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Bridge the Reading Gap: A Small-Group Reading Comprehension Class

In this semester long, 8-week small-group reading class, learners will be explicitly taught comprehension and strategies and skills to help them grow as readers. They will also practice them in a supportive small-group setting.
Arline Erven
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(19)
Star Educator
Class
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What's included

8 live meetings
5 hrs 20 mins in-class hours
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Learners should read at least 20 minutes every day: something on or below their reading level AND that they enjoy. Local public libraries have lots of free books!
Certificate of Completion
As the weeks progress, I will informally assess the learner’s reading comprehension, fluency and vocabulary development. The learner will earn a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

Class Experience

US Grade 2 - 4
In this 8-week, semester-long small group reading class, learners will be explicitly taught comprehension and strategies and skills and will practice them in a supporting small-group setting. 

Transitioning from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" can be challenging for many learners. This small-group reading class aims to bridge this gap, making the transition smoother. 

Reading together in a small group with other learners of similar reading ability—as opposed to 1:1 tutoring—allows all learners to feel seen, feel heard and know they aren’t alone in their reading strengths and struggles. 

The following skills will be explicitly taught and practiced by all learners:

Reading Comprehension Strategies: Re-reading, using graphic organizers, using context clues, inferencing, summarizing, visualizing, SSQ method (Stop, Summarize, Question), etc. 

Each week’s lesson:
5 min—Review the past weeks' skills
5 min—Introduce reading comprehension skill
20 min—Read the book or passage together using skill
5 min—Cooperatively write a retelling or summary, etc of what was read
5 min—Discuss what the learners did and how they can use it in the future

Overview of classes:
Week of September 2: Fiction—retelling with story elements
Week of September 9: Nonfiction—main idea & details
Week of September 16: Fiction—Visualizing
Week of September 23: Nonfiction—Using context clues
Week of September 30: Fiction—Text connections (text to self or world)
Week of October 7: Nonfiction—Summarizing
Week of October 14: Fiction—Retelling with story elements
Week of October 21: Nonfiction—Activating prior knowledge (and full review)
Learning Goals
Learners will develop comprehension skills such as finding the main idea and details, summarizing information, retelling what happened, etc. 

Learners will become more fluent, accurate, and expressive readers.
Learners will become more fluent in conversation and social skills such as active listening, affirming others’ statements, and offering their own insights. 

Learners will develop a more sophisticated reading and speaking vocabulary. 

Learners will gain confidence in public speaking and reading aloud.

Learners will develop critical thinking skills by considering both open-ended and text-specific questions.
learning goal

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
8 Lessons
over 8 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Story Elements & Retelling
 In this lesson, we'll use the story, "Dragons & Giants" by Arnold Lobel to practice the skill of retelling a story using basic story elements such as characters, events, setting, etc. 
40 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Main Idea & Details
 In this lesson, we'll use the articles, "Zebra News" and "Tiger Tips" from Spectrum Reading 2 to practice the skill of recognizing the main ideas and details. 
We will also review past comprehension skills. 
40 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Making Predictions
 In this lesson, we'll use the books, Waiting is Not Easy! by Mo Willems and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff to practice making predictions as we read. 
We will also review past comprehension skills. 
40 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Activating Prior Knowledge
 In this lesson, we'll use the passage, "Cats Long Ago" from Spectrum Reading 2 to practice the skill of thinking about what we already know before reading about a new topic.
We will also review past comprehension skills. 
40 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Pre-Requisites
Learners will need to read at AT LEAST a second grade level. Lexile (LEX): 450L - 790L Guided Reading Level (GRL): J-K Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA): 16-24 Accelerated Reader SRL): 2.0-3.0
Supply List
The following is a list of probable book series we'll use. 

Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
Annie and Snowball by Cynthia Rylant
Lola Reads by Anna McQuinn
Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems

We’ll also be using the Spectrum Reading 2 workbook.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined July, 2023
5.0
19reviews
Star Educator
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Valdosta State University
Taught first grade reading for four years
Written reading curricula for various organizations
Tutors reading and writing online and in-person
Taught many children to read and read well

Reviews

Live Group Course
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$15

weekly or $120 for 8 classes
1x per week, 8 weeks
40 min

Completed by 7 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-10
2-3 learners per class

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