Characteristics of the Text Genre • Informational Text
Text Structure • Imperative sentences• Repeated sentence addressed to reader: Look at the_____.• Speaker shown on fi nal page.
Content • Signs of autumn• Carved pumpkin for Halloween
Themes and Ideas • Predictable events and changes happen each month.• October is a month of colorful leaves, leaf piles, fruit harvests, and Halloween.
Language and Literary Features
• Repetition of words and sentences
Sentence Complexity • Repeated sentence pattern: Look at the (trees).• Final sentence replaces article the with pronoun my • One exclamation
Vocabulary • Each page introduces plural noun: trees, leaves, apples, pumpkins Words • Repeated high-frequency words
• Two-syllable words: apples, pumpkins• Plurals
Illustrations • Color photos with labels support text.Book and Print Features • Photo above text on each of fi ve pages
• One-line sentences, extra space between words• Word my boldfaced for emphasis
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Permission is hereby granted to individual teachers using the corresponding (discipline) Leveled Readers to photocopy student worksheets from this publication in classroom quantities for instructional use and not for resale. Requests for information on other matters regarding duplication of this work should be addressed to Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company, Attn: Contracts, Copyrights, and Licensing, 9400 SouthPark Center Loop, Orlando, Florida 32819. Printed in the U.S.A. 978-0-547-30176-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited.
Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format.
Number of Words: 24
L E S S O N 1 1 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E
October Daysby Harriet Karmi
Fountas-Pinnell Level AInformational TextSelection SummaryIn October, there is a lot to look at outside. You can look at the trees, leaves, apples, and pumpkins.
Build BackgroundRead the title to children, and tell them that the month of October is in the season called autumn or fall. Use the photograph to talk about the leaves that change color in fall in many regions. Have children share any experiences with autumn leaves. Anticipate the text with questions like: What are some things that people do in October? What happens on the October holiday of Halloween?
Introduce the TextGuide children through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Point out the repeated sentence pattern Look at the. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Tell children that this book shows things that people in many parts of the country can see in October. Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Look at the photo. What do you see? The sentence reads: Look at the trees. Say the. The begins with the letters th. Find the, put your fi nger under it, and say it.
Page 3: Turn to page 3. What should we look at in this photo? What will the sentence tell about leaves?
Page 6: Turn to page 6. What is the girl holding? She says: Look at my pumpkin. Say my. My begins with the letter m. Find my, put your fi nger under it, and say it again. You can see that the word my is in heavy, dark type, so it should be said strongly. What is special about the girl’s pumpkin?
Now turn back to the beginning and read to fi nd out what you can see in October.
ReadNow have children read October Days softly while pointing under each word. Observe children as they read.
Respond to the TextPersonal ResponseAsk children to share their personal responses to the book. Begin by asking what they liked best about the book, or what they found interesting.Suggested language: Which photos show things that you have seen in real life? Where did you see them?
Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, make sure children understand these teaching points:
Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text
• Leaves change color and fall off trees in October.
• October is a time to gather apples and pumpkins.
• A pumpkin can be carved to look like a face.
• Nature changes in October.
• It is fun to carve a pumpkin for the October holiday of Halloween.
• The author wants to show how beautiful things are in October.
• The author uses the same words on each page.
• Labels in the photos tell the names of the things that are shown.
Choices for SupportConcepts of PrintHave children point to the mark at the end of each sentence. Help them understand that the period signals the end of a sentence and shows the reader when to stop. Point out the exclamation point at the end of the sentence on page 6, and explain that it means, “Say it with feeling!” Model reading the sentence with enthusiasm.
Phonemic Awareness and Word WorkProvide practice as needed with words and sounds, using one of the following activities:
• Listening Game Have children listen for words that rhyme with at. Say at and another word. Have children raise their hands if the two words rhyme and keep their hands in their laps if the ending sounds are different. Example words: fat, Sam, hit, and, tap, bat, let, rat, mad, hat.
• Segment Sentences Say a short sentence of three to fi ve words, speaking naturally, and have children say each word separately. Example sentences: I see a pumpkin; We saw trees with apples; The leaves fell; The pumpkin has a face.
• Matching Letters Materials: letter cards. Have children match uppercase and lowercase forms.
Writing About ReadingCritical ThinkingRead the directions for children on BLM 11.2 and guide them in answering the questions.
RespondingRead aloud the questions at the back of the book and help children complete the activities.
Target Comprehension SkillCompare and Contrast
Target Comprehension Skill Tell children that they can think about how two
things are the same or different. Model comparing and contrasting:
Think Aloud
I can think about how trees are alike in summer and fall. In both summer and fall, the trees have leaves. I can think about how the trees are different in summer and fall. In summer, the leaves are green. But in fall, the leaves change to orange, red, brown, and yellow.
Practice the SkillAsk children to think about their summer and fall activities. What do they do in both summer and fall? What do they do only in summer or only in fall?
Writing PromptRead aloud the following prompt. Have children draw and write their response, using the writing prompt on page 6.
Draw a picture of something you can see outside your window in October.
English Language LearnersCultural Support For children who are unfamiliar with Halloween, explain the tradition of carving a pumpkin face, or jack-o’-lantern, and lighting it from inside.
Oral Language DevelopmentCheck the children’s comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches their English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the child.
Beginning/ Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: Point to the leaves.
Speaker 2: [Points to leaves]
Speaker 1: Point to one apple.
Speaker 2: [Points to apple]
Speaker 1: Point to the pumpkin’s mouth.
Speaker 2: [Points to carved mouth]
Speaker 1: Where did these leaves come from?
Speaker 2: a tree
Speaker 1: What are these fruits?
Speaker 2: apples
Speaker 1: What does the pumpkin look like?
Speaker 2: a face
Speaker 1: What happens to leaves in October?
Speaker 2: They turn different colors. They fall off the trees.
Speaker 1: What will the girl probably do with this pumpkin?
