Guided Reading Plans

Well, I have to make an edit to yesterday's blog post. Today I'm not with my kids because we're having a

SNOW DAY!

But I have to tell you, it is not a pretty kind of snow day. It is a bitterly cold, windy, wet, nasty snow day. I'll take whichever, but I'm certainly staying inside today :)

So what does any good teacher do with a snow day? Especially when the rest of her family is snoozapolzing? Well, I finished up lesson plans for the next five weeks. Our basal reading series goes in 5 week units, so I try to plan those five weeks at one time. Then I just have to make little tweaks when I get to that actual week. 

Last Saturday, I wrote about reading Teaching with Intention and how I was going to try to take one subject and really make an effort into the plans for that. I had mentioned Writing and Whole Group Reading, but I decided to really take a look at Guided Reading. 

I wrote out plans Guided Reading for all five weeks - well, I've done that before, but it's been bare bones. This time, I noted if I wanted to make a chart with the kids, if I wanted to divide up a story and have each kid summarize it, etc. 

Also, our district is moving toward Rigor and Relevance. I have to admit that I don't understand all of what the district is expecting from us, but one thing that has been talked about is questions we ask our students. 

Here is a link to the type of questions that our district wants us to start using with our kids. They really want us using Quadrant C and D questions. So I even made notes about questions I wanted to ask my students. 

So, for example, for one group, their Monday will look like this:

Square M
Preview Story Thoroughly, discuss difficulties Anticipation Guide Make mini posters for each heading

This group's story for the week is about different groups that do weaving in different ways. So I've made a note to discuss difficult parts of the text. I'm also going to use an Anticipation Guide. These are kind of fun - my kids last year seemed to enjoy doing them. Go here for more about them. (Ha! Just realized that's also a link to my first blog post - a year and a day ago!) I'm also going to start little posters for each different group that the book talks about - Navajo, Asante, Maya, Maori. I'm hoping to have different kids fill in the posters and then talk about them to the small group.

I'm excited to see how this all works as I go through this unit. I'm hoping it helps me remember all those great ideas I thought of - and it holds me accountable for pushing my kids.

I am now done working! I'm going to go watch DVR things and consider cleaning the bathroom. Don't know how far I'll get with the 2nd - but the 1st is a certainty!  

Hope you've had a good day, too! Sara 

Oh, pooh

Well, pooh, yesterday I wrote this really nice first post, and after I had published it, I realized I hadn't put any tags with it. But when I went to do that, for some reason, everything erased! Yuck. Anyway, here's the basics of what I said.

I've been blog stalking lately and loving it! So I thought I'd start my own little blog. Some of these gals are so fantastic - I'm probably not going to be anything like that. 

Last week was crazy at school. Monday = normal day. Tuesday = 4th grade music program, followed by Valentine's Day party. Wednesday = normal day, except we were getting ready for--- Thursday and Friday = parent teacher conferences. (Why do my good kids act naughty on those days right before conferences? I guess to give me something to talk about with their parents!) And finally Monday = in-service.

I have been trying to do some thinking ahead - ha! Usually I'm thinking: next week is Valentine's Day, I should try to do something special. Anyway, I found this neat activity for Dr. Seuss day from Second Grade Sugar and Spice. I love the idea of having the kids make tongue twisters. When they get done, I want to make a class book out of them.  


I also saw this Anticipation Guide from Swimming into Second. Our story next week is a nonfiction one on penguins. I'll need to adapt it a bit, but I like the idea.

I'm not looking forward to our in-service much. Right now, writing is a special that the students go to while we have a plan time. Next year, we will do writing in the classroom and science will be a special. I enjoy science, so it's kinda sad for me to see it go. But, on the up side, I've seen lots of fun writing ideas I'd like to try. 

Have a great weekend. Sara