…” side.

When a child provides an idea that has not been discussed yet in one of the books you have read,

include that idea on the “Let’s find out…” side. As the class learns more, you can move some of the

statements/facts over to the “Now we know…” side.

If the children are struggling to give you any ideas or they have missed some important facts, prompt

them with questions such as:

What grows in the wetlands?

What lives in the wetlands?

What are some differences between marshes and swamps?

What does the wetland habitat look like?

Once the writing is complete, the teacher should read aloud all the things that the children know

about the wetlands. Encourage the children to “read” aloud with the teacher.

Note: The teacher should save all the chart paper from these shared writing experiences. Previous

writing should be reviewed before reading another book and when answers are found for the “Let’s

find out…” side.

WETLANDS

Now we know… Let’s find out…

● Wetlands are covered with shallow

water.

● Water can be fresh or salty.

● Wetlands drain away or dry up

sometimes.

● Wetlands soak up water that could

cause floods.

● Cypress trees, cattails, water lilies, and

mangrove trees grow in wetlands.

Page 28 of 95

● Plants in the wetlands grow out of

water, under water, or float on top of

the water.

● Plants provide protection for animals.

● Marshes are a type of wetland where

grasses grow.

● Wetlands provide food to people and

animals.

Child friendly definitions for About Habitats Wetlands by Cathryn Sill.

Word Page Reference Child friendly definition 1st

Encounter

2nd

Encounter

wetland

p. 1-2/ Text begins with,

“Wetlands are places…”

P. 15-16/ Text begins with,

“Swamps are wetlands…”

Places covered with

shallow water. One type of

wetland is a swamp.

p. 1-2* p. 15-16

drain

p.7/ Text begins with, “In other

wetlands…”

When water goes away or

dries up. To take away

liquid from.

p. 7*

float

p.11/ Text begins with, “Plants

in wetlands…”

To rest on the top of a

liquid, like water, without

sinking.

p. 11*

marsh

p.13/ Text begins with,

“Marshes are wetlands…”

A low, wet area, often

thick with tall grasses.

p. 13*

protection

p.19/ Text begins with, “Many

plants that grow…”


“Wetlands along seacoasts…”

p.33/ Text begins with

“Wetlands are very

important…”

To keep something safe

from harm.

p. 19* p. 29

p.33

provide

p.19/ Text begins with, “Many

plants that grow…”


“Wetlands provide food…”

To make available for

someone or something to

use.

p.19

p. 23

p. 25*

Page 29 of 95


“Wetlands provide food for

people…”

soak p.27/ Text beings with,

“Wetlands act like sponges…”

To become covered or

completely wet with a

liquid like water.

p. 27*

*Best representation. Use this page and picture to pre-teach the vocabulary word.

Page 30 of 95

Module 2:

Explicit Support for Expressive

Language

Guiding Pages

Theme – Desert




Page 31 of 95

MODULE 2 – EXPLICIT SUPPORT FOR EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE

WEEK #1

In week #1, the focus is on learning about oral language targets and how to use them in multiple

learning centers or during transitions. Begin by watching the four videos – one for each language target.

Then, plan how to implement these language targets during conversations within your learning centers.

Use steps A-G to guide you through the first week of Module 2.

❑ 1A. LEARN. Read the overview of Explicit Support for Expressive Language below or on the project

website. Then, answer the reflection questions in the workbook or online.

The focus during Module 2 is to provide children with explicit support for their expressive language as

they play and learn at classroom centers. During this module, the teacher will lead brief targeted

language interactions that provide specific opportunities for children to use prepositions, adverbs,

conjunctions, and elaborated noun phrases in authentic moments.

Center activities included in this module have been developed for centers such as art, blocks, dramatic

play, science/discovery, and writing. Each center activity creates a natural opportunity for play, while

providing the teacher opportunities to explicitly focus on a specific oral language target.

The teacher’s authentic play-based interaction with children may include modeling an oral language

target, such as prepositions, to determine if the child receptively understands the target. The teacher

will also give children the opportunity to express their understanding. All of this will be achieved in brief

interactions while the teacher and children play together in centers.

By conducting these quick, explicit teaching moments, the teacher will model rich language and

vocabulary and then encourage the children to use the rich language independently in the future.

❑ 1B. WATCH. Watch video Module 2 Explicit Support-Elaborated Noun Phrases. In this video, you will

see the use of targeted language interactions during a learning center. Notice how the teacher focuses

on one language target and scaffolds children as needed. Use this link:

http://fcrr.fsu.acsitefactory.com/early-childhood/florida/explicit_support_for_expressive_language

❑ 1C. WATCH. Watch video Module 2 Explicit Support-Adverbs. In this video, you will see the use of

targeted language interactions within two different learning centers. Notice how the teachers focus on

one language target and scaffold children as needed. Use this link:


❑ 1D. WATCH. Watch video Module 2 Explicit Support-Prepositions. In this video, you will see the use of




❑ 1E. WATCH. Watch video Module 2 Explicit Support-Conjunctions. In this video, you will see the use of




Page 32 of 95

❑ 1F. REFLECT.

What are the oral language targets for this module?

What centers are included in this module?

What can a teacher do if a child is struggling to use the target skill correctly in conversations?

How long should interactions last between teacher and child?

Page 33 of 95

❑ 1G. PLAN. Using the Planning Sheet, determine target skills and centers for a week.

Teacher Record Weekly Center Planning

Theme Art

Week of Blocks

Target Skill Dramatic Play

Word List Science

Writing

Target Child Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

Targets: ▢ independently ▢ upward scaffold ▢ downward scaffold Center:












Page 34 of 95


WEEK #2

In week #2, the focus is on implementing one or more center cards. During the implementation, keep in

mind any issues, challenges, concerns or questions that are encountered. These can be shared with your

coach during the next visit. Use steps A-B to guide you through the second week of Module 2.

❑ 2A. IMPLEMENT. Implement the explicit language interactions using center cards in your classroom.

You can use provided center cards, or you can create center cards that follow the interests of the

children and fits the needs of your class.

❑ 2B. REFLECT. Throughout the week, use the chart below to reflect on implementation. For each of the

4-5 selected target children, record the child’s ability to produce the language targets each day.

• Do the children seem to understand the chosen language target? If not, utilize the downward

scaffolding suggestions.

• Be sure to include specific questions to address with your coach when they visit.

Page 35 of 95

CENTER CARD IMPLEMENTATION AND REFLECTION

This center card was: ❑ Teacher created ❑Provided by the project

Learning Center: ❑ Blocks ❑ Art ❑ Science ❑ Dramatic Play ❑ Writing ❑ Other:

Did you identify children who needed extra support with the selected language target? How will you initiate conversations with children during center time?

List 2 ways to model the selected language target within the chosen learning center. 1. 2.

List 2 ways to use downward scaffolding. How will you scaffold children who need extra support? 1. 2.

List 2 ways to use upward scaffolding. How will you challenge children who easily grasp the language target? 1. 2.

How will the children continue practicing the selected language target when you leave the center?


