Week 6: Supports and Challenges (Entry #9)

Fiction:	Feature:	Supports:	Challenges:
The Cinnamon Bun Mystery By Susan Markowitz Meredith Level J Leveled Reader (End of 1st grade)	Illustration	The illustrations support the text.  The illustrations of this story will help the reader with picture clues.
	Dialogue		I think understanding the dialogue back and forth between the daughter and father may be confusing.  I find that using different people to “read the parts” can be helpful, but this will still be a challenge.
	Vocabulary	Pre-teaching vocabulary will be necessary and would help support.	The vocabulary in this story could be a challenge.  Words like “bakery, cinnamon bun, polka-dot” may be unknown and will need introduced before reading the story.
	Phrasing:  “I want the usual…”		This may not be a familiar phrase and will require explanation.
	Sequence	The sequence of events is logical and students will be able to follow what is happening.  One event clearly leads to the next of this mystery.
	Plot		The idea of following someone to get a cinnamon roll is a bit of a silly idea.  So, the overall plot of the story may be difficult to grasp.
Non-Fiction:
True or False Mammals By Melvin and Gilda Berger	Photographs	This book has photographs that support the factual information and show the various animals in their natural habitats.
	Format	The physical layout and nature of this book is a fun, game like way to learn about different mammals.  It poses a statement like, “All mammals live on land.”  “True or False” – turning the page to reveal the answer with an explanation and a support picture.
	Facts	Most of the facts have a relevant photo to help support.
	Vocabulary		“Carnivores, Herbivores, Omnivores” and some of the names of mammals may result in students having trouble understanding the text.  Again, pre-teaching of  the key vocabulary will be important.
	Index	The index is a quick way to go back and find specific information.  I think this is helpful for referencing and for students to recheck information.