How to Read a Story: Part Three: The second graders add their art

The second graders have been demonstrating their knowledge of "how to" stories. 

For this project, the students: brainstormed the steps in reading a story; read Kate Messner's book, How to Read a Story; revisited and edited their own version; and, finally illustrated a step in their story. You can read about the lessons leading up to the final project by visiting these blog posts:

How to Read a Story: Mentor Text : the story emerges

How to Read a Story: Mentor Text: Part Two: the story gets fine-tuned.

If you would like to see how this lesson emerged, I have put that information at the end.  Here are their versions of How to Read a Story.

2C

2T

2J

2R

About this lesson:

I explained the steps in the process:

I modeled the steps:

(I feel like my art empowers the students!)

The students needed two library periods to complete their art and type in their sentences.

How to Read a Story : Part Two

The second graders and I read How to Read a Story by Kate Messner today. The students loved the book. The illustrations highlight the humor in the narrative. While reading the book, we would stop and recount the steps.

Prior to reading the book we reflected on our lesson last week and the steps in reading a book that the students created.

After reading the How to Read a Story, the students fine-tuned the drafts of the class stories they created during last week's lesson. Check them out, they're great. I'd like to read with these students, What about you?

Ceglia: How to Read a Story

1. Go to the library

2. Ask for a book recommendation from a friend or the librarian

3. Find a Book

4. Get the book from a bookshelf

5. Make sure you like the book

6. Read the title

7. Open the cover

8. Read the description on the flap/back

9. Read the table of contents, if it has one

10. Do a picture walk

11. Read the first page to make sure you can read it well

12. Repeat steps 1 -9 to find a second book

13. Find a reading buddy you will enjoy reading with

14. Make sure they like the story

15. Check it out

16. Begin to read

17. Read with enthusiasm and expression

18. Stop and talk about the book with your buddy

19. Enjoy the adventure

20. When you finished reading, say, “The End.”

21. If you like the book, read it again!

22. Bring the book back to the library and start all over again

**Thank the librarian

**Remember the books to find them another time

Ramgren: How to Read a Story

1. Find a Friend to Read With

2. Explore the library

3. Find a book that interests you

4. Scan the pictures

5. Look at the table of contents

6. Read the first page

7. Make sure it is a good fit 

8. Find a cozy spot to read

9. Open the book to the first page

10. Take turns reading with a friend

11. Read with expression

12.  Voice the characters

13. Make sure you can both see the pictures

14. Look at the pictures to help you sound out words you don’t know 

15. Talk about the book with your friend, try to predict what will happen next.

16. If it is a nonfiction book, look at the index and glossary

17. Go back and find the information that you might have missed

18. When you are done say, “The End.”

19. Make sure to thank your friend for reading with you

20. If you really liked it, repeat Steps 1-21… again

21. Read another book, maybe by the same author

22. If you liked the book, suggest it to a friend

** Read a lot everyday and you will become a better reader

Jones: How to read a story

1. Find a book

2. Find a friend or a pet who might like to read your book with you

3. Take a picture walk

4. Read the title and author/illustrator and look at the picture

5. Read the summary on the flap or back

6. If you don’t want to read this book, go back to step 1.

7. Find a quiet place to read

8. Dig into the story and take notice of the plot

9. Try to read the book, if you need help ask your friends

10. If you come across a hard word, sound it out or use the picture clues

11. Try strategies to figure out a word, “Does it look right, does it sound right, does it make sense.”

12. Read the pages slowly

13. Focus on your reading

14. Read with expression

15. Compare the characters and settings

16. Take a break if you need it

17. If people are loud, ask them nicely to be quiet

18. Read for a while

19. At the end of the book, think about whether you liked it or not

20. If you like the story, you should read it again or recommend it to a friend

**instead of watching tv, you can read a book

**if there is a movie of your book, you can watch it and find the differences

Thayer: How to Read a Story

1. Ask a friend or a teacher for a recommendation

2. Choose a story

3. Look at the cover illustration and read the title

4. Read the description on the flap or on the back 

5. Look through the book/picture walk

