11 Thinking is Reading Intermediate Lessons

Refreshing our reading
skills with the beginning
keys to successful reading
(modifying the Fountas and Pinnell
First 20 Days to Guided Reading)
Intermediate Readers

① Instruction Card
a. Objectives
b. Steps
② Script for lesson
③ Lesson
④ Student Activity
⑤ Sample Answer
⑥ Independent or Group Reading Activity
Overview

1. Selecting Books and Creating a Successful Reading
Classroom
2. Ways We Choose Books
3. Executing SSR
4. Making Good Book Choices
5. Reading Is Thinking: P.1 Mnemonics
6. Reading Is Thinking: P.2 RIT Definitions
7. Characteristics of Fiction, Nonfiction, & Poetry
8. Genres within Fiction and Nonfiction
9. Keeping a Record of Reading
10. Writing Letters About Reading
11. Writing Responses to Each Other
Part One

Instruction Card
Objective: Students will know how the classroom library
works and what expectations are needed to get the
year started with reading. Students will know how to
select books.
Steps:
1. Ask students what a successful classroom looks like.
2. Give prompting to create a class list.
3. Help students all find their first book.
4. Read silently 15-20 minutes.

Successful Reading Classroom Looks Like:
(Prompting questions to get the right answers)
1. (Why did we take the STAR test?)
2. (Where are books located in the room?)
3. (When is a good time to get a new book?)
4. (How do we return books?)
5. (How are books usually organized?)
6. (How is our library organized now?)
7. (How would we like it to be organized?)
8. (How should we check out a book?)
9. (How will I know you read?)
What does a
successful group of
students enjoying
focused reading
look like in our class?

Successful Reading Classroom Looks Like:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What does a
successful group of
students enjoying
focused reading
look like in our class?

Successful Reading Classroom Looks Like: 1. We know how the libraries are organized (by author,
topic, genre, series).
2. We know all took the STAR test and set AR goals.
3. We made a goal of how many minutes to read each
night.
4. We know where books are located.
5. We know how to check out and return a book, and
how long we may keep each book before returning.
6. We wait for a good time to get a book.
7. We know how to use the Book Retriever App, and
when to use it.
8. We know how to check out and return books when
the teacher is gone or our current online system isn’t
working.
9. We have our reading logs and know when and how to
use them.
What does a
successful reading
classroom look like?

Do you have
your first
independent
SSR book?
If you need a new book, you will get one today.
Please, let’s help each other find books worthy of
reading that we will love!
If you have your book, we are going to see how
many minutes of sustained silent reading you can
accomplish as a class.
When you have a book, help one other person find
one before you start reading. I will know you are
ready, because you will be silently reading your
own SSR book.

Ways We Choose Books
Instruction Card
Objective: Students will feel comfortable
knowing what to consider when deciding their
next book!
Steps:
1. Read script (or have a student read).
2. Make a list of the ways people choose
books.
3. Compare your list with the answer sheet.
4. Read.

Script: Each of you has chosen a book to read
from our class or school library. We choose books
to read in many different ways and for many
different purposes. For example, I love to read
autobiographies because I think you must have
had a pretty interesting life to write a popular
book about yourself. Let’s make a list of all the
different ways people choose books.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Students,
this is up to
you- there’s
“almost” no
wrong
answer.

Students,
this is up to
you- there’s
“almost” no
wrong
answer.
1. Front cover/ inside jacket
2. Back cover information
3. Characters we’ve read
about in other books
4. Another book in a series
5. Interesting title
6. Great illustrations
7. Authors we know and like
8. Book
recommendations from
teachers, friends, critics
9. Books that are movies

Objective: Students will know how to read
quietly for increasing extended periods of
time.
Steps:
1. Introduce SSR.
2. Explain analogy of thinking while
reading.
3. Set expectations of SSR.
4. Explain how you will time students each
day to see how long they can read
independently.

How are you aware you
are actively paying
attention?
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
As a class, let’s time
the extended period
you can stay focused
reading. First, let’s
figure out what SSR
(sustained silent
reading) means and
learn how to actively
think while reading.

