The Next Step in Guided Reading {book study, Chapter 1}

I am enjoying my first week of summer break and what better way to kick off summer than by diving right into a book that has been on my to-read list for months??  Guided reading has been one element that I feel I can improve in my classroom, so when Jennifer from Teaching with Grace announced this summer book study, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it.  I ordered the book right away, and have been patiently waiting to get started.

Each week as we read through the book, we'll be using these questions to guide our discussion:

1.  What part of the reading caught your attention?  Maybe it's something you never thought about.  Maybe it's something that you've been trying to get a grip on.  Maybe it's something that you've never heard quite they way it was put.

I really loved Jan Richardson's ideas for implementing literacy work stations at the start of the year.  I have used a similar approach the past two years, since beginning the Debbie Diller style of literacy work stations in my classroom...but I love the idea of introducing one new activity per week, in a small-group setting, and then snowballing from there.  One activity per week until all activities have been introduced.  I think I'll be trying that with my new group of Kindergarteners in the fall.

2.  How do you already incorporate this into your guided reading routine?  There's probably at least some part of the chapter that you're already doing!  Tell us about it!

I have a great system for literacy work stations.  It includes many of the components listed in this chapter.  I love, love, love it!  It produces independent thinkers and workers, and gets results!  My kids have been so successful with sight words and reading the past couple years, and I know that this system is part of the reason.  To read more about literacy work stations in my room, CLICK HERE or HERE.

3.  What is something new you want to try next school year?  How do you want to make your guided reading time better or what new things do you want to try?

This is such a simple thing, but I need to figure out a system for letting students know when they shouldn't bother me.  One of my colleagues wears a Hawaiian lei, and someone I used to work with wore a funny hat.  Over the summer, I have to figure out something that will work for me!

4.  What are some resources that you ALREADY HAVE that you can use to teach what you read about in this chapter/section?

Because I already run literacy work stations in my classroom, I have oodles of resources for the types of literacy stations that Jan Richardson writes about in this first chapter.  I'm looking forward to reorganizing my supplies before the fall, and adding in some new things as well.

5.  What are some NEW resources that you want to get or try to use to teach what you read about in this chapter/section?

One work station that I would love to implement next year is an interactive poetry/song station.  I love the idea of my students manipulating the pieces/words, and working on fluency using repetitive text and patterns.

Are you reading along with us???  We would love to have you link up so that we can hear what you are learning from the book too!  Click the image to head over to Jennifer's blog to read her thoughts on chapter 1 and enter a great giveaway.  You can join the linky there or at the end of my post.

Have a fabulous Monday!!