3rd Grade Reading Conference

The student read aloud the first sentence. As she read, she mumbled the word “blubber.” I let her finish the sentence and then I asked her if there was a tricky word. She pointed to blubber. I wrote it out on a sticky note and asked her “What can you do?” She chunked the two syllables (blub+er) and then blended.

I followed with “So what does that word mean?” She shrugged so I did a think aloud: I noticed in the first part of that sentence the words “they hunted penguins for (their blubber)” so I’m thinking that blubber must be a part of the penguins body. It’s only a general clue but it gives me an idea of what blubber is. Let’s look at the rest of that sentence for another clue. She noticed (with support) the phrase “to make oil for lamps” and talked a little bit about what she thought that meant. We decided this was another general clue that reveals the importance of the blubber. The types of context clues bookmark was helpful as a reference point for our discussions.

4th Grade Reading Conference

The student read the first two sentences to me fluently. Then I said, “Tell me a little bit about what you learned.” She stated that “we’d burn up or freeze without the atmosphere.” I asked, “What does the word atmosphere mean?” She did not know. We’d just done a whole group mini-lesson on identifying context clues so I asked her to read the first sentence again and think about whether there were any clues. She identified “blanket of gases” and we talked about how the word “called” in that sentence is a flag word for a definition clue. (We referred to the types of context clues bookmark from the mini-lesson to support this conclusion). I coached her in taking notes that are in the image above to help her remember this key vocabulary word. (My handwriting is in ink.)

Then we went back to the meaning of the text – I asked her to think (and talk with me) about what she’d learned about the atmosphere and why it’s important to humans. Together we decided a good word to use would be “protect” as in the atmosphere protects us. Afterwards she added “protect” to her notes.

5th Grade Reading Conference

The student read aloud the first sentence, mumbling “horticulture” and “botany.” Once we worked our way through how to chunk and blend the parts of each, I asked, “What does the word horticulture mean?” He was not sure so I did a think aloud: I noticed the name of his school – Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm. I’m not sure exactly what all those words mean but I do know that agriculture has to do with plants and animals and I know that a farm does too. These are general clues but I think horticulture might mean something to do with growing plants or farming; I’m not positive about its meaning but I have a better idea. Let’s see if there are any clues about the meaning of botany. Then I supported the student in noticing the phrase “the study of plant life” in parentheses just after the word “botany.” When he referred to the types of context clues bookmark, he decided this was a definition clue. We discussed how sometimes authors include definitions in parentheses just after a less familiar word.

We also went back to the meaning of the text – this degree would influence Carver’s lifelong pursuits and the impact he had on the world. I closed by coaching the student in how to jot notes about his learning.

A Few Tips

• When you lean in to confer, glance at the student’s independent reading text, keeping an eye out for key vocabulary students may not be familiar with and any clues there are to support meaning making.
• After they’ve read a complex sentence or two (aloud or in their head), ask them to share what they learned. Notice whether they use that key vocabulary word and, if they do, whether what they share reveals the meaning of that word.
• If you’re not sure whether they understand the key word, ask “What does the word _____ mean?”
• Be prepared to think aloud about how you make sense of context clues in the student’s text, modeling for the student.
• During the conversation, NAME THE TYPE of CLUE for students or ask them to refer to the a tool like the types of context clues bookmark and name for themselves.
• When all is said and done, return to the meaning of the text. “So why is this word important to consider?”

Hope this helps.

S