Sample Launch Focus Lesson 

Lesson Topic	Choosing a Reading Spot: Finding One and Sticking With It
Materials	A copy of the book that you are currently reading, to share with the class
Connection ​Set the tone. Link the new teaching to ongoing work and NAME THE TEACHING POINT. “Today I want to teach you…”	I was thinking of you all yesterday after school. See, I had some free time between when I left school and when I had to be home, it was a gorgeous afternoon, and I had a new book that I was dying to sink my teeth into (hold book up to show the class). I decided to stop at the park that is on my way home to do some reading. Since it was such a beautiful afternoon, I wasn’t the only one who had this idea; the park was PACKED! I needed to figure out where to sit in order to do my best reading. I didn’t want to plop myself down just anywhere, I needed to make a decision. Today I want to teach you that readers make thoughtful decisions about a lot of things that have do to with reading, and one of the things that readers need to decide on is where they should sit in order to do their best reading work.
Explicit Instruction Show them exactly how to do what is being taught.	What happened to me yesterday at the park is the perfect example of this. The first spot I tried out was on the park bench. No one else was sitting on it, so I knew I wouldn’t be distracted. But after a few minutes of reading, I started to get really uncomfortable. I’m not used to just sitting straight up like that to read, I’m the kind of reader who likes to sort of lean back and get comfy, and the park bench wasn’t allowing me to do that. So I needed to find a different spot. I took a look around the park, and noticed a big maple tree. There were a few people already underneath there, some reading, some just hanging out. I usually like to find a reading spot that I can have to myself, but I was so excited about my new book, I thought that I could probably tune out everyone else. I was wrong. I was comfortable under that tree, but so distracted by everyone around me; the little snippets of conversation, the kids playing and laughing on the blanket next to me. This spot wasn’t going to cut it either. I started to lose hope: was I going to have to go home? I took one final look around the park, and noticed the empty soccer fields. Hmmm… it was too early in the afternoon for soccer practice, and most of the activity at the park was near the playground and basketball courts. “This could be it for me!” I thought. I headed over to the field, found a shady patch of grass, and made myself comfortable. I could hear the background noise of the people at the park of course, no way to avoid that. But without anyone sitting right next to me, I was able to focus. Before I knew it, an hour had passed and I was hooked into my new book! I was only bummed because it took me so long to find that spot. But now I know that whenever I go to the park, I need to find a spot to read that isn’t overrun by other people, and where I can lean back and relax.
Guided Practice Ask them to try out what has been taught, either independently or collaboratively. Coach into the work.	Now you won’t have to make a decision about where to read at the park, but what you will need to decide, is where is the best spot in this classroom for you to do your best reading work. You’re going to have a lot of time each day to read, and you don’t want to waste that time being distracted by other readers, or being uncomfortable, or even wandering around the room looking for somewhere to sit. Where do you think that YOU need to be, in order to do your best reading work? Take a look around the classroom right now, noticing all of the places that you could set up camp for independent reading. When you have an idea of where you might want to try sitting today, put your thumb up.   I see lots of thumbs, now what I’d like you to do is turn and talk to the reader next to you, tell them WHERE you think you’d like to try sitting today, and also be sure to tell them WHY that will be a good spot for you.
Send Off Transition students from the lesson to independent work.	All right readers, it seems like everyone has an idea of where they are going to sit today to do their best reading work. When we come back together for the group share at the end we’ll reflect on this, talk about whether the spot you chose worked for you or not and why. Remember, you want to be the best reader you can be. Making a decision about what the right reading spot is for you is part of that!