Unit Plan 19 (Grade PreK ELA): Central Message or Lesson
PreK literature comprehension unit: students retell stories with beginning, middle, and end, identify the lesson or moral, and point to picture or word evidence that proves it—building early reasoning, sequencing, and text-evidence skills through joyful story talk.
Focus: Retell and identify lesson with evidence from pictures/words
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Literature • Comprehension • Oral Language)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session (use two short blocks if needed)
I. Introduction
This week children listen to short stories and practice retelling what happened and naming the lesson (central message) with evidence from pictures and words. Through picture walks, retell gestures, and “evidence hunts,” students learn to say what a character learned (e.g., be kind, share, try again) and show where the story proves it.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Retell a familiar story with beginning–middle–end/key events (RL.PK.2).
- Identify the lesson/central message of a story with prompting and support (RL.PK.2).
- Ask and answer questions about key details and point to evidence in pictures/words (RL.PK.1).
- Engage in group reading and turn-and-talk routines to build comprehension (RL.PK.10).
Standards Alignment — PreK
- RL.PK.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details; demonstrate understanding of the central message or lesson.
- RL.PK.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
- RL.PK.10 With prompting and support, actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.
Success Criteria — student language
- “I can retell the story: first, then, next, last.” (RL.PK.2)
- “The lesson is be kind/share/try again.” (RL.PK.2)
- “I can show a picture/word that proves the lesson.” (RL.PK.1)
- “I listen and talk with my partner during group reading.” (RL.PK.10)