Feeding the Birds

Feeding
the Birds

by Susan Paris This text is levelled at Yellow 2.

illustrated by Tom Simpson

Overview Cross-curriculum links

by Susan Paris
illustrated by Tom Simpson

When Ella notices the hungry birds on the windowsill, Technology (level 1, technological practice) – Outline a
Mum suggests they make a bird feeder. This story general plan to support the development of an outcome,
describes how Ella and Mum work together to carry out identifying appropriate steps and resources.
their project.

This text supports students to develop a self-extending

Related texts
reading processing system, requiring them to “search and • Texts about carrying out a project:
use interrelated sources of information” and use a “range Grandma’s Vase (Red 1); Painting the Fence (Yellow 1)
of word-solving strategies and comprehension strategies
• Texts about family members helping each other:
to make or confirm meaning” (The Literacy Learning
At the Pool (Red 2); Getting Ready for the Visitors (Red 3);
Progressions, page 10).
Painting the Fence (Yellow 1); At the Market, Walking to
There is an audio version of the text as an MP3 file at School (Yellow 2)
readytoread.tki.org.nz

Text characteristics
The students are working towards the standard for after one year at school. Many
explicitly , of the characteristics of Green texts are also in texts at earlier levels but in simpler
forms. These characteristics, as they relate to this text, are shown in the boxes below.

Most content explicitly stated but also some implicit content that
provides opportunities for students to make predictions (for example,
about the connection between Ella and the cover illustration) and
inferences (for example, that Ella likes to do things for herself)
The familiar setting Illustrations that
(at home) and the support and extend
familiar context of “We can make a bird feeder the meaning but may
working with others for them,” said Mum. “Here is a plan not exactly match
in my magazine.”
the words
Ella looked at the plan.
“The birds will like that,” she said.
“We need wood and nails and rope.”

A range of punctuation,
Sentences that run
including speech
over more than one
marks, commas, and
line but do not split
exclamation marks,
phrases, supporting
to support phrasing
phrased reading “Look,” said Ella.
“The birds are hungry. and meaning
They are looking for food.”
2 3

Many high-frequency words (for example, “are”, “Come”, “Dad”, “do”, “for”,
Dialogue between easily
“going”, “help”, “Mum”, “put”, “said”, “she”, “some”, “that”, “them”, “They”),
identified speakers
several of which are repeated, and some common verbs that appear in more
than one form (“look”, “looked”, “looking”; “make”, “making”)

Interest words (for example, “birds”, “cut”, “finished, “food”, “hammered”, “hang”, “hungry”, “love”, “magazine”, “plan”, “nails”, “rope”,
“seeds”, “shed”, “shop”, “wood”, “work”, “worked”) that are likely to be in a reader’s oral vocabulary and are strongly supported by the
context, the sentence structure, and the illustrations

