Shared Reading Plan

Book Information:
Book: Lola Plants a Garden
Author: Anna McQuinn
Illustrated by: Rosalind Beardshaw
Level: Kindergarten/1st Grade

Introduction:
Lola Plants a Garden is a book written by Anna McQuinn. The story focuses on a little girl
named Lola. With the help of her parents, Lola plants a beautiful garden and invites her friends
to enjoy it. Themes throughout the book include family, friendship, poetry, and nature.

This book is good for shared reading because it supports emergent readers with
rhyming, repeated text, relatable concepts, and sequencing. The book begins and ends with
poems that rhyme, it is a poem that inspires Lola to plant a garden. On many of the pages
throughout the book, the first sentence begins with “Lola”. The major concept of this book is
nature which many students can relate to depending on the type of environment they leave in.
If not, Lola is very hands-on with her goal to plant a garden, the idea of creating something with
yourself can be appreciated by a child. The story follows a sequence starting with the process of
buying and planting seeds and ending with a full grown garden, this helps students understand
the life-cycle of a plant.

Focus 1- Concept of Print

Standard/Indicator:
CCSS.ELA- RF.K.1.

Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. Follow

words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.

Activity to Teach Concept of Print- Identify Parts of the Book

Before reading the story, present the book to class. Ask students to identify the following: the
front of the book, title of the book, where to begin reading, a letter, a word, the first word of a
sentence, the last word of a sentence, first and last word on a page, punctuation marks, a
capital letter, a lowercase letter, and the back of the book.

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/print-awareness-guidelines-instruction
 Focus 2 - Alphabet Knowledge

Standard/Indicator:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.1.D

Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Activity to Teach Alphabet Knowledge: Identify Capital Letters

After reading the story go back through the story and pick a few sentences to read to
the class. For example, the sentences on page 2 of the story read “Lola wants to plant a garden.
Mommy says there is room near the vegetables”. Read the first sentence, ask students how
they know that it is the beginning of the sentence. Explain that a capital letter shows the
beginning of the sentence. As you move through each sentence, have students help you point
out all the capital letters.

https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/balancedliteracydiet/Writing_Conventions.html

Focus 3: Phonological or Phonemic Awareness

Standard/Indicator:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.E

Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new
words.

Activity to Teach Phonemic Awareness: Photo Cards

This activity is used to help students understand syllable sounds. Items will need to be prepared
ahead of time. For this activity, use a digital camera to take a head shot of each student, print
the pictures on cardstock, and laminate the photo cards. Set numbers at the top of a pocket
chart to represent the number of syllables in each name. To begin, show a photo card to the
class. As a class, have students clap the syllables in the name of the student in the photo. Have
the student from the photo come up to the board and place the card in the correct column on
the pocket chart.

https://www.prekinders.com/teach-syllables/

Example:
 Focus 4: Sight Words

Standard/Indicator:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.C

Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).

Activity to Teach Sight Words: Sight Word Hopper (Online Game)

This activity is used for students to identify high-frequency words. Pick 4-5 sight words found in
the story. List sight words on the board, have students repeat each word as you read them. For
example, read words such as “the”, “is”, and “to” and have students repeat each word together
after you read them one at a time. For the second part of the activity, point to each word and
have students read them aloud with out assistance. Notice how many students can recognize
the words. Follow up with this online activity:

https://www.education.com/game/jump-in-sight-word-mud/

Play as a class on a projected screen or smart board.

 Day 5: Analogizing Words

Standard/Indicator: Rime Slides

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.D

Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.

Activity to Teach Analogizing Words: Rime Slide

All words can be broken down into onsets and rimes, example: /m/-onset; /ark/-rimes.
Choose words directly from the story and guide students in breaking them apart and sounding
them out. Provide students with Onset and Rime Slides and a student worksheet .The student
selects an Onset and Rime Slide. Reads the rime and slides it until the first onset can be seen
through the opening. Have students read the onset and rime, blend them, and says the word.
Students determine if the word is a real or nonsense word and writes it down in the correct
column on the student worksheet.

http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/P_026a.pdf

Example:
 Focus 6: Phonics

Standard/Indicator:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Activity to Teach Phonics: Phonics Bingo

This activity is to help students make connections between letters and the sounds they
represent. Write several sounds on the board ( pha, ma, la, ga) and have students read each
one aloud. Provide students with a clear bingo chart. The students choose a selected number of
sounds written on the board and write them in the empty squares. Play this like bingo and read
out the sounds one by one. The students get bingo when they have three sounds chosen in a
row.

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Wilson-PhonicsActivities.html

Example:
Conclusion:

Each of these activities will help emergent readers develop their literacy skills. Using
shared activities such as these will keep children focused and engaged. These separate
strategies used together will help students to become fluent in reading. These skills should be
developed at a young age, but development depends on the individual. Children need a strong
foundation to build from as they are introduced to more advanced literature. Reflect on which
activities are most effective and adjust instruction to meet students’ needs.