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Courtney Alexander

Guided Reading Script-Narrative

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Ability Group: LOW
Skill/Concept/Strategy Taught: Identifying and reading contractions

2nd Grade TEK: 110.13-(b): (2F)

Students are expected to identify and read contractions.
1. Teacher selects text and skill/strategy prior to lesson.

The skill focused on in this lesson is identifying and reading contractions.

2. Teacher introduces text:

Restates the skill/strategy that will be addressed in guided reading today

Today we are going to be working on looking for and reading

contractions. Remember, a contraction is when you combine two words
together with an apostrophe (), getting rid of some letters or sounds. The
teacher will write down words like cant, wont, havent, didnt as
examples of contractions, emphasizing the apostrophes by circling them.

Introduces title and author

The book we are reading today is titled Is Your Mama a Llama. It was
written by Deborah Guarino and illustrated by Steven Kellogg.

Encourages students prior (background) knowledge/experiences with

topic/characters in the story

Have you ever seen a llama (or an owl, a cow, a swan, a kangaroo, a
seal, or a bat)?

Have you ever been lost outside, at the store, or in your neighborhood?

Invites students to make a text to self-connection

In this book the llama asks other animals what their mothers look like. Do
you look like someone in your family? How do you look the same?

Provides some information about/from the story (new vocabulary/unfamiliar

topic/etc.

Turn to page 3. Second line, fifth word is thats.

Turn to page 8. Second line, second word is dont. Do you see this word
anywhere else on the page?

Turn to page 16. First word on the page is shes.

Stay on the same page. Third line, fourth word is Im.

Probes for knowledge of word meaning/topic understanding

Can you guess what these words mean? (Hint: They are contractions!)

Provides information about the word meaning/topic

Thats is a combination of the words that and is. It means that is.

Dont is a combination of the words do and not. It means do not.

Shes is a combination of the words she and is. It means she is.

Im is a combination of the words I and am. It means I am.

Encourages students to interpret illustrations/front cover/back cover/title page of

story

What do you notice about the cover of the book? What animals do you
see? Do you see a mama and her baby on the cover? How do you know
that the baby belongs to the mother?

What animals do you see on the back cover of the book?

Defines problem of story/plot of story/etc.

In the story the young llama cannot find its mother. So, it goes around
asking everyone what their mothers look like as it searches for its mother.

Invites personal response to problem or plot of story

If you were in the llamas situation, what would you do to find the
mother?

Do you think that the llama will find its mother? Why or why not?

Draw attention to certain aspects of the story (illustrations, bubble

conversations/thoughts, unusual print on the page, etc.), if they offer additional
insight/meaning into story.

Turn to page 3. What is this animal? (A bat)

Turn to page 9. What is this animal? (A swan)

Turn to page 13. What is this animal? (A cow)

What do you think that little cloud looking shape with a word in it shows?

Turn to page 17. What is this animal? (A seal)

Turn to page 21. What is this animal? (A kangaroo)

Explain what these aspects are and how they can help the reader understand the
story more

The pictures in the story help to give clues about the words we will be
reading. As we read the story, make sure to look at the pictures to help
you figure out the words you do not know.

The cloud looking shape is a speech bubble, which shows us the sound
that the cow is making.

Introduce important character(s) in story and unusual vocabulary involved with

this character

The animal on page 1 is a llama, who is our main character.

The llama visits a bat, a swan, a cow, a seal a kangaroo, and another
llama during the story.

Bat- Turn to page 3. Second line, last word is behave. This word means
how you act or what you do.

Cow- Turn to page 10. Second line, sixth word is politely. Politely means
showing good manners.

Cow- On the same page, second line, last word is explained. Explained
means to make clear.

Cow-Turn to page 12. First line, second word is grazes. This word
means to eat grass.

Seal- Turn to page 14. Second line, last word is replied. This word
means to say something back to someone.

Llama- Turn to page 24. First line, seventh word is herd. This word
means a large group of animals.

Focuses attention to begin reading

Now, we are going to read and find out if the llama finds its mother. Make sure to
look for contractions when you are reading through the story.

3. Students read the text.

Students read the text aloud in the small group, taking turns for each page.

If needed, the teacher assist students who may be need help reading

4. Teacher and students discuss and revisit the text.

The teacher asks students questions about what they read/noticed in story

Which animal hung by her feet and lived in a cave? (Bat)

Which animal had a long neck and white feathers and wings? (Swan)

Which animal grazes on grass and likes to say moo? (Cow)

Which animal had flippers and whiskers and ate fish all day? (Seal)

Which animal had big hind legs and a pocket for its baby? (Kangaroo)

How did the llama know that the other animals did not have the same
kind of mother? (Physical characteristics, sounds, etc.)

5. Teacher explicitly teaches the reading process skill/strategy using the elements
from the story

Turn to page 3. Point to the contraction on the page. The contraction is

thats. What two words are put together to make the contraction?

Turn to page 8. How many contractions do you see on this page? (2)

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We see the word dont two times on this page. What two words are put
together to make this contraction?

Turn to page 12. How many contractions do you see on this page? Again,
we see the word dont. What two words are put together to make this
contraction?

Turn to page 16. How many contractions do you see on this page? First,
we see the contraction shes. What two words are put together to make
this contraction?

Stay on page 16. The other contraction we see is Im. What two words
are put together to make this contraction?

Do you see any contractions on page 20? (Shes)

Do you see any contractions on page 23? (Dont)

6. Teacher extends understanding of students.

Teacher discusses skill/strategy learned or plot, setting, characters, symbolism,

etc.

Why do you think that the author used contractions instead of writing out
both words?
Contractions are sometimes used to make writing seem friendlier, like
when people talk to their friends. However, contractions are not usually
used when we are writing for school, because they are not considered
academic writing.

When you are reading contractions, you should be able to replace the
contraction with the two words combined to make it and it should still
make sense.

If I wanted to write the words do and not as a contraction, how would I

write it? Students will write the word down on their paper.

If I wanted to write the words I and am as a contraction, how would I

write it? Students will write the word down on their paper.

If I wanted to write the words that and is as a contraction, how would I

write it? Students will write the word down on their paper.

If I wanted to write the words she and is as a contraction, how would I

write it? Students will write the word down on their paper.

Are there any other words that you can make into a contraction?