Guided Reading Groups
Leveled reading groups are an integral part of the well-balanced literacy program in our classroom. Using the Developmental Reading Assessment, students read a text, and my CT - and eventually I as well - assisted in assessing their ability to retell the story, as well as their fluency and accuracy in reading a passage via running records. Combined with careful long-term observation, students with similar ability were placed together so that they might receive daily small group mini-lessons tailored to their collective needs. Mini-lesson results were kept via anecdotal records. Similarly, at the end of my internship, I assisted the East Lansing Public Schools District in assessing students' reading skills via the DIBELS, AIMS-Web, and Maze tests. Results were used to determine if intervention for a low-scoring student was needed.
With 'emergent' groups I worked on things like building phonemic awareness, conventions, and comprehension strategies. With the 'early fluency' groups, I extensively covered decoding strategies along with conventions. With 'fluency' groups I especially looked at word choice, comprehension, and prediction strategies. These daily group meetings provide students with the instruction that's just right for their levels, and as such they have grown tremendously as readers.
While my CT and I work with our small reading groups, the rest of the students work quietly at their seats on Word Work that emphasizes conventions, vocabulary, and word choice.
With 'emergent' groups I worked on things like building phonemic awareness, conventions, and comprehension strategies. With the 'early fluency' groups, I extensively covered decoding strategies along with conventions. With 'fluency' groups I especially looked at word choice, comprehension, and prediction strategies. These daily group meetings provide students with the instruction that's just right for their levels, and as such they have grown tremendously as readers.
While my CT and I work with our small reading groups, the rest of the students work quietly at their seats on Word Work that emphasizes conventions, vocabulary, and word choice.
Sample Reading Group Work
Groups developed plays (either assisted by us or on their own) from favorite guided reading books we had read. The plays were performed for other classes and parents.
- Sample Lesson: Emergent Group -
- Sample Lesson: Fluent Group -
-Student-Written Play: Watch Out for Trash Cans -
-Student-Written Play: Uncle Elephant Counts the Peanuts -
Below: Example of Student Performance of Play (displayed with permission from parents)
- Sample Lesson: Emergent Group -
- Sample Lesson: Fluent Group -
-Student-Written Play: Watch Out for Trash Cans -
-Student-Written Play: Uncle Elephant Counts the Peanuts -
Below: Example of Student Performance of Play (displayed with permission from parents)