Page 36 of 95


WEEK #3

In week #3, the focus is on continuing teacher implementation of explicit oral language targets in

learning centers. After two weeks, teachers should feel more comfortable with the strategy. Use step A

to guide you through the third week of Module 2.

❑ 3A. OBSERVE & REFLECT. During this week’s visit, your coach will model and/or observe oral language

targets being explicitly addressed during authentic conversations between the teacher and child. Your

coach will ask you questions to reflect on the implementation. The checklist below can guide your

continued implementation of targeted oral language. Take note of areas where you have checked no.

These may be areas to focus on during the visit with your coach.


1. Learning centers are prepared with materials to support use of oral language targets. □ Yes □ No

2. Appropriate space is available for conversations in the learning center for both the children and the teacher. □ Yes □ No Time Use and Management

3. Center cards are chosen or prepared in advance. □ Yes □ No

4. Conversations involving language target usage are well-paced and involve multi-turn conversations between the teacher and child(ren). □ Yes □ No

5. Center cards are used consistently throughout the week. Ideally focusing on one language target skill and 4-5 target children. □ Yes □ No

6. Center cards are used within multiple learning centers with diverse groups of children including those needing extra support with the selected language target. □ Yes □ No

Language Supports

7. Teacher joins the learning center as a participant. She engages in the play that is occurring before explicitly implementing the targeted language interaction. □ Yes □ No

8. Teacher appropriately models the use of the language target using learning center materials when necessary. □ Yes □ No

9. Teacher uses downward scaffolding where necessary to allow for a better understanding of the language target. □ Yes □ No

10. Teacher uses upward scaffolding where necessary to challenge the children who have already mastered the language target skill. □ Yes □ No

11. Teacher appropriately uses upward and downward scaffolds to differentiate instruction. □ Yes □ No

12. Teacher leaves the children with ways to continue using the language target in her absence. □ Yes □ No

Page 37 of 95


WEEK #4

In week #4, the focus is on enhancing your implementation of the Explicit Support for Expressive

Language Strategies by receiving feedback from the coach during one or more center interactions. Use

steps A-B to guide you through the fourth week of Module 2.

❑ 4A. IMPLEMENT & REFLECT. Based on previous learning center interactions, reflect on the specific

skills that are more challenging. Use this to plan the priorities to focus on during implementation.

Communicate with your coach to plan areas of focus during your implementation.


If your coach modeled explicit oral language targets in learning centers, how was it different from your

own implementation? What is one aspect of the coach’s implementation that you would like to

incorporate into your future interactions?

What Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards are the most often targeted in your center interactions?

What are some ways the coach modeled downward scaffolding with the children to help them better expressively understand the target oral language skill?

Page 38 of 95

❑ 4B. PLAN. Plan the creation of one or more center cards using the guiding questions below.

Learning Center

How many learning centers will you choose to use for the explicit oral language interactions? Which centers?

What materials will you need in the learning centers?

Oral Language

Target

Which oral language targets will you focus on this week?

What are some examples of the oral language target that you will focus on?

Scaffolding

What type of downward scaffolding (e.g., forced choice, repeat after me, finish my sentence, model) will you try first for children needing help?

How do you plan to upward scaffold for children that master skills quickly?

How can the teacher prompt the children to continue using the language target when you leave the learning center?

Page 39 of 95

Use the blank center card template to create one or more of your own center cards.

Page 40 of 95

Key to Center Cards

Minimal Prep Time – The materials are readily available in the learning center; teacher has very little to prep work to do ahead of time

Moderate Prep Time – Some materials that are not regularly available in the center will need to be added; teacher may need to prep ahead of time and assist child or demonstrate.

Extended Prep Time – The materials that are not regularly available in the center will need to be added; teacher will need to prep ahead of time and will lead the activity.

Writing learning center logo – Writing centers are commonly stocked with several types of paper, clipboards, dry erase boards, alphabet ink stamps, stencils, markers, pens, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, chalk, and sand trays.

Blocks learning center logo – Block centers are commonly stocked with wooden blocks, Lego blocks, Duplo blocks, magnetic building sets, soft blocks, unit blocks, vehicles, little people, wooden people, and plastic toy animals.

Art learning center logo – Art centers are commonly stocked with brushes, paint, easel, crayons, markers, chalk, playdoh, modeling clay, paper, scissors, stamps, and stamp pads.

Science / Discovery learning center logo – Science centers are commonly stocked with magnets, goggles, eye droppers, test tubes, science books, sorting trays, and various materials from nature (e.g., shells, rocks, leaves, fruit, seeds and feathers).

Dramatic play learning center logo – Dramatic play centers are commonly stocked with dress-up clothes, housekeeping items, kitchenware, utensils, dolls, pretend food, repurposed empty food containers with labels, puppets, and notepads.

Page 41 of 95


WEEK #5

In week #5, the focus is on planning for sustained implementation of the Explicit Vocabulary

Instructional Strategies in your classroom. Use step A-B to guide you through the fifth week of Module

2.





1. Do you have a dedicated time when children participate in learning centers?

□ Yes □ No What time?

2. Do you feel comfortable selecting which children are most in need of explicit oral language instruction through authentic interactions during learning centers?

□ Yes □ No


3. Do you feel comfortable choosing the most appropriate oral language skills to target, selecting the most useful words within the targeted skill, and planning center activities to facilitate authentic interactions in which to practice those target skills?

□ Yes □ No


4. Can you commit to implementing Explicit Support for Expressive Language during learning centers with at least 3-4 target children?

□ Yes □ No

5. Can you commit to implementing Explicit Support for Expressive Language during learning centers 3-4 days per week?

□ Yes □ No

6. Do you feel that you are able to effectively differentiate instruction through upward and downward scaffolding (e.g., modeling, expansions, etc.) during your learning center interactions?

□ Yes □ No

7. Will you be able to continue implementing Explicit Vocabulary lessons in addition to using Explicit Support for Expressive Language during learning centers?

□ Yes □ No

Page 42 of 95

❑ 5B. REFLECT.

How have you adapted the center cards to incorporate other targeted oral language skills or other learning centers not provided to you (e.g., Music, Book Center, Transitions, Table Toys Center, etc.)?

Write down some newly taught oral language target examples that you have noticed children using with

you and one another during learning centers or other times of day.

Page 43 of 95

Module 2:

Explicit Support for Expressive

Language


Theme – Desert




Page 44 of 95

Page 45 of 95

Module 3:

Dialogic Reading

Guiding Pages

Theme – Ocean




Page 46 of 95

MODULE 3 – DIALOGIC READING

WEEK #1

In week #1, the focus is on learning about Dialogic Reading. Begin by watching the three videos of

Dialogic Reading sessions. Then, plan how to implement Dialogic Reading in small groups with the

children in your classroom. Use steps A-G to guide you through the first week of Module 2.

