Where The Wild Things Are Guided Reading Lesson

1
Courtney Alexander
Guided Reading Script-Narrative
Grade Level: 3rd
Ability Group: LOW
Skill/Concept/Strategy Taught: Using context to determine the relevant meaning of unfamiliar words
1. Teacher selects text and skill/strategy prior to lesson.
The text selected for this guided reading lesson is Where the Wild Things Are by
Maurice Sendak.
The skill/strategy being taught in this lesson is using context to determine the
relevant meaning of unfamiliar words.
2. Teacher introduces text:
The strategy we are going to be working on today is using context (or

information around a word), such as pictures and other words, to determine the
relevant meaning of unfamiliar words.
Introduces title and author
The title of the story we are going to read today is Where the Wild Things
Are, which is written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.
Encourages students prior (background) knowledge/experiences with

topic/characters in the story.
In this story, a boy, named Max, gets in trouble for running around his
house, being unsafe with objects like a hammer and a fork. His mom gets
mad at him and calls him a Wild Thing, sending him to bed without
anything to eat. Max is pretending to be a wolf.
Have any of you pretended to be something or someone else like Max? If

so, who or what did you pretend to be?
Invites students to make a text to text/self/world connection
This book has many strange creatures in it that Max meets, called Wild
Things. Can you think of any other books you have read that have
strange creatures in it?
Provides some information about/from the story (new vocabulary/unfamiliar

topic/etc.)
Today we are going to focus on some important vocabulary words within

the story that might be new to you.
Turn to the first page after the title page. The tenth word on the page is
mischief. Can you point to this word?
Turn to the first page with Max in the boat. The fourth word on this page is
tumbled. Can you point to this word?
Turn to the page where Max is greeted by the Wild Things. On the
second line, the fourth word is terrible. Can you point to this word?
On the same page, move three words to the right of terrible. This word is
gnashed. Can you point to the word gnashed?
Finally, on the page right after Max is wearing a crown, the eighth word is
rumpus. Can you point to the word rumpus?
Probes for knowledge of word meaning/topic understanding
Can you guess what these words mean?
Provides information about the word meaning/topic
We will find out if your predictions come true as we read the story.
Encourages students to interpret illustrations/front cover/back cover/title page of

story.
On the front cover of the book we see a large Wild Thing resting in a
forest at night, with a boat near the land. Who do you think the boat
belongs to?
Look at the back cover of the book. This illustration goes along with the
front cover of the book. How does the picture make you feel? What sort of
things do you notice about the picture?
Open the book and turn to the title page. Which characters do you see?
What is Max doing? Describe the look on the characters faces. How do
you think the Wild Things will act when they meet Max?
Defines problem of story/plot of story/etc.
Second page- What is Max doing in this picture?
Fourth page- What is Max doing in this picture?
What do these two pictures have in common?
Sixth page- How do you think Max is feeling in this picture?
What do you think Max will do for fun now that he has been sent to his
room? I am going to write down your predictions.
Invites personal response to problem or plot of story
Have any of you been sent to your room for causing trouble?
If you were sent to your room for causing trouble, what would you do?
Draw attention to certain aspects of the story (illustrations, bubble

conversations/thoughts, unusual print on the page, etc.), if they offer additional
insight/meaning into story.
In the story, on some pages, there are words located between

symbols that look like this (draw quotation marks on a white board).
Does anyone know what these symbols are called? What do you
think these symbols tell us?
Explain what these aspects are and how they can help the reader understand the
story more
These symbols are called quotation marks. They show us when a

character is speaking. So, on page 5, when you see WILD THING
in quotation marks, you know that a character is speaking. Look for
more quotation marks as we read through the story.
Introduce important character(s) in story and unusual vocabulary involved with

