Story Elements Teacher Guide
Story Elements 4-Day Plan
Text: Maria Goes to School (Reading A-Z Level A) β’ Target: Comprehension Discrimination
Teacher & Intervention Guide
Early Literacy / AAC / SPED
Instructional Scope & Sequence Overview
| Day | Skill & Target | Teacher Moves & Scripted Prompts | Student Response | Scaffolds & Support |
|---|
| Day 1 | Discriminate 2 Characters (Who) | Read story. βThis story has two characters: Maria and Carlos.β Ask: βWho went to the bus?β βWho is in our story?β | Points, touches, reaches, or uses AAC to pick specific character. | Field of 2 (Maria vs. Carlos). Model pointing. Visual card frame. |
| Day 2 | Identify Setting (Where) | Reread text. Review βwhoβ. βThe characters are at school. Setting means where.β Prompt: βShow me where Maria is.β | Selects correct setting picture (School/Classroom vs. Farm). | High-contrast distractors (ocean, bedroom). Block extra clutter. |
| Day 3 | Identify Major Event (What Happened) | Pause after major action: βMaria paints a picture. Look.β Present cards: βPoint to what happened.β | Selects illustration showing the action (Painting vs. Cooking). | Reread event sentence right before prompt. Start with 2 choices. |
| Day 4 | Synthesize: Who + Where + What | Cycle through: βPoint to who.β β βShow me where.β β βShow me what happened.β Present full scenes: βPoint to the picture that shows our story.β | Selects composite picture containing all 3 core story elements. | Start with stark distractor; fade to subtle distractor. Run 5 scored trials. |
During the Read-Aloud: Rapid Point & Show Routine
Replace open-ended questions with rapid, active discrimination trials every 1β2 pages. Embed these exact 10 point-and-show prompts during shared reading:
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βPoint to Maria.β
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βShow me Carlos.β
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βPoint to the school bus.β
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βWhere is Maria? Point.β
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βShow me the classroom.β
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βPoint to who is painting.β
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βShow me the blocks.β
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βWhere are they playing? Point.β
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βPoint to Maria now.β
-
βShow me Carlos at school.β
Accommodations, Scaffolding & Response Rules
Response Modality
- β’ Accept nonverbal responses: point, touch, eye-gaze, AAC, or card hand-over.
- β’ Maintain exact verbs: stick to βPoint toβ or βShow meβ.
- β’ Provide 5β10 seconds wait time before repeating prompt.
Visual Presentation
- β’ Field size: start with field of 2; progress to 3 when >80% accuracy.
- β’ High-contrast distractors: target vs. stark contrast (School vs. Ocean).
- β’ Cover adjacent pictures/text if visual overload occurs.
Error Correction
- β’ Errorless transfer: if hesitant, immediately model/gesture, then re-present.
- β’ First/Then contingency: βFirst point to Maria, then we turn page.β
- β’ Specific praise: βYes! You showed me Maria. Maria is the character!β
Story Elements Intervention Protocol β’ Designed for Early Childhood & Low-Incidence / AAC Settings Page 1 of 3
Daily Lesson Execution Scripts
Scripted teacher models, guided discrimination, and independent trial procedures
Days 1 β 4 Protocol
DAY 1
WHO? Discriminate Characters (Maria vs. Carlos)
Goal: 4/5 correct trials
1. Anchor & Introduce
Show book cover & WHO cue card. βWe are reading Maria Goes to School. Character means who. This story has two characters: Maria and Carlos.β Present cards: βPoint to Maria.β βPoint to Carlos.β
2. Model & Guided Read
Model: βWho went to the classroom? I remember Maria walked in. I point to Maria.β Present field of 2: βWho went on the bus? Show me.β Guide to Maria. Present distractor (bear): βWho is in our story?β
3. 5-Trial Assessment
T1: βWho went to the bus?β (Maria)
T2: βWho played with blocks?β (Carlos)
T3: βWho is in our story?β (Maria/Carlos)
T4: βWho painted a picture?β (Maria)
T5: βWho went to playground?β (Carlos)
DAY 2
WHERE? Identify Setting (School / Classroom)
Goal: 4/5 correct trials
1. Review & Introduce
Review: βPoint to Maria. Character means who.β Introduce: βToday we look for WHERE. Setting means where. Maria is at school. Show me the school.β
2. Contrast & Reread
Present School vs. stark distractor (Ocean/Bedroom): βShow me where the story happens.β Reread story pausing: βPoint to Maria. Where is she? Point to classroom.β
3. 5-Trial Assessment
Present 2β3 setting choices for each:
T1: School vs. Ocean (βWhere is Maria?β)
T2: Classroom vs. Farm (βSetting?β)
T3: Bus vs. Forest (βWhere did she ride?β)
T4: Playground vs. Bedroom
T5: School vs. Beach
DAY 3
WHAT HAPPENED? Identify Major Event / Detail
Goal: 4/5 correct trials
1. Preview & Event Cue
Review Who and Where. βNow we look for WHAT HAPPENED. Maria painted a bright picture. Painting is what happened. Show me painting.β
2. Restate & Discriminate
Reread event page. Immediately restate: βMaria paints a picture.β Present Painting vs. Cooking food card: βPoint to what happened in our story.β Guide to correct event.
