Small Reading Groups REVISITED

Another school year has come to an end and, if you're like me, you soak up summer vacation BUT a small part of your brain is already thinking about the next school year...  

Summer is like a passive reflexion time for me.  I don't write anything down, but think about lots of stuff and how I can do things better, differently or completely new.  One of these things is my Small Reading Groups because we absolutely loved them but I know they can be even better.  Click here for my original post from back in March.

The reason I'm revisiting this topic is because I just posted a new video on my YouTube channel about how these groups work and are set up (from the teacher's point of view) and it all revolves around these awesome little magnetic boards.


  Here are quick links to the various small reading groups I do:

Read to Self
Read with Someone
Word Work
Listen to Reading
Reading Games
Computer Time

SLG: Reading Games

This is exactly how I feel about my first graders.  For me, playing curriculum-based games that involve social interactions are SUPER important.  I love to make, buy and modify games. I've been doing this for about 15 years and now have a good stockpile of reading games that focus on the phonics and grammar concepts that we teach.  I used to live right by a Lakeshore Learning, ahhhhh!

My reading games cabinet


Incorporating games into my small reading groups is fantastic!  The only difficulty I find is the whole independent piece...  I've been lucky enough to have parent volunteers come in and be in charge of this group, so that solves the independent problem.  But that's not always the case.  Here are 3 solutions:  1) Frontload the game instruction at the start of your groups (and hope they remember how to play later), 2) Leave instructions for playing the game with the group and they have to figure out how to play (written and/or recorded).  3) Once a few kids know how to play, ask them to be the teachers.  It's not perfect but doing a games group versus not doing one is best.

Since I do my small reading groups 3x a week, on Wednesday there is a new game, on Thursday they play the game again and on Friday it's free choice for the game(s) they play.

Where we keep the games we've learned to play. The 'Reading Station' also becomes a choice of things to do when students have finished all their work.

Some of the games I've bought at Lakeshore.

A game I made.

Another example of a game I made.

A game I got from TPT and modified a bit.

One thing I like to do in the springtime is have a new game available during our groups but not give any direction or front loading and tell students they have to work together to figure out how to play the game...which is fun to watch happen.

Our Anchor Chart for this group.

A Lakeshore letter sorting game.

This FANTASTIC mom comes in TWICE a week to be part of our small reading groups!  I am fully enjoying and appreciating her because I know this will never happen again.

And that's how we do reading games

Up next...sometime soon...it's all about Art Projects!

SLG: Computer Time

Digital Native?  Digital Immigrant?  Digital Dinosaur?

Which one describes you?

Which one describes your students?

'Screen Time' is a much debated topic in the world of technology these days, especially concerning young children.  I personally feel that screen time should be limited, but children should have tech time that encourages creativity, challenges their ability levels and provides educational opportunity (whether it be review, maintenance or acceleration).

My students have computer time several times a week, for both reading and math.  During our small reading groups, students use LEXIA, Accelerated Reader and a MENU of online games chosen by me for their content (which ties to our Houghton-Mifflin reading curriculum). I am fortunate to have 5 Mac desktops for use in the classroom.

This is our anchor chart:

 

Another thing I sometimes have students do is explore a science or social studies topic through watching an online video (that I have pre-watched and bookmarked on the toolbar).  BrainPopJr is a fantastic website for this!  A few weeks ago I had my students watch 3 BrainPopJr videos to get them ready for doing a class Science Fair experiment.  I created and maintain my class website using iWeb and often create a new page on my website that hosts something I want students to see or play.  Here's a recent example from our Chinese New Year learning and celebration:

And that's how we do Computer Time

Up next...sometime soon...it's all about Reading Games!

SLG: Word Work

Independent written work has its place and benefits.  Each week, as part of my reading groups, students complete a packet of 3-6 worksheets that all focus on our word family of the week in a different fashion and the packets are differentiated for students (according to ability, difficulty, effort).  Their familiarity helps students work independently at their level.  Working independently is a life skill - end of story.  (Appropriate and beneficial) worksheets help students become good independent workers and the earlier you can help students learn to do this the better - end of story.

Click above to get a FREE word family packet.

Click above to get another FREE word family packet.

A private office and headphones to help students focus and concentrate.

I found these hooks at Target in the $ bins.

Shhhhh, I chopped the cords off of these headphones that I don't use anymore.

Students work their way through their packet each day (W, Th, F) and try to finish on Friday.  If they finish early, then they do not have to do Word Work on Friday and can instead do another group they haven't done or do one of the groups twice.  If students do not finish by Friday, the assignment goes on the Finished Work Chart and they continue working on it Monday morning.  They keep their packet in their Unfinished Work Folder.

And that's how we do Word Work

Tomorrow is all about Reading Games!

SLG: Listen to Reading

Why do I love 'Listen to Reading'?  

Let me count the ways. . .

1) Kids are QUIET, which helps me do my Guided Reading groups.

2) My students are hearing fantastic examples of fluent readers, which hopefully   will rub off on them.

3) Kids, at this age, tend to prefer listening to a book versus reading one on 

their own.

4) I love to record myself reading books for which I do not have a commercial 

CD...I secretly want to do voice-over work :-)

This group is the second one that I teach, model and practice with students.  Here is our anchor chart:

Initially, the only way my students can listen to books is at the group Listening Center.  I choose 1 student to be in charge (press play/stop, tidy up) and there is almost always a comprehension worksheet that they must complete when they're finished listening to the story.

    

These are 2 of the comprehension strategies that I include on my Listening Center worksheets. Click here or on the images above to download them.

I recently discovered that the wireless headphones I have can also be used with a computer!!  There was a USB blue tooth connection cable included with the headphones and the possibility just popped into my head the other day...after having had a small group use my laptop to watch a Dr. Seuss video with plug-in headphones that died on me during our groups :-(

Click on the picture to go to the website that offers this AMAZING headphones!

A few weeks later I introduce individual Listen to Reading.  I used to have CD players but thanks to a generous PTA, I now have 6 iPods that kids use and they love them!

Individual books are labeled with numbers 1-199.  Listen with Someone books are labeled 200-299.  Small group books are labeled 300-399.  Readers Theater scripts and other things I record are labeled in the 900's.  I do all of this through Garage Band and iTunes.

I teach kids how to neatly store their headphones and iPods when finished with them.

I got these drawers at Walmart and they are perfect for housing each iPod.  Kids take the entire drawer with them.  There are two drawers on top for batteries and splitters.

Most things are under the 'Music' category but recently I discovered 'Audio Books'.

I only make 9 books-on-iPod available at a time so interest is always high.  I put the books in this bookcase and label each book's spot with an EXPO marker so books go back where they're supposed to...books often get put back into our classroom library and then I have to search for them.

Eventually I introduce Listen with Someone and students can pair up with a friend and a splitter and listen with someone.

I'm so fortunate to have had Scholastic points to purchase so many books-on-CD and to a generous PTA that provided the iPods and wireless headphones.  This group is truly awesome in so many ways!

And that's how we do Listen to Reading

Tomorrow is all about Word Work!