Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Concept: Days of the Week
Grade Level: 1st grade
Summary
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is an excellent pattern book for students in the primary grades to read. I plan to use Listening-Prediction strategies to ensure students comprehend the story as well as the pattern located within the book. These students are in a primary grade so independent reading is not a strategy I would utilize; instead I would have students engage in
group oral reading. Group oral reading is good strategy for me to use with this lesson and grade level because the text is predictable and students can improve their reading skills. I plan to reintroduce this lesson later on in the school year and instead of group oral reading students can engage in guided silent reading and record their predictions in personal journals to make sure they comprehend the material covered before.
Pre-Reading
Re-introduce the days of the week to students. Ask students questions such as 1.What day is today?
2. If today is Monday then tomorrow will be?
3. If today is Monday, then yesterday was?
Then take students through a picture walk of The Very Hungry Caterpillar book. Ask students question about the images for example
1. What is the name of the animal on the cover of the book?
2. What is the animal doing in the picture on page 2?
3. What is the name of the animal on the last page of the book?
Have students make predictions about what they think will happen in the book.
During Reading
Begin reading the book. Read a couple of pages and then stop and ask students’ questions about the predictions they have made and have them reconsider their predictions. Make sure students notice that there is a pattern in the book by asking questions like
1. How many different types of food do you think the caterpillar will eat tomorrow?
2. How many pieces of food did the caterpillar eat on Tuesday?
3. Do you think he will eat more on Wednesday?”
Finish reading the book.
Post-Reading
After completing the book as a group, have students give their reaction to the book. Have students explain why they like or dislike the book. Ask students questions to establish comprehension about the caterpillar becoming the butterfly for example
1. Who is the animal on the last page of the book?
2. Where did the butterfly come from?
3. Why was the caterpillar so hungry?
4. Why did the caterpillar stay inside the cocoon so long?
Then ask questions to establish comprehension of the days of the week. These questions can be written in a journal or answered as a group engaged in discussion.
1. What day did the caterpillar eat an apple?
2. What did the caterpillar eat on Friday?
3. When did the caterpillar eat through one piece of salami?
4. What day came first in the book?
After comprehension of the story has been established have students develop their own unique ending to the story and draw a picture to go with their ending.
ESOL Modifications
It is important to read slowly for ESOL students to comprehend. I will assign any ESOL students a buddy for this assignment. The buddy’s job will be to make sure the ESOL student comprehends the information by answering any questions they may have or helping them along with their reading. Group Oral reading is a good strategy for this lesson as well as ESOL students because everyone will be reading aloud and practicing word pronunciation as they go along.
