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English Learner Guide

Build Background

Teach Build Background, Read the Selection, and Discuss the Selection before the core lesson to clarify key vocabulary and discuss the essential elements of the selection and to allow students to ask questions that they might not otherwise ask.

Objective: Students will

• build background for “First Grade Stinks!”
• learn elements of realistic fiction.

Resources: Back to School Big Book 1, pp. 6–35

Background Information Tell students that you are going to read a story about a little girl who is just starting first grade, just as they are. Have students tell how they felt on the first day of first grade. Ask the following questions: Did you feel grown-up because you are not the youngest students in school anymore? Were you scared? Excited? What did you expect to happen in first grade? Were you surprised by anything?

Ask, “What does it mean if you say something stinks?” Possible Answer: It does not smell good. Explain to students that, when people say something stinks, they mean that it is not good, that it is not something they like. Use the word in a sentence, such as: “Gloomy, rainy days stink!” Have students use the word in a sentence about something they do not like.

Genre Tell students that they will be listening to a story called “First Grade Stinks!” Explain that this story is realistic fiction, just as “First Day Jitters” is realistic fiction. Remind students that, in realistic fiction, the story is not real, but it could happen in real life.

English Learner Guide

Read the Selection

Objective: Students will

• listen to “First Grade Stinks!”

Resources: Back to School Big Book 1, pp. 6–35

Display “First Grade Stinks!” Read the selection to students, tracking the words as you read.

As you read, stop to ask clarifying questions or add comments that help students understand the selection.

The following prompts are examples of questions and answers for pp. 6–9 that you can use according to students’ level of English language proficiency.

LEVEL 1 Ask, “Who is Haley? Who is Ryan?” Have students point to Haley and Ryan in the illustration on p. 7. Say, “Haley and Ryan are friends, and they are starting first grade, just as you are! Haley sees little kids holding their parents’ hands. Can you point to the little kids in the illustration on p. 7? In what grade are the little kids?” kindergarten “Who is their teacher from last year?” Ms. Lacy, or allow students to point to her on p. 8 “Haley says that the kindergarteners do not know how to act. This means that they do not know how to behave. They push through the door.” Point to the illustration on p. 8, and have a student mimic pushing through the door.

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LEVEL 2 Ask, “Who are Haley and Ryan?” friends “What grade are they starting?” first grade Have students point to Haley in the illustration on page 6 and Ryan in the illustration on page 7. Ask, “Do Haley and Ryan think they are big kids or little kids?” big kids “Who is Ms. Lacy?” kindergarten teacher “What does Haley say the kindergarteners do not know how to do?” act “What do the kindergarteners do as they go through the door?” push

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LEVEL 3 Ask, “Who are Haley and Ryan?” friends in first grade “Are Haley and Ryan excited about starting first grade?” yes “What does Haley say about the kindergarteners? Why?” They do not know how to act; because they push through the door.

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LEVEL 4 Ask, “What are Haley and Ryan starting?” They are starting first grade. “How does Haley compare herself to kindergarteners?” Possible Answers: big kids/little kids; holding parents’ hands/walk into school by ourselves; do not know how to act/know how to act

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Continue reading the rest of the selection, stopping after every few pages to ask clarifying questions or to provide further information about what is happening in the story, modifying the questions and comments according to your students’ level of English language proficiency.

English Learner Guide

Discuss the Selection

Objective: Students will

• discuss “First Grade Stinks!”

Resources: Back to School Big Book 1, pp. 6–35

Engage students in a discussion by asking them the questions that follow. Reread the applicable text, and point to illustrations to help students answer the questions.

• First grade is not what Haley thinks it will be like. What does she think first grade will be like? kindergarten
• Why does Haley want to pinch Ryan at recess? He says he likes first grade.
• What does Haley have trouble doing? writing her letters What does Ms. Gray tell her to do? write them again What do you do when you have trouble doing something? Possible Answer: try again; ask for help; get angry; get sad What else does Haley have trouble with? Possible Answers: She does not like the story Ms. Gray read; Ms. Gray tells her to stop whispering.
• What is the first thing Haley decides she likes about first grade? no naptime How can you tell? Possible Answer: She is smiling in the illustration. How does Ms. Gray help Haley learn to like first grade? Possible Answers: Ms. Gray smiles at Haley. She tells Haley the story is very long but does have an ending. She tells Haley she will soon be able to read books all by herself.
• At the end of the story, how does Haley feel about first grade? Possible Answers: She likes it; she thinks it is great.

