Build Background

• Write the word music on the board and point to the word as you read it aloud to students. Repeat the process and have students say the word aloud.
• Ask students what they know about music. Ask them to identify instruments they know that people use to make music.

Book Walk

Introduce the Book

• Show students the front and back covers of the book and read the title with them. Ask what they think they might read about in a book called Monster Music. (Accept any answer that students can justify.)
• Show students the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name).

Introduce the Reading Strategy: Make, revise, and confirm predictions

• Explain that good readers make predictions, or guesses, about what will happen in a story based on what the characters say, do, and think in the story. As they read the story, readers make predictions based on clues they read in the story.
• Model using the picture on the front cover of the book to make a prediction.
  Think-aloud: When I look at the front cover of the book, I see a monster. The monster looks as though it is playing a piano. I also see the monster surrounded by music notes. I wonder why this monster is making music on a piano. I know that people make music at concerts for others to listen to and watch. Maybe the monster is practicing for a concert.
• Introduce and explain the prediction worksheet. Model writing a prediction, such as: The monster is practicing for a music concert. Invite students to make a prediction based on the covers, and write it on their worksheet in the Predict column. Share and discuss the predictions as a group.
• As students read, encourage them to use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted strategy presented in this section. For tips on additional reading strategies, click here.

Introduce the Comprehension Skill: Story elements

• Explain that certain elements are included in a fictional story. Write the following on the board: characters, setting, problem, and solution. Explain that the characters are the people or other animals in the story, and the setting is where and when the story takes place. The characters usually are faced with a problem that needs to be solved.
• Model identifying story elements of a familiar story.
  Think-aloud: In the story The Three Little Pigs, the characters are the three pigs and the wolf. The setting is near the three pigs' houses. The problem is that the wolf is hungry and wants to eat the pigs. The pigs solve their problem by hiding in the third pig's brick house, which the wolf is not able to blow down.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• While previewing the book, reinforce the vocabulary words students will encounter in the story. For example, while looking at the picture on page 3, you might say: Jupe is playing her piano. She plinks and plunks the keys to make the sounds.
• Remind students to look at the pictures and the letters a word begins or ends with to figure out a difficult word. For example, point to beautiful on page 4, and say: I am going to check the picture and think about what would make sense to figure out this word. The picture shows one monster playing a piano. The other monster appears to be singing. They are making some kind of music. When I look at the first part of the word, it starts like /b/. The word bad begins with the /b/ sound and could describe the music. However, the picture also shows a cat rubbing up against the leg of one of the monsters. The cat seems to like the music. The word beautiful also begins with the /b/ sound. The sentence makes sense with this word. The word must be beautiful.
• For additional tips on teaching high-frequency words and word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read to find out about the monsters' music. Remind them to make, revise, and confirm predictions as they read.

During Reading 

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Give students their copy of the book. Have them read to the end of page 6 and then stop to think about the events that have happened so far in the story. Encourage students who finish before others to reread the text.
• Model revising a prediction.
  Think-aloud: Before reading, I predicted that the monster was practicing for a music concert. As I look at the events that have happened so far in the story, I want to change my prediction. It seems as though the monsters were making music because they enjoyed it. It might be a hobby or something that they enjoy doing together as friends. I also read that Jupe wants to try playing some of the pianos in the store. Maybe Jupe and Lurk will play and sing their music in the store. I wonder what will happen if they do this. I think that Jupe and Lurk will bother some of the customers and the storeowner will make them leave the store. I will write this prediction on my prediction worksheet.
• Have students review the prediction they made before reading. If their prediction was incorrect, have them write a revised prediction on their prediction worksheet in the Predict column and what actually happened in the Actual column. If their original prediction was confirmed, have them write a check mark next to that prediction and write a new prediction in the Predict column.
• Review the definitions of characters and setting with students. Discuss the characters so far in the story (Jupe, Lurk). Write these names on the board. Model identifying a setting in the story using picture and context clues. Say: At the beginning of the story, the monsters appear to be in some kind of room. I see a window, a lamp, and possibly a dresser in the pictures. Based on these clues, the monsters might be in a bedroom. I also see Jupe's toy piano in the pictures. Since the piano is in the room, the bedroom probably belongs to Jupe. Have students use picture and context clues to identify another setting in the story (piano store). Write these settings on the board.
• Introduce and explain the story elements worksheet. Have students record the information for characters and setting on their worksheet.
• Check for understanding: Have students read to the end of page 10. Remind them to use the pictures, sentences, and what they already know to make predictions as they read. When they have finished reading, have them make, revise, or confirm their prediction(s) on their worksheet. Discuss whether their predictions turned out to be true or whether they needed to be revised.
• Have students identify additional characters in the story (shoppers) and write them on their worksheet. Review the definition of a story problem. Discuss the problem in this story (Jupe wants a real piano). Have students record this information on their story elements worksheet.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Encourage them to continue to make, revise, and confirm their predictions as they read the rest of the story and write the information on their prediction worksheet.

    Have students make a small question mark in their book beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. These can be addressed in the discussion that follows.