❑ 1A. LEARN. Read the overview of Dialogic Reading below or on the project website. Then, answer the reflection questions in the workbook or online. Dialogic Reading is an effective strategy that is used with books to enhance vocabulary and oral language skills. In Dialogic Reading, the book becomes a shared visual and verbal context in which the children learn new words. The children learn to communicate thoughts and ideas using these new words in increasingly complex phrases. This instructional strategy increases the size and diversity of children’s knowledge about the world and the words we use to describe it. Dialogic Reading can be broken into a five-day sequence using the same children’s book. The selected book should have clearly identifiable images and not images in isolation. This instructional strategy uses the pictures to build content knowledge and the understanding of word meanings and concepts. Since the same book will be used over the course of several days, you will want to carefully choose around five to ten words to focus on extensively. When choosing words for your Dialogic Reading session, you do not want to select unusual words. Instead, teachers should select words that can be most useful to the children. On day 1, the teacher introduces the book by telling the children the title, author, and illustrator and defining what the author and illustrator do. Then, the teacher reads the entire book. This is the only time during the five-day sequence when the children will hear the whole book being read. The main goal on day one is to read the entire book, so the children understand the story. On day 2 and 3, the teacher will point to specific, identifiable objects or actions in the illustrations and ask WH questions that encourage the children to label the pictures. Once the illustration has been labeled, the teacher will ask a follow up question about the color, shape, purpose or function of the picture object(s). Throughout day 1, 2, and 3, you will want to draw the children’s attention to a wide variety of words represented in the pictures or illustrations throughout the book. Teachers should be especially careful to include words from a variety of parts of speech, not just nouns. On day 4, the teacher will ask more open-ended questions that allow children to decide what they want to discuss on the pages. The teacher will provide expansions based on the children’s responses. On day 5, the teacher will ask questions that relate to the story plot as well as the children’s personal experiences. One way Dialogic Reading differs from other shared reading methods is that it is implemented in a small group of three to five children. Small groups allow children to have many opportunities to actively participate in the interactive book reading. Since Dialogic Reading is implemented in small groups, differentiating instruction is more easily managed. It is likely that within

Page 47 of 95

one small group Dialogic Reading session, a teacher will ask a labeling question for one child and a more open-ended question for another child in the same group. ❑ 1B. WATCH. Watch video Module 3 Dialogic Reading Day Session 2. In this video, you will see Dialogic Reading being implemented with a small group of children focusing on questions used during a Day 2 lesson such as labeling and ‘WH’ questions. Use this link: http://fcrr.fsu.acsitefactory.com/early-childhood/florida/dialogic_reading. ❑ 1C. WATCH. Watch video Module 3 Dialogic Reading Day Session 3. In this video, you will see Dialogic Reading being implemented with a small group of children focusing on questions used during a Day 3 lesson such as labeling and ‘WH’ questions. Use this link: http://fcrr.fsu.acsitefactory.com/early-childhood/florida/dialogic_reading.. ❑ 1D. WATCH. Watch video Module 3 Dialogic Reading Day Session 4. In this video, you will see Dialogic Reading being implemented with a small group of children focusing on questions used during a Day 4 lesson such as open-ended questions, expansions, and continuing with labeling and ‘WH’ questions. Use this link: Use this link: http://fcrr.fsu.acsitefactory.com/early-childhood/florida/dialogic_reading. ❑ 1E. REFLECT. If you have access to the website, answer the reflection questions after each video. If you are unable to access the website or the videos, reflect back on the videos from the initial training and answer the questions below. How is Dialogic Reading different from other shared reading?

What are two different types of questions asked when implementing Dialogic Reading?

The two main types of questions in Dialogic Reading are (1) labeling questions and (2) open-ended questions. What purpose do each of these questions serve?

When a teacher introduces a new word during a Dialogic Reading session, why should she prompt the children to chorally repeat the new word?

Page 48 of 95

❑ 1F. PLAN. Plan how you may need to adjust your daily schedule in order to implement Dialogic Reading using the guiding questions and schedule planning templates below. How many children are in my classroom?

Small groups should consist of 4-6 children. How many small groups will I create in my classroom?

Who will be in each small group?

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

What time of the day will you implement this strategy?

Page 49 of 95


WEEK #2

In week #2, the focus is on implementing Dialogic Reading in small groups. During the implementation,

keep in mind any issues, challenges, concerns or questions that are encountered. These can be shared

with your coach during the next visit. Use steps A-B to guide you through the second week of Module 3.

❑ 2A. IMPLEMENT. Implement Dialogic Reading with a small group in your classroom. You can use

provided lesson plans, or you can create a lesson that follows the interests of your students and fits the

needs of your class.

❑ 2B. REFLECT. Throughout the week, use the charts below to reflect on implementation. For each

lesson, reflect on the children’s response.

• Do the questions seem too difficult? If so, perhaps these become repeat questions throughout

the week.

• Do the children seem drawn to other illustrations and target words? If so, you may need to alter

your targets to follow their interest.

Page 50 of 95

DIALOGIC READING IMPLEMENTATION AND REFLECTION

This Dialogic Reading lesson was: ❑ Teacher created ❑Provided by the project

Book Title:

For the week of implementation, list questions to ask for Dialogic Reading on each corresponding day. Afterwards, reflect on how the children responded to the questions.

Day 1 Labeling Questions 1. 2. How did the children respond to the questions listed above?

Day 2 & 3 WH Questions 1. 2. 3. How did the children respond to the questions listed above?

Day 4 Open-ended Questions 1. 2. How did the children respond to the questions listed above?

Day 5 Personal Experiences and Story Narrative Questions 1. 2. 3. How did the children respond to the questions listed above?


Page 51 of 95


WEEK #3

In week #3, the focus is on continuing teacher implementation of Dialogic Reading in small groups. After

two weeks, teachers should feel more comfortable with the strategy. Use step A to guide you through

the third week of Module 3.

❑ 3A. OBSERVE & REFLECT. During this week’s visit, your coach will model and/or observe a Dialogic

Reading session in a small group setting. Your coach will ask you questions to reflect on the

implementation. The checklist below can guide your continued implementation of Dialogic Reading.

Take note of areas where you have checked no. These may be areas to focus on during the visit with

your coach.


1. Appropriate space is available for small groups (i.e., no visual distractions, away from noisy play areas). □ Yes □ No


2. Dialogic Reading lessons are prepared in advance. □ Yes □ No

3. Dialogic Reading lessons are well-paced and meet planned objectives by completing implementation between 15-20 minutes. □ Yes □ No

4. Dialogic Reading lessons are implemented consistently throughout the week. Ideally, 3-4 consecutive days per book. □ Yes □ No

5. Dialogic Reading is implemented with at least 1-2 small groups of children. □ Yes □ No

Language Supports

6. Teacher implements Dialogic Reading Days 1, 2, and 3 by using labeling questions (WH questions). □ Yes □ No

7. Teacher implements Dialogic Reading Days 1, 2, and 3 by using follow up questions focusing on attributes and functions of target words. □ Yes □ No

8. Teacher implements Dialogic Reading Day 4 by using open-ended questions. □ Yes □ No

9. Teacher implements Dialogic Reading Day 5 by using distancing questions. □ Yes □ No

10. Teacher supports children’s language by using modeling and expansions during Dialogic Reading sessions. □ Yes □ No

Page 52 of 95


WEEK #4

In week #4, the focus is on enhancing your implementation of Dialogic Reading by receiving feedback

from the coach during a lesson to further improve your implementation strategies. Use step A to guide

you through the fourth week of Module 3.

