to the questions and not rely on rote memory.
10. Pass out pencils. This activity will help students make the connection between spoken and written language. Ask each comprehension question again. (See step 8 for questions and answers.) When a student answers correctly, write the sentence on the board. Say: “Copy the sentence onto your paper.” Do this for each question and answer. Take pencils from them.
Some students will not be able to copy the full sentence. If they write only the first letter, praise them for trying. Teach individualized lessons later to practice copying sentences from the board.
11. Pass out boxes of crayons. Say: “Choose one crayon.” Make sure they choose only one. Take boxes of crayons from them. Then say: “Color the pizza.” Make sure they color only the pizza. Take papers from them.
12. Give out reinforcers.
Materials:
photograph of cat, students’ circle-in-circle charts and branch organizers, lined paper, tape, three pieces of chart paper, dry-erase marker, watercolor marker
Before the Lesson:
1. At http://fhautism.com/arc.html, find the circle-in-circle chart, branch organizer, and lined paper. Print one of each for each student, plus a few extras. Then find the photograph of the cat and print one copy.
2. On the chart paper, draw a blank circle-in-circle chart, branch organizer, and lined paper.
3. On the board, hang a blank circle-in-circle chart on the left and a branch organizer on the right. Make them large enough to write all the words you will need.
4. Write the date on the board.
Teaching the Lesson
1. Gather the children in a circle. Hold up the photograph of the cat. Ask: “What animal is this?” If no one can identify the animal, ask an aide to answer, or answer the question yourself. Students are still hearing the oral language and watching it become written language.
2. When a student says, “cat,” write “cat” in the smaller, inner circle of the circle-in- circle chart. Write very legibly. Students will be copying these words later.
3. Ask: “What can the cat do?” If no one answers, prompt the students. Ask: “Can the cat fly?” If no one answers, ask an aide to answer, or answer the question yourself. Possible answers include jump, run, say meow. Students may come up with different answers. Ask the question several times, and allow different children to answer. Write the answers in the large circle. Leave space between the words.
4. Ask: “What does the cat have? If no one answers, prompt the students. Ask: “Does a cat have wings?” If no one answers, ask an aide to answer, or answer the question yourself. Possible answers include four legs, two ears, a tail. Students may come up with different answers. Ask the question several times, and allow different children to answer. Write the answers in the large circle. Leave space between the words.
5. Ask: “What does the cat like? If no one answers, prompt the students with a guessing game. Say: “The cat likes to drink a white drink. We pour it over cereal. Sometimes we put chocolate syrup in it for chocolate________.” Do this for the other two answers. If no one answers, ask an aide to answer, or answer the question yourself. Possible answers include milk, fish, cat food. Students may come up with different answers. Ask the question several times, and allow different children to answer. Write the answers in the large circle. Leave space between the words. NOTE: Guessing games may be stressful for some children. If students appear to be getting agitated or panicky, just tell them the answer. The lesson is more important than the game.
Here is an example of what your circle-in-circle chart may look like (includes sample answers from paragraphs above):
6. Praise students and pass out reinforcers.
7. The children return to their desks. Pass out pencils and blank graphic organizers. On each desk, tape the circle-in-circle chart on the left and the branch organizer on the right. (Always emphasize a left-to-right progression when teaching reading and writing.)
8. Say: “Write your name on your paper.” Make sure everyone writes his or her name. Then say: “Write the date. It is on the board.” Make sure everyone writes the date.
9. Say: “Copy the words from the circle-in-circle chart on the board onto your circle-in- circle chart.” They do not have to copy all of the words at first.
10. Say: “Now we will do the branch organizer.” On the branch organizer on the board, write “Cat” on the top line and “Can,” “Has,” and “Likes” on the three spaces under the top line. Say: “Copy the words onto your charts.”
11. Ask: “What can the cat do?” Point to the words on the circle-in-circle chart. Encourage students to look at their own chart. If no one answers, ask an aide to answer, or answer the question yourself. Ask the question several times, and allow different children to answer.
If someone uses a nonsensical word, e.g., “milk,” say the whole sentence. Say: “The cat can milk? Does that make sense? Let’s look back in the circle and find something the cat can do.”
12. Write students’ answers on the branch organizer on the board. For each answer, say: “Write (the answer) under the word ‘Can’ on your branch organizer.”
As you use words from the circle-in-circle chart, you may choose to cover up the words with a sticky note or leave them all showing.
13. For each word that students write, say the whole sentence, e.g., “The cat can jump.” As you say each word of the sentence, point to the corresponding word on the branch chart. This way, they become familiar with the way we use the chart to form the sentences.
14. Ask: “What does the cat have?” Point to the words on the circle-in-circle chart. If no one answers, ask an aide to answer, or answer the question yourself. Ask the question several times, and allow different children to answer.
If someone uses a nonsensical word, e.g., “run,” say the whole sentence. Say: “The cat has run? Does that make sense? Let’s look back in the circle and find something the cat has.”
15. Write students’ answers on the branch organizer on the board. For each answer, say: “Write (the answer) under the word ‘Has’ on your branch organizer.”
16. For each word that students write, say the whole sentence, e.g., “The cat has a tail.” As you say each word of the sentence, point to the corresponding
