EDUC 3503: LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION

Interactive Read Aloud for ELL Students—Lesson Plan

Name: Taylor MacLeod Book Title: Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

Link to Book Talk: https://youtu.be/dL3DEBbxunI

Step 1: Introduce/preview the story and pre-teach 3-4 vocabulary words

First chunk: 1-9
Select vocabulary words to Selected words to teach:
teacher:
- Something
Focus on high-utility words - Beautiful
that can be used across - Home
contexts
Preview story and Plan for previewing read-aloud text (questioning; making predictions)
vocabulary:
1. Show front and back of book
Highlight text 2. Turn to a partner and talk about what you think the book will be about.
features/visuals and 3. Have students make a prediction about the content of the book.
activate students’ prior 4. Job for students: Pay attention to what the little girl sees and what she describes and listen for the
knowledge and experiences; new words we have learned.
make predictions
Student-friendly definitions for vocabulary words:
Introduce vocabulary
words; present words in - Something: a thing (object, idea, etc.) that is unknown.
written form - Beautiful: makes your five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound) feel very good and
happy
- Home: a place where you live and feel comfortable  could be a house or a place you feel safe
in

Steps 2 & 3: Read the passage out loud, focusing on literal and inferential comprehension
First chunk: 1-9
After reading, guide the Stems for guided discussion questioning:
students in discussion of the
content of the passage 1. Probe for literal comprehension:
What do we know about the main character?
Encourage students to use
new vocabulary in 2. Probe for literal comprehension
discussing the text What were some things you noticed about the main character’s life? I challenge you to use vocabulary
while you are retelling it to a friend
Use sentence stems to What are some things you have noticed around your own home and neighborhood?
scaffold academic language
use 3. Probe for interferential comprehension
How do you think the main character feels about where she lives so far? Why do you think she feels
this way?
Show sentence stem: “I think she feels…………. because…………...”
Step 4: Reread the text, directing students to listen for target vocabulary and discuss meaning
First chunk: 1-9
Step 5: After day’s reading, extend comprehension through deep processing of vocabulary knowledge and text content
First chunk: 1-9
Teachers give an open-ended Rich, open-ended question which will draw from students’ experience and require them to use the core
prompt to students for vocabulary highlighted in this lesson:
discussing a topic in the text
from their own experience What is your “something beautiful?” Can you think of more than one? Remember all five of your
senses!

Repeat Steps 1-4 in 200-250 word chunks each day until the book is complete (aim for a 4-5 day arc),
being sure to begin each lesson by reviewing the previous day’s vocabulary
Final Step: After completion of book
 Choose four to five vocabulary words from the previous days' lessons to review with the students (ones that may have been
particularly challenging or difficult to remember).
 Review the words.
  Read the entire story to the students.
 Have students respond to comprehension questions using the vocabulary words chosen for review.
 Have students participate in an activity designed to reinforce the meaning of the vocabulary words chosen for review.
Examples include,
o Using all the words to create a new story with student input (e.g., each student is given the word on a card and must
provide a sentence with that word in the context of making a new story with the sentences).
o Using objects to demonstrate the words; for example, having the students demonstrate what many looks like with
objects.
o Asking students to determine which vocabulary word out of a list fits best in a given sentence.
o Playing "charades" or acting out the meaning of the words.
o Asking students to orally match a word the teacher says with one of the vocabulary words (an oral version of semantic
mapping); for example, the teacher says a word (e.g., big) and the students must say the matching, related vocabulary
word (e.g., gigantic) from the group of words.
o Provide students with examples and non-examples of word use (e.g., "Can a bear be terrified? Can a tree?"). 

Developed from:
Giroir, S., Grimaldo, L. R., Vaughn, S., & Roberts, G. (2015). Interactive read‐alouds for English learners in the elementary grades.
The Reading Teacher, 68(8), 639-648.

Hickman, P., Pollard-Durodola, S., & Vaughn, S. (2004). Storybook reading: Improving vocabulary and comprehension for English-
language learners. The Reading Teacher, 57(8), 720-730.