HIGH INTEREST TEXT
I try my best to choose books that my
kiddos will LOVE to read. Scholastic has
been my best friend. BONUS POINTS!? DOLLAR BOOKS!? SIX
PLEASE!
With that said, I’m not a magician or a
millionaire. I do my best and use the
resources that are available to me. I
have found that if I show my kids that I’m excited, they quickly join the
club!
It is also important to note that it is
also equally important that your students have experiences reading boring
stuff. Lets face it, that’s life!
Choosing
a high interest text is especially important for the learner who hasn’t found
their love of reading yet.
MODELING
The most effective way I have found to
teach comprehension strategies is to model.
I read aloud to students then stop and show my thinking aloud when
appropriate. After I am done, we discuss
what I did and my thinking as a group.
This
strategy is especially effective for learners who have a difficult grasping
abstract thinking.
INTENTIONAL DISCUSSION
In a perfect world our students would be
leading and actively
engaging in a discussion about their book. Everyone would be excited and critically
thinking about the text! That’s the goal…but
it is also just that, a GOAL. We have to
teach our students HOW to have an intentional discussion about their reading. How can we expect our students to actively
engage in intentional discussions if we, the teacher, aren’t contributing?? It
is important that you understand what is going on in the text and are able to
model during the discussion when appropriate.
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| Click the picture about to get these discussion cards for FREE! |
I
have found that most of the modeling I do takes place at the beginning and end
of the discussion.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
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| Click the picture to learn more about my book club packets! |
At the end of every small group meeting I
give an assignment. My students use the
writing prompt in their book club packets as their assignment. Each small group meeting is packed full of
instruction. This is their opportunity to show
me what they have learned.
Independent
practice is a great way to see who still needs more instruction and practice!
This is how I structure my small group reading time!
disclaimer: This
is how small group instruction looks for me in my classroom. What works for my kiddos may not work for
yours. You know your students the best,
you are the only one who can decide what is best for them!
