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Instructional Decision-Making with Duet Books
by General
Consider conducting additional phonemic awareness practice incorporating the featured words in the Sound
Search section by using routines from your foundational skills program. Look for opportunities to return to previously studied Geodes for content connections or additional phonemic practice. For example, students may find items in one Sound Search Book that start with the Focus Letter
Sounds from a previous set or unit. If students express curiosity about a specific topic or location, consider bringing in additional read-aloud materials or finding video clips to deepen their knowledge.
Modules 3 and 4 feature Duet Books written for emerging readers to apply their phonics learning with the support of an adult, or more advanced, reader.
As you plan instruction with Duet Books, consider student needs along with the following potential supports:
Before reading, students may need an introduction to the Fundations® Trick Words featured in a book. These words are listed on the second page of the Book Notes that accompany each book. Some students may benefit from a preview of the book’s content-related vocabulary to build familiarity with the topic. Multiple reads provide opportunities for varying levels of support. Students who need more decoding assistance can begin by whisper reading the child-read text along with the teacher, then choral reading, and then partner reading the child-read text. The goal is for students to read the child-read passages more independently with each repeated reading. These rereads allow students to build their decoding skills and gather more knowledge each time.
Determine the level of support needed for each student and provide ways for students to progress toward further independence during each read. Students will gain confidence from strategic support that allows them to be as independent as possible.
For additional information on Duet Books design and sample teaching routines, see page 27 of this teacher resource.
TARGETED SUPPORTS FOR FLUENCY
Fluency includes four elements: accuracy, phrasing, expression, and rate. Emerging readers benefit from focusing primarily on accuracy, phrasing, and expression. Repeated readings of a book can benefit students as they develop their skills in each of these areas. Students may engage in repeated readings during small group time as well as during center time or at home by using My Geodes. Consider the following supports as needed to bolster students’ fluency.
Accuracy
As a Readables collection, Geodes are designed to prepare students for independent reading. Encourage students to read the child-read text in each Duet Book as independently as possible. They should not be expected, however, to sound out words that are not yet decodable according to the aligned Fundations® scope and sequence.
Consider the following options for students in need of prompting support:
If students struggle with a Fundations® Decodable Word, help them sound it out or tap it out using the strategies they have learned. If students struggle with a Fundations® Trick Word, write it on a flash card or whiteboard and determine the part(s) of the word that the student can sound out. Then discuss the tricky part, and have students practice reading the word. If students struggle with a word that is not yet decodable, encourage them to use their emerging decoding skills to sound out the word part(s) they recognize. If they are still unable to read the word, tell them the word.
Phrasing
The books in Modules 3 and 4 include fluency-friendly line breaks to assist students in scooping up phrases, or reading clusters of words that naturally flow together.
Consider the following options for students in need of phrasing support:
Model read a section of child-read text, emphasizing appropriate phrasing. Then read it again in phrases as students echo read the text. Use My Geodes books to underline or scoop the phrases to serve as a visual support for students. Select a challenging child-read sentence and copy each phrase onto sentence strips. As students become adept at reading each phrase, combine the phrases back into a sentence with the goal of having students read the full sentence.
Expression
Reading with appropriate phrasing and expression can be a window into a student’s comprehension level.
Consider the following options for students who need support with expression:
Model different types of expressive reading. This will help students better understand the range of possible expressions. Model read a literary text with the appropriate interpretation of a character’s voice, and then have students echo read. Model read an informational text with phrasing and appropriate expression to keep the listener’s attention by using a natural rise and fall to the voice. Encourage students to read the text many times. Each reread is an opportunity to develop their expression further. Emphasize phrasing and expression rather than rate.
TARGETED SUPPORTS FOR COMPREHENSION
Some students may also need extra support when answering comprehension questions. Each Book Note lists exemplar responses, but these responses suggest the focus and scope of student understandings and are not meant to be exhaustive.
Consider the following options for students who need support with comprehension:
Use the teaser on the back of the book to develop curiosity about the text and set a purpose for reading. Provide more context for students through a guided exploration of the first few illustrations. Have students summarize sections of the book in their own words. Reread a section or have students reread it before asking a targeted question about that section. Ask students scaffolded questions based on a sample response provided in the Book Notes.
Some students may have significant difficulty with word retrieval. When specific words are key to the answer, offer students a choice of correct words. Alternatively, provide students with a correct and incorrect answer, and allow them to choose the right one.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTENSIONS
Duet Books offer many options for enriching students’ learning experiences beyond decoding practice.
Look for opportunities to return to previously studied texts for content connections or additional phonemic awareness practice. Welcome older students into your classroom to partner read a text with your students. Invite family members or another class to an end-of-module gathering where students can celebrate their learning. Students may share favorite passages from a book or display their Response Journal entries showcasing the knowledge they have gained throughout the module. Provide students with more than one piece of paper when completing the journal prompt to encourage them to retell or describe multiple scenes from the book through drawing, dictating, labeling, or writing. Encourage students who are intrigued by a particular Geodes topic to find more books with similar content at the library. Use the topics from the More sections to delve into other areas of the content.
Wit & Wisdom Connection Each Wit & Wisdom module includes an additional list of books that teachers can use to increase students’ volume of reading about the module topics. Through sustained study of selected topics, students build more knowledge and develop more academic vocabulary as well. See the Volume of Reading list in Appendix D of the Wit & Wisdom Teacher Edition for more information.
For students ready for the challenge, the following ten Duet Books provide opportunities for students to step into the adult-read parts, either as partners for classmates reading the child-read parts or as independent readers. Consider using these books to meet the needs of students who are ready for this level of decoding practice.
Module 3 Build a Log Cabin Bath Night The First Car to Get That Far Fly, Amelia, Fly Frank’s Ice Pops
Module 4 Jack, Jill, and Joey The Great Reef Floating Market Night Climb Sit and Paint
Additional information for students with reading difficulties Geodes may be appropriate for students who need support beyond general classroom instruction, provided that sufficient support is offered by the teacher. A student’s ability to apply decoding skills and background knowledge will determine the student’s readiness for these books. With teacher support, Geodes can provide much-needed application of skills and reading practice to move students toward greater proficiency.
Students with dyslexia will have a range of skills that will affect their ability to access the Geodes. Some students may be able to access the Geodes with sufficient support and guidance from a teacher. The level of support will depend upon each student’s skill set. Even with support and guidance, Geodes may not be controlled enough for some students with dyslexia.
As of 2019, more than 40 states have passed laws related to dyslexia. According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), “dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language.” Researchers have learned that dyslexia is a language-based learning disability and that the degree of an individual’s difficulties with reading and writing falls on a continuum and also relates to the effectiveness of instruction or remediation that they have received. For more information on dyslexia, please consider visiting the International Dyslexia Association website at https://dyslexiaida.org .
