Observation and Strategy Lesson # 1

Guided Reading/ Book Club: 3rd grade, two boys - Jesse and Nathan, 02/26/2008 9:25AM

Context: Teacher finished teaching point and students went back to their seats for book club. I picked out a book called The Day I saw Dad Cry and approached to the two boys at the round table in the back of the classroom.

The two boys I worked with today, Jesse and Nathan are the students whom I worked with two weeks ago in the J/K Henry and Mudge book club. Ms. Jane and I have decided that it would be more beneficial for the boys to split up and work with partners during guided reading/ book club. I am sitting between Nathan and Jesse at the round table, and as I was about to begin the book introduction, both of them started to resist reading this particular book, The Day I Saw Dad Cry by Bill Cosby. Jesse expressed to me that he was not a big fan of the Little Bill series, while Nathan was upset because he did not get to work with his friend in the original group. After settling the matters, both of them did not seem happy, but they picked up the book and started reading to themselves. Sadly, I had to stop them because I had planned to give them a strategy lesson. They did not like interruptions. Jesse said in a frustration voice, "but I know how to read this!" And Nathan ignored the comment and continued reading on his own. As a result, I had to take their books away from them and explained to them what a strategy lesson was. They started listening again to my teaching point, which was, "Good readers prepare themselves in guided reading or book club reading by having a good sitting posture and sitting comfortably in their own space." After I have given my "talk", both of them began to read again. Please note the timeline below to see how they did.

9:30
- Jesse reads for a minute and gets distracted by the people around him. He turns around often and does not focus on his reading
9:31
- Jesse is aroused by the pictures in the book and decides to share with Nathan who is sitting across from him
- Nathan responds, “hahaha… he looks funny!”
- Jesse giggles back
9:32
- Jesse and Nathan are reading
- both of them displays engagement and concentration at this time
9:32
- Jesse begins reading aloud to himself
9:34
- Nathan complains Jesse’s read aloud that he is distracting him
- Jesse does not respond, he continues reading aloud
9:35
- both boys are still reading
Nathan is finished with chapter 1 and puts the book down
9:36
- Jesse shows pictures to Nathan and is once again distracted
- Jesses finishes chapter 1 and puts his book down