Kindergarten Guided Reading.... & a freebie! :)

Guided reading groups in kindergarten is one of my all time favorite things!  Not only do you get to work with smaller groups of munchkins, but you get to know them so well during these small group exchanges.  Working with text that they enjoy, making personal connections, and watching them build literacy skills is a pure joy!

I have struggled in the past with trying to organize it all and with so many resources available, it's difficult to know what is the best strategy to use with which group.  Plus, how do you keep track of it all for documentation purposes (not to mention RTI & data meetings & all that other fun stuff during which we need to be able to justify our teaching methods).

Well, here is what I came up with guided reading groups.  It's pretty simple and straightforward (and cute) but helps me plan & document what I'm doing and what I've done in the past.  Since I'm doing a version of the Daily 5 (which has completely changed my teaching and I love love love it!), I have labeled the higher groups with "Daily 5 Independent Work" twice a week.  I spend more time with those munchkins when I see them but I don't need to see them everyday.  On the other hand, I see my lower munchkins everyday!  Please keep in mind also that I'm doing small group literacy interventions as well as guided reading groups so I see everybody for at least 10 minutes each day for phonics, phonemic awareness, and graphophonemic knowledge practice.  It's not a perfect world, but I do my best!  .  

As munchkins become more successful, and move through the groups I simply cross out their names and move them on down the list.  There is a spot in the upper right hand corner to write the high frequency words (HFW) for the week so that I can make sure I touch on those during our group time, as well.  If you laminate this on heavy paper you can write/wipe as you please.  I find it best to copy and fill in each week.  That way all of my documentation is ready to go when data meetings and report card conferences come around.   

Download your free copy here.