Reading Level:
F

Word Count:
224

Pages:
12 

Text Summary
This is the third book in the Monsters series. Jupe wants a pet and finally gets one for her birthday. The text sets up a nice prediction sequence where the reader can guess what the pet will be: a kitten. 

Reader Supports

• Repeated high-frequency words
• Good picture support 

Reader Challenges

• Many sentence pattern changes
• Some unfamiliar vocabulary 

Lesson Objectives

Reading Strategies
Students should use a variety of strategies to decode words and bring meaning to print. The target strategy for this lesson is: use sound/symbol relationships to decode unfamiliar words. 

Word and Print Skills

Phonological Awareness
Medial sound substitution
Phonics
Variant vowel long /o/
Word Work
Inflectional ending -s 

High-Frequency Words:
would, what, your, gives 

Vocabulary Words
dinosaur, alien, snake, collar, food, toy, water
Ensure that you use these words in the pre- and post-reading discussion to help students better understand what they read and to widen their vocabulary. 

Comprehension
You will likely address a number of comprehension skills as students work to understand the text. The target comprehension strategy for this lesson is: making, revising, and confirming predictions. 

Before Reading

Build Background
Involve students in a discussion about pets to elicit prior knowledge and build background. If students have read any of the Monsters books, help them make connections between what they have read and what they are about to read.
Ask: Do you have a pet? What kind of pet? What do pets need to keep them healthy and happy? What kinds of animals make good pets? Why? What kind of pet do you think Jupe, Uzzle, and Bonk might have?

Book Walk
Show students the cover of the book. Read the title with them and discuss the illustration. Have students make initial predictions about the book.
Ask: What do you see on the cover? Why might Jupe be getting a pet? What kind of pet do you think she will get?
Give students worksheet 1 and have them write their predictions about Jupe's pet in column 1. Discuss students’ ideas.
Then, show students pages 1 through 9 so that they can continue their predictions about the pet. When you have looked at the illustrations up to that point, have students confirm or revise their predictions on the prediction chart. Ask questions about what they see in the pictures and reinforce the language they will encounter in the text.
Pages 3–4
Ask: What kinds of pets are the monsters thinking about? Would a dinosaur make a good pet for Jupe?
Page 5
Ask: What is an alien? Would an alien make a good pet?
Pages 6––9
Ask and say: What presents does Jupe get? What do you think is in the box from Uzzle? Write your ideas on the prediction chart in the second column. You are going to read to find out what pet Jupe gets. 

Reading Strategies
Ask students what strategies they will use to work out difficult words. Discuss how sound/symbol relationships help them decode new words. Ensure that they recognize the following strategies:

• Sound out words using what they know about letters and sounds
• Check the illustrations to see if what they are reading makes sense
• Reread the sentence to check that the word makes sense
• Reread any sentence or page that was difficult 

During Reading

Student Reading 
Hand out the books to students and ask them to whisper-read the text at their own pace. Have them read to find out if their predictions about the pet are correct. Monitor students’ reading and intervene if necessary. Support a student by having him or her look for familiar sounds in the word and sound them out, and then reread the sentence or check the picture to make sure the word makes sense. When students have finished reading, have them complete the chart by filling in the third column. 

After Reading

Reflect on Reading Strategies
Discuss the strategies students used to read the text. Praise good reading behaviors you noticed as students were reading. Select a word that students had difficulty with and model how to sound out the word.
Say and ask: I noticed that [child’s name] read a difficult word by sounding it out using the sound/symbol relationships [he/she] knows. That was good reading. What words did you have trouble with? What strategies did you use to work out the words? Did you use your sound/symbol relationships? Look at the word present on page 7. The word gift would make sense here, so how did you know that the word was present and not gift? 

Comprehending the Text
Targeted Comprehension Strategy
Discuss students' predictions and the outcome of the story. Point out clues that could help them make their predictions.
Say and ask: I thought at first that Jupe would have an unusual pet, because she is an unusual character. But then I saw the clues of the collar and the toy, and it made me think it might be a familiar pet instead. What did you think the pet would be? What gave you that idea? How does making predictions about what will happen next get you involved in the reading? Does this help you enjoy the story more? Why or why not? 

Discuss the plot and characters with students and help them make connections with other books about the monsters.
Ask and say: Did you like this story? Why or why not? What did you remember about the characters from reading about them before? Did the characters act the way you thought they would? Explain. Look at the last page of the story. Bonk says, "your new pet," and Jupe replies with, "our new pet." Why does she say this? What does this tell you about Jupe? How did the writer keep you guessing about the pet as you read this story?

Building Skills

Phonological Awareness
Medial Sound Substitution
Have students listen while you say a word: pet. Ask students what sound they hear in the middle of the word. Then tell students you are going to make a new word by changing the e to a. Tell students the new word (pat) and have them repeat it after you. Then ask students to make a new word by changing the a in pat to i, the i in pit to u, and the u in put to o. Repeat with the word like by changing it to lake, luck, and lock. 

Phonics
Variant vowel long /o/
Have students turn to page 3 and find three words that have the long /o/ sound (Jupe, you, too). Write these words on the board. Ask students to tell you what letters make the long /o/ sound in these words. Challenge them to find a word on page 6 (soon) and on page 7 (food) that have the same variant vowel sound. Explain that this sound has several spellings. Have students brainstorm a list of words with the sound and write them on the board under the word with the same spelling. Discuss which spellings of the sound seem to be most common.

Word Work

Inflectional Ending -s
Have students read the first sentence on page 3, and have them tell you the verb (wants). Write the phrase Jupe wants on the board. Then ask students what you need to write if you change Jupe to I. Write the following in a list under Jupe wants and I want: you want, he wants, she wants, we want, they want. Discuss how the verb changes according to the subject of the sentence by adding -s. Have pairs of students look through the book for other examples of verbs ending in -s. Discuss how the words are used in the sentences. Give students worksheet 2 and have them write the correct form of the verbs. Have them refer to the list on the board to use as a model. 

High-Frequency Words:
what, your, would, gives
Write these words on the board and have students read each one with you. Have students spell each one by tracing the letters in the palms of their hands. Select one of the words and, without students seeing, erase one of the letters. Have students tell you which letter is missing. Replace the letter and have students read the word. Continue with the other words. 

Targeted Vocabulary Words:
dinosaur, alien, snake, ant, collar, food, toy, water
Write the words on the board and read through them with students. Ask how these words are important in the story. Talk about pets and the needs of pets. Then create a tree diagram that branches into types of pets on one side and things pets need on the other, for example, collar, food, shelter, etc. Discuss which pets on the list would be good ones for the monsters.

Expand the Reading

Writing Connection
Have students write about a pet they have or that they would like to have. 

Science Connection
Help students research different kinds of pets. Have them find out what each pet needs to keep it healthy. 

Math Connection
Have students conduct a survey of their class or other classes to see what kinds of pets are the most common. Have them graph their results. 

Reading Independently
Invite students to reread the book independently or with a partner. Students can also take their books home to read with their families.

Assessment

• Observe students as they read to monitor their reading strategies. Note those students who use good reading behaviors.
• Listen as students make predictions prior to reading and after the Book Walk. Note if their predictions are relevant based on the available information.
• Review students' completed worksheet 2 to assess their understanding of inflectional ending -s.