Benchmark Videos
Mack Reads His Book
Video & Background
Mack, age 4, attends a preschool class that has been involved for several weeks in a project called Exploring Fire Safety. The teachers have encouraged Mack and his classmates to make their own books related to what they have learned during the project. Some children, including Mack, have illustrated their books and dictated the words to the teachers. These children will then take turns sharing their finished books with classmates during group meeting. In this clip, Mack sits in a chair “reading” to the class from the book of stories that he created about firefighters.Mack goes through his book from left to right, which indicates that he has some awareness of conventions of print. Mack's stories show some of his understandings about fire and a firefighter’s work. His ideas include (1) fire trucks can be found at firehouses, (2) firefighters in a firehouse may use a pole to get to a lower level quickly, (3) “fireboats” may be used to put out fires on boats, (4) firefighters put out fires, and (5) smoke may indicate a fire. When Mack mentions firefighters going down a pole in the firehouse, one of the children who has been listening comments, “I think—it’s their turn.” This response to Mack’s story suggests that the child is aware that firefighters must take turns using the pole.
Transcript
Click arrow to play video.
Mack: One day a fire truck drove into the firehouse, and then the men came down the pole (turns page).
Child: I think—it’s their turn.
Mack: One day there was a fire on a boat, so a fireboat rescued. Today, fireman put out a fire, and then one day a boy was roasting marshmallows at the zoo. And smoke started to come out, and a firefighter had to put it out (starts to turn page).
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Benchmark Description | How Benchmark Was Met |
|---|---|---|
| Language Arts 1.A.ECb |
Understand that reading progresses from left to right and top to bottom. | Mack turns the pages of his book from left to right. |
| Language Arts 1.C.ECc |
Demonstrate understanding of literal meaning of stories by making comments. | A child listening to Mack’s story comments about firefighters taking turns. |
| Language Arts 3.C.EC |
Use drawing and writing skills to convey meaning and information. | Mack has used drawing and dictation to create a book of very short stories about firefighters, which his classmates are likely to understand because they have all participated in the project. |
| Language Arts 4.B.EC |
Communicate needs, ideas, and thoughts. | Mack shares a book that he has created, in which he incorporates some ideas and thoughts about fires and firefighting. The child who comments about firefighters taking turns expresses an idea related to Mack’s story. |
| Social Science 15.A.EC |
Identify community workers and the services they provide. | Mack’s story describes some of the work that firefighters do. |
This section of the Illinois Early Learning Web site links to activities related to the Benchmarks in the Illinois Early Learning Standards. We expect that early childhood professionals and parents will use these ideas in ways appropriate to their children and their setting. We are sure that you will find many ways to adapt these activities into themes, projects, and units in your program or at home.
An Illinois Early Learning link to a Web site does not imply an endorsement by the Illinois Early Learning Project or the Illinois State Board of Education of any product, resource, or service on that Web site.
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Spanish: Mack lee su libro
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