3. 5-Trial Assessment
T1: Painting vs. Firefighting (βWhat happened?β)
T2: Building blocks vs. Cooking
T3: Riding bus vs. Sleeping
T4: Painting vs. Eating pizza
T5: Playing with blocks vs. Swimming
DAY 4
SYNTHESIS: Who + Where + What Happened
Goal: 4/5 composite trials
1. Visual Triad Review
Line up cue icons: WHO (Maria), WHERE (School), WHAT (Painting). βPoint to who. Show me where. Show me what happened.β
2. Think-Aloud Modeling
Show target scene vs. distractor scene. Think aloud: βDo I see who? Maria. Where? School. What? Painting. This picture tells our whole story! I point here.β
3. 5-Trial Synthesis Probe
T1: Maria painting at school vs. Bear at ocean
T2: Carlos building at school vs. Chef cooking
T3: Maria on bus vs. Dog on farm
T4: Maria in class vs. Firefighter scene
T5: Full story scene vs. Bedroom scene
Data Rule: Score [+] only if response initiated within 10s without teacher prompting. Score [P] if gestural or model prompt required.
Mastery: 80% (4/5 trials across 2 days)
Story Elements Intervention Protocol β’ Daily Lesson Scripts & Fidelity Guides Page 2 of 3
Daily Trial Data Log & IEP Progress Tracker
Document 5 discrete trials per instructional session β’ Maria Goes to School
Form: SE-4D
Student Name
Observer / Instructor
Primary Response Mode
Point / Touch / AAC
Session Dates
DAY 1: Character (WHO) Score: ___ / 5
| Tr. | Prompt & Target | Score | Notes |
|---|
| 1 | βWho went to the bus?β (Maria) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 2 | βWho played with blocks?β (Carlos) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 3 | βWho is in our story?β (Maria/Carlos) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 4 | βWho painted a picture?β (Maria) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 5 | βWho went to playground?β (Carlos) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
DAY 2: Setting (WHERE) Score: ___ / 5
| Tr. | Prompt & Target | Score | Notes |
|---|
| 1 | βWhere is Maria?β (School) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 2 | βPoint to classroomβ (Classroom) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 3 | βWhere did she ride?β (Bus) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 4 | βWhere is Carlos playing?β (Playground) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 5 | βShow setting of storyβ (School) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
DAY 3: Event (WHAT HAPPENED) Score: ___ / 5
| Tr. | Prompt & Target | Score | Notes |
|---|
| 1 | βPoint to what happenedβ (Painting) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 2 | βWhat did Carlos do?β (Blocks) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 3 | βHow did they get there?β (Rode Bus) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 4 | βShow Maria's actionβ (Painting) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 5 | βPoint to event in storyβ (Playing) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
DAY 4: Synthesis (WHO + WHERE + WHAT) Score: ___ / 5
| Tr. | Prompt & Target | Score | Notes |
|---|
| 1 | βPicture from our storyβ (Maria Paint) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 2 | βShow story pictureβ (Carlos Blocks) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 3 | βWho + Where + Whatβ (Maria on Bus) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 4 | βPoint to whole storyβ (Classroom) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
| 5 | βShow picture of storyβ (Playground) | [ + / P / - ] | ______ |
Scoring Key
- [+] Independent: Points/selects correctly within 10s with no teacher cue.
- [P] Prompted: Requires gestural, visual frame, or model prompt to select.
- [-] Incorrect: Selects distractor, no response after 10s, or physical guide.
Intervention Fidelity Check
- β Reread text before trials to ensure familiarity.
- β Maintained consistent prompts (βPoint toβ / βShow meβ).
- β Delivered 5β10 second wait time prior to prompt repeat.
- β Paired specific verbal feedback with target vocabulary.
Story Elements Intervention Protocol β’ Trial Data Log & Fidelity Sheet Page 3 of 3
Story Elements Choice Cards
Story Elements Picture Cards β’ Set 1: WHO
Day 1 & Cumulative Discrimination β’ Cut along dashed borders β’ Ready for laminate / AAC / pocket charts
Cut & Show Cards
Anchor Cue PROMPT
Character
WHO?
A person or animal in our story
Anchor Cue PROMPT
Setting
WHERE?
The place where the story happens
Anchor Cue PROMPT
Event / Action
WHAT?
What someone does in the story
WHO Choice
π§
Maria
Girl in story
WHO Choice
π¦
Carlos
Boy in story
WHO Choice
π»
Bear
Animal
WHO Choice
πΆ
Dog
Pet
WHO Choice
π©βπ«
Teacher
Adult at school
WHO Choice
π±
Cat
Pet
Cut along dotted lines β’ Field of 2 or 3 choices β’ Pair with verbal prompt: βPoint to whoβ / βShow me [name]β Page 1 of 4 β’ WHO & Prompts
Story Elements Picture Cards β’ Set 2: WHERE
Day 2 Setting Identification β’ Targets (School, Classroom, Bus, Playground) + High-Contrast Distractors
Setting Field
WHERE Setting
π«
School
School building
WHERE Setting
ποΈ
Classroom
Inside school
WHERE Setting
π
School Bus
Yellow bus
WHERE Setting
π
Playground
Outside school
WHERE Setting
π
Farm
Barn & fields
WHERE Setting
ποΈ
Ocean Beach
Water & sand
WHERE Setting
ποΈ
Bedroom
Home bed
WHERE Setting
π²
Forest
Trees & woods
WHERE Setting
π³
Kitchen
Stove & cooking
Cut along dotted lines β’ Pair with verbal prompt: βShow me whereβ / βPoint to the settingβ Page 2 of 4 β’ WHERE (Settings)