Reading Level:
S

Word Count:
1617

Pages:
26

Text Summary
The Trouble with English is the story of a girl named Ting Yao who moves from China to the United States. The book is a first-person account of her experiences learning English at school. She has many difficulties with the unfamiliar idioms, pronunciations, and spellings of the English language. Ting Yao relates her frustrations with learning this new language but realizes that she will eventually master English.

Lesson Objectives

Reading Strategies
Children should use a variety of strategies to determine word meaning and comprehend text. The targeted strategy for this lesson is: Using context clues.

This book has some vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to readers. They can use the strategy of going back and rereading to help them decipher the text.

Word and Print Skills

Phonics
Syllabication
Identify syllables in words and use this to help read the words.

Word Work
Grammar
Adverbs and adjectives

Word structure
Suffixes

Comprehension
You will likely address a number of comprehension skills as children work to understand the text. The targeted comprehension strategy for this lesson is: Author's point of view.

Have children describe what the author is feeling on page 6, 10, 24, and 26.

Visual Learning
Have children look at the picture on page 5 and compare this picture to the one on page 22. Have them describe the two pictures of Ting. Ask: How are the pictures alike and how are they different from each other?

Targeted Vocabulary Words

Content Words
incredibly, especially, correctly, certainly, differently

Explain to children that these words are adverbs. They describe the verbs in the sentence.

Before Reading

Introducing the Book
Show children the book. Ask: What do you think this book will be about? Do you think it will be a fact book, or fiction? Why do you think so?

There should be a lot of predictions from children. Write their predictions on the board and see if they match up later. Explain that predictions cannot be wrong, because they are only guesses. They might not be true, but a prediction is only what could possibly happen. Scientists use prediction all the time, and while they are sometimes not true in the end, they are often a good start to understanding ideas.

Have children look at the cover of the book. Ask: What do you think the trouble with English might be? Did you ever have any trouble with English? Do you think spelling is easy or difficult? Do you think there are some words that are hard to read or decode?

Building Background
Start a discussion with children about words. Ask: Can you name some words that might be difficult for a non-English speaker to read? Ask: Can you name some words that might be difficult for a child learning to read to decode?

Book Walk
Have children look at the pictures on pages 11 and 12 and describe what is happening in each of these pictures. Ask: Have you ever felt that someone was laughing at you? How did that make you feel? Look at the pictures on pages 15 and 16. Ask: What do you think Ting is thinking in these pictures?

Reading Strategies
Discuss reading strategies, such as sounding out and using picture and context clues to decode the text. Ask:

• How will the pictures help you read the words?
• What can you do when you come to a word you cannot read?
• What can you do if you don't understand a part you have just read?

Think Aloud
Read page 14. Have children look at the second sentence. Ask: What does this sentence mean? Can you name another idiom? What does it mean?

During Reading

Student Reading
Have children read the book with a partner. Review some of the strategies readers use while reading, including:

• Reading for context clues by reading ahead.
• Rereading when the story does not make sense.
• Checking the pictures to see if they give context clues.

After Reading

Comprehending the Text
Describe the difficulties Ting has learning English. Leaving home, learning to speak unfamiliar letter sounds, figuring out the different sounds that the same letter can make, learning the spelling idiosyncrasies of English?

Visual Learning
Holding the book so children can see it, point to the picture on page 6. Ask: What do you think it would be like to live in another country where you didn't recognize your surroundings? Have children look at page 26. Ask: What do you think Ting is feeling now?

Building Skills

Phonics
Syllabication
Explain to the children words can be broken into smaller parts called syllables

Write pronunciation on the board.

Say the word slowly clapping each syllable as you go.

Make strokes in the word to show the syllables.

For example pro/nun/c/ia/tion

Ask: Say this word with me slowly clapping as we go.

Try some other examples -

Stut/ter/ing

Man/da/rin

Ask the children to find another one and try it for themselves.

Word Work
Grammar 
Have children write three sentences using verbs. Write the same sentences again using an adverb to give the sentence more meaning and description.

Expand the Reading

Writing Connection
Have children write a story about moving to a new country. Encourage them to write about what feelings they might have and what they think would be the difficulties in learning to live in a strange place. Encourage discussion about these stories, as many new insights can come from this kind of interaction.

Art Connection
Children could research the buildings, art, dress, and geography of another country, then illustrate their discoveries.

Reading Independently
Have children read the book independently or with a partner. You can also encourage them to read other books of their choice at the appropriate level.

Home Connection
Have children take their books home and share what they have learned with a family member. Have them discuss with their family what might be interesting and challenging about living in a new country. Have children find out if any family members have lived in another country and ask to interview them.

Assessment

• Monitor children's responses in the Comprehending the Text section to assess how well they understand the text or story.
• Monitor reading to see if children are using the effective reading strategies.
• Assess children's knowledge of adverbs by monitoring their writing.
• Check the Comprehension and Skills Activity Sheets for following directions and completing the activity accurately.