Reading standard: After one year at school

The Literacy Learning Progressions
The above spread:
Text and illustrations copyright © Crown
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Suggested reading purpose • Read the title and tell the students Ella’s name. Use
the cover to generate a discussion about the setting
(What can the students expect to find out or think about as
and the context. If necessary, explain what a bird
a result of reading this text?)
feeder is. Prompt the students to make connections
We are reading this story to find out how Ella made a between the title and the illustration: I wonder what
bird feeder. the girl will do in this story. Expect them to predict
that Ella will have something to do with “feeding the
Possible learning goals birds”.
(What opportunities does this text provide for students
• On the title page, support the students to notice the
to learn more about how to “read, respond to, and think
connection between the pieces of wood and the bird
critically” about texts?)
feeder on the cover. Have two copies of the book so
The behaviours listed below link to The Literacy Learning that you can show these two illustrations side by
Progressions. Select from and adapt them to set your side. As you discuss them, draw out (or feed in) the
specific learning goal. Be guided by your students’ names of the building items. Encourage the students
particular needs and experiences – their culture, to share any experiences of making things with
language, and identity (Reading and Writing Standards wood, nails, and hammers.
for Years 1–8, Knowledge of the learner, page 6). • Encourage the students to make predictions about
who made the bird feeder. Some may make a
This text provides opportunities for students to:
connection to Ella. Remind the students that the
• make connections between their own experiences story will give them more information.
and information in the story in order to make
• Have the students talk with a partner about the
predictions and inferences
illustrations on pages 2 and 3. Do these pictures
• identify (summarise) the main events in the story change your ideas about the story? Expect them to
predict that Ella and Mum are going to follow the
• make meaning by drawing on more than one
plan and make a bird feeder. Draw out the idea of the
source of information, for example, using sentence
birds being hungry by asking: Why are the birds on
structure and context to supplement information
the windowsill?
gained from partial decoding attempts
• Feed in the word “magazine” and encourage the
• notice some errors in their reading and take action
students to explore the plan on page 3. They could
to self-correct.
try and find pictures in the plan of “wood”, “nails”,
and “rope” (as discussed on the title page). Make a
Introducing the story link to their recent experiences with following plans
• Use your knowledge of your students to ensure that at the making table.
the introduction to the story activates their prior
• Share the purpose for the reading and browse
knowledge and supports them for a successful first
through the illustrations on pages 4–7 to establish
reading. This story uses vocabulary (for example,
the steps in constructing the bird feeder. Tell the
“are”, “birds”, “good”, “help”, “hungry”, “love”,
students Carl’s name.
“make”, “need”, “put”, “she”, “shed”, “some”, “them”,
“They”, “work”) that students are likely to be • As you discuss the illustrations, rephrase the
familiar with from previous reading and writing. students’ responses or use prompts to draw out or
feed in language structures and vocabulary that
• Several days before reading this story, provide some
you think may need support. For example:
simple craft activities at the classroom “making
table” that require students to follow instructions. –– on page 5, feed in the term “hardware shop”
and make connections to students’ knowledge
of New Zealand’s main hardware chains. Where
To provide vocabulary support for English does your family go to buy nails and wood?
language learners, before the guided reading –– on page 6, to support “shed” ask: Where are they
lesson, discuss the illustrations on the cover and working?
title page, feeding in key words. If possible, have –– discuss what Ella is doing on page 7: Where
an actual bird feeder and some of the items used will they put the bird feeder? What helps you think
to make it. Add word labels to an enlarged copy that?
of the illustrations and encourage the students to
• Remind the students of the purpose for reading and
practise using these words during the discussion.
that they can read on to check their ideas.
Try to provide the words in their first language as
well as in English. Sounds and words
The Literacy Learning Progressions

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Monitoring the reading • Other prompts you can use to encourage monitoring
include: Are you sure?; Were you right?; Think about
• Observe closely as the students read the story
what would sound right and look right; Do you know a
quietly to themselves. Note their ability to use print
word that looks like that?; You said ... Can we say it that
information (in particular, initial letters, digraphs,
way?; If the word was ____ , what would you expect to see at
inflected endings, and punctuation) and to read
the beginning/end?
the high-frequency words and groups of words in
phrases. Look for any instances of self-monitoring, • Reinforce the students’ attempts to problem-solve
cross-checking, and self-correction. Provide support whether they are successful or not, for example: You read
to individual students as necessary. For example: “There” and then you changed it to “They”. That was good
–– on page 3, if a student stops at the end of work to notice and fix it.
line 1 or line 2 (having assumed that the • For further suggestions about ways to support students
sentence is finished), remind them to read on to to self-monitor (to cross-check, confirm, and self-
the full stop correct), see Effective Literacy Practice in Years 1–4,
–– on page 5, you may need to remind students page 130.
about the word “hardware”.
• If a student makes an error without noticing a Discussing the story after the first reading
problem, wait until the end of the sentence or the • Encourage the students to share their responses to the
page before intervening, unless they have stopped ending. Do you agree with Carl and Dad? What would you
reading. Waiting provides the opportunity for a say to Ella about the bird feeder?
student to notice and fix it for themselves. Use
appropriate prompts to draw their attention to the • Remind the students of the reading purpose and ask
error. For example: them to recall the steps involved in making the bird
feeder. Discuss why the bird feeder would need to be up
Text in book Student Teacher prompt in the tree.
reads
• Encourage them to think critically: How do you think Ella
“... We need “... We need Yes, that looks like feels at the end of the story? Why do you think she didn't
wood and nails wood and string in the picture, want Dad and Carl to help? Encourage students to make
and rope.” nails and but would “string” connections to how they feel when they have achieved
string.” start like this? Look at
something and have been praised.
the beginning of the
word (rope) and try • Have the students reread the story, stopping for
that again.
discussion at points of interest. You can revisit the story
Mum and Ella Mum and That word begins like over several lessons, exploring such features as:
worked in the Ella worked “shop”, but are they
–– what the words and illustrations (including the
shed. in the shop. at the shop? Read it
again. cover illustration) suggest about Ella’s feelings
and/or her personality
“Good work,” “Got ... You read ____ (reread
–– the use of speech marks to indicate dialogue and
said Carl. week,” said the sentence). Does
Carl. that make sense? Try the attributions to clarify who the speaker is.
that again and think Encourage the students to read the dialogue so that
about what Carl would it “sounds like talking”
say to Ella.
–– inflected endings, for example, the verbs ending in
• Remember to base your prompts on what you know “ed” or “ing”
about the students' prior knowledge. For example, –– the “eed” rime in “feeder”, “feeding”, “need”,
asking an English language learner if a word or “seeds”.
sentence sounds right may not be useful if they
are not familiar enough with English phonemes,
vocabulary, or syntax to know the answer. In this
case, an explanation and further examples would
be more effective.