❑ 4A. IMPLEMENT & REFLECT. Based on previous Dialogic Reading Lessons, reflect on the specific skills

that are more challenging. Use this to plan the priorities to focus on during implementation.

Communicate with your coach to plan areas of focus during your implementation.


If your coach modeled a Dialogic Reading Lesson, how was it different from your own lessons? What is

one aspect of the coach’s implementation that you would like to incorporate into your future lessons?

What Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards are the most obviously targeted in the Dialogic Reading Lessons?

If you have a teaching assistant, what are some ways that your assistant has supported your implementation of Dialogic Reading? How could your assistant help more with implementation?

Page 53 of 95


WEEK #5

In week #5, the focus is on planning for sustained implementation of Dialogic Reading in your classroom.

Use step A-B to guide you through the fifth week of Module 3.





1. Do you have a dedicated time during the day that Dialogic Reading will be implemented?

□ Yes □ No What time?

2. Do you feel that you’ve mastered the key principles of Dialogic Reading (e.g., labeling questions, follow up questions, open-ended questions, expansions and distancing questions)?

□ Yes □ No



3. Do you feel comfortable selecting books, selecting target words and developing your own lesson plans?

□ Yes □ No If no, how can your coach assist you?

4. Can you commit to implementing Dialogic Reading with one or more small groups of children?

□ Yes □ No

5. Can you commit to conducting Dialogic Reading Sessions at least three or more days per week?

□ Yes □ No If no, how can your coach assist you?

6. Do you feel that you’ve mastered effective scaffolding techniques (e.g., modeling, expansions)?

□ Yes □ No

7. Will you incorporate your teaching assistant as a means of additional support during Dialogic Reading implementation?

□ Yes □ No

❑ 5B. REFLECT.

Dialogic Reading was designed to be implemented on a regular basis (e.g., ideally daily). After

implementing Dialogic Reading yourself, what benefits would result from daily implementation of

Dialogic Reading in small groups?

Page 54 of 95

Module 3:

Dialogic Reading


Theme – Ocean




Page 55 of 95

Dialogic Reading Lesson Plan - Day 1

Theme or Concept: Ocean

LEARNING GOALS: The goal is to increase children’s vocabulary while further developing overall

language skills. While reading a children’s book, the adult-child interaction develops into a conversation

or a “dialog” about the book.

Book Title: The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson; illustrations by Axel Scheffler

Words to teach throughout the week: Choose the most realistic illustration for each word. Harbor pg. 1-

2; snail pg. 1; lighthouse pg. 2; slither pg. 3; twinkling pgs. 5 & 6; iceberg pgs. 7 & 8; volcano, lava, and

grasping pg. 10; waves pg. 11; octopus, shark, and coral pg. 12; gaze pg. 16; tide pg. 18; beached pgs. 19

& 20

Day 1:

Introduce the book by reading the title, author, and illustrator. Make connections to

the theme or concept. Read the entire book with enthusiasm! Introduce a few

vocabulary words but not too many; the children need to understand the storyline.

Day 1 words:

snail, lighthouse, twinkling, waves

Day 1 prompts:

Focus on labeling pictures to build vocabulary. Ask “wh” type questions related to the

illustrations in the storybook. Point to the picture as you ask the question:

What is this creature with the shell on its back? (snail) Snails have spiral shells on

their backs. Snails can pull their bodies into the shell. They move very slowly.

What is this striped building? (lighthouse) A lighthouse is a tall building that has a

powerful light on the top. The light helps the ships come to shore safely.

What are the stars doing? (twinkling) Twinkling lights shine brightly and almost look

like they are turning on and off.

What are these (point to the waves)? (waves) Waves are water that curls up high

then crashes back down.

Guidelines:

If no one answers when you ask a “What is this?” question, provide two seconds of wait

time and then provide the answer; “This is a _______.”

Page 56 of 95

Then have all the students repeat the word. “Everyone say ______.”

After the children repeat the new word, provide a child friendly definition.

“A ____________ is _________ (see child friendly definitions on the last page).

Example:

T: What is this?

C: a tower

T: It looks like a tower. It is a lighthouse. Everyone say lighthouse.

C: lighthouse

T: A lighthouse is a building with a powerful light on top to warn or guide ships at sea.

Dialogic Reading Guide

Day 1: Read through the book and use labeling questions.

Day 2: Labeling questions

Day 3: Labeling questions with follow-up questions about different attributes of the object.

Day 4: Labeling questions and open-ended questions with expansions.

Day 5: Labeling questions, open-ended questions with expansions, and recall questions and questions about personal experiences.

Child friendly definitions for The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson.

Word Page Reference Child Friendly Definition

SNAIL Every page A snail is an animal with a spiral shell on its back.

Its whole body can go into the shell. It moves

very slowly.

HARBOR p. 1 & 2/ Text begins with, “This is

the tale…”

Safe part of water where boats are kept.

LIGHTHOUSE

p. 2/ Illustration shows a lighthouse

on the left side of the page.

A lighthouse is a building that has a powerful

light on top to warn or guide ships at sea. It

shows them where the shore and rocks are

located so they don’t run into them.

Page 57 of 95

SLITHER p. 3/ Text begins with, “These are

the other snails…”

To slither means to move smoothly over a

surface with curving motion.

TWINKLING

p. 5 & 6/ Illustration shows a starry

sky with a whale above water.

Twinkling means to shine brightly with

intermittent light (like it’s turning on and off very

quickly).

ICEBERG p. 7 & 8/ Text begins with, “This is

the sea…”

An iceberg is a large mass of ice floating in the

ocean.

LAVA p. 10/ Illustration shows a monkey

grasping a tree, while a volcano

erupts in the background.

Lava is melted rock that erupts – shoots out – of

a volcano.

VOLCANO p. 10/ Illustration shows a monkey



A volcano is a type of mountain that has an

opening through which hot lava can erupt from

way down inside the earth.

GRASPING p. 10/ Illustration shows a monkey



To grasp means to hold on tight.

WAVES

p. 11/ Text begins with, “These are

the waves that arched…”

A wave is water that curls up into an arched form

and eventually crashes onto the shore.

OCTOPUS p. 12/ Text begins with, “These are

the caves…”

An octopus lives under the ocean. It has eight

arms covered in suckers; it does not have any

bones.

SHARK p. 12/ Text begins with, “These are

the waves that arched…”

A shark is a (marine) fish with a large dorsal fin

on its back. Its skin is grey and very rough.

CORAL p.12/ Text begins with, “These are

the caves…”

Coral grows under the warm seas. It is the hard

stony external skeleton of marine animals.

GAZE p. 16/ Text begins with, “And she

gazed at the sky…”

To look steadily at something.

TIDE p. 18/ Text is “This is the tide

slipping away.”

