Guided reading is one of my favorite times of the day. Working with small groups really gives me a chance to get to know my kiddos and their reading behaviors more intimately.
One thing I couldn't live without is my table...
Another favorite of mine are my whisper phones. A dad made a class set for me years ago and I don't know how I'd live without them - especially when I have my kiddos read at their own pace - no more round robin! Another trick that I talked about here is to have them alternate how they are sitting at the table...face in, face out, face in...
I dig my reading logs...even though I'm still struggling with whether or not to use them. I like that I can show parents that when we work together their child GROWS.
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| If you remember - I didn't know what I was doing with Reading Logs. Due to accountability factors - I opted to stick with them. |
Something else I love is my conversion chart on my lanyard. I mostly have this committed to memory - but when a parent or teacher {I've even had my first graders ask me}comes up to me and asks me where a fourth grader should be reading I can flip my card over and tell them. It's not a must - but it's handy dandy. I got mine at The Booksource.
Who doesn't love a good flash card? I use these for so many different things. I have kids jot down notes, I use them as bookmarks, we write down new vocabulary, and use them for incremental rehearsal...
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| They are pretty cheap too... |
Not sure what incremental rehearsal is? Here's a video explaining how this intervention strategy works. I've been using it with my kiddos who continue to struggle with their sight words.
Our strategy bookmarks...couldn't live without those!!!!
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| My literacy parapro - who I ALSO couldn't live without...made these for me and said I could share! Thanks, Tammy! |
I talk about how I introduce each strategy at the beginning of the year *here*.
My newest possible favorite is the Record of Reading app for my iPad. I don't know about you, but the amount of paper I go through in my classroom bugs me. I'm in the market for a nice stylus to use with my iPad so that I can use this free app to do running records. In this app you can keep track of your students' reading, record their reading, email it to yourself {or your interventionists, parents, etc.} and print it out {which I wouldn't do much of}. I haven't played around with it much yet...but I think it has potential of being a favorite.
I could keep going...I just love guided reading. Do you have any favorites that you'd like to share? I'm always in the market for new ideas!!!!