Guided Reading - Organization and Support Tools

Hi everyone!

We have about two and a half months left of school. We're working hard in our guided reading groups, so students can progress as much as possible with their reading by the end of the school year.

I'm always trying to make the time I spend with my reading groups as effective as possible. That means I have to have materials organized and easily accessible. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite tools that I've found helpful for teaching guided reading groups and organizing the materials we use.

I use The Next Step in Guided Reading by Jan Richardson. It includes detailed lesson plans for leveled readers (Fountas and Pinnell levels).

The lessons last for 20-25 minutes. I keep the materials and tools we use on a bookshelf that's right behind my guided reading table.

The teachers at my school have access to guided reading books that they check out from our school library. I keep the guided reading books in labeled bins in my classroom.

The bins sit on the bookshelf that's right behind my desk. It's perfect for easy access. The bins are extra wide. They can even hold oversized books that I sometimes use for guided reading. They come with clear plastic dividers. I'm able to keep the books separated by reading group or reading level. They come in a variety of colors. You can find them at Really Good Stuff®.

I work on high-frequency word practice with some of my reading groups. Sometimes the students write on white boards. 

Sometimes they make the words using magnet boards.

These are the 6" x 9" size. They're a perfect size for students. They don't take up much room, especially when I'm working with 6 students in a group. The ones I use are magnetic. I'm able to use them for making words. I use the larger size (9" x 12" for demonstrations).

I also find it useful to have larger magnetic boards.

They come in handy when students are making more than one word at a time. The white boards and magnet boards come from Lakeshore®.

I keep the magnet letters in plastic boxes.

These I use only for guided reading activities. It's especially helpful that the compartments are labeled and are large enough that the letters come out easily. They're all lowercase letters. All the consonant letters are blue and the vowels are red. It's exactly what I need when working with vowel sound spellings. It came as a kit. You can find them at Really Good Stuff®.

These are Reusable Dry Erase Pockets.

I have sound box templates inserted into one side and analogy charts inserted into the other side. They save me so much time. I never have to run off extra copies, because they're reusable. Students can easily write and erase their answers. My students love when we do sound boxes and analogy charts. I think it's because they can use the markers, and they have fun erasing the pockets. It definitely keeps them engaged in the activities.

An assortment of pens and erasers are a must for our guided reading lessons. 

I place the caddy on the table. I can distribute and collect materials quickly. They're kept all together in one convenient place. The caddy fits all that we use. It's sturdy and durable. The ones I use are in primary colors. Lakeshore® has them in a variety of bright colors. 

What do you use during your guided reading groups? How do you organize them? I'd love to hear about any ideas or tips. 

School Gardening

We are fortunate that our school has a school garden. We think of it as an outdoor classroom. Our first grade students have an end of the day science rotation. I teach the first graders about living and non-living things and use the garden for hands-on activities. I enjoy listening to the excitement in children's voices as they discover new kinds of plants and garden creatures.

We also have a composting bin in the garden. The children are currently learning about worms and vermicomposting.

We use EarthBOX® gardens that are housed in front of our rooms and throughout the school.

Lettuce and cherry tomatoes are growing in this box.

This is one of several EarthBOX® gardens that are placed throughout our school. Notice the signs that contain information about the plants.

The signs include QR codes that direct students to videos and additional information about the plants.

I used to order caterpillars and set up a net in our classroom to observe the life cycle of a butterfly. Now we are able to observe the process naturally right outside our classroom door.

We are currently growing milkweed (Monarch butterflies love to lay eggs on the leaves of the plant.), cherry tomatoes (a few green ones can be seen in the background), and strawberries in our EarthBOX®.

If you'd like more information about the garden containers or would like to have your own EarthBOX® garden, click HERE. We use ours all year long!

The site has planting and gardening resources, too. The system is easy to use. Students can plant and maintain the garden. I love the real world application of having one. When the fruits and vegetables are ripe and ready to be picked, it's fun to prepare a vegetable or fruit salad with them. I've found that for some students, it's the first time they've seen or tasted many of the fruits and vegetables we grow.

These are a couple of my favorite classroom gardening books:

 It's Our Garden by George Ancona.

Children learn about creating a school garden.

How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry

Children learn about planting seeds, harvesting, and eating home-grown food as Squirrel teaches Little Groundhog all about gardening.

I'd love to hear about your school garden and any garden books you find helpful.

Thanksgiving Classroom Celebration {Celebration of Family}

Hi everyone and Happy November!

I’m Mona from First Grade Schoolhouse.

It’s been especially warm here in southern California. It’s hard to believe that it’s fall, and Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away.

I wanted to share what our first grade team does for our classroom Thanksgiving celebration each year. It’s not an original idea. One of our teachers told us about it. She got the idea from her own child’s teacher. We used the idea and have changed and adapted it over the years to highlight and appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of our students’ families.

We have a special activity called, “CELEBRATION OF FAMILY.” This event includes Thanksgiving poems and songs performed by the students and a museum featuring special items brought in by students. Families (including grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) are invited to attend.

The Celebration of Family museum includes a collection of items that are special to the family of each student. These items do not have to be antiques and could be everyday objects brought out for family “rituals.” Some examples include the popcorn bowl the family dives into when watching movies together, a favorite plate used for family get-togethers, or maybe it’s a momento from the last trip to visit extended family. It may be a family collection or an item handed down from a grandparent. The children might also photograph something and display the pictures. It’s an item that symbolizes something interesting or special about each family.

The parents discuss the importance of each object with their children, how long it has been in the family, and any other important information. 

I print the information that the child brings to class. This is an example of the placard that sits in front of each child's desk. The students share this information with parents as they tour the museum. Parents ask the students questions about their objects. It becomes an hour of storytelling.

One year I had a child who brought in a mitt as his artifact. He shared that his grandfather and father had both been baseball players. He and his family loved playing the game. He wanted to grow up to be a baseball player, too. The mitt as well worn. The student was especially proud of it. {Placard graphic by Whimsy Clips.}

The students create and wear these special turkey headbands on the day of our celebration.

A roomful of students wearing these headbands definitely gets you into the holiday spirit.

Student speakers welcome the parents.

Our first speaker welcomes the parents.

Our next speaker tells about the program.

The children begin by chanting a poem about the first Thanksgiving. They sing and dance to songs and chants.

The families are then excused to go outside for refreshments.

Our third speaker excuses the parents to go outside.

We go outside where desserts and drinks are served. It's a time for everyone to visit and talk about plans for the Thanksgiving holiday.

After, the children quickly go back into the classroom and get their placemats, placards, and artifacts ready on their desks. {Earlier in the day, we configure the desks into a u-shape.}

Our last speaker goes outside and rings a bell to get the attention of parents. The child announces that our museum is ready.

The families then come back into the classroom to tour the “museum.”

It’s heart-warming to see and listen to the children proudly share with parents about their family traditions. The parents thoroughly enjoy asking question of the students as they tour our museum. Each year parents comment that they love getting to meet all their children's classmates. What I love most is getting to know more about my students' families. I always find out new things about my students thru this activity.

If you'd like more information about our celebration, let me know. I'd be more than happy to answer any of your questions.

The graphics on the student speaker cards are by the talented and creative Kari Bolt. You can check out her graphics here.

If you're looking for some new fun and engaging Thanksgiving activities for your classroom, I have Thanksgiving writing packets for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade, and

Thanksgiving math centers, too.

Enjoy November! And Happy Thanksgiving!