Ask Questions | Reading Recovery

Classroom Environment	Lesson Structure	Assessment	Sample Comprehension Lessons

“From Questions to Answers”

Sample Lesson: Asking Questions Strategy
Grade 1

Ask Questions

Prior to Viewing, See Introduction to Asking Questions

Purposes of the Lesson:

Encourage curiosity about texts to motivate focused reading and research
Teach students to use text features, including illustrations, headings, and captions, to generate questions
Teach students to use a variety of methods to find answers to their own questions in informational texts

Lesson Segment (Video Clip)	Segment Focus	Questions to Consider While Viewing (Links to Facilitator Notes for PLC)	Teacher Commentary (Video Clip)	Supporting Documents
Lesson Introduction	Become familiar with the book and lesson plan	Read the book, Whales by Vic Moors (www.readinga-z.com) , or the book summary, which indicates the pages used in the lesson. Read the lesson plan .	Lesson Introduction (3:02)	Facilitator Notes Correlation to State Standards Suggested Readings Book Summary Lesson Plan Student Work Samples Lesson in Real Time Lesson Transcript Teacher Commentary Transcript Independent Practice Chart for Responses Possible Questions for Analysis of Student Work FAQ
Connect/Engage (4:13)	Explain the strategy focus of the lesson; Build/activate background knowledge and motivation for reading the text; Establish or practice procedures/routines	What does the teacher do to set students up to be successful and engaged with the lesson? What are your thoughts about the role of turning and talking?	Connect/Engage (1:23)
Model (5:47)	Read aloud and stop at strategic points to think aloud Model how to record thinking Use turn and talk to assess understanding and involve students	What is accomplished by each example modeled?	Model (1:53)
Guided Practice 1 (3:42)	Continue to read aloud. Children record their own thinking and turn and talk; Gradually shift responsibility for thinking and recording thinking from teacher to students; Confer with students as they work.	What methods do students explore for answering their questions?	Guided Practice 2 (1:53)
Guided Practice 2 (5:40)		Why is it important for children to learn a variety of ways to look for answers to their questions?	Guided Practice 2 (1:53)
Preparation for Independent Practice (5:04)	Explain what students will do when they leave the meeting area	How does the teacher prepare the students to work on their own?	Preparation for Independent Practice (2:15)
Independent Practice 2 (5:15) Independent Practice 3 (6:25)	Students work on applying the strategy(ies) on their own or with a partner Teacher confers – listening, scaffolding, and teaching into each student’s needs	Use the “Independent Practice Chart for Responses” to note student behaviors in asking and answering questions and teacher support.
Share and Closure (4:26)	Teach, reinforce, and/or utilize established routines to provide a respectful and supportive environment for sharing thinking Reinforce important ideas from the lesson and encourage their future use	What is accomplished in this sharing session? What alternate procedures for sharing might also be effective?	Share and Closure (1:20)
Analyzing Student Work	Teacher/colleague analysis of student work	Brainstorm questions you would ask in order to analyze the student work from this lesson (See Possible Questions for Analysis of Student Work in Supporting Documents) Analyze the student work samples provided under “Supporting Documents” using the questions you developed. (You may want to divide the student samples among colleagues.) Discuss implications and possible next steps for the class, small groups, or individual students	Analyzing Student Work (3:49)
Lesson Reflection	Teacher/colleague discussion about the lesson	How might you adapt this lesson to your own students, or to children at different grade levels? Revisit the Introduction to Asking Questions, particularly the section, “How do we teach the strategy of questioning?” Which lessons in asking their own questions do your students need? How do you or will you develop their proficiency with asking and answering their questions?	Lesson Reflection (3:39)