Reading Strategies
These are the reading strategies that are taught in all of our K-3 and Reading Recovery classrooms.
Look at the pictures
Get your mouth ready
Look for chunks or small words
Skip the word and read on
Stretch it out
Make it make sense
Readers' Workshop
Readers' Workshop takes place every day from 9:00-10:00 am. It consists of the following: reading mini-lesson, guided reading, independent reading, literacy centers and making words. There are atleast two adults in the classroom during this time.
Guided Reading
Each First Grader is tested in the fall on the Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA) and the Phonemic Awareness Assessment. Using that information and consulting with the Kindergarten and Reading Recovery teachers, I place the students into Guided Reading groups based on their similar abilities. These groups change frequently throughout the year because of differences in progress among individual students. There are no more than 6 in a group.
Literacy Centers
During Readers' Workshop while guided reading is going on, other students may be busy working at Literacy Centers.
Independent Reading
After the reading mini-lesson the students spend 20-25 minutes reading independently. They are free to choose books to read that are leveled. They may also practice reading the books that have been read during guided reading. These books are found in boxes marked with the students' names according to which group they are in. The teacher (and parent volunteers) spend time with 2 or 3 students each day listening to the child read while making notes in his/her file and/or doing a running record.
Reading Mini-lessons
Readers' Workshop begins with a mini-lesson taught by the classroom teacher or the Reading Recovery teacher. The lesson lasts for no more than 15 minutes and is based on a reading strategy or skill that the teacher(s) feel the students need more instruction on.
Phonics
Our language arts curriculum also includes the Macmillan Phonics program. This begins in first grade with a workbook.
Making Words
Reading Recovery
In the fall the Kindergarten teacher ranks the first graders according to their reading abilities. The Reading Recovery teacher tests the bottom half of the class to determine who will qualify for the Reading Recovery program. Four students are placed into the program at a time. Each student spends 30 minutes a day one-on-one with the Reading Recovery teacher. The child will bring home several books and a cut-up sentence each night to work on at home.
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