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After reading: practice and • Continue to provide activities that involve simple
reinforcement instructions at the making table.

After-reading tasks should arise from monitoring the • Use the Internet to find plans for making simple
students’ needs during the lesson and should provide bird feeders, for example, using recyclable materials
purposeful practice and reinforcement. Where possible, like empty cardboard boxes and milk containers.
make links to other reading texts, including texts Encourage the students to try making them in class,
generated from language experience and shared writing, perhaps with the help of a teacher aide or parent
to the wider literacy programme (oral language, writing, helper, or at home.
handwriting, alphabet and word games and activities),
• For both of the activities described above, have the
and to other curriculum areas.
students take photos (or draw pictures) of two or
Select from and adapt these suggestions, according to three key steps and add captions describing what
the needs of your students. they did.

• Ask the students to reread the story to a partner. • Build the students’ knowledge of word structure by
Listen in, noting their ability to self-monitor and to exploring the past tense form of some of the verbs in
use punctuation to support phrasing and expression. the story. Start with the familiar regular verb “look”
Note aspects that may need further attention. You and have the students add “ed” to make “looked”.
could also take a quick running record with a student Repeat with “help” or “need”. Create oral sentences
to provide more information on an aspect you have together to clarify the meaning of the new verb
noticed. forms they are making (“Look at the plan,” said Ella.
/ Dad looked at the bird feeder). Explore the verbs
• The students can build their comprehension and
“make”, “go”, and “feed” that are irregular in the past
fluency by rereading the text while listening to
tense. Explain that some words can’t have
the audio version. Audio versions also provide
“ed” added.
English language learners with good models of
pronunciation, intonation, and expression. • Have word games and activities available that
encourage the students to sort words by common
• Provide many opportunities for students to enjoy
characteristics, such as initial digraphs, inflected
reading this story and other stories with similar
endings (“ed”, “ing”), or word families (“look”,
themes (see Related texts).
“looked”, “looks”, “looking). You could include
• Provide practice in summarising. For example, word families with irregular verb forms (“feed”,
the students could: “feeds”, “fed”, “feeding”; “make”, “makes”, made”,
“making”).
–– retell the story to a partner
–– choose three events from the story to draw and
write about (in sequence)
–– work in pairs to identify and list three things
that Ella did in the story and three things that
Mum did.
• Provide practice in making inferences by asking
the students to create a thought bubble for Ella
on pages 7 or 8.

• The students could work in pairs on activities using

advertising pamphlets from hardware stores. For
example, they could:

–– look for the items that Mum and Ella needed,

or you could provide a list of items for them to
search for
–– cut out and paste pictures of items onto a
chart, label them, and say what they would
use them for.

Feeding the Birds

Accessed from www.readytoread.tki.org.nz Teacher support material for Feeding the Birds, Ready to Read, 2016 4
COPYRIGHT © CROWN 2016 ISBN 978 0 478 16496 1 (ONLINE)