The tide is the rising and falling of the sea, the

ocean. The tide comes into shore and the tide

goes out, back into the ocean. It happens two

times a day.

BEACHED p. 19 & 20/ Text begins with, “And

this is the whale lying BEACHED…”

Beached means to be stranded, stuck. The whale

is stuck in the sand.

Page 58 of 95


Theme or Concept: The Ocean








& 20

Day 2:

Remember, you will not be reading the entire book today. You will page through the book

stopping on pages that have good illustrations; ones that will encourage the children to

use the vocabulary of the book and talk about the story.

Day 2 words:

slither, grasping, shark, tide

(occasionally review previously introduced words)

Day 2 prompts:



What is the snail doing? (slither) Slither is to move smoothly with a curvy motion.

What is the monkey doing? (grasping) Grasping means to hold on tight. The monkey is

grasping the tree so he doesn’t fall off.

What ocean animal is this with the sharp teeth? (shark) Sharks have rough grey skin

with a large fin on top of its back.

What is it called when the ocean rises and falls upon the shore? (tide) The tide is

the rising and falling of the ocean water.

Follow children’s answers with questions about different aspects of the object such as shape, color,

or function:

What color is the snail’s trail? (silver)

Page 59 of 95

What is the jetty made of? (rocks)

Where does the shark live? (in the ocean)

Where does the tide stop? (on the shore)

Guidelines:






Page 60 of 95










& 20

Day 3:



use the vocabulary of the book and talk about the story.

Day 3 words:

iceberg, volcano, octopus, gaze

(occasionally review previously introduced words)

Day 3 prompts:



What are these floating in the water? (icebergs) Icebergs are mountains of ice.

What kind of mountain is this? (volcano) Volcanoes are mountains that spurt out

hot lava.

What sea creature is this? (octopus) Octopus have eight arms covered in suckers.

They do not have any bones!

Look at the bear. What is he doing? (Children might say looking at something.)

T: Yes, he is looking, he is looking very seriously at something. He is gazing at it.

Everyone say gaze.

Follow children’s answers with questions about different aspects of the object such as shape, color,

or function:

Page 61 of 95

What color are the icebergs? (white)

What is the volcano doing? (erupting, shooting out lava)

How many legs does the octopus have? (eight)

What does the bear use to gaze at something? (his eyes)

Guidelines:






Page 62 of 95










& 20

Day 4:



use the vocabulary of the book and talk about the story. The students should be doing

most of the talking now.

Day 4 words:

harbor, lava, coral, beached, and review previously introduced words

Day 4 prompts:

Focus on open-ended questions and expansion but you will still be asking labeling

questions. Open-ended questions get the child to say more about the picture beyond

just labeling the object. These questions allow the child to talk about what interests

them, which means they will talk more.

What is happening on this page? What do you see here? Can you tell me more about

that?

Guidelines:

Follow answers with expansions of 1 – 3 words and have children repeat.

Note: Your response will always depend on what the student says. As the conversation

goes back and forth between yourself and the students, guide them to use the

vocabulary words.

This is an example for page 1-2.

T: What do you see on this page?

Page 63 of 95

C: boats

T: Right there are boats. Do you know where they are?

C: in the water

T: Yes, the ships are in water. This body of water is called a harbor. Everyone say

harbor.

C: Harbor

T: A harbor is a safe place in the ocean where boats are kept. Tell me more about the

harbor.

This is an example for page 9.

T: What do you see happening on this page?

C: water

T: What about the water?

C: dolphins in the water

T: That’s right, dolphins are jumping in the water. Everyone say that.

C: Dolphins are jumping in the water.

T: Tell me more.

This is another example for page 9.

T: What do you see happening on this page?

C: fire coming from the mountain

T: Yes, lava is shooting out of the mountain. Everyone say lava.

C: Lava

T: Lava is melted rock and extremely hot! It comes from deep down in the earth. Can

you tell me more about the mountain?

C: That mountain has smoke.

T: You’re right, it does have smoke coming out. These mountains are called volcanoes.

Everyone say volcano.

C: Volcano

Page 64 of 95

T: Volcanoes are mountains that can explode with lava, smoke and hot gases. What else

do you see happening on this page?


T: What is happening on this page?

C: The fish are swimming around.

T: Can you tell me what the fish are swimming around?

C: The water.

T: And do you know what these are (point to the coral)?

C: (no response)

T: This is coral. Everyone say coral.

C: coral

T: Coral is the skeleton of an animal that lives in the sea. The skeleton grows on the

outside! Now tell me more about the fish swimming around the coral.

This is an example for page 19-20.

T: What’s happening here?

C: The whale is stuck.

T: And what did we call it when whales get stuck in the sand?

C: Beached.

T: Yes, beached, the whale is beached - tell me more.

Note:

Open-ended questions are hard at first. If there is no response after you ask an open-

ended question, provide two seconds of wait time and then provide a model.

T: What do you see on this page?

C: no response

T: I see ____________________________. Can you tell me what you see?

Page 65 of 95










Day 5:



use the vocabulary of the book and talk about the story. The children should be doing

most of the talking now.

Day 5 words:

review words as they naturally come up during book time

Day 5 prompts:

Labeling, open-ended questions will still be used. You may include some personal

experiences and recall questions related to the story events, plot, characters, setting,

or sequence. These decontextualized types of questions are built upon labeling questions

and open-ended questions and should be used only occasionally.


T: What’s happening here?

C: the whale is in the water.

T: Yes, the whale is back in the ocean. What happened to the whale? (This is when you

are guiding them to use the word ‘beached’ - a vocabulary word and a recall question).

Here are more examples of questions relating to personal experiences and recalling the story plot.

Have you ever been to the ocean? What did you do there? Tell me more about that.

What happened when the snail, with the itchy foot, got on the whale’s tail?

How did the beached whale get back into the ocean?

Who gathered the students to save the whale?

Page 66 of 95

Module 4:

Incidental Support for

Expressive Language

Guiding Pages

Theme – Ocean




Page 67 of 95

MODULE 4 – INCIDENTAL SUPPORT FOR EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE

WEEK #1

In week #1, the focus is on learning strategies for eliciting language. The module also focuses on how to

use those strategies by talking with children in the classroom throughout the school day. As you learn

these strategies, think about how to implement them in your classroom. Use steps A-F to guide you

through the first week of Module 4.

❑ 1A. LEARN. Read the overview of the three Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies below or on

the project website. Then, answer the reflection questions in the workbook or online.

Incidental Support for Expressive Language encourages teachers to use every opportunity during the

school day to build language skills in authentic interactions. These interactions can occur as the teacher

observes the children and interacts with the children throughout the day. Teachers should constantly be

looking for specific examples where they might intervene, in hopes that these strategies become an

embedded part of a rich language environment that promotes communication. Research shows that the

best time to build children’s language is within the first five years of life. A teacher may model advanced

language, scaffold child responses through expansions, reword a child’s response, or carry on a multi-

turn conversation. Through these incidental moments, the teacher can provide natural, high-quality

language enhancement and support.