Genre Review Remind students that “First Grade Stinks!” is realistic fiction, and that the people and events in this story could be real. Have students talk about the people and how they could be real. Then talk about events in the story that they have experienced in real life. Possible Answers: first day of school; not liking the new class

English Learner Guide

Present Vocabulary

Vocabulary words have been carefully selected to provide students with a deeper understanding of the selections you will be reading to them over the next few months. These lessons will also equip them with new vocabulary that they can use in various discussions, not only in reading but also in other subject areas. These target vocabulary words might overlap with the selection vocabulary words in the core lessons. On the first day of reading a selection, students will learn how to say the word, and then you will read the sentences in the selection that contain the vocabulary words. Throughout the week, together with students, you will define and analyze the words. Finally, students will apply their knowledge of the vocabulary in an oral activity.

Objective: Students will

• listen for vocabulary words in “First Grade Stinks!”

Resources: Back to School Big Book 1, pp. 6–35

Tell students that, throughout the week, you are going to be talking about some important words in “First Grade Stinks!” Display and read this week’s target vocabulary words. Have students practice the pronunciation of the words. Then, read the sentences in “First Grade Stinks!” that contain the words. The following information has been provided for you to help you find the words in the selection. Read more of the selection when needed to ensure that each word makes sense within context.

act	(p. 9, para 3) “Kindergartners don’t know how to act,” I say.
fair	(p. 14, para 1) No fair! Ms. Lacy always let me hand out the paper.
hard	(p. 15, para 1) Writing is very hard work.
work	(p. 15, para 1) Writing is very hard work.
chapter	(p. 28, para 2) Just the end of the chapter.
remember	(p. 31, para 2) It’s a lot to remember, isn’t it?

Post the words in the classroom. Tell students that you will talk about the meaning of the words in the next vocabulary lesson.

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REMIND students that during this unit they will be learning about school. Ask them to share stories about their school experiences. Remind students of the class rules for listening and speaking, such as speaking one at a time and being attentive listeners. Ask, Has anything about school surprised you? Is there anything about first grade that is new or different from what you did in kindergarten? What do you like best about school?

Intervention Guide

Background Information

Objective: Students will build background about the reading selection.

Tell students that every teacher is different and every school is different. Say, Some schools have nap time and others don’t. Some schools have recess and others don’t. Some teachers have lots of decorations in their classrooms and others don’t. Some teachers smile and laugh a lot and others don’t.

Ask students if they’ve ever seen or flown a kite. Explain that kites come in many shapes and sizes. Say, Kites were first made in China 1500 years ago. Chinese kites are often made to look like birds, butterflies, or dragons.

Explain that “First Grade Stinks!” is about Haley’s first day of first grade. Ask students, How did you feel on the first day of first grade? How is first grade different from kindergarten?

TELL students that they will be listening to a story called “First Grade Stinks!” Explain that like “First Day Jitters,” this story is realistic fiction. Discuss the following elements of realistic fiction.

• The people or animals in the story seem to be real.
• The places in the story are real, or they seem to be real.
• The story is about things that did not really happen but could happen in real life.

READ the Essential Question on Back to School Big Book 1, page 6. Tell students to think about the Essential Question as you read “First Grade Stinks!”

Why do the things we do at school change each year?

FOLLOW Routine 12, the Reading the Selection Routine, to browse “First Grade Stinks!” Display the Table of Contents page of Back to School Big Book 1 and have students explain what they can find there. The page gives the titles of the selections in the book and the page number on which each selection begins. Point to the title and the beginning page number of “First Grade Stinks!” as you read them aloud.

Display page 6 and read aloud the title of the selection and the names of the author and illustrator. Tell students that an author writes a selection and an illustrator draws the pictures.

Tell students that good readers often look through, or browse, a selection before reading so they can get an idea of what it is about. Help them browse pages 6 and 7 of the selection to look for clues about its content. For example, have them look at the illustrations and talk about what they see. Ask, Where are the children on page 7 going? How can you tell? How do you think the girl on page 6 is feeling? What makes you think that? Tell them to keep these questions in mind as you read the story.

EXPLAIN to students that it is important to have a purpose for reading. Tell them that as they listen to the story, they should think about what the character is doing and thinking in school.

READ the Big Idea question for this unit before reading the selection. Tell students to keep this idea in mind as you read the selection.

