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 purpose for the content you will teach in the learning
segment.
The central focus of this reading learning segment is to strengthen students reading fluency
and comprehension. The segment begins with introducing vocabulary that the students will
encounter in their weekly reading. The purpose is to not only teach them to learn the
meanings of these words but teach them to make sense of these words in their own words
and to teach them a range of strategies to help them increase their overall vocabulary
comprehension in all areas. The segment also focuses on comprehension skills including
setting a purpose for reading, determining the genre, and sequencing. The overall focus
and goal is to improve the overall comprehension of all students.
b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives within your
learning segment address

an essential literacy strategy- Comprehending literacy is addressed in the learning

segment when I teach strategies to learn new vocabulary, set a purpose, and the
importance of sequencing the event of stories.

requisite skills that support use of the strategy- Students in 5th grade have learned
many strategies to improve their comprehension. They do need additional support
and practice in a variety of genres in order to continually build their own skills and
strategies to become better readers.

reading/writing connections- Students are ask to write their personal purpose for
reading before they even start to read. They are taught to write down the sequences
in the story in a way that makes sense to them to aid their comprehension. Students
write their own sentences and stories related to the vocabulary words in order to
make connections between the words and their own lives.
[ ]
c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections
between skills and the essential strategy to comprehend OR compose text in meaningful
contexts.
The lesson starts off introducing the students to Tier 2 vocabulary words that are essential to
know in order to fully comprehend the upcoming story. The students get to interact with these
words and develop their own meaning and questions regarding the words. The lesson then
allows the students to preview the text activating background knowledge and sparking interest
in the text. They are setting their own personal goals for reading at this time. The lesson allows
the students to read the story the first time on their own. The second time, fluency is modeled
by the teacher while modeling comprehension strategies throughout the reading. The students
are then able to work individually and together to practice the comprehension strategies that
were modeled.
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching

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Elementary Education
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.
The class has a wide variety of prerequisite skills. They are readers on many levels throughout
the classroom. Several students in the room struggle to comprehend what they are reading
regardless of the level of reading. Four students require extra support during reading and have
an aid in the room and are also pulled out of the room for additional instruction. With the variety
of needs in the classroom, the whole group lesson is followed up with 4 small groups to address
the needs of each group on a more individual basis.
b. Personal/cultural/community assets related to the central focusWhat do you know
about your students everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and practices,
and interests?
The classroom is diverse. One child is an ELL student who is also hearing impaired. He has a
gap in his background knowledge compared to many of his peers. There are several students
in the class that have been moved several times during the school year and are struggling to
adjust to situations going on at home.
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 Task 1. In addition, use principles
from research and/or theory to support your explanations.
a. Justify how your understanding of your students prior academic learning and
personal/cultural/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, assets, and research/theory.
There are many accommodations made within the classroom. Students are grouped in table
groups of 4 students where they can do their best work. Students who need more teacher
assistance are towards the front of the room. The teacher must where the microphone for the
student who is hearing impaired. I start the lesson off by talking about vocabulary and exploring
the words due to the wide range of background knowledge. Students of all levels get to work
with each other while working on the vocabulary words. I also constantly circle the room to
listen to student conversation and read their written work to make sure they are learning and
comprehending. The whole group discussion is extended in small groups allowing the students
who need additional support to get it during this time. Students who need a challenge to use
higher level thinking skills, are also able to do this during small group time.
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.

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Elementary Education
Task 1: Planning Commentary

Consider 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 flexible and change depending on the needs of the students. In
order to get all students involved and participating, I like to do turn and talk strategies. After the
students have had a chance to talk to another peer about the content, they are more likely to
share out at whole group. I also use the strategy of constantly walking around the room which
helps students stay on task and it is easier for me to see strengths and needs.
c. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions within
your literacy central focus and how you will address them.
A common misconception within this literacy focus would be that a reader should read all genres
of text in the same way. This piece of historical fiction text requires a lot of attention be given to
order of events. I plan to point this out and do the sequencing activity to help teach this skill.
4. Supporting Literacy Development Through Language
a. Language Function. 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

Interpret

Predict

Question

Retell

Summarize

Explain

[
Summarize. Students should be able to summarize the story by sequencing the events in the
story to retell it
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 strategy. Identify
the lesson in which the learning task occurs. (Give lesson day/number.)
On days 3 and 4, students are able to work as a class to visualize a piece of the story and then
illustrate that section of the story. They are then able to work as a class to put the book in order
of the events that happened in the story.
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 The first lesson is dedicated to vocabulary

Plus at least one of the following:
Syntax
Discourse
Consider the range of students understandings of the language function and other
language demandswhat do students already know, what are they struggling with,
and/or what is new to them?
[ ]
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Elementary Education
Task 1: Planning Commentary

d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as needed
in your response to the prompt.

Describe the instructional supports (during and/or prior to the learning task) that help
students understand and successfully use the language function and additional
language demands identified in prompts 4ac.
Throughout the multiple readings of the story the students do throughout the week, they are
able to talk about sections of the story with guided questions to their table partners. They are
encouraged to think about vocabulary and other language in the story and make it their own.
For the struggling readers, some of the proper names are very difficult. They are able to say the
word using the first letter to help prevent the word from frustrating them or hurting their
comprehension.
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Task 1.
a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence that students can use the essential literacy strategy and requisite skills to
comprehend or compose text throughout the learning segment.
The main assessment I use is informal observation during whole and small group. I ask them to
keep their vocabulary sheet and all writing points in their journal for informal assessment. The
formal assessment is mandated by the school district and given every Friday
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows students with
specific needs to demonstrate their learning.
Consider all students, including students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language
learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students.
[I allow for informal assessment throughout the week which allows all students to demonstrate
their learning. Meeting with students on an individual basis whenever possible is important. If
there is not enough time, small group time is a great time to assess their learning. ]

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