Practice Makes Perfect

Pat Baker
Grade Level 4

[Background information
I have been using the basic format of Daily Five in my classroom. It is a series of literacy tasks (reading to self, reading with someone, writing, word work, and listening to reading) which students complete daily while the teacher confers with individuals. In my classroom I just use read-to-self and work-on-writing. Prior to this lesson on read-to-self we have discussed and had guided practice on book selection, good fit books, use of book boxes to store books, etc.]

Reading
Instructional Strategy: practice
Day: 1-?? Stamina to read for 20 minutes
Objectives: Students will read to self for a minimum of 20 minutes following the rules from the read-to-self chart

Links to Standards: LA 4.1.4 & 4.1.5 & 4.1.6

Anticipatory Set: “What do we need to do to become better readers who love to read?” From this prompt I should hear or I’ll take suggestions until … “spend more time practicing reading.”
Assessment: Students will read independently for 20+ minutes follow the classroom rules.
Learning Connections: vocabulary-stamina.

Learning Activities or Tasks: Brainstorm what it looks and sounds like to read to self. The chart should have the following items:

WHY…Urgency:
· Helps us become better readers and writers
· It is fun
Students Teacher
· Read the whole time Work with students
· Stay in one spot
· Read quietly
· Work on Stamina
· Get started right away

We start practicing read-to-self for 3 minutes explaining that this will help build our stamina. Most students will be successful for 3 minutes and this is training correct behaviors. The class then watches as we chart 3 minutes on the graph (we’re working toward 20 minutes) for the first day. Each day we review the chart and add 3 minutes to our read-to-self period or until the first student is off task. We graph our results every day until we’ve read for 20 minutes, in 4 consecutive days.

Teaching Strategies: discussion, modeling

Adaptations/Modifications/Enrichment: NA

Materials & Resources: just right books, book boxes, read-to-self chart, timer, large graph paper

Reflection: I find this a high quality form of silent reading because the students have a purpose and the process has been modeled extensively. If I see there is a student who is having trouble with any of the tasks, the whole class stops and we practice as a group the wanted behaviors. Once the students are independently reading, I use this time to work with students who are in need of comprehension skills to improve their reading.

Lesson Evaluation: To be completed when lesson has concluded.
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Instructional Strategy: practice
4 & 5 grade social studies (my 4th graders have another instructor for science, so in place of that instruction I teach 5th grade social studies. At the beginning of the year I’m going to concentrate on regions with both classes –on less lesson plan –and by next year the then 5thgrade should know states & capitals and it will just be review)

Day: 1-??
Objectives: Students identify the states and capitals of the United States (along with their regions.)

Links to Standards: SS 4.12

Anticipatory Set: “Let’s brainstorm all the states we’ve visited”. I’ll list where we’ve traveled and pass out maps (Spectrum- Geography 4 regions of the USA) with states & regions. We’ll begin our study of regions with the most traveled to states.

Assessment: At the conclusion of regions in the United States, students will be able to identify 85% states’ capitals using flash cards in less than 3 minutes.

Learning Connections: A geographic and regional way of looking at and understanding the United States is asking how who, what, where, of the region have in common. When the United States is divided into regions to study it makes it easier for students to assimilate the areas further from us.

Learning Activities or Tasks: After reading and discussing characteristics of states in each region (to be placed in their social studies notebook) the students will make flashcards from index cards. One side of the card will be the state and the other side the capital. Students will practice with a partner and graph their success.

Teaching Strategies: introduction, research, peer learning

Adaptations/Modifications: students will listen to or watch the states and capital song:
Youtube video
Or lyrics and tune
Computer site to match state & capital

Enrichment: computer class: Students will choose a capital and make a minimum of 6 slides showing what makes this city unique.

Materials & Resources: maps, student made flashcards (index cards) with state on one side and capital on the other, timer, graph paper, writing supplies as needed

Lesson Evaluation & Reflection: To be completed when unit has concluded.
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Instructional Strategy: practice
Math-multiplication facts
Day: 1-??

Objectives: Students will learn multiplication facts 1-9.

Links to Standards: Math 4.2 computation

Anticipatory Set: Do we need to be fast and accurate when we play video games? We need the skills if we’re going to become good math students. How do we get better at video games…right we play them A LOT! Let try that we math facts!

Assessment: Weekly I will check students to see if they have increased their learning of the multiplication facts (I choose 54 facts-no zeros or 1’s). Students will keep their own results in their math folders. The helper will compile the total for the week and record the data on the classroom chart.

Learning Connections: How do we get better?---practice! In the 4th grade we are beginning to concentrate on division, fractions, measurement, algebra, and geometry. Word problems are practiced daily and when it takes students too long and uses too much working memory to do the basic skills-they can't keep track of the higher skills needed for learning. That’s why we spend time practicing and memorizing math facts.

Learning Activities or Tasks: One day a week the students, with partners, practice, with flashcards and timer, to see the total number of correct responses in one minute. When students are practicing with a partner they may reuse the stack if someone knows all the answers before the minute has elapsed. There is a class chart with the total number correct. As soon as someone beats another’s total the name is added to the chart with the total correct. (Very motivating)
Throughout the week the teacher will determine, in a non-timed manner, the class total by using the same 54 flashcards.

Teaching Strategies: teacher modeling, partner sharing,

Adaptations/Modifications math fact cards to be used independently
/Enrichment: math games

Materials & Resources: timers, flashcards, graph paper, writing supplies as needed

Lesson Evaluation & Reflection: To be completed when lesson has concluded.