Guided Reading Linky

Earlier this week I posted about how my Daily 5 rotations were going.  Well my friend Jen over at The Teacher's Cauldron in having a Guided Reading linky and I thought I would share what I do while my kiddos are hard at work at their centers.

 

Even though I have just started Daily 5 this year, I have been doing centers and guided reading groups for a long time.  I use a few different resources, but generally stick to the same format.

I only have time for my reading groups Tuesday through Thursdays. Mondays and Fridays we do whole group activities.

 

I start out the year assessing and working with all my students to figure out how to group them.  I have been using Reading A-Z for the past few years and it has been a wonderful resource for me.

 

 

I set up a binder which I use to administer running records and find a reading level for each student.

 

 

 

I also keep the comprehension sheets and resources for each of the books that I use to read with certain groups all from this site:)

 



 





Once I figure out what level my students are reading at I create different groups which change throughout the year.

 

 

This quarter I have just used our Reading series that the school provides.

 

 

This is sooo old, but the stories are easy to read for the beginning of the year and I don't have to go looking for new resources.  However I do change up the  activities for each group depending upon the skills that they need.

 

My guided reading table has everything I need to work with each group.

 

 

I don't have a fancy smancy planner that I use for each group.  I keep a general plan of the skills that I need to work on.

 

I use this simple sheet to plan for my groups.

 

This is my version of what The Sisters suggest to use for Daily 5.  We all meet first and I go over what I would like them to work on during their rotations. I might review a particular activity that some students found difficult or remind them of a certain skill I want them to work on for spelling or writing. Click on the pic to grab this in google docs.

 

 

The students go to their spots and I get started with my group.

 

 

 

I really enjoy this small group time. I learn so much about each student and I can assess their strengths and weaknesses very quickly.  The students love this time too.  We read, but we also do a lot of writing and discussion.  My shy ones are willing to share a lot more during this time.  We did a sequencing activity recently and my little guy here in the grey shirt left the table saying "That was so fun!"  That's what I want to hear them say everyday!

 

This next quarter I plan to differentiate a bit more.  I have copied many different levels of books from the Reading A-Z library.

 

 I have my books organized in one of these little containers.  No fancy makeover here, yet!

 

They are grouped by levels and I have 6 of each copy.  I can quickly find a story that I need based on ability or theme.  What I also like is that there are lots of Non-Fiction options as well.

 

I use these readers quite a bit, but also mix it up with multiple book copies that I have collected over the years. As my students progress through the year I try to change my groups to keep them on level but also to challenge some that may need more.

 

So there you have it my Guided Reading time in a nutshell.  Do you do guided reading groups?  I'd love to hear about any fantastic things you do during this time. 

 

Don't forget to link up over at The Teacher's Cauldron!

 

I am also linking up with Darling Little Learners.