Elementary Education

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.
[Students will visualize understanding text and compare and contrast people from different
countries. Student will learn and understand new words. Students will write a letter to a friend
who lives in another country during the Language Art. Students will be able to recognize and
capitalize proper nouns with 90% accuracy.]
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 of this lesson is compare and contrast, so students will compare
and contrast people from different countries with a Venn diagram. Students will write paragraphs
to tell the similarities and differences between two courtiers in the book. Students will write a
letter to a friend who lives in another country.]
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.
[The three lessons are connecting to each other and they are in the same topic, however
students are going to work with different skills each time. At beginning of each lesson, we will
discuss or review strategies that we learn help us understand text or become a good writer in
the future.]
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching
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.
[My students know what nouns are, however only some of them know what are the differences
between common nouns and proper nouns. Proper nouns are the special nouns that all children
need to learn because it helps them read and write professionally.]

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Elementary Education
Task 1: Planning Commentary

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?
[Vocabulary is an issue for several students. So, many of them are not able to read a new story
independently. Additionally, my students enjoy making new friends, communicating and playing
with the other people. ]
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 Literacy 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.
[I know that my students have problem with vocabulary, so I will select the book that base on
their vocabulary levels and explain each word clearly. I will ask students to use prior knowledge
to make a connection to the new word. ]
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 are appropriate for the whole class because there is only one
student who is able to spell 3rd grade vocabulary independently. Using prior knowledge helps
students comprehend vocabulary and utilize them later.]
c. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions within
your literacy central focus and how you will address them.
[Vocabulary is the common issue in my classroom. When we write a formal letter to a new
friend, I will ask students write words according to my pronunciation. If they still dont know the
word, I will orally spell words to them. ]
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 Education
Task 1: Planning Commentary

Interpret

Predict

Question

Retell

Summarize Demonstrate

[The teacher will demonstrate the details and main idea of the book with students.
]
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 will learn new words in a text to make connection to unknown vocabulary, which is
helpful for student to comprehend the text. Vocabulary is an issue for several students on this
key. At the end of class, students should be able to read the new words under the guidance.
(Lesson one-March 23rd)]
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

[Language demand: Listening/speaking: Students need to listen careful when the teacher
read aloud the book. The new words are: Australia, Canada, Russia, South Korea, Tanzania,
live, friends, barbecued, kangaroos, silk, and ketchup. Students are going to build
background by discussing different questions with classmates and the teacher.]
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 identified language
demands (function, vocabulary or key phrases, discourse, or syntax).

[Students are required to communicating with teacher and classmates. Students will discuss the
definition of each new word with the teacher. Students will tell how much they know about these
words.]
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Literacy Planning Task 1.
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 assessments are based on my observation, and asking various questions to check
understanding, for example:
-Can they tell the meaning of different words? (vocabulary)
-Can they answer my question when I read aloud the book? (comprehend the text)
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Elementary Education
Task 1: Planning Commentary

- How are like these children in the book? (compare and contrast)
-How are you different? (Compare and contrast)
Additionally, I will ask students to complete the Venn diagram to compare and contrast two
children in the book.]
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).
[My students are under the average level and not able to write many words independently, so I
will have to write their answers when we work with the venn diagram to compare and contrast
children. I will ask many questions during the instruction because my students lose attention
easily (ADHD). Asking questions helps them stay focus and helps me check understanding
during the instruction. ]

Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

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All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.