A daily DEAR program: Drop everything and read!
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=55
A lesson plan for Grades 3–5 English Language Arts
About this resource
- Appropriate grades
- 3–5
- Subjects
- English language arts (reading, self-selected reading), diverse learners (multiple intelligences)
- Provider
- IRA/NCTE
Legal
This catalog record is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. This license applies to the content of this page only and does not apply to the referenced website.
This lesson that promotes self-selected reading for students in grades 3–5, gives the teacher a structured time to touch base with each student over a period of time, assess progress, and target instruction. During this daily reading period, students have time to read what they want to read, share what they've read, and receive the support they need for further reading explorations and reflections. After students have selected books from an in-class library or the school media center, the teacher begins DEAR sessions in 10 minute increments per day and gradually builds to 30 minute sessions. At the conclusion of each session, students keep track of what they are reading in literature logs/reader response logs, which include the date, the book title and author, and the student's response to the text. When students finish a book, the teacher meets with them to have brief conferences and evaluates student progress and success. After the conference, students give book chats to PALs (Partners Assisting Literacy). The lesson explains how to train PALs for helping review book chats after students have completed reading. Readwritethink provides a reading portfolio form that students can use to keep track of the books and page numbers they have read.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 3
- Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
- Objective 1.06: Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student's independent reading level) to:
- increase fluency
- build background knowledge
- extend vocabulary.
- Objective 1.06: Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student's independent reading level) to:
- Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing by:
- setting a purpose.
- previewing the text.
- making predictions.
- asking questions.
- locating information for specific purposes.
- making connections.
- using story structure and text organization to comprehend.
- Objective 2.03: Read a variety of texts, including:
- fiction (short stories, novels, fantasies, fairy tales, fables).
- nonfiction (biographies, letters, articles, procedures and instructions, charts, maps).
- poetry (proverbs, riddles, limericks, simple poems).
- drama (skits, plays).
- Objective 2.06: Summarize main idea(s) from written or spoken texts using succinct language.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing by:
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
- present information in a sequenced, logical manner.
- discuss.
- sustain conversation on a topic.
- share information and ideas.
- recount or narrate.
- answer open-ended questions.
- report information on a topic.
- explain own learning.
- Objective 4.03: Share written and oral products in a variety of ways (e.g., author's chair, book making, publications, discussions, presentations).
- Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal narrative, short report, friendly letter, directions and instructions).
- Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
Grade 4
- Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
- Objective 1.06: Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student's independent reading level) to:
- increase fluency.
- build background knowledge.
- expand vocabulary.
- Objective 1.06: Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student's independent reading level) to:
- Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information.
- making predictions.
- formulating questions.
- locating relevant information.
- making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
- Objective 2.03: Read a variety of texts, including:
- fiction (legends, novels, folklore, science fiction).
- nonfiction (autobiographies, informational books, diaries, journals).
- poetry (concrete, haiku).
- drama (skits, plays).
- Objective 2.05: Make inferences, draw conclusions, make generalizations, and support by referencing the text.
- Objective 2.06: Summarize major points from fiction and nonfiction text(s) to clarify and retain information and ideas.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
- present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner.
- discuss.
- interview.
- solve problems.
- make decisions.
- Objective 4.03: Make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience.
- Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal and imaginative narrative, research reports, learning logs, letters of request, letters of complaint).
- Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
Grade 5
- Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- making predictions.
- formulating questions.
- supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources.
- drawing on personal, literary, and cultural understandings.
- seeking additional information.
- making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
- Objective 2.03: Read a variety of texts, such as:
- fiction (tall tales, myths).
- nonfiction (books of true experience, newspaper and magazine articles, schedules).
- poetry (narrative, lyric, and cinquains).
- drama (plays and skits).
- Objective 2.05: Evaluate inferences, conclusions, and generalizations and provide evidence by referencing the text(s).
- Objective 2.06: Analyze choice of reading materials congruent with purposes (e.g., reading for information, reading to extend content area learning, reading for pleasure, entertainment).
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
- formulate hypotheses.
- evaluate information and ideas.
- present and support arguments.
- influence the thinking of others.
- Objective 4.03: Make oral and written presentations to inform or persuade selecting vocabulary for impact.
- Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., clarification, essay, feature story, business letter).
- Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
