Weaver Instructional Systems, Inc. - Sample Lessons (1-2)

A note to Instructors and Parents

Thank you for your interest in the Weaver Instructional Systems Building Blocks Skills Builder Vocabulary and Comprehension Series.

The book is designed to help students improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills and to achieve higher scores on state and national competency tests.

Please read the introduction section on page V for complete details of the instructional sequence of the book

A note to Students

This book is written just for YOU! It will help you improve your vocabulary and comprehension skills. It will also improve your scores on the standardized tests in your state.

You should begin with the pretests and do each lesson in order. Use the answer keys found in the back of the book to score your lessons.

Please feel free to contact us via e-mail, if you have any questions or comments about the book.

World Wide Web at HTTP://www.wisesoft.com

EMAIL: WiseSoft@AOL.com

Introduction

"Building Blocks" Skills Builder is designed to help students improve their ability to read for meaning and expand their vocabulary skills.

Performance Objectives

· Identify the stated main idea within a selection

· Infer the main idea of a selection

· Identify multiple main ideas within a selection

· Derive word meaning from context clues

· Identify stated supportive details

· Identify the sequence within a selection

· Identify stated or suggested cause-and-effect relationships

· Identify likenesses and differences

· Predict the probable outcome of a selection

· Infer details that support the main idea of a selection

· Infer the sequence within a selection

· Draw conclusions from given information

· Identify relationships between words

· Determine the author's purpose

· Distinguish between fact and opinion

· Determine the author's viewpoint

· Summarize a selection

· Interpret facts to make logical judgments

· Judge relevancy of written statements

There are four instructional sections contained in this book: Vocabulary, Comprehension, Read A Book, and Story Frames.

Vocabulary

· Graded core - vocabulary words

· Each lesson contains pre- and post-tests

· Definitions "in context" are provided

· Each vocabulary word is used in the comprehension stories

· Answer key

Comprehension

· Comprehension Skills: Literal comprehension, Main Idea, Details, Cause-Effect Sequence, Inferential Comprehension

· Graded Pre- and Post-Tests

· Thorough Instructional Lessons that teach how to understand and remember what has been read

· Practice Lessons that include a variety of approaches to ensure mastery of the comprehension skills

Read A Book

The instructional sequence:

Survey: The student will answer survey questions about the book he or she has chosen to read.

Vocabulary: The vocabulary review will help the student understand some of the key words contained in the book.

Vocabulary Questions: Questions will be asked and answers provided to grade the student's understanding of the key vocabulary words in the book.

Comprehension Skills: Literal Comprehension, Main Idea, Details, Cause-Effect Sequence, and Inferential Comprehension.

Story Frames

A story frame is a structure for retelling a story, using a sequence of blank spaces connected by key words. A completed story frame provides a summary of the story or highlights important aspects of the story.

Story frames provide students with an organizational strategy for remembering, analyzing, and communicating important information about stories.

Story Frames

Title: ________________________________________________________

Author: ______________________________________________________

The main character in this story is________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______who_____________________________________________________

A problem develops when_________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

This is a problem because_________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

The problem is solved when_______________________________________

______________________________________________________________

And then, at the end of the story,____________________________________

______________________________________________________________

In this story the problem starts when___________________________________

__________________________________. After that,____________________

Next,__________________________________________________________

The problem is finally solved when___________________________________.

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___________________________________is an important character in our story.

___________________________________is important because____________

__________________________. Once he/she__________________________

______________________________________________________________.

Another time,____________________________________________________.

I think that________________________________is_____________________

____________because____________________________________________.

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Our story is about________________________________________________.

__________________________________is an important character in our story.

Once,_______________________________tried to_____________________.

Another time,____________________________________________________.

The story ends when______________________________________________.