After Reading 

Reflect on the Reading Strategy

• Ask students what words, if any, they marked in their book. Use this opportunity to model how they can read these words using decoding strategies and context clues.
• Think-aloud: I predicted that Jupe and Lurk bother the customers with their music and are asked to leave the store. This prediction was not correct. I learned that Jupe and Lurk do make music inside the store. However, the music helps the storeowner sell pianos. In fact, he asks them to stay and continue making music.
• Independent practice: Have students complete their prediction worksheet. Ask them to explain other predictions they made while reading. Invite students to discuss whether their predictions turned out to be true or whether they needed to be revised. Ask students to explain how making, revising, and confirming predictions helped them to understand and enjoy the events of the story.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Discussion: Review the story elements already identified in the previous discussions (characters, settings, problem). Discuss the meaning of a solution.
• Independent practice: Have students complete the story elements worksheet.
• Enduring understanding: In this story, Jupe and Lurk worked together to get something they both wanted. Now that you know this information, what does it tell you about how teamwork can help people to get what they need or want?

Build Skills 

Phonemic Awareness: Discriminate medial long /i/ vowel sound

• Say the words slid and slide aloud to students, emphasizing the medial vowel sounds. Ask students to identify the difference between the vowel sounds in the words. Point out the long vowel sound in the word slide. Say the word aloud with students, emphasizing the long vowel sound.
• Say the following word pair aloud to students, one at a time: kit, kite. Ask students to identify the word with the long /i/ vowel sound.
• Check for understanding: Say the following word pairs one at a time: sit, site; pine, pin; Tim, time. Have students give the thumbs-up signal if the word contains the long /i/ vowel sound and the thumbs-down signal if the word contains the short /i/ vowel sound.

Phonics: VCe long /i/

• Write the following words on the board: kite, pine. Read the words aloud together. Ask students to look carefully at the two words to find a common letter pattern. Guide students to identify that both words end with the letter e and contain the letter i in the middle.
• Have volunteers circle the letter e at the end of each word. Point out that each word also has another vowel. Have volunteers circle the letter i in each word.
• Say the word kite aloud. Then cover the letter e at the end of the word. Have students say the word aloud (kit). Repeat the process with the word pine. Point out that the letter e at the end of the word makes the other vowel, i, say its name.
• Check for understanding: Write the words ripe and slide on the board, leaving a blank for each vowel. Say each word aloud. Have students add the vowels to complete each word on a separate piece of paper. Have students say each word aloud.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the VCe long /i/ worksheet. If time allows, discuss their responses.

Grammar and Mechanics: Pronouns

• Review that a noun is a person, place, or thing. Have students share examples of nouns.
• Write the following sentence on the board: Jupe makes up her own songs. Read the sentence aloud with students. Have students identify the nouns in the sentence (Jupe, songs). Circle these words on the board.
• Point to the word her. Ask students to explain which noun this word refers to (Jupe). Explain that words that take the place of a noun are called pronouns.
• Read with students the following sentence on page 4: "You make beautiful music," says Lurk as he sings along. Asks them to identify which noun the word he refers to (Lurk).
• Write the following pronouns on the board: he, she, his, her, I, you, we, it.

    Check for understanding: Have students locate pronouns in the book and circle them. Ask them to underline the noun that each pronoun stands for.

• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the pronouns worksheet.

Word Work: Alphabetical order

• Write the words toy and piano on the board. Read the words aloud with students. Ask students to identify the first letter in each word (t, p).
• Ask students to identify which letter, t or p, comes first in the alphabet. Invite them to explain which word would come first in alphabetical order (piano). Explain that the word piano would come first in an alphabetical list because the first letter, p, comes before the first letter, t, in toy.
• Write the words music and piano on the board. Read the words aloud with students. Invite volunteers to circle the first letter in each word. Have students explain which word would come first in alphabetical order and why.
• Check for understanding: Write the words piano, bench, sing, music, and toy on the board. Read the words aloud with students. Have them write the words in alphabetical order on a separate piece of paper. If time allow, discuss their responses.

Build Fluency 

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently or with a partner. Encourage repeated timed readings of a specific section of the book. Additionally, partners can take turns reading parts of the book to each other.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Encourage students to identify to someone at home the story elements of Monster Music.

Extend the Reading 

Writing and Art Connection
Have students use the Internet to identify different musical instruments. Have them draw a picture of the instrument. Under the drawing, have them write a sentence to describe their picture using the following prompt: A ________ makes music. Combine the pages into a class book.

Social Studies Connection
Provide students with recordings of music from several other countries. Have students listen to the music. Discuss the similarities and differences among kinds of music. Locate each of the countries or areas represented on a map.

Assessment 

Monitor students to determine if they can:

• accurately and consistently make, revise, and confirm predictions during discussion and on a worksheet
• accurately identify story elements during discussion and on a worksheet
• orally identify and discriminate between words with short and long /i/ vowel sounds during discussion
• understand that most words with the VCe pattern have a long medial vowel sound; demonstrate understanding during discussion and on a worksheet
• correctly identify and use pronouns within sentences during discussion and on a worksheet
• correctly place words in alphabetical order during discussion and on a separate piece of paper

Comprehension Checks

• Retelling Rubric

Go to "Monster Music" main page