Classroom+Organization

=What do I do with the rest of the class during Guided Reading? = (from Scholastic Moving Up with Literacy Place Teaching Tips) = = While you are working with selected students in a Guided Reading group, the other students will be involved in independent literacy activities. The time spent on these activities needs to be as meaningful and useful for your students as the time spent in the Guided Reading groups. It is best to keep these activities simple so students can do them by themselves and stay focused on the literacy aspect. In some cases, the literacy activity may involve partners or small group work.

Options for activities include: • independent reading • reader responses • focused re-reading of a Guided Reading text • reading along with a Shared Reading text on CD • a Working With Words activity • a writing activity

It is important to establish routines early on. Make your expectations very clear (for example, what to do if you finish early or have a problem). For the first couple of weeks while you help all students become comfortable with the routines and expectations for independent literacy activities you may not conduct any Guided Reading sessions.