Scott Foresman Reading Street

Me and Uncle Romie
Group Time

for Fluency

Use Decodable Reader 25.

Word Study/Phonics

LESSON VOCABULARY Use p. 246b to review the meanings of cardboard, feast, fierce, flights, pitcher, ruined, stoops, and treasure. Students can say and blend all of the words. Have individuals practice reading the words from word cards.

DECODING MULTISYLLABIC WORDS Write underground and model how to use meaningful word parts to read it. First I ask myself if I see any parts that I know. I see under at the beginning of the word and ground at the end. So this is a compound word. I put the meanings of under and ground together to know that underground means "below the surface of the ground."

Use the Multisyllabic Word Routine on p. DI•1 to help students read these other words from Me and Uncle Romie: rumbling, conductor, platform, collage, studio, stickball, barbecue, musicians, saxophone, Caribbean, glorious, preserves, conversations, Be sure students understand the meanings of words such as collage and studio.

Me and Uncle Romie, pp. 248–259

BEFORE READING Yesterday we read about people living in New York City. Today we will read about a boy from the country who visits his aunt and uncle in New York City. Think about what you learned about the city as you read.

Using the Picture Walk Routine on p. DI•1, guide students through the
text, asking questions such as those listed below. Then read the
question on p. 249. Together, set a purpose for reading.

p. 253 This is a picture of a father putting his son on the train. What do you think the boy is thinking? (He's scared. He doesn't want to go.)

pp. 251, 259 Compare these two pictures. How has the boy's environment changed?

DURING READING Follow the Guiding Comprehension routine on
pp. 250–259. Have students read along with you while tracking the
print or do a choral reading. Stop every two pages to ask what has
happened so far. Prompt as necessary.

Why did James's parents send him to Uncle Romie's?
What did Aunt Nanette and James do together?

AFTER READING What has happened so far? What do you think may happen next? Reread passages with students as needed.

Extend Vocabulary

CONTEXT CLUES Choose and read a sentence or passage
containing a homonym, such as this sentence from p. 4 of Let’s Go
Have Fun!: “there was row after row of food stalls, where vendors sold
everything.…” What does the word stalls mean in this sentence—
“puts off and delays” or “booths”? (booths) How did you figure that
out? (I looked at context clues like row after row and vendors. These
two clues tell me that the stalls are booths where food is sold.) Stalls
is a homonym. It is spelled one way but has two meanings. Using
context clues can help you figure out which meaning it has in a certain
sentence. Remind students to use the strategy as they read Me
and Uncle Romie.

Me and Uncle Romie, pp. 248–259

BEFORE READING In “Country Kid, City Kid,” you heard about the differences between life in the country and life in the city. Today you will read the story of a boy who learns about these differences firsthand.

Have students write in their Strategy Response Log about a time when they traveled alone, far from home (p. 248). Tell them to think about how they felt as they read the story. If being far away from home is not within students’ prior knowledge, ask them to think of a time when they were in a new and uncomfortable situation, such as the first day of school.

CRITICAL THINKING/PROBLEM SOLVING Have students read
pp. 248–259 independently. Encourage them to think critically and solve problems. For example, ask:

What images does the author use to help you picture the sights and sounds of New York City?
Imagine James confides to you that he is a little afraid of Uncle Romie. What advice would you give him?

AFTER READING Have students add to their Strategy Response Logs with the activity on p. 259. Then meet with students to discuss the selection and their Strategy Response Log entries. Ask them to use material from their entries to write a poem titled “Life in the City.”