Guided reading without flexible grouping is more tracking than guided reading. We recently re-benchmarked our below grade level students at the middle school and re-formed our guided reading groups so that students are placed in groups where they will be reading texts at their highest instructional level. With new groups, I took the opportunity to create some new anchor charts. I’m excited about using them with my groups!
I have my students put post-it notes to document their thinking as they’re reading so that we can use the discussion points that they want to talk about in our guided reading discussion. Giving students ideas of what they could write on the post-its encourages them to bring that discussion up to a higher level.
Getting students to take on discussion techniques and realize that the ways they phrase discussion points may illicit more response if they’re able to express themselves appropriately.
Encouraging students to listen to one another and be able to build upon the thinking of others in order to have a conversation about text is a goal that I have for my guided reading students.
I like to incorporate some sort of extension with guided reading groups when appropriate. Two types of responses that I have found to be quick but also engage students in higher level thinking and support that thinking with textual evidence are the double-entry column and guided reading exit slips that I have students write on note cards and place on the guided reading bulletin board.
I hope this helped you generate ideas for guided reading or for new anchor charts! I would love to hear from you to get some ideas of what you do with your students during guided reading that works!
Kasey
