The wonder of Leo Lionni: Increasing comprehension with prediction statements
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=968
A lesson plan for Grades K–2 English Language Arts
This lesson uses picture books by Leo Lionni to engage students in predicting and questioning text. The teacher introduces Swimmy by Leo Lionni and models how to make “I wonder” prediction statements about the text. After reviewing the teacher's “I wonder” questions from the first session, students propose their own statements during a read-aloud of The Biggest House in the World!. Throughout the read-aloud, the teacher challenges students to choose a couple of statements to illustrate. When finished reading the text, students discuss whether their questions were answered by the book. Finally, in small groups, students read a Leo Lionni book together, and using the graphic organizers, create a stapleless book with “I wonder” statements. When students have completed their books, they share them with the class and discuss the answers to their questions. Readwritethink provides a list of works by Leo Lionni, assignment guidelines, bookmark graphic organizers, and a link to an online interactive stapleless book tool. The lesson also suggests extension activities and offers links to helpful web resources.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 1
- Goal 2: The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.01: Read aloud independently with fluency and comprehension any text that is appropriately designed for emergent readers.
- Objective 2.02: Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of texts (storybooks, short chapter books, newspapers, telephone books, and everyday print such as signs and labels, poems, word plays using alliteration and rhyme, skits and short plays).
- Objective 2.04: Use preparation strategies to anticipate vocabulary of a text and to connect prior knowledge and experiences to a new text.
- Objective 2.05: Predict and explain what will happen next in stories.
- Objective 2.07: Respond and elaborate in answering what, when, where, and how questions.
- Objective 2.08: Discuss and explain response to how, why, and what if questions in sharing narrative and expository texts.
- Objective 2.09: Read and understand simple written instructions.
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.04: Extend skills in using oral and written language:
- clarifying purposes for engaging in communication.
- using clear and precise language to paraphrase messages.
- engaging in more extended oral discussions.
- producing written products.
- completing graphic organizers.
- Objective 4.06: Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings).
- Objective 4.04: Extend skills in using oral and written language:
Grade 2
- Goal 2: The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.01: Read and comprehend both narrative and expository text appropriate for grade two by:
- determining purpose (reader's and author's).
- making predictions.
- asking questions.
- locating information for specific reasons/purposes.
- recognizing and applying text structure.
- comprehending and evaluating author's decisions and word choice.
- determining fact and opinion.
- recognizing and comprehending figurative language.
- making inferences and drawing conclusions.
- Objective 2.04: Pose possible how, why, and what if questions to understand and/or interpret text.
- Objective 2.01: Read and comprehend both narrative and expository text appropriate for grade two by:
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.04: Use oral communication to identify, organize, and analyze information.
Kindergarten
- Goal 1: The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies to read and write.
- Objective 1.04: Read or begin to read.
- Read or attempt to read own dictated story.
- Attempt to read/reads simple patterned text, decodable text, and/or predictable texts using letter-sound knowledge and pictures to construct meaning.
- Objective 1.04: Read or begin to read.
- Goal 2: The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.02: Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of types of books and selections (e.g., picture books, caption books, short informational texts, nursery rhymes, word plays/finger plays, puppet plays, reenactments of familiar stories).
- Objective 2.03: Use preparation strategies to activate prior knowledge and experience before and during the reading of a text.
- Objective 2.04: Formulate questions that a text might answer before beginning to read (e.g., what will happen in this story, who might this be, where do you think this happens).
- Objective 2.05: Predict possible events in texts before and during reading.
- Objective 2.06: Understand and follow oral-graphic directions.
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.04: Maintain conversation and discussions:
- attending to oral presentations
- taking turns expressing ideas and asking questions.
- Objective 4.04: Maintain conversation and discussions:



