As a teacher, I know you’re dedicated to fostering strong reading skills in your students. As things have been shifting and changing with the science of reading small group instruction and research in mind for several years now, it can feel like we are throwing the baby out with the bathwater at times.
Leveled Books?
Out.
Centers?
Out.
Small groups?
Out.
It feels like we are changing our whole literacy block, right? But let me tell you, it doesn’t all need to go. However, there are some things that need to change in our reading small group instruction. This round-up of nine blog posts will help guide you in your science of reading small group instruction.
At the beginning of the year, we are often met with a wide range of literacy skills that come into our classroom. No matter where they are, they can all become strong readers! Find out how to support pre-readers in your science of reading small group instruction in this blog post. Also, checkout the pre-reader lesson guide!
If you are like me and followed balanced literacy closely for many years, then running records are nothing new to you. But now, my friend, they are a thing of the past. Do we want to stop monitoring kids’ reading? Absolutely not! But we do want to track what truly matters, and that’s a child’s decoding ability. Check out this post to find what to track instead, AND grab a FREE RESOURCE.
Gone are the days of “you just have to memorize it” for high-frequency words. If you aren’t sure what to do to help teach high-frequency words, check out this blog post. I share what to do in your reading small group instruction to help your readers decode high-frequency words. There are fun activity ideas that are engaging for our students!
Following a phonics scope and sequence is of utmost importance. Not only does it need to drive your reading small group instruction, but it will also help you gauge where your students are and if they need more support. Head to this blog post and get the FREE Phonics Progression printout to have at your fingertips!
We want our reading small group instruction to be hands-on and engaging! Sometimes, you are able to easily have literacy manipulatives available for students. Other times, you are not. I want to make sure that you have the right tools in your hands to help kids build strong literacy skills. From a personal sound wall to letter tiles, it’s all here! Make a set for each child and be set!
If you aren’t sure what to teach or when to teach certain concepts in your reading small group instruction, then this guide is for you! It has everything broken down by grade level and time of year. Not sure what to teach in the middle of the year for 1st grade? No worries! I break it down by strategy and more! Grab the Reading Small Group Guide FREE in the blog post!
As we make the switch from using leveled readers to decodable readers with our youngest readers, be sure you know how to choose a quality decodable reader. What do you need to look for? How do you know if it’s a good book? Is it really a good fit for my student? In this blog post, I’ll tell you what to look for and how to be sure it’s a quality decodable text!
Knowing what a research-backed teaching point looks like in reading small instruction is important. The types of teaching points we make need to ultimately help readers decode and comprehend text. We have to know how to prompt them while they are reading. We have to know what tools to equip them with, too. In this blog post, I share 4 teaching points with the science of reading in mind!
I am committed to continually learning and digging into the latest research-backed insights. I want to provide practical, classroom-ready strategies that align with the science of reading. If you are looking to try out a done-for-you reading small group lesson that is aligned to the science of reading research, then be sure to grab this FREE lesson by joining my email list!
Whether you’re a seasoned educator or a newbie in the field, I know these posts will equip you with the tools to have effective reading small group instruction that caters to readers where they are. Together, we will work to help readers discover the joy of reading!
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Want to use the latest research to boost your readers during small groups? This FREE guide is packed with engaging ideas to help them grow!
I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your students love and that are easy to implement for teachers. Helping teachers like you navigate their way through their literacy block brings me great joy. I am a lifelong learner who loves staying on top of current literacy learning and practices. Here, you’ll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!
