Think-Alouds Lesson 2

Focus of Lesson: Nonfiction Text Comprehension

Grade Level/Subject: 3rd Grade/ELA
Common Core State Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1-Ask and answer
questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the
basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.6- Distinguish their own point of view from that of the
authors of a text.
Student Learning Objective:

I can think-aloud to understand a nonfiction text.

Materials Needed

Think-aloud picture cards (see attachments)

Small tokens or student chips to be used as talking chips

Whose Habitat Is It?

o Bear, D. (2007). Macmillan McGraw-Hill treasures: A
reading/language arts program. (Vol. 1, pp. 78-83). New York:
Macmillan McGraw-Hill.

Lesson Outline:

In a small group the teacher will introduce the term habitat by explaining that a
habitat is a natural place where an animal, plant, or someone lives. The teacher
will say, Today we will continue thinking-aloud when reading a nonfiction text.
Thinking aloud helps readers comprehend or understand what he or she has read.

What does it mean to think-aloud? The teacher will elicit responses from the
students.

Using the article Whose Habitat Is It? the teacher will preview the text and will
share aloud his or her thinking after exploring the text features and photographs.
The teacher and students will preview the text by looking carefully at each page in
the text. For example, The title is called Whose Habitat Is It? I wonder what or
who belongs in the habitat? Are people fighting over land? On the next page I see
a picture of a deer eating a carrot off a snowman in the forest. I dont think the
kids who live in that house would like that the deer is ruining their snowman.

The teacher will ask, What are some things you heard me say or observed me do
as I previewed the text? Elicit answers from the students.

Explain, Now that we have previewed the text we are ready to start reading. We
will take turns reading aloud paragraphs from this article. Remember we are
learning to think-aloud as we read. Open to page 78 where a student will begin
reading aloud.

After every paragraph or a few sentences stop the student from reading. Students
will, one at a time, vocalize his or her thoughts about the text. Each student will
be provided with two talking chips. Teammates will place a talking chip in the
center of the guided reading table each time he or she shares their thinking about
the article. When a student is out of chips, they may not talk until all of his or her
teammates have used their chips. When everyones chips are in the center, the
students may take back his or her chips to either continue the discussion or to
continue reading the text. Talking chips will ensure all students have participated

and contributed to the discussion. Chips can be anything, for example math
manipulatives, sticky notes, small tokens, etc. Think-aloud picture cards should
also be placed on the table to be used as a reference for the students.

After the entire text has been read and discussed, students will reflect on how
thinking aloud had facilitated his or her understanding of the text. The students
will share their ideas with the group.

Extensions/ Differentiation

Group A- Readers who are struggling to vocalize his or her thinking may be
given a buddy. This buddy will coach the student by asking questions to help the
students come up with a response to the text. For example, the student may say,
Here is a picture of a bear in a backyard. What do you think about this picture?
You can start by saying I think that

Group O- Students will read the text with a partner. The first partner will read the
text, while the listener will coach and will share his or her thinking. Next, partners
will switch roles.

Group B- To extend the thinking of those working beyond grade-level the

students will generate a written response. The students answer the following
question, The authors argue that humans are taking over animals habitats. Do
you think land should be set aside for animals only? Use evidence from the text to
support your opinion. Written responses will be shared within the group.
Students will defend his or her opinion.

Assessment- Formative- To assess students learning the teacher will be taking

anecdotal notes. Next to each childs name the teacher will record a plus sign

when the each child shares aloud and use information from the text. A negative
sign will indicate that the child needed support or could not develop his or her
thoughts about text.
Teacher Notes/ ReflectionI noticed that students had a difficult time listening to his or her peers during the
talking chips activity. To improve this lesson I would teach the students gambits to use
before sharing his or her ideas. For example, students can be taught to start off
sharing a remark by saying I heard you say. Additionally I noticed students
needed 3-5 minutes of think-time before each mini-discussion. For these reasons, I
would suggest providing silent think-time before using the talking chips strategy. I
would also suggest pre-teaching discussion gambits.