Elementary Literacy

Task 1: Planning Commentary

TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 9 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.

1. Central Focus
a. Describe the central focus and the essential literacy strategy for comprehending OR
composing text you will teach in the learning segment.
[ The central focus of the literacy content is to use a variety of strategies to identify, classify and
organize figurative language by gathering and interpreting evidence from the text to construct
meaning. The goal of this learning segment is to explicitly model the process of searching for
and organizing textual evidence in order to comprehend figurative languages used in the text.
Teacher will model and interpret textual evidence for the students to model and interpret for
themselves. Think-alouds will be utilized to model the process of identify, classify, and organize
figurative languages. ]
b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives within
your learning segment address
the essential literacy strategy
related skills that support use of the strategy
reading/writing connections

[ The essential literacy strategy addresses standards and learning objectives to identify, classify,
and organize figurative languages. Students build on inferring meaning using textual evidence
by observing the teacher model these skills then perform the strategies themselves. To support
the strategy of inferring, using context clues to determine the meaning of the expression or
vocabulary. The reading and writing connections addresses the learning objectives during the
partnered work where students collaboratively write from the perspective of the character. ]
c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections
between the essential literacy strategy to comprehend OR compose text and related
skills that support use of the strategy in meaningful contexts.
[ Throughout the learning segment, the teacher will be implementing the strategy of inferring
and searching for text evidence. The plan of the lesson is to build on the students inferences to
identify the meanings of figurative language. The strategies of rereading and going back into the
text to search for context clues to obtain textual evidence to support the figurative language. As
students practice these strategies they are also building their vocabularies. Students complete
assignments to measure their comprehension. They scaffold by identifying the figurative
languages used in multiple texts. Students will identify, classify, and organize figurative
languages by gathering textual evidence. The students build meaningful connections to the text
and the strategy by applying the strategy to identify, classify, and organize the figurative
language. As the teacher reads to the class, the teacher will ask questions to engage students
to stimulate deeper thinking. Good readers ask and answer questions as they read to help them
better understand and remember ideas in the text. ]
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching

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Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

For each of the prompts below (2ab), describe what you know about your students with
respect to the central focus of the learning segment.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support
(e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focusCite
evidence of what students know, what they can do, and what they are still
learning to do.
[ Skills that students need prior to these lessons is the ability to refer back to the text in order to
search for contextual evidence. Strategies that students will need is ask and answer questions,
rereading and looking at the context clues to help them gain a better understanding. Students
know how to use a graphic organizer that has been used in previous lessons before. The are
able to close read and search for text details and finding the main idea of the text. With their
prior knowledge the should also be able to use sentence clues for vocabulary that they dont
understand. Students also need to understand that they can find clues in the illustrations to help
them understand and make connections. Shared reading will accommodate the needs of the
diverse student readers. ]
b. Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focusWhat do you
know about your students everyday experiences, cultural and language
backgrounds and practices, and interests?
[ With knowledge of my classroom and the community I was able to create a lesson that will
best meet the needs of the students. Only a handful of students are students who are above
their reading level and enjoy reading for pleasure. There is also a few students who are well
below their reading level and struggle with reading grade level text. I know my students are
capable of searching for text details that will support their answers with assistance in
reading/analyzing the text. They show they have comprehension skills when instruction is
scaffolded well. I know my students are always eager to read and when they see that they can
begin to read chapter books it encourages the students to want to read. The text is perfect for
everyone in the classroom, although there are different levels of readers in the classroom
students are partnered with their reading parters who can be an additional help for the students
who need it. The book is humorous so that everyone will enjoy the text in order to keep all
students engaged and interested in the lesson. ]
3. Supporting Students Literacy Learning
Respond to prompts 3ac below. To support your justifications, refer to the instructional
materials and lesson plans you have included as part of Planning Task 1. In addition, use
principles from research and/or theory to support your justifications.
a. Justify how your understanding of your students prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets (from prompts 2ab above) guided your choice or
adaptation of learning tasks and materials. Be explicit about the connections between
the learning tasks and students prior academic learning, their assets, and
research/theory.
[ My understanding of my students prior academic learning and personal, cultural, and
community assets guided my choice because students need to be able to identify, classify and
organize the figurative language used in texts in order to interpret these types of literature.
Students in this classroom are unfamiliar with complex texts; acquiring the skills of identifying
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Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