Strategy Name Purpose

Encourage Peer-to-Peer Conversations

Encouraging peer-to-peer interactions gives children the opportunity to interact and converse with one another. If a child comes to the teacher and makes a request that could be made to another child, the teacher encourages peer-to-peer interactions. For example, if a child comes to the teacher and says, “I want the red crayon,” the teacher redirects the child to the other child that has the red crayon. The teacher says, “Tell Brett that you would like the red crayon.”

Choice Making

There are many opportunities when teachers can offer choices of two or more objects to children. Some of these choices can include materials during play activities and foods during snack time. Children are most likely to make a choice when a preferred object is presented with a non-preferred object meaning children are more likely to communicate their desire for preferred objects. For example, during snack time, the teacher can offer a choice by saying, “Would you like raisins or goldfish?” Then, encourage the child to verbalize the choice.

Narration

Narration is like being a commentator of a sports event heard over the radio. The teacher’s role as narrator is to talk about everything she and/or the children are doing as if she were describing it to someone who is not in the room to see it. The goal of narration is to pair the child’s play and actions with the appropriate language. As a child repeatedly hears the words that go along with his/her actions, the child becomes more capable and likely to produce language about his/her own play. For example, if children are in the block area, the teacher can narrate by saying, “Look how Jimmy is taking the red block and placing it on the top of that tower.

Page 68 of 95

Oh no! I think it is going to fall down! Crash! The tower fell to the ground.”

Present Vocabulary with Pictures or Objects

Pair actual objects or pictures of objects with new words. Children are more likely to learn the meaning of a word or the function of an object when the actual object or picture is present. In this way, children can pair what you say about the object (auditory input) with what the object looks like (visual input) and what the object feels like (tactile input). For example, in the housekeeping center, the teacher could say while holding the broom, “This is a broom. We can use it to sweep up dirt from the floor.”

Use Specific Language

When talking to children, teachers should be as specific as possible with the language they use. Teachers should avoid using general non-specific words such as “that,” “there,” and “it.” For example, rather than saying to a child, “Can you please put that over there?” the teacher can be specific and say, “Can you please put the book on my desk?” In this way, children hear the names of objects repeatedly. The more children hear a word used correctly, the more likely they will be to use that word properly on their own.

Violate Expectations

During a familiar routine, the teacher sets up a silly situation or one that is out of the ordinary. The implementation of this strategy is most effective when used during a familiar routine. For example, during morning circle, the teacher can ask the children to get their blankets and go to their spots for naptime. This creates an opportunity for the children to comment on the absurdity of the situation.

Create Situations Where Help is Needed

Situations that are set up so that children will need to ask for assistance are likely to encourage communication. Presenting attractive materials that require assistance to operate can encourage children to communicate their need for help from adults or peers. For example, during outside play, the teacher can give the child a bottle of bubbles with the top screwed on too tight. If the child wants to blow bubbles, this will cause him to have to ask for teacher assistance in opening the bottle.

Model Desired Responses

Modeling is used by the teachers to demonstrate a sound, a word, or a language form that the children do not yet produce on their own. Modeling can also be used to demonstrate to children what it is they are expected to say or do. Teachers can model by taking the first turn in a game, by correcting an incorrect word pronunciation, or by having a child repeat a grammatically correct sentence. For example, if a child points at a picture and says, “Look! It’s a tar,” the teacher can reply, “Yes, I see that star. Can you say star?” Then, encourage the child to pronounce the word correctly.

Use Sabotage

Sabotage is purposely creating a circumstance where something is out of the ordinary. One way to implement this strategy is by not giving the children all the materials they need to carry out an activity, which gives children the opportunity to make a request. This is an effective prompt for language when the cues are obvious. For example, during a painting activity, the teacher can provide the children with smocks, paper, and

Page 69 of 95

paintbrush, but “forget” to supply the children with paint. This would give the children the opportunity to request the paint.

Expansions

Expansions occur when an adult fills in the missing features of something a child has said, along with repeating the child’s utterance. For example, if a child says “ball,” the teacher may expand on that by saying, “Yes, I see the small red ball.” In this way, the teacher is acknowledging what the child has said by exposing him to language that is more descriptive. When the teacher expands on a child’s utterance, the teacher should always include the word or words the child used in his original utterance.

❑ 1B. REFLECT. If you have access to the website, answer the reflection questions online. If you are unable to access the website, reflect back on the self-study explanatory text and answer the questions below. When and where should you implement the Incidental Support for Expressive Language strategies?

What can a teacher do if a child is reluctant to engage in language interactions?

When is the best time to build children’s language skills?

Page 70 of 95

❑ 1C. PLAN. Use the Module 4 Planning Sheet below to make note of some opportunities you can use

throughout the day to interact with the children in rich multi-turn conversations.

Page 71 of 95

❑ 1D. PLAN. Follow these steps to complete the Ladder Poster.

o Using your class attendance list, write the name of every child in your class on one of the

lines provided. Alphabetically might be the easiest way to organize the names.

o Over the course of 1-2 days, notice which children you naturally talk to more throughout the

day.

o Think about the children you do not interact with as much. Choose 3-4 of those children and

color in the speech bubble next to their name. These will be your target children for one

week.

o Talk more to your target children over the next week.

o Throughout the week, observe the nature of your conversations with these children. Are

they multi-turn OR does the teacher say something and then the child responds and then

the interaction is over?

o Increase the number of volleys or turns in your conversations with these target children. Ask

a follow-up question or make an additional comment before ending the interaction.

o Throughout the week, use sentences that are more complex in your interactions with the

target children. Add descriptive words to your questions and comments, as well as,

expanding on the child’s questions and comments.

o Finally, reflect on any missed opportunities. Were there any times of day when you could

have spoken to the child but didn’t?

o After reflecting on your week, erase your shaded speech bubbles, choose 3-4 different

target children, and start back at the bottom rung of the ladder circling back through the

cycle with the new group of target children.

o Continue this process repeatedly each week.

Page 72 of 95

Page 73 of 95


WEEK #2

In week #2, the focus is on implementing strategies for eliciting language and talking around the room.

During the implementation, keep in mind any issues, challenges, concerns or questions that are

encountered. These can be shared with your coach during the next visit. Use steps A-B to guide you

through the second week of Module 4.

❑ 2A. IMPLEMENT. Implement some or all of the strategies for eliciting language in your classroom. You

can use the provided planning guide, or you can tailor the grid to meet the needs of your classroom and

implement accordingly.

❑ 2B. REFLECT. Throughout the week, use the charts below to reflect on implementation. Write down a

few strategies you would like to try and examples of how to use them. Reflect on child responses. Take

note of barriers to language interactions and how you can overcome them.

• Which strategies for eliciting language are best suited for children who have more advanced

language skills?

• Which strategies for eliciting language are best suited for children in need of extra language

support?

Page 74 of 95

INCIDENTAL SUPPORT FOR EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE IMPLEMENTATION AND REFLECTION

Did you identify children who needed more language interactions? How will you initiate conversations with these children throughout the day

List 2 locations where you can increase language interactions. 1. 2.

