Literacy

Professional Development

How to Effectively Track Guided Reading Data

One commonly asked question I get is, “How do I know how to track guided reading progress in my students?” This is such a good question! Tracking guided reading data plays a key role in understanding these things about our readers: how much progress students have made when to move students up a level when […]

What to Teach During Guided Reading {with FREE List}

You sit down at the guided reading table. Five sweet smiling faces are staring back at you. You have a perfectly organized guided reading binder. Then what? Do you know what guided reading skills you need to cover with this group? Do you feel prepared and relaxed or slightly anxious about knowing what to do […]

Why You Need Guided Reading in Your Classroom

Reading small groups are hands-down my favorite way to teach reading. Not only do I see results in my students’ reading skills, but they love it. When I called a group to my small group table, they were all always excited. There are so many benefits of reading small groups. Trust me when I say […]

Second Grade Guided Reading: Your Guide to a 3 Day Lesson

Second grade guided reading usually includes levels K, L, and M. Friends, I got so comfortable with the one-day lesson plan for guided reading in kindergarten. In first grade, I started realizing that time seemed a little rushed in the upper levels. Then, when I started planning for the Second Grade Guided Reading Kits, I […]

How to Complete End of Year Assessments for Virtual Guided Reading

Normally, our end of the year guided reading assessments might look like a big DRA box on our teaching table, a slew of running records carefully analyzed, and checklists to be sure we covered each student. This year, things might look very different for you. I know everyone is in a different place as far […]

The Secret to a Successful Guided Reading Group

“Amanda, there must be a secret to successful guided reading. What is it?” I get asked this exact question often. Teachers want students to experience success in reading through guided reading, but sometimes they feel like a hamster in a wheel. They are doing the “right” things, but it feels like going through the motions. […]

The Ultimate Guide for Parents to Preventing the Summer Slide

Do you have parents who want quality resources to work with their children at home to prevent the summer slide? Do you have readers in your class who you want to keep moving forward throughout the summer? Then the At Home Leveled Reading Kits might be perfect for you and the parents in your classroom. […]

4 Practical Steps to Teaching Guided Reading Remotely

As more time is going by, teachers are putting together distance learning lesson plans and trying to reach out to students in their classrooms to keep moving them forward in learning. I want to help make part of the reading aspect a little easier for you! You all know how much I love guided reading, […]

How to Make Time for Guided Reading

The number one question and concern I get is that teachers say they don’t have time for reading small groups. You have at least 22 students to manage in your classroom. You have mandatory things you have to fit into your reading block from your school or district. You have testing to do. I get […]

3 Comprehension Strategies for Second Grade Guided Reading

You sit down at your table, get your readers reading, then freeze. Oh no! I need to check for comprehension. What will my focus be? If you have followed me for even a few months, you probably have heard me share about my guided reading journey. It took some time, but once I found my […]

Guided Reading Level F: The Best Kit for Successful Teaching

Do you know what some of the big differences are between guided reading levels in kindergarten and early first grade guided reading levels like level F? Hint: If you have my FREE Guided Reading Resource Cards, you might already know! Here are some of the big differences when students are moving to level f:  increased […]

Guided Reading Level K: Everything You Need to Advance Readers

You guys asked for it, and its finally here – Guided Reading Level K. Just like the kindergarten and first grade guided reading kits, this one has everything you need to successfully implement guided reading to advance the readers in your classroom. What I love about these kits is that no matter how experienced you […]

4 Ways to Support Struggling Readers with Comprehension

We spend a lot of time at the guided reading table coaching our students through growing their reading skills. Many times we get to the end, check for comprehension, and it seems like the little reader has no idea what they read. They are struggling with comprehension. Where am I going wrong? What am I […]

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Write in Guided Reading

We all have been there. We get to the end of a guided reading lesson, check for comprehension, and then it’s time to do a quick write. We realize we didn’t quite plan ahead because, goodness, we rarely get this far in the lesson without the timer going off. But not today! Today we made […]

6 Steps to the Best Guided Reading Level E Lesson

With only 20 minutes to implement a guided reading lesson, how can we make it the best and most successful for students on level e? How can we make the most of the time we have? We create and follow a strong lesson plan for guided reading level e that provides our readers opportunities to […]

How to Check for Comprehension in Guided Reading

I remember during my first year of teaching, I worked so hard to get all of my students on grade level for reading. In guided reading, we did phonics practice, sight word work, hands-on word work, and running records. All of the right things. When I got to the testing, I realized I had some […]

4 Practical Tips for the Best Guided Reading Schedule

You have crafted the perfect guided reading lesson plan. You gather all of the materials and lay them out neatly. But, the next thing you know, the first group’s time is already up and you barely made it halfway through. Fitting it all in can be tough! There are multiple components of a guided reading […]

How to Assess and Practice Fluency in Guided Reading

I sat at my guided reading table with a student who couldn’t comprehend the text he just read. He had a high correct words per minute score and a high accuracy percentage – what was I missing? Focusing on fluency in guided reading. He read too fast to even understand what happened in the book. […]

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