As you read the entire selection, run your hand under each word from left to right, reinforcing for students the idea that we read words from left to right and that those words are read by starting at the top of the page and then moving from left to right and down to the bottom of the page. Have a student demonstrate following some text from left to right in the Big Book as an example, if time allows.

MODEL the use of the Making Connections comprehension strategy during the first reading of the selection.

Tell students that making connections helps them understand the selection. They can make connections between what they are reading and what they already know from their personal experiences or from other things that they have read or heard. Explain that as they listen to “First Grade Stinks!” they should think about the following:

• Can I make a personal connection to a character or to a situation in this story?
• Is this story like another story that I have read or heard?

Intervention Guide

Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections

Objective: Students will practice making connections to the story.

Resources:

• Back to School Big Book 1, pages 6 and 7

Tell students that stories often remind readers of their own lives, experiences, and the world around them. Good readers connect what’s in the stories they read to things they already know or have experienced.

Explain that “First Grade Stinks” is about Haley’s first day of first grade. Reread pages 6 and 7. Say, In the story, Haley is excited about first grade. She feels like a big kid. I know that I felt the same way when I started first grade. How did you feel on the first day of first grade? As you listen to the rest of the story, think about how the story and your life are the same and different.

1 TEACHER MODEL: Making connections between what we are reading and our own experiences can help us understand a story. I can make a personal connection with how Haley and Ryan are feeling on their first day of first grade. I was so excited to start first grade, I did a little dance while my best friend and I waited for the school bus. He told me that I was acting like a kindergartner!

2 TEACHER MODEL: Haley is unhappy with Ms. Gray’s classroom because so many things are different from Ms. Lacy’s kindergarten classroom. Sometimes changes are difficult. When I was your age, my family moved. When I saw our new house, I was upset because at first. I didn't like it as much as our old house.

Use the Comprehension Strategies Rubrics in the Level Appendix to determine whether a student is using the strategy Making Connections.

3 TEACHER MODEL: Haley is finding more and more things that make first grade different from kindergarten. Too many changes happening at the same time can sometimes be upsetting. I can understand why Haley does not like first grade so far.

4 TEACHER MODEL: Haley seems to be the only student in her class who does not like first grade. Even her friend Ryan says that he likes it. When I have strong feelings about something, I want my friends to share those feelings, too. Like Haley, I get a little upset with them when they do not agree with me.

5 TEACHER MODEL: Sometimes I have to ask students to redo an assignment. They may think that I am being unfair, but I know that they can do better work. I can understand why Ms. Gray asked Haley to write her letters again.

6 TEACHER MODEL: It can be hard to stop listening to a story that you are enjoying. I can relate to Haley’s feelings because I do not always like to stop reading when I am in the middle of a good book. Sometimes we have to stop to think about what we read, or because it is time to do something else, but I can understand why that can be frustrating.

7 TEACHER MODEL: I can see that Haley is pleased after Ms. Gray explains why she did not read the entire story. Understanding the reasons for changes in the way things are done can make the changes easier to accept.

8 TEACHER MODEL: This story reminds me of another story I have read. Its title is “First Grade, Here I Come!” The character in that book also starts out thinking that kindergarten was better than first grade. But, like Haley, he learns that the things we learn and do in first grade are great, too! Can you think of any other stories you might have heard that feature a character who has a difficult time getting used to a new grade in school?

REVIEW the story with students. Use the following suggestions to reinforce students’ understanding of the parts of a book and print directionality.

DISPLAY Back to School Big Book 1. Have volunteers come to the book and do the following:

• Point to the front and back covers of the book.
• Find and explain the purpose of the Table of Contents page.
• Point to the selection title “First Grade Stinks!” and its page number on the Table of Contents, and then turn to that page.
• Point to the selection title and to the names of its author and illustrator.

Display page 30 of the Big Book. Ask students to recall what the book that Ms. Gray is reading is about. The book is about a boy and his dog who are lost. Have them identify which part of the book they see in the illustration. The front cover of the book is in the picture. Ask them to recall the title of the book that Haley liked in kindergarten. The title of the book is BINKY BUG.

OPEN the Big Book to page 6. Call on volunteers to come to the book. For each student, choose a page from “First Grade Stinks!” and have him or her point to the top and bottom of the page and to the first and last word to be read. Have the student move a hand under each line of print moving downward from line to line to demonstrate that print moves from left to right and from top to bottom on a page.

