Love Your Guided Reading Setup with These Tips!

  

After many attempts at different arrangements, I have finally found one I love. My goal is to have everything organized and easy to get to for myself and students.
 

 

 Each student has supplies above their dry erase dot. I teach them from the beginning to put the erasers on the outside and pencil and marker on the inside before leaving the table. These mechanical pencils are different than any they have and the thicker lead makes them perfect for young students. I have them use the eraser provided to save the eraser on the pencil.

I keep a pop up dispenser of sticky notes because on Monday I put a sticky note on the inside cover of each students book. This makes it really easy for me to see if it has been read. I highlight the parent signature each day and the student gets one M&M if it was read. I write a M, T, W, T on it to show the night it wasn't read. I put a star on their chart if it was read all four days. We switch the sticky note over when we switch books on Wednesday. I also have a little note to send home if the book didn't make it's way back to school. Also, I keep a list of missing books on the sticky note. In my cup I have extra supplies and my writing utensils. On the outside of the cup, I have a list of words per minute expectations at different levels so I can quickly reference it. I use the flag sticky notes for a couple different things. Sometimes we have long books that I let them start from where they got to during the guided reading time at home so it doesn't take as long. Also, during chapter books we may split the book between the beginning and end of the week so this can show the stopping point.

 

 I have a file organizer directly beside me. In the front, each group has a folder. They are in the order we meet. Inside there are the two lessons, fluency Friday passages, and materials for the week. I just rotate the first book's lesson to the back when we finish. Then I have a Tuesday and Thursday folder. This is because I do running records on those days. In each folder, the running records are in order by group. This makes it easy for me to pull out the stack and just rotate through them. I do every student each week and this makes it easy to get through them quickly. Also, I can put them all in my assessment binder and switch for new ones at the same time. (I added a 100 grid to my running record form that makes calculating percentage a breeze.) Then I have space for my word work booklet. At the back I keep clear pockets to lay over word work sheets so they become reusable. I also have a white board with a stand for myself.  

 

Beside my file folder I have a shelf with magazine holders to hold the books for the week. They are color coded to go with the groups. I know some like to name the groups different things, but I find going through the rainbow/lowest to highest is he easiest way to keep track. 
 

This is all of my word work. Not liking to come up with word work all the time, I created the Ultimate Word Work Pack for Guided Reading and Small Group with over 500 pages of activities. Follow the link to check out the free mini pack. These activities don't require any preparation after printing. (There are some word ladders that you cut the directions off and cut the sheet in half, but that is very quick.) I use them under the dry erase pockets so I never have to print new ones. Included is a page by page table of contents so you can keep track of what ones are done. I write the book level and part of the title. I keep my lessons and word work separate so I can use it for small group RTI as well, but you could store the word work with the lessons. 

 

 I print six of each activity and paper clipped them together before putting them in the binder. When I plan my guided reading for the next week, I clip the lesson to the front of the word work and place in it's folder.