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________________________________and______________________are two

characters in our story. ____________________________is_______________

while________________________________is____________________. For

instance, ______________________________tries to _________________and

_____________________________________learns a lesson when__________

_____________________________________.

Level 2

LEVEL 2 -- VOCABULARY PRETEST

For each numbered word, choose the letter that means the same as that word. Each correct answer is worth 10 points.

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1. Country

(A) Land

(B) Sky

2. Village

(A) Cars

(B) Boats

3. Hundred

(A) One

(B) Ten tens

4. Fresh

(A) Green

(B) Dry

5. Hour

(A) 60 minutes

(B) Two days

6. Sound

(A) Color

(B) To run

7. Different

(A) A pair

(B) Not alike

8. Wonder

(A) Wish to know

(B) Dog

Score____

LEVEL 2 -- COMPREHENSION PRETEST

Read the following story and answer the questions by choosing the letter for the best answer. Each correct answer is worth 10 points.

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The ovenbird is a kind of bird that lives in another country. Ovenbirds are named after the mud nests that they make. When rains make the mud soft, the birds begin to build their homes. They use the mud and grass to build up the walls and roof of the nest until they are over an inch thick.

Each year the ovenbird builds a new home. The old nest is used by hornets, wasps, or other birds.

1. This story tells most about

(A) houses.

(B) ovenbird nests.

2. Ovenbirds build their nests with

(A) stones.

(B) sticks and string.

3. Other birds can use the old nests of the ovenbird because

(A) ovenbirds build a new home each year.

(B) they chase the ovenbirds away.

4. The ovenbirds begin to build their homes after

(A) the rains make the mud soft. (B) the sun goes down.

5. Which sentence would be true of the ovenbird nests?

(A) They are very small.

(B) They are strong and last a long time.

Score____

LEVEL 2 -- INSTRUCTIONAL LESSON No. 1

You know that a group of words that is about one thing is called a sentence. Sometimes more than one sentence can be about one important idea. Read the following sentences:

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Harry likes to cook hot dogs. He puts them on a long stick. He holds the hot dogs over a hot fire until they are cooked.

The sentences are about how Harry likes to cook hot dogs.

This important idea is called the main idea of the sentences. Read this group of sentences. Try to decide the main idea that the sentences are about.

Debbie has many toy animals. She has two soft toy rabbits. She has a big toy dog that looks as if it is sleeping. Debbie has some toy bears that she puts on her bed.

Choose the letter that marks the best answer to the question:

1. Which of these sentences tells the main idea of the story about Debbie?

(A) Debbie has many toy animals.

(B) Debbie puts toy bears on her bed.

Sentence A is the main idea sentence because it tells about all the animals that Debbie has. The other sentences each tell about just one kind of animal, but together they tell more about the main idea.

Read this short story:

(1) Scott likes to read books about sports. (2) He reads books about baseball. (3) Scott also reads books about football. (4) He likes to read books about basketball, too.

2. Which numbered sentence tells the main idea of the story?

(A) 1.

(B) 2.

(D) 4.

The first sentence is the main-idea sentence because all the other sentences tell more about the sport books Scott likes to read.

3. What sports did Scott like to read about? ---Choose Three---

(A) Baseball.

(B) Football.

(D) Basketball.

Sometimes the main-idea sentence comes at the end of a group of sentences. Here is the story about Scott again, but the main-idea sentence comes last.

Scott reads books about baseball. He also reads books about football. He likes to read books about basketball, too. Scott likes to read books about sports.

Now read this short story. Find the sentence that tells the main idea of the story.

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(1) A hat made of wool yarn can help keep you warm in the winter.

(2) A baseball cap can help keep the sun out of your eyes.

(3) Rain hats can help keep you dry when it rains.

(4) There are many kinds of hats.

4. Which numbered sentence tells about the main idea?

(A) 1

(B) 2

(D) 4

The last sentence tells the main idea. All the other sentences tell more about each of the kinds of hats.

5. What kind of hat keeps you warm in the winter?

(A) A wool hat.

(B) A baseball cap.