When you are reading, you may
have a final destination (be able to
demonstrate comprehension of the
book when finished), but there are
several paths and courses up to
you. You choose your courses and
monitor your progress. What are
some of the courses your thoughts
can take when reading?
You can
steer
yourself
any
direction
you choose.
-Dr. Seuss
The “courses” or “paths“ are
the types of thinking you
do when reading any text.

- Read silently
- Teacher will whisper
- Keep your thoughts and
questions for after we
finish reading, so you can
avoid even whispering to
your neighbor
- We will talk about what
you read when we are
finished
How are you aware you
are actively paying
attention?
As a class, let’s time
the extended period
you can stay focused
reading. When you are
finished, I will ask you
what your thoughts
were while reading.
When you
catch yourself
thinking while
reading, write
it down in your
diary or on a
post-it note.

Tracking Focused Reading Class Records
Date
- Reading silently
- Teacher whispering
- Writing down examples
of thinking while reading
- Writing dow n q uestions

Objective: Students will demonstrate understanding of books
that are easy, just right, and challenging, and be able to find
the right book for their specific purposes.
Steps:
1. Create a chart with three categories (easy, just right,
challenging).
2. Read the script.
3. As you read the following paragraphs, have students write
down qualities they hear of each type.
4. Create a list for each category.
5. Have students determine their current book’s category.
6. Explain the purpose of different times to read each
category.
7. Read.
Instructions
Card

Create a chart with three categories (easy, just right,
challenging). As you read the following paragraphs, have students
write down qualities they hear of each type.
Today we are going to talk about how readers choose
easy, just right, and challenging books. (help students make
charts). As I read, I want you to jot down traits you hear of
each.
Sometimes easy books are fun to read. They’re the kinds of
books you read when you want to relax. You might pick a favorite
picture book you’ve had read aloud or a book that you have read
before and enjoyed or a new book that wont’ take a lot of effort
for you to read and understand. You can read the book easily
and understand it very well. Write E on your chart to indicate
easy.

Just right books are those that you understand
well and can enjoy. You read the book smoothly and have only a
few places where you need to slow down to figure out a word or
think more about the meaning. These are the books that will help
you become a better reader each time you read. Most of the time
you should read just-right books. Let’s write JR for just right in
the middle column.
Challenging books are very difficult for you to read. You have
trouble reading many of the words and don’t understand most of
what you are reading. These are books that are too difficult for
you to enjoy right now, but you may find you will enjoy them later.
Challenging books are not usually good choices for right now. Let’s
write C for challenging on the chart. There may be some times
when you would choose a challenging book, such as when you needed
to find some facts on a particular topic, but most of the time, you
would save challenging books until they are just right for you.

Making Good
Book Choices
What did you write?
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐
-‐

Determine if your
book is easy, just
right, or challenging
- Fun and relaxing
- Read before
- Favorite picture book
- Not a lot of effort
- Read easily
- Understand well
- Very difficult to read
- Have trouble reading
many words
- Don’t understand
- Too difficult to enjoy
- Later, you may try again
- Sometimes chosen
for the topic
- Understand well
- Enjoy
- Read smoothly
- Few places where you
don’t know word
-Think about meaning
- Make you a better
reader

Overview: Students will learn Reading is Thinking phrase,
what it means, and be able to actively acknowledge
comprehension by giving multiple examples with
independently reading.
Steps:
1. Explain how mnemonics work.
2. Describe an analogy of a sailboat choosing its course
with the different paths of thinking while reading. (there
are 2 options for this quote)
3. Breakdown thinking while reading and brainstorm a list
of the different types, or paths.
4. Look at the RIT strategies and discuss.
5. Give students time to SSR, and write some an example
of RIT on a post-it note.
Instructions Card

Imagine yourself being in the middle of the
ocean on a sailboat. What are you options
for your path, directions, or destination?
you are in charge of the boat’s course. You
choose where to steer the ship. Your
thoughts, beliefs, values will determine
where you end up. Even if you have
instructions on your ending destination, you
still choose the path you take to get there.
(The rest is on slide 2.)
Script
Mnemonics create a
connection in our
head to various
events, people,
vocabulary so we
can permanently
remember.

