After Reading

Lesson Plans for MAX level P

After Reading

Comprehending the Text
Connecting with the lives and experiences of fictional characters powerfully bonds readers and books. Have pairs or small groups of children discuss questions that will foster personal connections. Put each question on an index card to form a card deck of questions. Have children select a card to discuss or make several decks and give one to each group.

Model Think Alouds as a strategy for comprehension. For example:
Page 16: Max’s parents look like they are having an argument. I’m not sure if Max can help them solve their problem. I wonder what is wrong?

Is there a passage in the story you found meaningful? Read it and explain why.
Have you had any experiences that are similar to those of Max?
How did the story make you feel? Can you explain what about the story aroused those feelings?
Do you relate to Max? What do you have in common?
Did this story affect you in any way?

First use the Comprehension Activity Sheet 1 as a whole-group activity to help children understand how to work with a Story Map. Ask children to help you fill in the boxes in the Story Map, discussing each box as you go. Next, ask them to do the activity independently, using their words or illustrations to fill in each box of the Story Map. When they have completed the activity, ask them to read their story to a partner using the information from their map.

Visual Learning
Select pages from the story to help children see how details in pictures can help them to better understand the story content. For example:
Page 6: How can you tell that Max’s parents are trying to help him?
Page 10: What is Max doing?

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