List 2 strategies for eliciting language to use with the children in your class. 1. 2.

List 2 ways to increase the number of volleys in a language interaction. 1. 2.

Reflect on the language interactions between you and your students over the last few weeks. Are there still barriers? If so, what are they? Are children contributing more to the interactions?


Page 75 of 95


WEEK #3

In week #3, the focus is on continuing teacher implementation of incidental language interactions. After

two weeks, teachers should feel more comfortable with the strategies and in class implementation. Use

step A to guide you through the third week of Module 4.

❑ 3A. OBSERVE & REFLECT. During this week’s visit, your coach will model and/or observe language

interactions where the teacher uses eliciting language strategies to increase the length and quality of

conversations. Your coach will ask you questions to reflect on the implementation. The checklist below

can guide your continued implementation of incidental language interactions throughout the day. Take

note of areas where you have checked no. These may be areas to focus on during the visit with your

coach.


1. Throughout the day, settings are arranged for monitoring of all children and to determine which children are not expressively interacting with other children or adults.

□ Yes □ No


2. Teacher chooses in advance a select number of strategies for eliciting language to focus on each week. □ Yes □ No

3. Conversations are well-paced and involve multiple turns between the teacher and children. □ Yes □ No

4. A variety of the strategies for eliciting language are used consistently throughout the week. Ideally implementing strategies within multiple contexts throughout the day.

□ Yes □ No

5. Language strategies are used with diverse groups of children particularly those that need extra support. □ Yes □ No

Language Supports

6. Teacher initiates language interactions in order to model rich and extended conversations □ Yes □ No

7. Teacher is an effective language model utilizing Standard American English and following basic grammatical conventions. □ Yes □ No

8. Teacher extends and elaborates during most language interactions. □ Yes □ No

9. Teacher enthusiastically responds and continues interactions initiated by children. □ Yes □ No

10. Teacher continues to support high-quality language use by including strategies for eliciting language in interactions with children. □ Yes □ No

Page 76 of 95


WEEK #4

In week #4, the focus is on enhancing your implementation of strategies that elicit language by receiving

feedback from the coach during language interactions to further improve your implementation

strategies. Use step A to guide you through the fourth week of Module 3.

❑ 4A. IMPLEMENT & REFLECT. Based on previous language interactions, reflect on the specific skills that

are more challenging. Use this to plan the priorities to focus on during implementation. Communicate

with your coach to plan areas of focus during your implementation.


If your coach modeled some strategies for eliciting language during interactions with children, how was

it different from your own implementation? What is one aspect of the coach’s implementation that you

would like to incorporate into your future interactions?

What Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards are the most obviously targeted in your language interactions?

How have you adapted the planning grid to include other strategies for eliciting language in other areas throughout the day?

Page 77 of 95


WEEK #5

In week #5, the focus is on planning for sustained implementation of incidental support for expressive

language. Use step A-B to guide you through the fifth week of Module 4.





1. Do you have a certain time of the day that you feel more language interactions occur?

□ Yes □ No What time of day?

2. Do you feel comfortable determining which eliciting language strategy is more appropriate in any given situation?

□ Yes □ No


3. Can you commit to consistent, frequent, and rich language interactions with a majority of your students throughout the day?

□ Yes □ No

4. Can you commit to consistent, frequent and rich language interactions with a majority of your students every day?

□ Yes □ No

5. Do you feel that you’ve mastered the ten eliciting language strategies?

□ Yes □ No

If you selected no, what eliciting language strategies would you like

more help mastering?

6. Will you be able to continue implementing Explicit Vocabulary lessons, using explicit use of oral language targets during learning centers, and Dialogic Reading in addition to using incidental support for language?

□ Yes □ No

❑ 5B. REFLECT.

Record an example of a rich multi-turn language interaction that you recently shared with one of your

students.

Page 78 of 95

Modules 1-4:

Lesson Plan Templates




Page 79 of 95

Network Lesson Plan Template

Theme or Concept:

LEARNING GOALS: The goal is to have children form connections between a center word and other related words by suggesting words and explaining how they’re connected to the center word. By making these connections, children will be able to better understand the concepts being taught.

STANDARDS: What skills do I want the children to improve with these lessons?

TARGET WORD:

CHILD-FRIENDLY DEFINITION and PICTURE REPRESENTATION:

CONNECTION WORDS:

CHILD-FRIENDLY DEFINITIONS and PICTURE REPRESENTATION:

*Did you remember to include verbs, synonyms, antonyms, and describing words?

STEP BY STEP: Introduce the target word. Define the target word with a child-friendly definition. Prompt children to repeat the target word. Ex. “Everybody say __.” Place a representation of the target word in the center bubble of the chart using a drawing, photo, or written word.

Page 80 of 95

Give the first connection word. Define the connection word with a child friendly definition. Prompt children to repeat the connection word. Ex. “Everybody say __.” Tell how/why the word is connected to the target word. Place a representation of the connection word on the chart using a drawing, photo, or written word. Draw a bubble around the connection word and a line connecting it to the target word. Repeat with 1 or 2 additional connection words. Encourage children to share additional connection words. Discuss the connections and add more words to the chart.

Downward Scaffold Suggestion: Create a few additional examples to assist children that may have difficulty generating answers. Try to include a variety of parts of speech.

Additional connection word:




Prompting Questions: What do we do with [target word]? Who uses [target word]? Where does [target word] come from? Why do we have [target word]? Why is [target word] important? Upward Scaffolding Suggestion: If children are finding it easy to give many connection words, choose one of the words they give and create an extension of the word web. (See example of wetlands extension below.)

habitats

oce

frog

mangrove tree

dam

rainforest wetlands

ocean

damp

frog

mangrove tree

Page 81 of 95

Category Lesson Plan Template

Theme or Concept:

LEARNING GOALS: The goal is to increase children’s vocabulary by grouping words into various categories based on their meanings. This activity allows children to actively engage in developmentally appropriate kinesthetic sorting of familiar and new words within a particular theme.


INTRO / DEFINE: In this section, introduce the two words that you will be discussing and using as category options for the category lesson. In addition to introducing the two words, you will also introduce how it relates the current theme within the class.

Category 1 Relation to theme

Category 2 Relation to theme

Based on the words introduced in the section above, create corresponding gestures. As you introduce each gesture, provide a child friendly definition of the target word, while modeling the gesture. GESTURES:

We are going to sort words into groups of ____________ and _____________.

If a word is (first target word), move your hands like this (demonstrate gesture).

If a word is (second target word), move your hands like this (demonstrate gesture).

First Category: Before beginning the “What’s My Sign Game,” allow the children to supply their own ideas of words that fit into the first category. Encourage children to elaborate as to why their word fits into the category. Use the chart below to list your own examples to share with the children, as well as, supplying a fun fact related to key knowledge concepts.

Page 82 of 95

First Category Objects First Category Fun Facts

Second Category: Before beginning the “What’s My Sign Game,” allow the children to supply their own ideas of words that fit into the second category. Encourage children to elaborate as to why their word fits into the category. Use the chart below, to list your own examples to share with the children, as well as supplying a fun fact related to key knowledge concepts.

