CAFE Menu and Reading Comprehension Sticky Notes

I've blogged a lot lately about using Daily 5 in my classroom. I recently posted a Facebook Live explaining how I organize Word Work to meet each of my students' individual needs (without losing your mind). For this post I want to talk more about Read-to-Self and Read-to-Someone. 

Independent practice is important in any classroom no matter the subject. I wanted a way for my students to independently practice the comprehension strategies I teach during my read alouds. To do this I made reading comprehension sticky notes on VistaPrint. It was fairly easy and inexpensive (~2 a pack). I included the images in my Cafe Menu Poster & Comprehension Sticky Note Pack. I have more detailed directions there. 

Here's how I use them. When teaching a comprehension strategy during my mini lesson, I show the corresponding card of my CAFE Menu. After my mini lesson, each student gets a sticky note. They use this during Read-to-Self. They place the sticky note on the page where they used the strategy. They can also respond on the back of the sticky note. The picture on the sticky note helps remind students of their objective during reading and is a great informal assessment tool. 

I hope you all enjoy this pack! Happy reading! 

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The Ultimate Decoding Strategy Guide

Guided Reading

The focus on literacy has increased greatly in Kindergarten over the years. Guided reading is an integral part of my literacy block. I use reading strategy posters to teach different reading and decoding strategies. The strategies are associated to a familiar animals which helps students remember each strategy, plus it's more fun! They are just brilliant! 

Use guided reading strategy posters to give students picture clues and reminder to use their strategies! I also made guided reading strategy bookmarks that can be sent home, and guided reading strategy name plates! Anywhere they go, they can reference their strategies. 

Whether you work with just one guided reading group in one day, or if you have several groups that cycle through your classroom each day, this helpful packet will give you countless lessons and supplements to make guided reading a breeze! 

Here are some other guided reading tips I use in my classroom:

Managing Reading Groups

To manage my guided reading groups, I level my students using DRA (Developments Reading Assessment). Try not to have guided reading groups with more than 5 students, but I try to keep my groups around 4 students, especially my groups who need more scaffolding. I use a binder to section off each guided reading group and place running record sheets in each section for each student.

Selecting 'Just Right' Texts

I recommend picking your texts about a week ahead of time. This gives you time to be more reflective about the strategies and levels you choose. Pick several books at each groups' instructional level and place rubber bands around the group of texts. 

Managing Time In Guided Reading Groups

Managing your time during guided reading is essential to teaching an effective lesson. I always begin my guided reading lessons with picture walks. Remember, kindergarten-ages children think in pictures, so it is important to pay close attention to the pictures and give students the opportunity to discuss these pictures with their peers. Find a timer that gives you a warning before the guided reading session ends, in order to closure you lesson appropriately. 

My guided reading groups last about 20 minutes each. I break my lessons into small segments.

2-3 minutes: Mini-lesson. Set a purpose for reading.

2-3 minutes: Picture walk

4-5 minutes: Students read using phonics phones, choral reading etc.

4-5 minutes: Partner reading. Students take turns reading a page of the tezt. Partners follow along with their finger while their peer reads a text and vice versa. 

5 minutes: Closure and respond to reading. You can do this through reading, exit slips, think-pair-share, etc. 

Get all the guided reading tools and supplements you'll ever need HERE!

Guided Reading Strategies FREEBIE

Guided Reading Strategies 

I'm in the process of making a guided reading bundle. I hoped to get it out this week, but fate didn't seem to want that to happen quite yet. This week has seemed to be one project after another. I did want to post my weekly freebie, which is a page form my guided reading bundle, for all of my followers. Hopefully I can post the entire bundle by this weekend.... we'll see. The warm weather has made me slightly less motivated.

In my school, we use these cartoons for reading strategies. Some people call these 'beanie baby strategies". I like to focus on one for an entire week at my guided reading table.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h the Snake - Stretch the word then bring it back together.
Skippy Frog - Skip a word then go back to it.
Flippy Dolphin - Flip the vowel sound.
Chunky Monkey - Look for familiar parts of a word.
Lips the Fish - Get your lips ready to say the word.
Tryin' Lion - Try to reread the sentence.
Helpful Kangaroo - When all else fails, ask the teacher!
Eagle Eyes - Look at the picture for clues.

You can use these for desk name tags, bag of books labels, guided reading folders, etc.

Enjoy!!

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