Here is a cool example of an embedded reading from Toni Kellen. I like its simplicity and clarity:
Day 1: Tell story
Target Vocab: – meets
Joe meets a girl. Joe thinks that the girl he meets is very pretty. Joe thinks that she is pretty because she has white hair and Joe likes girls with white hair. The girl’s name is Betty (White). When Joe meets Betty, he says, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” But Betty doesn’t like Joe, so she says “It is NOT nice to meet you.” Joe is very upset and runs to the bathroom.
Unfortunately, Joe runs to the girls’ bathroom. Fortunately, in the girls’ bathroom, Joe meets another girl. The girl that Joe meets does not have white hair, but she is very pretty. She says to Joe, “Hi, my name is Megan (Fox).” He says, “Hi, my name is Joe.” “It’s nice to meet you,” she says. Joe is very happy to meet Megan.
Day 2: Read and Story Expansion Assignment
-Type up the story for students, with several spaces between each sentence. That leaves room for students to write their additions.
-In italics below are some sample additions to the story.
Assignment
Directions: Add at least 5 of the following phrases to expand the story. Highlight each of the phrases from the list that you add to the story. *(If this were a real assignment, the list of terms would probably be longer, and students would be required to use a greater number of them.)
· although
· is embarrassed
· turns red
· brown hair
· yells
· I like you
· nice
· mean
· smiles
· ugly
· old
Joe meets a girl.
Joe thinks that the girl he meets is very pretty.
Joe thinks that she is pretty because she has white hair and Joe likes girls with white hair. Although Betty is very old, Joe thinks she is very pretty.
The girl’s name is Betty (White).
When Joe meets Betty, he says, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”
But Betty doesn’t like Joe, so she says “It is NOT nice to meet you.” Betty is very mean. Joe is very embarrassed and turns red.
Joe is very upset and runs to the bathroom.
Unfortunately, Joe runs to the girls’ bathroom.
Fortunately, in the girls’ bathroom, Joe meets another girl.
The girl that Joe meets does not have white hair, but she is very pretty. She has brown hair.
She says to Joe, “Hi, my name is Megan (Fox).”
He says, “Hi, my name is Joe.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she says. Megan is very nice to Joe. Although Joe is very embarrassed that he walked into the girls’ bathroom, he is very happy to meet Megan. Joe smiles at Megan and tells her, “I like you.”