Second Category Objects Second Category Fun Facts

CATEGORIZE: During this portion of the lesson, you will begin by reminding children of the two target words and

their corresponding gesture. Introduce 8-10 words using the prompt below.

• I am a(n) ______. What’s my sign? (Give children a chance to respond. Reinforce with the correct gesture.

Prompt children to say the word and make the gesture).

WRAP UP:

Great job sorting words into ______ and _______.

Page 83 of 95

Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Theme or Concept:

LEARNING GOALS: The goal is to incorporate explicit vocabulary instruction within the shared reading experience.


Book Title:

Choose the target vocabulary for the week. TARGET WORD: Choose up to 10 words to introduce and discuss throughout the week. REFERENCE PAGE NUMBER: Choose the most realistic illustration to teach the new word.

Target word / Reference page number

Example. dragonfly / p. 12 1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

6. 7.

8. 9.

10. 11.

BEFORE / Pre-teach: Before you read the book.

Pre-teach the vocabulary words - about 3-4 words per reading of the book.

Point to the best picture of the word in the book.

Describe the vocabulary word for the children using the picture in the book.

Prompt children to repeat the vocabulary word. “This is _____. Everyone say _____.”

Page 84 of 95

Define the word. See child friendly definitions.

Repeat the vocabulary word. DURING / 1st Encounter of the target vocabulary word

Say the vocabulary word as you encounter it in the text while reading the book. “That’s one of our new words.”

Define the new word. See child friendly definitions.

Point to the word within the illustration, if possible.

Prompt the children to repeat the vocabulary word. “Everyone say _____.”

DURING / 2nd Encounter of the target vocabulary word

Say the vocabulary word as you encounter it in the text while reading the book. “That’s one of our new words.”

Define the new word. See child friendly definitions.

Point to the word within the illustration, if possible.

Prompt the children to repeat the vocabulary word. “Everyone say _____.”

AFTER / Writing Extension: To build content knowledge

Create a two-column chart with the headings, “Now we know” and “Let’s find out”.

Ask children to share what they now know about the theme or concept.

Write a few sentences based on what the children share.

Include target vocabulary in the shared writing.

Prompt the children with questions below, if they have difficulty providing answers. Use the provided lines to pre-plan questions pertaining to the book.

Page 85 of 95

Read and review the class chart. Encourage the children to ‘read aloud’ with you.

Display the chart where children can refer back to it and add new ideas. Note: When a child provides an idea that has not been discussed yet in one of the books you have read, include that idea on the “Let’s find out…” side. As the class learns more, you can move some of the statements/facts over to the “Now we know…” side.

WETLANDS

Now we know… Let’s find out…

Child friendly definitions for…

Book Title:

Word Child friendly definition 1st Encounter 2nd Encounter

page # page #

page # page #

page # page #

page # page #

page # page #

page # page #

page # page #

page # page #

page # page #

* Best representation of the vocabulary word. Use this page and picture to pre-teach the word.

Page 86 of 95

Dialogic Reading Lesson Plan Template – Preplanning

Theme or Concept:

Book Title:

Author / Illustrator:


Word Page Number Child friendly definition

Dialogic Reading Guide

• Day 1: Read the entire book and use labeling questions.

• Day 2: Labeling questions.

• Day 3: Labeling questions with follow-up questions about different attributes of the object.

• Day 4: Labeling questions and open-ended questions with expansions.

• Day 5: Labeling questions, open-ended questions with expansions, and recall questions and questions about personal experiences.

Page 87 of 95

Dialogic Reading Lesson Plan Template - Day 1

LEARNING GOALS: The goal is to increase children’s vocabulary while further developing overall language skills. While reading a children’s book, the adult-child interaction develops into a conversation or a “dialog” about the book.

Theme or Concept:

Book Title:


Words to teach or discuss on Day 1 Page numbers for illustrations used to introduce the word and follow-up

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Day 1: Introduce the book. Make connections to the theme or concept. Read the entire book. Introduce 3-4 vocabulary words.

Day 1 words: (Choose 3-4 new words to focus on.)

1. 3.

2. 4.

Day 1 prompts: Focus on labeling pictures to build vocabulary. Ask “wh” type questions related to the illustrations in the storybook. Point to the picture as you ask the question.

Question 1:

Page 88 of 95

Question 2:

Question 3:

Question 4:

Guidelines:

• If no one answers when you ask a “What is this?” question, provide two seconds of wait time and then provide the answer; “This is a _______.”

• Prompt with “What is this?” • Repeat the word. “Everyone say _______.” • Provide a child friendly definition. “A _______ is a _______.”

Page 89 of 95



Theme or Concept:

Book Title:



1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Day 2: Remember not to read the entire book. Stop on pages to discuss the illustrations. Encourage children to use the vocabulary of the book. Talk about the story.


1. 3.

3. 4.


Question 1:

Page 90 of 95

Question 2:

Question 3:

Question 4:

Question 5:

Question 6:

Guidelines:

• Follow children’s answers with questions about different aspects of the object such as shape, color, or function.



Page 91 of 95



Theme or Concept:

Book Title:



1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Day 3: Remember not to read the entire book. Stop on pages to discuss the illustrations. Encourage children to use the vocabulary of the book. Talk about the story.


1. 3.

4. 4.


Question 1:

Page 92 of 95

Question 2:

Question 3:

Question 4:

Question 5:

Question 6:

Guidelines:

• Follow children’s answers with questions about different aspects of the object such as shape, color, or function.



Page 93 of 95



Theme or Concept:

Book Title:



1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Day 4: Remember not to read the entire book. Stop on pages to discuss the illustrations. Encourage children to use the vocabulary of the book. Talk about the story. Focus on open-ended questions and expansions. Let the children do most of the talking.


1. 3.

2. 4.

Day 4 prompts: What open-ended questions and expansions do I want to ask? These questions allow the children to talk about what interests them.

• What is happening on this page? • What do you see here? • Can you tell me more about that?

Page 94 of 95

Guidelines:

• Follow answers with expansions of 1 – 3 words and have children repeat. Note: Your response will always depend on what the children say. As the conversation goes back and forth between yourself and the children, guide them to use the vocabulary words.

• If there is no response after you ask an open-ended question, provide two seconds of wait time and then provide a model. • T: What do you see on this page? • C: no response • T: I see _____________________________. Can you tell me what you see?

Page 95 of 95



Theme or Concept:

Book Title:



1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Day 5: Remember not to read the entire book. Stop on pages to discuss the illustrations. Encourage children to use the vocabulary of the book. Talk about the story. Focus on open-ended questions and expansions. Let the children do most of the talking.


1. 3.

2. 4.

Day 5 prompts:

• Labeling, open-ended questions are still used. • Include personal experiences and recall questions related to the story events, plot,

characters, setting, or sequence. These decontextualized types of questions are built upon labeling questions and open-ended questions and should be used only occasionally.

Documents

TABLE OF CONTENTS - FCRR