Turn to and reread page 19, moving your hand under the text from left to right. Ask students to listen carefully to identify the words that explain what is happening in the illustration. Possible Answers: “I look at Ryan’s letters.” or “Eyes on your own work, Haley.”

HAVE students discuss their favorite parts of the story. Remind them that you asked them to think about what the character in “First Grade Stinks!” was doing and thinking throughout the story. Have students discuss what Haley did and thought at different points in the story.

Ask students the following questions to help generate further discussion about “First Grade Stinks!” During the discussion, remind students to speak loudly enough so everyone can hear and to answer using complete sentences. Encourage them to ask new questions about the story or to ask for clarification about what someone else said.

• What makes Haley change how she feels about first grade? Possible Answers: Ms. Gray explains to her that first graders can do things that kindergartners cannot do. Haley gets excited when Ms. Gray tells her that she will soon be reading chapter books by herself.
• How does Ryan react to the changes between kindergarten and first grade? Possible Answers: Ryan thinks that first graders are big kids and should not act like kindergartners. He does what Ms. Gray asks him to do; he does not talk back to her or complain. At recess, he tells Haley that he likes first grade.
• Think about what “First Grade Stinks!” adds to what you know about the unit theme of school. Check whether any questions on the Concept/Question Board have been answered. Post any new questions that you might have after reading the story.

REVISIT the Essential Question for “First Grade Stinks!” with students: Why do the things we do at school change each year? Have students discuss their answers. Possible Answer: If we did the same things each year, then we would not learn anything new and it would become boring.

REVIEW the elements of realistic fiction with students. Ask them how they know that “First Grade Stinks!” is realistic fiction.

• The people or animals in the story seem to be real. Possible Answer: Haley and Ryan act just like real first graders, and Ms. Gray and Ms. Lacy do things that real teachers do.
• The places in the story are real, or they seem to be real. Possible Answer: The classroom in the story is like our first-grade classroom, or like other classrooms I have seen.
• The story is about things that did not really happen but could happen in real life. Possible Answer: The events in the story were made up by the author. They did not really happen, but they could happen in a school.

USE Routine 13, the Selection Vocabulary Routine, as you display today’s vocabulary words. Say each word as you write it. Then point to the word, say it again, and have students repeat the word after you.

The word act means, or is defined as “to behave in a particular way.” Let’s look at the selection to verify that definition. Turn to page 9 and read Haley and Ryan’s dialogue. What are Haley and Ryan doing as they talk that helps you understand that act means “to behave in a particular way?” Possible Answer: Haley and Ryan are watching the way that the kindergartners behave when they push through the classroom door.

The word too means “more than enough.” Turn to page 13 and read the text. How does what Ms. Gray tells Sasha help you understand that too means “more than enough?” Possible Answer: Sasha wants to have share time, but Ms. Gray says that the class has more than enough to do and cannot have share time yet.

In “First Grade Stinks!,” the word stinks means “to be very unpleasant or unfair.” Turn to page 14 and read the text. What is Haley thinking that helps you understand that when she says that first grade stinks, she means that it is very unpleasant or unfair? Possible Answer: Haley is thinking about all the things she liked about Ms. Lacy and her kindergarten class. Right now, she does not like Ms. Gray and her way of doing things, so she means that first grade is unpleasant and unfair.

The word rather means “instead of” or “prefer.” Turn to page 16 and read the sentence that contains rather. What helps you understand that rather means “instead of” or ”prefer?” Possible Answer: Haley would prefer to have recess instead of art.

Intervention Guide

Words and Definitions

Objective: Students will review the selection vocabulary.

Resources:

• Back to School Big Book 1, pages 15 and 16

Review the selection vocabulary words using student-friendly definitions and extension activities.

Tell students that the word act means “to behave in a particular way.” Ask students to use the word in a sentence. For example, Tyler is acting strangely today.

Tell students that the word too means “more than enough.” Ask students to form sentences using the word too. Write the sentences on the board. Then reread each sentence aloud and have students repeat after you.

Tell students that the word stinks means “to be very unpleasant or unfair.” In the story, Haley says first grade stinks. Ask, Does she like first grade? No. She doesn’t like first grade because they don’t have two recesses.

Tell students that rather means “instead of” or “prefer.” Reread pages 15 and 16, and ask students what Haley would rather be doing instead of art. Haley would rather have recess.