Read-Aloud: Video Segment

Each day, Ms. Owen reads aloud to her class. In this segment, she reads Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night, a book chosen because of the class's upcoming trip to a farm and ongoing study of the pumpkin growth cycle. Notice the steps Ms. Owen takes in introducing the experience, the way she conducts the read-aloud, and the connections between students' lives and the text that she elicits.

• Ms. Owen comments, "The children, not the clock, serve as my timetable." What does she mean by her comment?
• On your Observational Checklist, add specific examples of the ways Ms. Owen addresses the Essential Components of Literacy: oral language; phonological awareness; word study (word identification, phonics, and vocabulary); and comprehension.

Shared Reading: Video Segment

Ms. Owen leads the students through a choral reading of several kinds of texts.

• On the Observational Checklist, note the variety of shared-reading tasks students completed in this segment. Observe the students. What does Ms. Owen do to maintain their engagement?
• Compare the read-aloud segment to the shared reading segment. Notice and mark down the Essential Components of Literacy emphasized by Ms. Owen during the shared reading.
• How does shared reading differ from read-aloud? How does shared reading extend literacy learning? Notice the change in the teacher's role and the students' roles.

Independent Reading: Video Segment

Students spend time reading independently each morning, beginning on the very first day of school. Ms. Owen believes this develops their love and confidence for reading even when she is not there. During independent reading students show her what they have learned.

• What kind of reading materials do the students use?
• What different forms of assessment are apparent in this classroom, and how does assessment guide instruction? How does Ms. Owen assess individual learning to guide her planning and instruction?

Interactive Writing: Video Segment

In this segment, Ms. Owen and her students "share the pen to negotiate and create text." Guided by Ms. Owen, students write about the growth cycle of the pumpkin.

• How is this writing task connected to the earlier read-aloud?
• Note the sequence of steps that Ms. Owen takes to set up this task, and the way she engages students. How would you describe the teacher's role and the students' roles? What skills and strategies are being taught and practiced? Record your observations on your Observational Checklist, paying particular attention to the Essential Components of Literacy Development practiced by the students.
• How does interactive writing relate to and support independent writing?

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