Blog2-Chapter3

"P" is for Preparation- Time to put on your thinking caps!

The P.A.R. lesson plan framework stands for “Preparation,” “Assistance,” “Reflection,” and Chapter 3 discussed the “P.”  Preparation is very important in any classroom. In my opinion, this is the most important step in the framework because all students, regardless if they are in the same grade, are on different academic levels. What might be one student’s strength could be another student’s weakness.  It is important to determine the student’s prior knowledge of the content material before direct reading instruction.  If the student has no prior knowledge, direct reading instruction will be pointless.  They will be lost for the majority of the lesson.  

According to the text, “No matter how well-written a material is; if readers do not possess background knowledge or interest in the reading material, they will find it hard to read.” As a teacher, I find this to be absolutely correct.  I try to use this approach before my students are to read any piece of written material. The only downfall to this preparation is when a student has incorrect prior knowledge or limited prior knowledge; this can lead to gaps in their understanding.

The book had 10 preparation activities that were extremely useful. I like the KWL activity because it requires the student to focus on what they know, what they want to know, and (after the lesson) what they learned. It allows the student to see their own learning grow from the beginning of the reading to the end.  

Another activity I found useful was the use of analogies.  Analogies are also useful because it connects new knowledge to existing knowledge. Too often students forget what they have already learned because they are focusing on what they are currently learning. This approach allows the students to recall their prior knowledge and then connect it to a new concept.

In my opinion, the preparation phase of P.A.R is when students get to use their imagination to develop critical thinking skills. In my classroom before a reading, I ask the class, “By looking at the pictures, what do you think we will be learning about?” and “What questions do you have before we begin?” The students love using their imagination to predict what the reading will be about. 

Richardson, J. S., Morgan, R. F., & Fleener, C. (2011). Reading to learn in the content areas. (8th ed. ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub Co.