OBSERVATION: Guided Reading Lesson

Shared/Guided Reading lesson based on the story ‘Journey to Jo’Burg’.

This was used to inspire these kids and completely engage them with the story. My idea is for the starter, display three questions (see planning) and get them to write their answers in groups on post-it notes. Then stick them up on the IWB on a picture of South Africa (also in resources). This will engage them straight away with the text and what’ll happen.

Then you’ll move on to explaining that the idea is to focus on what a dilemma is and what it is in this chapter. (The chapter is linked on the planning and you can download it as a pdf). The children should have a hard copy in front of them and together you will make a success criteria of what a good, interesting reader sounds like. Get them to critique you reading in a boring way.

Children to sort pre-made laminated statements into positives and negatives about going to Jo’Berg. In groups children will then engage in a conscience alley (role-play) to thrash out both sides of a dilemma.

You can do it as a whole class or small groups either. Children really get into the story this way and feel they’re helping Naledi choose her dilemma.

Great, engaging lesson. Really enjoyed it!