When you are reading, you may
have a final destination (be able to
demonstrate comprehension of the
book when finished), but there are
several paths and courses up to
you. You choose your courses and
monitor your progress. What are
some of the courses your thoughts
can take when reading?
He is the best
sailor who can
steer within
fewest points of
the wind, and
exact a motive
power out of
the greatest
obstacles.
-Walter Scott
The “courses” or “paths“ are
the types of thinking you can
do when reading any text.

As a class, brainstorm what active
readers are thinking while they read.

As a class, brainstorm what active
readers are thinking while they read.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
These RIT strategies
will create the
“paths” or “courses”
we take on our
reading journey.

How many of these
Summarizing
strategies
did you
have?
Did you
have any
others?
Predicting
Context Clues
Visualizing
Connecting
Inferences
Analyzing Questioning

1. Predicting
2. Context Clues
3. Visualizing
4. Analyzing
5. Questioning
6. Inferences
7. Connecting
8. Summarizing
As you read today, find
one example of thinking
while reading. Describe
what you are thinking
and write it on a post it
note. Make sure to
include the RIT path.

Objective: Students will know each sea creature and the
RIT strategy that it aligns with. Students will use the
sea creatures as symbols and recognize the eight RIT
strategies.
Steps:
1. Spend two minutes creating mnemonics with the sea
animal symbols and their strategy and sharing ideas.
2. Look at the class’s mnemonics to remember the
symbols and their path.
3. Vote on how students will proceed.
4. Hand out cards for students to create vocabulary
concept maps and find examples while reading.
Instructions Card

Look at the images and the paths
we’ve created. Create your own
mnemonic with the sea animals
and their path. The fun aspect of
mnemonics is that you are
encouraged to be abstract and as
creative as you want, with a goal
of remembering the definitions
and vocabulary when you see the
aligned symbol.
Student
Script

Predicting Context Clues Visualizing
Analyzing
Questioning Inferences
Connecting Summarizing
Make up your own
mnemonic connecting
each “path” or skill with
its picture!

Check out these mnemonics. You will use
these phrases throughout the year to
connect the RIT strategy its symbol.
These will help you remember the
different ways to actively think while
you are reading.
Student
Script

Predicting Context Clues Visualizing
Analyzing
Questioning Inferences
These are the
mnemonics we will use
throughout the year to
remember our symbols.
You predict when
the crab left his
shell.
There are five main
types of context
clues and a
Starfish
has five
arms.
A bird can visualize
more than anyone
because they are
above us and
can fly
anywhere.
An octopus has several
legs that all analyze
different areas.
We have
several ways
of analyzing
a text.
Nemo’s friend Dory
is a fish that loves
to ask
questions
repeatedly.
By seeing a crab has
sharp claws, you can
infer that it
uses its
claws for
protection
or prey.
You connect the
sea and a
horse to
get a sea
horse!
A summary takes
several ideas and
turns them
into one. The sea fan
takes all its
limbs and
puts them
into one base.

You will have some time now to
practice reading and thinking skills.
We need to vote on your choices.
Remember, everyone must vote only
once. You will know I want to see
your vote because I will say “Please
raise your hand if this your choice.”
Student
Script

1. Would you like to
practice one skill at a
time or would you like to
practice multiple skills at
one time?
a. Practice one skill
at one time
b. Multiple skills at
one time
2. Would you like to
randomly choose which
skill you are practicing by
drawing a card or would
you like to choose that
skill to practicing while
reading?
a. Skill(s) chosen
randomly
b. Choose skill(s)
You will know I want to see your
vote because I will say “Please
raise your hand if this your choice.”

With your RIT strategy
card, follow these steps:
1. Complete the graphic
organizer, finding the
definition, examples,
and other keywords
to help to remember:
synonyms, antonyms,
symbol. (You already
have the symbol!)

Practice RIT
Strategies
Continued:
2. Begin reading.
Set a goal of five
examples to find
and record.

Mix and
match the
RIT
strategy
cards for
your needs!

