Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Differentiated Passages
Honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with our complimentary packet featuring passages tailored to different reading levels: 1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade, and 4th-5th grade and 2 complementary Sort It worksheets.
Download your free packet below!
A Three-Part Lesson
In the Reading Simplified context, we consider 3 critical components of a strong, comprehensive small group reading session:
- Re-Reading
- Word Work
- Guided Oral Reading
In this downloadable packet that includes the topic of Martin Luther King, Jr., explore first our Intermediate and Advanced /ee/ Sort It activity pages that make up one of a handful of Word Work activities Simplifiers regularly use.
Why the Sort It Activity?
Rather than teaching advanced phonics spellings in isolation, Sort It introduces one sound (i.,e., /ee/) and its key spellings (i.e., e, y, ee, e_e, ea) in a single, engaging activity.
How to use the Sort It worksheets:
- Curate a Word List: These worksheets do not include pre-selected words. Teachers will need to create a word list featuring the target sound /ee/ and its common spellings. We suggest pulling from the MLK Jr., text that could be read for Guided Oral Reading.
- Introduce the Target Sound: Tell students they’ll be working with words containing the /ee/ sound. Stretch out the /eeeee/ sound so they “get” that we're not talking about the letter “e.”
- Reveal the Key Sentence: Show students the sentence on the Sort It activity page that serves as a mnemonic of the key spellings. Also, introduce each spelling column.
- Organize by Spelling: Have students read a word utilizing Blend as You Read, or in the case of multisyllable words, Blend as You Read by Chunk, and determine which spelling of /ee/ that word belongs with. For example, “In which column does the word “freedom” belong?”
- Write & Say: Students write the word in the correct column while saying each sound or chunk aloud (i.e., /s/ /p/ /ee/ /d/ in the case of a single syllable word or /free/ /dom/ for a multisyllable word.)
- Repeat for Mastery: Continue reading, sorting, and using Write & Say focusing on repetition and accuracy.
For a deeper dive into Sort It, check out Power Up Your Phonics Instruction with Sort It: An Advanced Phonics Activity.
Guided Oral Reading
After Word Work, transition to a Martin Luther King, Jr. passage whose reading level best fits your group’s reading needs.
Guided Oral Reading in the Reading Simplified context is when the students take turns reading aloud a challenging text that builds their decoding and word identification skills.
This isn’t a traditional guided reading session where students are grouped by “reading levels” and given predictable or “just right” books. That approach has limitations. Visit this blog if your curious about what I mean.
At Reading Simplified, we use word-level assessments to identify each student’s most pressing need and focus on sound-based decoding to help them tackle challenging texts.
You’ll be there listening to them read aloud to support their blending and provide error correction.
Here are your steps for using the passages:
- Students Read: Offer word-level and comprehension support and feedback where necessary utilizing Blend as You Read or Blend as You Read by Chunk.
- Summarize: Conclude the small group session by summarizing and preparing students independently with their targeted sound and texts for re-reading practice.
- Teacher Reads: Read the passage aloud as students follow along.
- Students Re-Read: Have students read the passage again, usually with a buddy, teacher's aide, or recording in literacy centers. Even better – they take the passage home to re-read at home!
- Students Return to Re-Read Tomorrow: Finally, the reading cycle concludes with the students reading a section of the text at the beginning of the lesson for Re-Reading for Fluency. This is a great opportunity for engagement and pride in their work, as well as an important accountability check.
For more support, explore our blogs on small group reading strategies and error correction procedures.
These activities are just a glimpse into the full Reading Simplified system – where decoding, spelling, and comprehension are integrated seamlessly for reading success.
Your Turn!
Consider joining the Reading Simplified Academy and let us know below how well these materials serve you and your students!
