RUNDE'S ROOM: guided reading

02 April 2013

Just a quick post tonight to let you know I've updated my first four question fan sets (I'll post the links below). For each set, I've now included a checklist page for each strategy or element that contains all the questions. I also added a blank page of question strips for each strategy in the Comprehension Fans (the other sets already had these included). For all of you who have purchased these sets, you can download the revised version under your "my purchases" link at TPT. Look for the flashing link that says "Newly Revised Re-Download" and click on that. If you are only looking to print out the new checklist pages, they are at the end of each resource.

I also wanted to share a fabulous idea I had from one of my followers who wrote me to tell me how she was using them in the classroom. She was using the Reading Reflection Fans. She printed out the checklist sheets to give to the students. She then had students choose one question from each level of question sets to make their own summative assessment for their reading test. Talk about differentiation!!! I thought this was such a spectacular idea, I did it for my students' summative test for our novel study. To save on paper, I put each checklist sheet under the ELMO, and had students write down one question from each level. When they were finished, they had 6 different questions (that they chose), focusing on each level from Bloom's Taxonomy. The level of engagement and success on this test was so much higher than other summative assessments, because the students were so invested in it. I really want to try this with my Math Reflection Fans when we get to the end of our current unit.

Comprehension Question Fans - Strategies include: asking questions, determining importance (main idea), inferring, making connections, summarizing, synthesizing, and visualizing. I use these for guided reading groups - students use them to start conversations with each other after reading, for pair-share activities after independent reading, as questions in our reader response journals, and after read-alouds. I use them in combination with my other sets of question fans, depending on the book or text read, or our current focus for reading.

Literary Question Fans - Literary elements include: author's purpose, characterization, figurative language, point of view, and tone and mood.

Genre Question Fans - Questions for specific genres: fictional narrative, personal narrative, persuasive writing, informational writing, and poetry. In addition to using these for books we read in class, I also have students answer questions about their own writing with these fans.

Story Elements Question Fans - Story elements include: plot, setting, character, theme, and conflict.

Reading Reflection Fans - Based on the 6 levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. I use these more as summative questions after we have finished a novel or book study.

Math Reflection Fans - Based on Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. I use these as exit slips after math lessons, as questions after problem-solving activities, at the end of the unit as review, and as reflection questions in our math journals.

Happy Tuesday!!! It was the first day of a 4-day week for us ... and we all survived. :)

New Guided Reading Groups

27 October 2011

The buckets are packed with goodies, and the kids were soooooo excited to start our new guided reading groups this week. I have 5 different groups with 4 students in each group. Each group will be reading a different Jerry Spinelli novel: Wringer, Report to the Principal's Office, Maniac Magee, Loser, and Fourth Grade Rats. We do guided reading each day, and all groups work at the same time. My resource teacher works with me during this time, and she meets with (runs) the same group each day - she works with my below grade level group. I meet with two different groups each day (I read with one group, then I work on the task with a second group). This way, I meet with each of my four groups every second day, and my group that needs help the most has teacher support every day.

Our overall focus for the next four weeks is Literal Comprehension (this is our division focus for my school). Each group also has a subfocus they are working on in their groups (vocabulary, phrasing, expression, accuracy, and conventions). I know conventions isn't a typical guided reading group focus, but for this particular group, it is a necessity! On Tuesday we built our Literal Comprehension Anchor chart - establishing our learning goal and building our success criteria. Each student copied this chart into their reading journals.

This is one of my student's journals. I was WOWED by it - such attention to detail! (Now, if I can just get her to stop spelling summary with an 'e' I will be one happy teacher!).

Each day after reading the students have two tasks. First, they need to answer literal comprehension questions from their reading. They can discuss their answers as a group, but each student is responsible for writing their own answers in their journals. The next task is something new I started this year. I created a Summary of Learning sheet for each group which I posted on my bulletin board. Each sheet has the novel name and the groups' subfocus written on it. After each day of reading, students are required to write one thing they learned from their reading each day on a special coloured sticky note. This should relate to their group's subfocus. They then post their notes on their sheets on the bulletin board.

I created a special "Summary of Learning" section in my guided reading binder to keep track of all these sticky notes. Each day as I take down the old sticky notes so the students can post their new ones, I will add it to their page (a piece of blank paper inside a page protector). It will be so neat to see the growth in their reflections.

Happy Thursday!!!