Predicting
Context Clues Visualizing
Analyzing Questioning Inferences

Objective: Students will know specific key traits to
differentiate between the different genres. Students will
be able to read each text with qualities specific to
nonfiction, fiction, and poetry styles of text.
Steps:
1. Discuss the main differences between the F, NF, P
2. Give the students five minutes to compare and
contrast qualities of the different kinds.
3. Create a chart distinguishing the features.
4. Discuss how you might read each kind of text
differently.
5. Read and work on RIT cards J
Instructions Card

Compare and
contrast
characteristics
between fiction,
nonfiction, and
poetry.
Student
Card
Fic$on
Nonfic(on
Poetry

Objective: Students will know the different genres within
fiction and nonfiction.
Steps:
1. Review qualities of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
2. List all the genres of fiction and nonfiction as class.
3. Compare with answer sheet.
4. Read and complete RIT cards J
Instructions Card

Complete our
Genre
Characteristics
Chart by listing
different genres
within fiction
and nonfiction.
Student
Card
Fic$on
Poetry
Nonfic(on

Objective: Students will be comfortable beginning a reading
log, and will be able to complete goals with guidance.
Steps:
1. Discuss how to track reading each day and night by
sampling the reading log.
2. Explain the value in each step on the reading log.
3. Help students create goals.
4. Read and complete RIT cards J
Instructions Card

Objective: Students will demonstrate understanding by
using the example and list to write response to reading.
Steps:
1. Explain purpose- Each day when your read, you will write
about your reading. This is a great way to remember
what you read, and writing it down will help you review
your understanding of the text.
2. Read an example letter
3. Create a list of expectations together.
4. Read J
5. Give students time to write first entry.
Instructions Card

Together we have shared our thinking by talking about
books I have read aloud to you, and about your independent
SSR novels. You have been doing good thinking and talking
about the books you have chosen to read. You have talked
about your thinking with a partner and in groups. Now
instead of talking about your reading, you are going to put
your thinking on paper. When you write about your thinking,
you, you can remember it and share it with others.
In our class this year, you are going to share you
thinking about reading by writing your thoughts in a letter
to me and your classmates in your reading journals. Each
day you are going to write an entry, in letter format, We
will read each other’s letters and write letters back. I have
written a letter to you today to share my thinking about a
book I am reading.
Script

Script
What are
some of
the
qualities
you see
in this
example?

Script
What are
some of
the
qualities
you see
in this
example?
summary opinion vocab.
Summary
prewrite
Vocab & ?
s prewrite summary

Think about
what we just
marked. How
should your
entry look?
Reading Entries Should Follow These Guidelines:
1. Header with Title as “Reading Journal:
____________”
2. Complete prewriting for entries, but it will be
different depending on what your entry subject is.
3. The entry options can be about any of the 8 RIT
strategies. You will choose 7/8 strategies each
week in any order.
4. Keep track of other questions for when unknown
context arises, you think of a related question,
and and new vocabulary.
5. Write a reflective response that both shows your
understanding and inferences by giving examples
of the text and your own thoughts.
6. Use complete sentences with your best spelling
and grammar.
7. Be thoughtful and proud of your entry.
8. Letter format with “Dear Peer,” at top and
“Sincerely, Your Name” at bottom.

Objective: Students will demonstrate understanding by
using the example and list to write response to a peer’s
writing.
Steps:
1. Review steps of writing individual journal entries.
2. Discuss what we would like others to say when they
read our entry.
3. Discuss how we will know what days we will be reading
and responding to each other’s journals.
4. Create a list of expectations for responses to each
other’s entries.
Instructions Card

Student
Let’s take a
look at the last
entry. If you
were going to
reply, what
would you say?
Fig Lang- Yes, I
know that.
I’m superstitious,
too!
p
She sounds young
or immature.
Doesn’t this
mean a lot? I
looked it up; it
actually means
“sticky.”

Student
Let’s take a
look at the
last entry. If
you were going
to reply, what
would you say?

Let’s make
our
expectations
off of that
example. What
did you
notice?
Student
Expectations for Responses
1. Letter format
2. Use post- it notes or a prewriting section to find
three “thought marks” to respond.
3. Write a reflective response that both shows you read
their entry by restating specific details, answering or
asking questions, and adding your opinion.
4. Complete sentences with your best spelling and
grammar
5. Be thoughtful and proud of your entry.
6. Letter format with “Dear Peer,” at top and “Sincerely,
Your Name” at bottom.

Thanks
to
These
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1. Kylie Healey Designs / KH Digi https://www.etsy.com/shop/KHDigi
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