A Reader Writes... Primary Classroom Lesson Frames

A LYS Principal asks the following:

LC,

I am trying to help my K-2 teachers with Framing the Lesson.  Do K-2 teachers, or teachers with self-contained classes, at other schools write all of the objectives and closing questions for each subject they teach?  Do they write all of them in a certain location or do they change the objective/closing question as they progress throughout the day?

I am trying to get my head around this logistically so that it is not so overwhelming for my K-2 teachers as we work to better implement The Fundamental 5. 

Lesa Cain Response

Thanks for taking the time to write and ask about this.  For Kinder and 1st Grade teachers, they should write a Lesson Frame for whole group reading, whole group writing and whole group math time.  Teachers are not expected to write any Lesson Frames for stations, phonics, centers, etc.  If they did that, they would never have time to actually teach.

The best way to organize the Lesson Frame in K/1 is to write them on a chart tablet/easel or board beside where the teacher does most of her teaching. If the teacher brings students to the carpet, then the Lesson Frame should be right there beside them, pre-written ready to go.  The pre-writing is best so that teachers have it done.  If teachers try to write Lesson Frames as they teach throughout the day we’ve found that they tend to lose track of time and then nothing gets posted or verbalized and then the kids never even get to attempt responding to a closing question. Because in practice, not posted means that the closing question doesn’t exist.  

My teachers laminated half a poster board - green was reading, blue was writing and red was math - they just used a black dry erase marker to write the Lesson Frames on the poster board.  As the subject changed, then they just put the appropriate poster board on the easel and it stayed up for that period of time.  

2nd Grade is more like Grades 3-5.  The teachers should Frame whole group reading, writing, math for sure. It is a campus-wide decision whether or not to add science and social studies.  I would recommend that you do so because we need our students to know what they are responsible for learning in every subject. This decision will depends on the kind of leader you are.  Do you like to go a bit slower, or just rip the band-aid off all at once! :-)

No grade should ever Frame anything that is not whole group teaching and a core understanding for the content.  So in a reading class, phonics, word work, stations, centers, spelling, etc., generally should not have a Lesson Frame.

I hope this helps.  E-mail us if you have further questions.

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