A differentiated reading comprehension lesson focusing on the vowel teams ea and ew. Students build phonics fluency and comprehension by reading targeted passages and answering who, what, where, when, why, and how questions across graduated support tiers.
Find one sentence from the passage that proves the stream was cleaner at the end. Copy it below:
Vowel Team Investigators • Level 2 (Guided) Page 2 of 2
3 WHERE
Where was the safe passage located relative to Beacon Peak and the reef?
4 WHEN
When did the hidden channel finally become visible to the crew?
5 WHY
Why was it essential for Captain Kean to withdraw the map immediately?
6 HOW
How did the sailors celebrate after arriving safely in the harbor?
Textual Evidence Spotlight
Write one direct quote from the text featuring both an ea word and an ew word that demonstrates how the crew overcame danger:
Vowel Team Investigators • Level 3 (Masters) Page 2 of 2
2. WHAT: Fierce north winds blew across the ocean, creating giant swells and surging breakers that threatened to breach the ship's bow.
3. WHERE: The channel was located beneath the rocky ridge of Beacon Peak, bypassing the jagged submerged reef into a sheltered harbor bay.
4. WHEN: The channel became visible when darkness grew thicker and a radiant golden beam broke through the dense squall at twilight.
5. WHY: It was essential to withdraw the chart to verify the ship's coordinates and locate the safe passage before darkness made navigation impossible.
6. HOW: The crew celebrated by brewing herbal tea, stewing vegetables, feasting together, and receiving praise from Captain Kean.
5 Ws & How Mastery Rubric
Criteria
Proficient (3 pts)
Approaching (2 pts)
Emerging (1 pt)
5 Ws & H Accuracy
Correctly identifies all 6 elements directly from the text.
Identifies 4-5 elements accurately; minor confusion on Why/How.
Identifies 3 or fewer elements correctly.
Phonics Decoding
Reads and sorts all ea and ew target words accurately.
Decodes most words; needs support with multisyllabic targets.
Struggles to distinguish between ea and ew sounds.
Text Evidence
Cites accurate direct quotes with specific details.
Paraphrases text evidence with partial specificity.
Provides unsubstantiated responses without evidence.
Vowel Team Investigators • Teacher Resource Page 2 of 2
