CALT Structured Lesson Plan Design and Implementation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A well-designed structured lesson in ALT and MSL should begin with:
- Introducing a new phonics concept
- A review of previously mastered phonogram cards and spelling patterns (Correct answer)
- A reading comprehension activity
- Silent independent reading
Correct answer: A review of previously mastered phonogram cards and spelling patterns
Opening with a review of previously mastered phonogram cards and spelling patterns activates prior learning, reinforces retention, and diagnoses any gaps before new material is introduced.
The review component at the start of a structured lesson activates previously learned material through retrieval practice, builds automaticity through repeated review of phonogram cards and spelling patterns, provides diagnostic information about mastery, and prepares the student's working memory for new learning.
Question 2: The new concept introduction phase of a structured lesson should include:
- Having the student discover the rule independently
- A clear, explicit explanation of the new phonics, morphology, or spelling rule with multisensory practice (Correct answer)
- A standardized assessment
- An independent writing assignment
Correct answer: A clear, explicit explanation of the new phonics, morphology, or spelling rule with multisensory practice
The new concept phase requires explicit teaching of the new rule, clear examples, and immediate guided multisensory practice with corrective feedback.
During new concept introduction, the CALT explicitly presents the new phoneme-grapheme correspondence, syllable type, or morphological pattern, gives clear examples and non-examples, and immediately involves the student in guided multisensory practice. The student is not expected to discover the pattern because it is directly taught.
Question 3: Decodable text used in structured lesson reading practice is distinguished from leveled readers by:
- Being more interesting to students
- Containing only phoneme-grapheme patterns and sight words the student has already been explicitly taught (Correct answer)
- Being shorter in length
- Having more pictures
Correct answer: Containing only phoneme-grapheme patterns and sight words the student has already been explicitly taught
Decodable text is specifically controlled to include only phonics patterns and high-frequency words the student has already mastered, ensuring reading practice builds on known skills.
Decodable texts are designed so that the vast majority of words contain only phoneme-grapheme correspondences and syllable types the student has already been taught. This decodability is relative to each student's current level of instruction. In contrast, leveled readers may contain phonics patterns not yet taught. Decodable texts ensure that the student is practicing known patterns correctly.
Question 4: In a structured lesson, what is the purpose of the auditory drill component?
- To test hearing ability
- To build rapid, automatic recall of graphemes when phonemes are presented aloud (Correct answer)
- To practice listening to stories
- To assess receptive vocabulary
Correct answer: To build rapid, automatic recall of graphemes when phonemes are presented aloud
The auditory drill trains the student to immediately write or identify the correct grapheme when a phoneme is spoken aloud, building the phoneme-to-grapheme direction needed for spelling.
The auditory drill presents phonemes orally and asks the student to recall and write the corresponding graphemes. This drills the phoneme-to-grapheme direction needed for spelling. It contrasts with the visual drill which presents graphemes and asks the student to produce the corresponding phonemes for the direction needed for reading. Both drills are included in a complete structured lesson.
Question 5: Which element of lesson plan design ensures the student receives sufficient practice for automaticity?
- Introducing many new concepts per lesson
- Building in extensive, distributed practice of previously learned concepts across multiple lessons (Correct answer)
- Spending the entire lesson on new material
- Moving quickly through the scope and sequence
Correct answer: Building in extensive, distributed practice of previously learned concepts across multiple lessons
Distributed practice of previously learned concepts across many lessons combined with overlearning is the mechanism by which MSL instruction builds automaticity required for fluent reading and spelling.
Automaticity develops through extensive, distributed practice over time, not through massed practice in a single session. Structured lesson design incorporates ongoing review of previously learned patterns across every lesson, with new concepts receiving graduated support until mastered and then integrated into the daily review.
Question 6: After completing a structured lesson, what should the CALT record in session notes to support diagnostic teaching?
- Only the topics covered
- Student error patterns, mastery levels, response to new concepts, and planned instructional adjustments (Correct answer)
- The length of the session only
- The student's attitude and behavior only
Correct answer: Student error patterns, mastery levels, response to new concepts, and planned instructional adjustments
Detailed documentation of student performance, errors, and responses enables the CALT to make evidence-based adjustments to subsequent lessons, fulfilling the diagnostic teaching principle.
Effective structured lesson documentation should include: concepts reviewed and student accuracy levels, the new concept introduced and student response, specific error patterns observed, student's response to prompts and corrective feedback, current reading and spelling levels, and plans for the next lesson.
CALT Structured Lesson Plan Design and Implementation 2
A well-designed structured lesson in ALT and MSL should begin with: