The lesson plans for HM Harcourt leveled books were written by Irene Fountas as in Fountas and Pinnell. They are literally the "rock stars" of reading! The salesperson told us when the new materials were up for adoption that Irene Fountas was very specific about what needed to be done and she personally wrote all the lessons for the leveled books! Each page has a specific purpose, and you should be familiar with each page before you begin your lesson.
The cover page is particularly important for teachers. The information there is directly related to the "Continuum of Learning," and gives teachers the contents of what is really important for each level. Teachers should make certain that students know the skills taught for the level they are reading.
The second page helps teachers to introduce the book and gives a brief "blurb" for building background for reading the book. It also guides teachers through various pages of the book for students to preview before they begin to read. The vocabulary is also on this page, as well.
The third page is where students actually begin to read the story. Each student should be reading the story on their own while teachers "lean in" to listen to them read. During that time the teacher should notice errors the student is making and support them in figuring out the word that is causing difficulty. After the students have read the story, the teacher leads them in a comprehension conversation talking about before the story, during the story, and after the story. The comprehension is most important as students should not move to the next level until they understand and comprehend stories on that level.
This page is also important as it has follow-up activities for word work, fluency, etc. Teachers do not need to do all the activities, but should do the ones where the students are deficient or need help.
The following pages are supplemental and have help for ESL students, have writing activities. Teachers may be selective about what activities the students complete.
The lesson plan is very easy to follow. If Irene Fountas wrote the lesson, you can be sure that all the important elements for that specific level are covered. You can also use the outline to plan your lesson as long as you cover the elements on the cover page or the "Continuum of Learning."
If you have any questions concerning the lesson plan, please feel free to send your questions or ask me to come by to talk with you about the lessons. Happy Reading! and Merry Christmas to all!
