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DURING READING
Reader Response
Open for Discussion Personal Response
Think Aloud MODEL My visit was fun and interesting. I only got homesick a few times. Uncle Romie and I talked in his studio, and we celebrated my birthday.
Comprehension Check Critical Response
  1. Possible response: The book is written from the boy's point of view and this title is less formal.Target Skill Author's Purpose
  2. Possible response: The illustrations are soft and full of feeling just like the relationships in the story.
    Target Skill Author's Purpose
  3. Possible response: I knew cities had tall buildings and busy streets. This helped me picture James's life with his aunt and uncle.
    Target Skill Prior Knowledge
  4. Messages will vary but should show an understanding of the vocabulary words.
    Target Skill Vocabulary
TEST PRACTICE Look Back and Write
For test practice, assign
a 10–15 minute time limit.
For assessment, see the
Scoring Rubric at the
right.
Retell
Have students retell Me and Uncle Romie.
SUCCESS PREDICTOR
Monitor Progress
then… use the Retelling Cards and the Scoring Rubric on p. 271 to assist fluent retelling.
If… students have difficulty retelling the selection,
Check Retelling Rubric
ELL
Check Retelling Have students use illustrations and other text features to guide their retellings. Let students listen to other retellings before attempting their own. See the ELL and Transition Handbook.
Write Now
Look at the Prompt Have students identify and discuss key words and phrases in the prompt. (story that is special to you, story review, why readers should read the story)
Strategies to Develop Conventions
Have students
  • exchange papers and discuss possible errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.
  • focus on one convention at a time as they edit their papers.
  • use punctuation only when there is a specific reason for it.
NO: This story is special, to me.
YES: This story is special to me.
For additional suggestions and rubric, see pp. 275g–275h.
Hints for Better Writing
  • Carefully read the prompt.
  • Use a graphic organizer to plan your writing.
  • Support your ideas with information and details.
  • Use words that help readers understand.
  • Proofread and edit your work.
Retelling: SUCCESS PREDICTOR
Reader Response
Open for Discussion Help James answer three questions
from folks back home: “How was your visit? How homesick
were you? How did Uncle Romie manage to find time
for you?”
1.
It would be more polite to name this story Uncle Romie
and I. Why did the author name it Me and Uncle Romie
instead? Think Like an Author
Look carefully at the illustrations. Using what you know
about the story, why did the illustrator choose this style
of art? Author's Purpose
What do you know or what have you read about cities?
How did that help you as you read this story? Prior Knowledge
We know that James wrote postcards from New York
City to his family in North Carolina. Write a message
that he might have sent. Use words from the Words to
Know list and from the story. Vocabulary
4.
2.
3.
Look Back and Write Look back at pages 268 and 269. Tell what was special about the birthday gift James made for Uncle Romie.
Meet author Claire Hartfield on page 408 and illustrator Jerome Lagarrigue on page 423.
TEST PRACTICE
Write Now: Story Review
Prompt
In Me and Uncle Romie, Uncle Romie says everyone has special stories that he or she loves.
Think about a story that is special to you.
Now write a story review telling why readers should read the story.
Writing Trait
Correct use of conventions (spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar) will help readers understand your story review.
Student Model
No mistakes in
conventions
makes writing
easier to read.
Writer describes
story's plot but
doesn't retell
whole story.
Writer relates
story to
readers.
Use the model to help you write your own story
review.
 
   
Close  
Scoring Rubric
Look Back and Write
Top-Score Response A top-score response will use the information from pages 264–269 to tell how Aunt Nanette and Uncle Romie made James's birthday special.
Example of a Top-Score Response Uncle Romie took James to a baseball game, and Aunt Nanette made him a Caribbean birthday cake. Then Uncle Romie gave James a late present of a collage as souvenir of his summer in New York.
For additional rubrics, see p. WA10.
Scoring Rubric    Narrative Retelling
Rubric 4 3 2 1
Connections
Makes connections and generalizes beyond the text
Makes connections to other events, stories, or experiences
Makes a limited connection to another event, story, or experience
Makes no connection to another event, story, or experience
Author's
Purpose
Elaborates on author's purpose
Tells author's purpose with some clarity
Makes some connection to author's purpose
Makes no connection to author's purpose
Characters
Describes the main character(s) and any character development
Identifies the main character(s) and gives some information about them
Inaccurately identifies some characters or gives little information about them
Inaccurately
identifies the characters or gives no information about them
Setting
Describes the time and location
Identifies the time and location
Omits details of time or location
Is unable to identify time or location
Plot
Describes the problem, goal, events, and ending using rich detail
Tells the problem, goal, events, and ending with some errors that do not affect meaning
Tells parts of the problem, goal, events, and ending with gaps that affect meaning
Retelling has no sense of story
Selection Test To assess with Me and Uncle Romie, use Selection Tests, pp. 97–100.
Fresh Reads for Differentiated Test Practice For weekly leveled practice, use pp. 145–150.
Retelling Plan
  • Week 1 Assess Strategic Intervention students.
  • Week 2 Assess Advanced students.
  • Week 3 Assess Strategic Intervention students.
  • Week 4 Assess On-Level students.
  • This week assess any students you have not
    yet checked during this unit.
Use the Retelling Chart on
p. TR16 to record retelling.