Olivia McNorrill - Post #6, Routman, Chapter 10

I have made many changes this year in how I teach and manage reading in my classroom. At first, I was reluctant - it's hard to change habits! Now, I love how my guiding reading time is managed making our reading time fun, meaningful, and flexible.  As I read Chapter 10, Examine Guided Reading, the steps I am taking to improve reading fluency and comprehension were affirmed.

Until this year, my assistant and I saw all students in a guided reading group for 20 minutes each day. Students not in a guided reading group were required to complete an assignment/project then spend the remainder of their time reading independently. Guiding reading was done by grouping students based on reading ability and working through letter work, phonics, blending exercises, and shared reading of a teacher selected text. While this system worked, it was exhausting to manage daily with management of the students working independently difficult at times in keeping on task. But, we plowed ahead daily and saw results from our efforts.

After beginning the Read to Succeed coursework this past fall, I began to reevaluate how my guided reading time was structured. I began to allow students to select their own books (leveled readers) for guided reading time. These books are kept in their personal reading baskets along with a variety of genre books from our classroom library. Knowing I needed to increase the time astudents spent in independent reading, I shortened my teaching time to 10 minutes which gave students 30 minutes to practice what had been taught on their own. During the independent reading time, I conference with students, perform a running record, and the student and I set a new goal.  My assistant monitors the room and has students practice  a few pages with her.  To keep things from getting to routine and stale, two times a week students partner read. These pairings are random selections. It was important to me to not have students on the same level reading together so they could teach and challenge one another. Also, these partners hold a book swap where they share what the book is about, as well as what they liked or did not like about the book before making a swap.  This has been a huge hit! Students are eagerly sharing some of their favorites and then anxious to begin reading their swapped books.

One thing I was reminded of was I don't have to see every group everyday. 2-3 times per week is plenty for students reading on level, but more group work  is needed for students performing below level. Not meeting with all groups daily frees up time for me to focus on what is needed for each student. It allows me to be flexible in how I manage the guided reading session, adjusting the schedule based on student progress and needs. I feel like I can catch my breath and enjoy the time with the students instead of rushing to get everything into the lesson so I can see the next group(s).

Somethings that I read about that I'd like to add to our guided reading time is posting group assignments/goals and evaluating guided reading time at the conclusion. The teacher wrote on a white board assignments then displayed them in the room. The assignments were used by the group to help them stay focused during independent reading and also were a starting point when the group met again.  Evaluating guided reading time teaches students that I expect them to manage their own behavior. Routman lists some great guidelines to set for students to hold them accountable. Also, assigning a reading facilitator so students are helping one another if a problem arises. My focus in on teaching and I want my students to know that all of my attention and energy is on teaching reading to the group that I am with. Spending more time than I currently am evaluating student performance with the students (after guided reading concludes) is a great tool to help students problem solve how to improve their behavior.