Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Gordons 5-Step Structure

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Gordons Five-Step Structure

Book: Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Gaston-Friends-KellyDiPucchio/dp/1442451025/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480311244&sr=11&keywords=Gaston
Grade Level: Second Grade
List: 2015
Step 1: Teacher identifies the skill to be taught.
Using this book, I would teach students how the information gained from
illustrations and words in a text helps in understanding the characters, setting, and/or plot
of the story.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to
demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
Step 2: Teacher completely models the strategy.
I would begin by having a discussion with students about how looking at the
words, illustrations, and even the specific ways in which the words look (font, placement,
etc.) can help us better understand the story. Then I would read the title and first page of
the book. Next, I would ask questions such as, What are the illustrations/pictures on this
page showing/telling us? What do you notice? and What can we infer by reading the
names of the puppies? I would then give the answer to those questions, cite the
evidence, and explain my reasoning.
Step 3: Teacher involves the students in citing the evidence.
I would continue reading through page 5. I would then stop and ask a question
specifically about the illustration: What do you know from looking at the illustration on
this page? Again, I would answer the question. I would then have students cite the
evidence for my answer, and I would lead them in a discussion exploring the reasoning.
Step 4: Teacher involves the students in answering the question.
Beginning again, I would read the next three pages. This time I would ask
questions specifically about the placement of the text: What do you notice about the
placement of the text on these two pages? Why do you think the illustrator placed

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Gordons 5-Step Structure

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them this way? This time, the students will answer the questions. I will then cite the
evidence and lead them in a discussion that explores the reasoning.
Step 5: Students have primary responsibility during most of the strategy.
I would continue reading through page 12. Stopping there, I would ask questions
dealing specifically with the font of the text (the way the printed words look): What do
you notice about the font of the names on pages 11 and 12? Why do you think the
illustrator chose those fonts and made them different? During this final step, the
students will answer the questions, cite the evidence, and explain their reasoning.
Finally, I finish reading through the end of the book and re-cap what we learned
about how the words, illustrations, fonts, word placement, etc., in a book can help in
understanding the story.
Reflection:
When I first read about Gordons Five-Step Approach, I honestly felt like it was
excessive to go through those five steps, teaching the same concepts four different times
in a row. However, after completing this assignment with a real text and having to think
about how it would play out if I put it into practice, I can definitely see how beneficial it
would be for students. I think many teachers that Ive observed may even do this (maybe
not exactly four times or exactly this way) during their read-alouds without really
thinking about it. These teachers are simply scaffolding their students, and to me
Gordons approach is a guide to scaffolding as it applies to the cognitive processes that
deal with comprehending text.
Gordons Five-Step Approach gives students the opportunity to witness a
cognitive processing strategy as the teacher models it, and gradually they are able to take
on small chunks of the task. By the final step, students are able to go through the
stages of the cognitive process on their own.