Scott Foresman Reading Street

Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
Group Time

for Fluency

Use Decodable Reader 3.

Word Study/Phonics

LESSON VOCABULARY Use p. 66b to review the meanings of college, dimes, downtown, fined, nickels, quarters, and rich. First have students blend the decodable words: dimes, downtown, fined, nickels, quarters, and rich. Then say and spell the nondecodable word college. Have students identify letter sounds and word parts that they know in college. Have students practice reading all the words from word cards.

DECODING MULTISYLLABIC WORDS Write absolutely and model how to chunk the word to read it. I see a chunk at the beginning of the word: ab. I see another chunk: so and another part: lute. At the end of the word I see the chunk ly. I say the chunks fast to make a whole word: absolutely. Is it a real word? Yes, I know the word absolutely.

Use the Multisyllabic Word Routine on p. DI•1 to help students read these other words from Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday: walkie-talkie, positively, accident, and nonreturnable. Be sure students understand the meanings of words such as positively and non-returnable.

Leveled Reader Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, pp. 68–75

BEFORE READING Yesterday we read about how you can make a
budget. Today we will read about a boy who doesn't save money.

Using the Picture Walk Routine on p. DI•1, guide students through
the text asking these questions. Then read the question on p. 69.

p. 70 Think about the title: Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last
Sunday. Which boy is Alexander? (the boy with no money) Right,
two boys are holding money. One boy looks upset that he
doesn't have any.

p. 71 Everyone looks happy. What do you think is happening?
(Someone is visiting.) Perhaps it could be Alexander's grandparents.

DURING READING Follow the Guiding Comprehension Routine
on pp. 70–75. Have students read along with you while tracking print
or do a choral reading of the selection. Stop every two pages to ask
what has happened so far. Prompt as necessary.

Why was Alexander rich last Sunday?
What happened next?

AFTER READING What has happened in the story so far? What do you think will happen next? Reread passages as needed.

Extend Vocabulary

DICTIONARY Choose and read a sentence or passage containing a difficult word or words, such as this sentence from p. 11 of Maggie McGee and Me at the Mint: “The edges help the visually impaired distinguish one coin from another.” What do the words visually impaired mean? (not having the ability to see clearly) You can find out the meanings of these words by finding them in a dictionary. With students, find the words in a dictionary and discuss their meanings. Talk about why it is important to consult a dictionary or glossary when you come upon words in your reading that you don’t understand.

Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, pp. 68–75

BEFORE READING Today you will read a humorous story about
Alexander, a boy who has a hard time saving money. As you read,
think about the kind of boy Alexander is. What could he learn from
Zach Bissonnette, the boy in the Read Aloud “Zach the Yard-Sale
Whiz”? Have students fill in a time line for their Strategy Response
Logs (p. 68). Encourage them to add to it as they read.

CREATIVE THINKING Have students read pp. 70–75 independently.
Encourage them to think critically and creatively. For example, ask: How does Alexander’s complaint that it isn’t fair that his brothers
have money and all he has is bus tokens help you predict what will
happen later in the story?

AFTER READING Have partners discuss the selection and share their
Strategy Response Log time lines. Encourage them to think of advice
they could give to Alexander as he receives the dollar and proceeds
to spend it bit by bit. Then have each partner take the role of either
Alexander or an advice columnist. Alexander can write a short letter
explaining his problem and the advice columnist can respond.