and interpreting figurative language gives them tools to interpret this type of challenging
literature. When students are able to use the skills needed to interpret figurative language, they
will be able to read more complex text and grow as readers. Since some students struggle with
reading, having students read and work individually would not be an effective strategy. Shared
reading is important because it develops a sense of confidence in reading. (Marshall, 2014)
With shared reading, students of all reading levels have the opportunity to actively participate.
Group discussions develop student predictions about how a story progresses. ]
b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are
appropriate for the whole class, individuals, and/or groups of students with
specific learning needs.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[ My instructional strategies and planned supports are appropriate for the whole and and
individuals who may or may not have specific learning needs by creating an engaging lesson.
When all students are engaged in learning, they are more likely to make connections and
remember the strategies taught. The strategies need to practiced until the students become
skilled at reading and identify figurative language. Lessons are scaffolded so that support can
be given throughout the lesson. The strategy being used in our lesson is inferring meaning with
textual evidence by asking and answering questions. This is a process that provides struggling
readers with the necessary support. It allows students to comprehend the text. The instructional
strategy will support all students needs in the class with different learning needs because the
strategy has basic questions they can ask themselves while reading. They can begin with the 5
ws - who, what, where, when and why. Students were also paired with a partner so they can
discuss their answers with each other. ]
b. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions within
your literacy central focus and how you will address them.
[ Since this lesson segment will be over a span of few days, each day will be building a
foundation for the next. One error that may occur is the assumption that students will completely
understand and remember the lesson for the next lesson. To address this issue, if necessary,
time will be made prior to the lesson to execute a review session of what we had gone over the
previous day. The teacher will review the concepts that were taught and discuss the text that
was read in a class discussion to refresh their memory. Another approach could be to ask
students what they remembered from the last lesson. ]
4. Supporting Literacy Development Through Language
As you respond to prompts 4ad, consider the range of students language assets and
needswhat do students already know, what are they struggling with, and/or what is new to
them?
a. Language Function. Using information about your students language assets and
needs, identify one language function essential for students to develop and practice the
literacy strategy within your central focus. Listed below are some sample language
functions. You may choose one of these or another more appropriate for your learning
segment.
Analyze

Argue

Categorize

Compare/contrast

Describe

Explain

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Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

Interpret

Predict

Question

Retell

Summarize

[ Explain ]
b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides students with opportunities to
practice using the language function in ways that support the essential literacy strategy.
Identify the lesson in which the learning task occurs. (Give lesson day/number.)
[ Students were asked to go back reread and go back into the text to look for context clues and
evidence that can support the vocabulary of the figurative language used. Students are asked to
explain their findings by referring back to events in the story (LP1, LP2, LP3). At the end of LP3
students are asked to complete a venn diagram and refer back to the story to explain where
they found the information to support their findings. ]
c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task
identified above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral)
students need to understand and/or use:

Vocabulary or key phrases

Plus at least one of the following:
Syntax
Discourse
[ Students already know how to use a graphic organizer and to reread prior to this learning
segment. They struggle with finding a concise answer for their graphic organizer and to be able
to infer and cite the textual evidence accurately. What is new to them is the focus on figurative
language and the vocabulary being introduced to them. Students may struggle with finding an
idiom without the literal meaning without support. ]
d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as needed
in your response to the prompt.

Identify and describe the planned instructional supports (during and/or prior to the
learning task) to help students understand, develop, and use the language demands
(function, vocabulary or key phrases, discourse, or syntax).
[ For the first part of the lesson, students will be provided with the content needed to understand
the definition of idioms and other vocabulary similar to idioms, such as other figurative
language, and the reading strategy inferring meaning using textual evidence, and ask and
answer questions. When reading the story aloud to students, they also read in pairs in order to
help meet the needs of every student. Students worked in pairs to brainstorm other idioms they
might know. This is designed to differentiate instruction by providing students time to share
ideas with a partner (Allen Simon, 2014). This strategy allows students to think on their own and
share their thoughts with a peer. They will be given the opportunity to discuss what similarities
and differences they collected and discovered. ]
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Planning Task 1.
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Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence that students can use the essential literacy strategy to comprehend OR
compose text AND related skills throughout the learning segment.
[ The informal assessments will be the discussions we have in class during the lessons. This
includes students responses from their think/pair/share activity or thumbs up/down. Students
responses will also show direct evidence when they work in pairs on their white boards in order
to show me their understanding by writing or drawing what the character perceived (the literal
meaning behind the idioms). Most of these information lets me know if the students
understanding correlates with the primary focus of the lesson. The formal assessments is
having students turn in a graphic organizer, venn diagram, drawings of the literal meanings, and
creating their own idioms and illustration the meaning of the idioms they created. This
assessment will demonstrate the students understanding of the reading strategy, inferring
meaning using textual evidence by asking and answering questions. ]
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows students with
specific needs to demonstrate their learning.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[ The planned assessment allowed me to see if I needed to reteach certain lessons or if I was
able to move on to the next segment of the lesson to reach the primary focus. I had to ensure
that students who finished faster than others had additional practice work while the others
worked. I focused on getting student engagement so the class could work together. As the
students worked with their peers I was able to walk around and assist the students who were
struggling. ]

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