Helping All Kids Read and Write

A Guide for Teachers

Grade 3

This book is for teachers.
It helps teachers teach reading.
It helps teachers teach writing.

Many smart people helped make this book.

What Is Inside This Book

This book has parts.

One part is about Reading.
One part is about Writing.
One part is about Speaking and Listening.
One part is about Words (this is called Language).

Why We Made This Book

Kids need to learn big things.
Kids need to learn to read well.
Kids need to learn to think well.

Standards tell us what kids should learn.
Teachers help kids get there.
Teachers use good lessons to help.

Some kids learn in different ways.
Some kids have disabilities.
Some kids are learning English.
Some kids need extra help.

Teachers should use many ways to teach.
This helps every kid learn.

Classrooms should feel safe.
Classrooms should feel kind.

Teachers should think about each kid.
How old is the kid?
What does the kid already know?
What language does the kid speak at home?

All kids should get to learn the same big ideas.
All kids should get to try in different ways.
This helps every kid do their best.

What Are Scaffolds?

This book talks about "scaffolds."
A scaffold is a help.
It is like a small ladder.
It helps kids reach hard work.

Teachers plan scaffolds ahead of time.
Scaffolds give kids help right when they need it.

Scaffolds do not change the work.
All kids still learn the same lesson.
Scaffolds just make the lesson easier to reach.

Scaffolds help kids learn new skills.
Later, kids will not need the scaffold.
They will do the work on their own.

How Scaffolds Are Taught

Good teaching has steps.
First, the teacher tells why the skill matters.
Next, the teacher shows how to do it.
Then, kids practice.
The teacher gives help and feedback.

This way of teaching is called explicit instruction.
It means teaching very clearly, step by step.

Teachers can use these scaffolds in any lesson.
Teachers can use them in reading.
Teachers can use them in math too.

Any teacher can use these scaffolds.
This helps make lessons work for every student.

How to Use This Book

Teachers should use scaffolds carefully.
No kid should feel "different" because of a scaffold.

Here are some tips for teachers:

• Give scaffolded worksheets to all kids.
• Mix kids into groups together.
• Let kids use their home language to help them learn.
• Give extra help quietly, without pointing it out.
• Use computers and tools to help every kid.

This book is organized to help teachers find ideas fast.

Each scaffold in this book explains:

• What the scaffold is.
• Who it can help.
• How to use it in a lesson.

Teachers can change the scaffolds to fit their own class.

Scaffold: Using Pictures and Charts to Organize Ideas

From: Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2

What This Scaffold Is

A graphic organizer is a chart.
It helps kids sort ideas.
It helps kids remember a story.

Some kids need extra help using the chart.
The teacher can show them how, step by step.

This example uses a story called Rain School.
The chart is called the Close Read Recording Form.

What the Teacher Does

1. The teacher can add easy words to the chart.
2. The teacher can add pictures to help kids understand.
3. The teacher shows kids how to fill in the chart.

The teacher talks out loud while working.

Teacher says:
"We will use this chart to remember the story.
We will read Rain School again.
We will fill in the chart together."

The teacher shows a big chart in front of the class.
Kids get their own small chart too.

Box 1: "Somebody..."
This is the character.
A character is the person or animal in the story.

Box 2: "in..."
This is the setting.
The setting is where the story happens.

Box 3: "wanted..."
This tells what the character wants.

Box 4: "but..."
This tells the problem.
The problem stops the character from getting what they want.

Box 5: "so..."
This tells the solution.
The solution is how the problem gets fixed.
This is how the story ends.

Teacher says:
"Listen while I read.
When I hear the character, setting, problem, or solution, I will stop.
I will write it on the chart.
You can write it too."

The teacher reads the story again.
The teacher stops to fill in the chart.

Some kids may need more help.
The teacher can read small parts at a time.

As kids get better, the teacher helps less.
Kids learn to do it on their own.