this character
The main characters in the story are: Max, the Wild Things, and
Maxs mother. Though we do not actually see Maxs mother in the
pictures, she is an important part of what Max does in the story.
Focuses attention to begin reading
You are each going to begin reading the story silently to yourself. If
I lean in towards you like this, read out loud quietly, so that I can
focus on your voice.
Lets find out if your predictions come true and what Max is going
to do once he is sent to his room.
3. Students read the text.
Students read the text silently in the small group, as the teacher focuses on each
student reading out loud quietly for a few pages each.
If needed, the teacher assist students who may be need help reading.
Have the students re-read the text with the teacher out loud at the same pace.
4. Teacher and students discuss and revisit the text.
The teacher asks students questions about what they read/noticed in story
What was Max doing that got him in trouble?
How did Max get to the land where the Wild Things are?
What do you think this story teaches us?
5. Teacher explicitly teaches the reading process skill/strategy using the elements
from the story
We have five words in the story that we are focusing on: mischief,
tumbled, terrible, gnashed, rumpus. (Write the words on the white board
as a reference to students). We are going to use the pictures and context
clues in the story to help us understand what these words mean.
One strategy to figure out the meaning of these words is to look at the
pictures on each page. Pay attention to the way the faces of the
characters look and what the characters are doing.
Another strategy to figure out the meaning of these words is to think

about what makes sense in the sentence they are located in. You can do
this by looking at the words around the word you do not know and coming
up with the missing piece of meaning in the sentence.
Lets look at the first page of the story to find out what the word mischief
means. Read the sentence to yourself. What is Max doing in the picture
next to it? What is Max doing in the picture on the next page? Based on
what we know from the pictures and the other words, what do you think
the word mischief means? It looks like Max is doing things he is not
supposed to be doing. Hes running around with objects that could be
dangerous like a hammer and a fork. Since the other words in the
sentence do not describe what Max is doing, do you think the word
mischief might mean that Max is causing trouble? (Do this process for
each of the five words mentioned above.)
Many times you use both of these strategies at the same time, so do not
think that you can only use one strategy at a time. You can look at the
pictures and the words place within a sentence to figure out what words
mean.
6. Teacher extends understanding of students.
Teacher discusses skill/strategy learned or plot, setting, characters, symbolism,

etc.
What are the different settings in the story?
Who are the characters in the story?
How would you feel sailing alone on a boat for as long as Max did?
What would you do if the Wild Things were roaring and gnashing at
you?
Why do you think Max sent the Wild Things to bed without supper?
If you were Max, would you go back home and give up being king?
Why?
Why did the Wild Things let Max rule over them?
7. **Teacher works with student on word work.

**Teacher may or may not do this step.
Have the students act out each new vocabulary word focused on in the
book (mischief, terrible, tumble, gnash, and rumpus).
If time permits, have the students make up sentences with each word.

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1

1. Teacher selects text and skill/strategy prior to lesson.

2. Teacher introduces text:

The strategy we are going to be working on today is using context (or

Introduces title and author

Encourages students prior (background) knowledge/experiences with

Have any of you pretended to be something or someone else like Max? If

Invites students to make a text to text/self/world connection

Provides some information about/from the story (new vocabulary/unfamiliar

Today we are going to focus on some important vocabulary words within

Probes for knowledge of word meaning/topic understanding

Can you guess what these words mean?

Provides information about the word meaning/topic

Encourages students to interpret illustrations/front cover/back cover/title page of

Defines problem of story/plot of story/etc.

Second page- What is Max doing in this picture?

Fourth page- What is Max doing in this picture?

What do these two pictures have in common?

Sixth page- How do you think Max is feeling in this picture?

Invites personal response to problem or plot of story

Draw attention to certain aspects of the story (illustrations, bubble

In the story, on some pages, there are words located between

These symbols are called quotation marks. They show us when a

Introduce important character(s) in story and unusual vocabulary involved with

Focuses attention to begin reading

3. Students read the text.

4. Teacher and students discuss and revisit the text.

What was Max doing that got him in trouble?

What do you think this story teaches us?

Another strategy to figure out the meaning of these words is to think

6. Teacher extends understanding of students.

Teacher discusses skill/strategy learned or plot, setting, characters, symbolism,

What are the different settings in the story?

Who are the characters in the story?

7. **Teacher works with student on word work.

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