6. Read the first pages of the book

7. Decide if you like the book, if you do not go back to Step 1.

8. Find a cozy reading spot

9. Start to read the story

10. Sound out words you don’t know

11. Look at pictures for clues

Stop and think about what is happening

12. Think about the story and make predictions

13. Make predictions about the story

14. Think about what a character should sound like

15. Wonder about the book

16. Imagine what the setting and characters look like.

17. Finish the story -don’t forget to say, “the end”

18. If you liked the story, go back and read it again!

19. Look for other stories like the one you just read or, if it is a series, look for another book in the series.

20.  If you liked the story, tell a friend about it.

**cover art needed

How To Read A Story

Written by Kate Messner 

Illustrated by Mark Siegel

Step One: Find a story. (A good one.)

Step Two: Find a reading buddy. (Someone nice.)

Step Three: Find a reading spot. (Couches are cozy.)

Now: Begin.

I decided to use this book as a mentor text for the "How To" books the students have to write for their ELA units.

We began the unit by activating prior knowledge about How To books and about reading a story. First, we jogged their memories about the How To books they wrote in first grade. Second, they each got a pad of paper and with step one up on the screen added the steps required for reading a story. 

We then brainstormed, as whole group, the steps required to read a story. Students added ideas before and after those already on the screen, it was interesting to watch them think forward and backward in the process. Here are the whole group brainstorm steps from each of the classes:

2T: How to Read a Story

Step 1: Ask a friend for a recommendation

Step 2: Ask a teacher for help

Step 3: Find a story

Step 4: Read the blurb on the flap or on the back

Step 5: Look through the book/picture walk

Step Six: decide if you like the book

Step 7: Read part of the book

Step 8: Think about the book

Step 9: Stop and think about what is happening

Step 10: Sound out words you don’t know

Step 11: Look at pictures for clues

Step 12: Make a prediction about the story

Step 13: Think about what a character should sound like

Step 14: Wonder about the book

Step 15: Watch out for mistakes

Step 16: See if the story makes sense – check for comprehension

Step 17: Imagine what the setting and characters look like


2J: How to Read a Story

Step 1: Find a book

Step 2: Find a reading buddy

Step 3: Take a picture walk

Step 4: Read the title and author/illustrator and look at the picture

Step 5: Read the summary on the flap or back

Step 6: Find a quiet place where nothing can distract you

Step 7: Dig into the story and take notice of the plot

Step 8: Try to read the book, if you need help ask your friends

Step 9: If you come across a hard word, skip it, and come back to it

Step 10: Try strategies to figure out a word, Does it look right, does it sound right, does it make sense.

Step 11: Read the pages

Step 12: Take serious notes

Step 13: Focus on your reading

Step 14: Do what the book says

Step 15: Compare the characters and settings

Step 16: Take a break if you need it

Step 17: If people are loud, ask them nicely to be quiet

Step 18: Read until you fall asleep

Step 19: At the end of the book, think about whether you liked it or not


2R -How to Read a Story

Step 1: Learn how to read

Step 2: Explore the library

Step 3: Find a book that interests you

Step 4: Find a cozy spot to read

Step 5: Make sure it is fit for your level

Step 6: Open the book to the first page

Step 7: Scan the pictures

Step 8: Read the first page

Step 9: Look at the table of contents

Step 10: Read all the pages

Step 11: Make sure to thank your friend for reading with you

Step 12: Repeat Steps 1-… again

Step 13: Read another book, maybe by the same author


2C - How to Read a Story

Step 1: Go to the library

Step 2: Find a Book

Step 3: Get the book from a bookshelf

Step 4: Read the title

Step 5: Read the description on the flap/back

Step 6: Read the table of contents, if it has one

Step 7: Take the plastic off the book

Step 8: Open the cover

Step 9: Check it out

Step 10: Find a comfortable place to sit

Step 11: Begin to read

Step 12: Read with enthusiasm and expression

Step 13: Enjoy the adventure

Step 14: If you liked the book, suggest it to a friend

After the whole group activity, I showed the students the book and explained that we would read it the next class and compare and contrast the steps to reading a story.  

The week after that, we'll fine tune our steps. The students will each get one of the steps in the How To book from their class and write and illustrate that page. Eventually, the pages will be put it together as a class book.

This is going to be fun!