Embedded Reading

Ben Slavic was working with a song….backwards planning with the song lyrics as his goal.  I wanted to give him an example of what an embedded reading based on a song might look like for my Level 4s.   So, I chose a few lines that might be found in a love song and created a series of embedded readings using those phrases.

The strategy I used was :
A)  Identify the key phrases
Write a simple piece using the first phrase.
C)  Add details using the second phrase.
D)  Continue adding details using the third phrase.
E)  Add details using the fourth phrase for the final piece.

My first thought is that I would “build” the story. For example: the four phrases are….I never knew…I thought….you were the one….each and every day.

Level 1: I never knew

I never knew that oatmeal was delicious. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because I never ate oatmeal. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because no one in my family ate oatmeal. I never knew that it could be my favorite breakfast.

Level 2: I never knew + I thought

I thought I knew everything but I never knew that oatmeal was delicious. I thought that oatmeal was horrible. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because I never ate oatmeal. I wasn;t as smart as I thought I was. I thought that it would be absolutely disgusting. I thought that I would vomit if I ate oatmeal. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because no one in my family ate oatmeal. My mother never ate oatmeal. My father never ate oatmeal. I thought that my father knew everything. You were just the silly little girl next door….the one that always bothered me. So I thought that oatmeal must be horrible. I never thought about trying it. I never thought that I would like it. I never that it could be my favorite breakfast.

Level 3: I never knew + I thought+you were the one

You were the smart one. I thought I knew everything but I never knew that oatmeal was delicious. You were the one who always said that oatmeal was fantastic. I thought that oatmeal was horrible. You were the one who ate oatmeal every day. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because I never ate oatmeal. You were the one who told me that I wasn;t as smart as I thought I was. I thought that it would be absolutely disgusting. You were the one who promised me that I wouldn’t vomit if I ate oatmeal. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because no one in my family ate oatmeal. There was no oatmeal in my house. You were the one who had oatmeal in your house. My mother never ate oatmeal. My father never ate oatmeal. I thought that my father knew everything. You weren’t the one who knew everything. My father knew everything. I was a kid!! You were just the silly little girl next door….the one that always bothered me. You were the one who always played tricks on me. So I thought that oatmeal must be horrible. I never thought about trying it. You were the one who put bugs in my salad and told me that they were raisins!!! So when you were the one who told me that oatmeal was delicious, I never thought that I would like it. I never knew that you were the one who could even make oatmeal wonderful, that you were the oatmeal princess. I never that it could be my favorite breakfast….and that you were the one who was right.

Level 4 I never knew+I thought+you were the one+each and every day

You were the smart one. Each and every day you ate oatmeal. I thought I knew everything but I never knew that oatmeal was delicious. You were the one, each and every day, who always said that oatmeal was fantastic. I thought that oatmeal was horrible. You were the one who ate oatmeal, some how, some way, each every day. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because I never ate oatmeal. Each and every day you were the one who told me that I wasn;t as smart as I thought I was. I thought that it would be absolutely disgusting. I thought I would vomit each and every drop of oatmeal if I ate it. Each and every day ,you were the one who promised me that I wouldn’t vomit if I ate oatmeal. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because no one in my family ate oatmeal. Each and every day we ate burnt toast and moldy jam. There was no oatmeal in my house. You were the one who had oatmeal in your house. You ate oatmeal each and every day. Oatmeal with honey, oatmeal with jelly beans, oatmeal with spinach, oatmeal with chocolate chips. Oatmeal with each and every meal. My mother never ate oatmeal. She ate burnt toast each and every day. (dry…she was always on a diet!) My father never ate oatmeal. My father ate burnt toast and moldy jam each and every day!! I thought that my father knew everything. If he ate burnt toast and moldy jam each and every day, then I ate burnt toast and moldy jam each and every day!!! You weren’t the one who knew everything. My father knew everything. I was a kid!! You were just the silly little girl next door….the one that always bothered me….each and every day. You were the one who always played tricks on me….each and every day. So I thought that oatmeal must be horrible. I never thought about trying it. You were the one who put bugs in my salad, each and every day and told me that they were raisins!!! I ate those bugs each and every day for a year!!! So when you were the one who told me that oatmeal was delicious, I never thought that I would like it. I never knew that you were the one who, each and every day, could even make oatmeal wonderful, that you were the oatmeal princess. I never that it could be my favorite breakfast each and every day….with anything….as long as you were with me……and that you were the one who was right. And now you remind me of it each and every day!!! Enough already!!!!!!

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