Week #6

Based on Mary's results, her instructional focus would include:

• using context clues to anticipate a familiar word
• investigating various word-identification strategies
• activating prior knowledge before reading
• recalling main idea, important facts or details from a passage

Keeping in mind that Mary's intervention would take place during class time while still instructing the rest of my students, I would definitely reflect more on my differentiation strategies while teaching the whole group. More accommodations would be made. I would also plan her intervention for 3 days per week for about 20 minutes each day. For weekly lessons I will try to spend half the sessions doing word study and the other half monitoring comprehension.

Sample of a mini-lesson

Objective: Mary will understand the main idea of a reading selection, using expository text.

Materials: Graphic Organizer, markers, expository text, highlighter

Modeling: Present a list of words (without headings) on chart paper. Ask Mary to think of a word or phrase that could be used to describe what the lists are mostly about. Each of my four lists will describe the following: animals, clothes, Disney princesses and places to stay.

Guided Instruction: Discuss the words or phrases offered by Mary. Emphasize that the words or phrases describe the heading and tells what the words are mostly about. make a connection to reading;" in your favorite book or story, the main idea is the most important idea given about a topic. Other parts of information that support the main idea are called details.

Modeling:Draw a wheel with spokes on the chart paper and tell Mary that the center of the wheel represents the main idea and the spokes represent the supporting details.

Guided Practice: Present a short expository text and help Mary model how to go about finding the main idea. Tell her to remember to think about the following:

• what is the paragraph mostly about?
• what is the most important idea give about the topic?
• look for details that tell about the main idea. If you can't find any details, you probably don't have the main idea.
• the main idea is usually in the text. Other times you have to use the details to figure out the main idea.

Independent Practice: Mary will add supporting details to the spokes and highlight.