Guided Reading Book Study- Chapter 1

The day is the FIRST day of our newest book study… The Next Step in Guided Reading.

Our hosts this week are:

First,  I enjoyed about this book was how many similarities it shares with The Daily 5. That is the structure my school and district are using. I loved that this book specifically addressed:

– balanced

– whole and small groups

– students work independently

– establish routine

– routine and procedures

All of these points are what I aim for in my classrooms and for my students.

Things to Think About!

How do you introduce your students to read aloud? or shared reading? and independent reading?

I think most, if not all, students actually LOVE to read. My kids desire to read on their own, they crave that independence, although the actual independence is… difficult! haha

I have found that during the first few weeks of school, my students are the quietest when I am reading to them. This goes for ALL forms of reading.

Setting up independent reading is more difficult because I am not in control. I use the Daily 5 structure of read to self and building our stamina. For the first little bit, it is tough because my little ones can’t read very much. I like to give them letters, sight words, and easy readers to use. {I usually create the printable easy readers for them.} I also give them copies of books I have read to them so they can start using some of those reading strategies like using pictures and retelling the story.

I have also learned to model model model what I expect from my students. I have also learned to NOT stop if one student makes a mistake while everyone is reading to themselves. Furthermore, proximity matters. I sit close to my struggling friends to help them stay on task.

I also use flexible small groups to figure out who works well with who in small groups. The more time I spend with my kids getting to know them, the easier this is. I usually start with “play” activities and work our way up to work. I choose to make the independent activities as “themed” as possible. I also like to start working on listening to reading at this stage as well.

Do you have your schedule set? What activities will you have your students do for the first 6 weeks to teach independence?

I have a set schedule… 3 to 4 groups each day, depending on my class size and student abilities. All the tables and activities are related. Let me show you some examples.

The week we learn about the letter Dd, I would read a book called If You Give a Dog a Donut whole group.

We would work on sequencing the story on a pocket chart during calendar time.

Then during our small groups, I might work on reading the small reader with my group, and my assistant might work on teaching our students how to listen to this story on tape or CD.

The independent group sorting bones or playing memory (which they all love to do!) or other ‘b’ related activities.

We work towards my students using the listening station on their own, playing the reading comprehension game with a teacher or aid, and even sequencing the order of the events of the story with prompting and support.

We also work on writing skills using word walls, sequencing sheets, and differentiated writing pages.

Additionally, we will make the dog from the story because it is FUN and memorable. We also hunt for the letter Dd in our room, make donuts (and eat them!), and make real and nonsense words using donut consonants with the vowels in the middle.

Again, all these activities take place during the guided reading/daily 5 blocks over the span of a week.

One of the goals is to encourage independence in the student stations so I can focus on my kids in my area. It is hard for students to do this when they KNOW we are having so much fun in my group, but after they realize that everyone comes to each group every day… their anxiety of “missing something” goes away.

The book listed Literacy Workstations specifically, so I wanted to pinpoint these. I have heard the term before but I believe each teacher makes these stations their own. They also work well with Daily 5!

The stations are/ can be:

-Book Boxes

-Buddy Reading

-Writing

-Readers Theater

-Poems and Songs

-ABC/Word Study

-Word Wall

-Read the Room

-Oral Retelling

-Listening

-Computer

-Overhead

-Geography

-Science

-Big Books

-Library

I added a pocket chart station with these letter beads to make words as a station.

It is easy to change the words each week or as needed. I like to change them to the words we are working on or I know some students are struggling with.

I substitute outstations. For instance, I use iPads and a Promethean Board instead of an overhead.

I also omit other stations like big books because I can’t stand them! They take up so much space and I don’t have any space to spare.

Each of these areas and tasks needs to be taught to your students for independence. I discovered quickly that using direction sheets for technology stations worked WONDERS! I made these signs for each type of device in my classroom! This solved 90% of my independence problems. I could not make a set of directions for the Promethean board because they do different activities on it all the time.

Questions Teacher Asks:

How do I get everything done in the allotted time?

I try to focus on QUALITY verse QUANTITY. Yes, I want to read with each student every day, but sometimes I can’t get it done. I try to pull them at other times to catch up if needed. I also don’t want to take the FUN out of Kindergarten. I want my kids to cook, create, and play to learn just as much as I need them to read, write, and add.

I do use the timer on my phone to help direct friends to move on as needed. It is mainly for my iPads station since my kids NEVER want to leave there…. ever.

I also use a cross-off sheet to monitor which students have been where. This sheet here is what my students use each week to cross off the stations of the Daily 5 they have been to. It helps them keep track, monitor their stations, and therefore manage their time. Since the pictures match the stations on my Choice Board, it is easy for my students to check themselves off.

I use a similar sheet to check off who I have seen and who I have not seen each day.

How can I keep the noise level in my classroom within reasonable limits during independent work/ guided reading time?

I praise my kids who do a great job with their noise levels and I work with my kids who are naturally loud. This past year I had a sweet girl who was just SO LOUD! It was completely unintentional but very distracting to others. Additionally, other girls were loud and louder around her. It was a struggle but I knew where her heart was.

How can I keep children from interrupting me when I am working with small groups?

I work with them and teach them day by day… and then at some point, I make it “bad” to come to me. {That sounds awful, but I hope you *get* what I am saying.} I model model model for them and I help them problem solve, but once we are there… it is not tolerated. When I stop “helping” them and “responding” to their needs, it is amazing how the interrupting from them stops as well.

How do I know students are reading their self-selected books?

 I know students are reading their self-selected books because I glance around the room, listen in to their reading, and sometimes {randomly} ask them to come read their book to me. Their buddy or partner is often the biggest tattle tale if they are not actually reading, which makes me laugh.  But I think it is okay to use books to retell, look at pictures, and make up their own stories as well. This happens a lot at the beginning of the year when K readers don’t know many words yet.

I also think it is important to give them a GOOD selection of books to choose from. I can’t turn all my books into a classroom library because my kinder loves can’t handle THAT much choice. Here is a glance at my classroom library with library labels to match the units or areas that we cover.

 My books have matching labels on the inside of them so my students can find the book at home easily. When I read a book to my class, I show them the label and we place it in the matching bin as well. My students can self-select books from these bins during their reading time. They LOVE the variety and independence.

I have the relevant books we have used recently or the ones that are still popular with my students. If my students lose interest in a topic, I put that bin away. When we move on to another topic, I change a bin out. I make it a point to “clean out” bins on Wednesdays when go to the library. Since we are getting out our library books anyways, I ask them to go through their classroom library books they are finished with as well. I also send home printable readers and such on Fridays in their Friday Folders.

What element of this chapter do you think you or your class struggle with the most?