Grouping

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Home : 2004 : September : 24

Grouping
By MJH

I use flexible grouping for guided reading. I may have students who read a various reading levels but need to work on the same skill so I choose a book that all the kids can read. The important part of guided reading is
to make sure the students have the necessary skills to read, not just fluency. The lower level students learn so much when they are in a group that has higher level reading students. We as teachers teach and model the strategies but students love to learn from each other. Some are more receptive when skills and strategies are modeled by other students.
It's really hard to get a grip

on flexible grouping so my first year I keep students in the same group for the whole grading period. Now that I've had a few more years to better understand how to manage flexible grouping my some of my groups change weekly.

I do a lot of assessing my students on a daily basis, mostly observation, to decide what skills and strategies students need to practice. I do use Reading Records and other grading period tests to help determine students need. I look at flexible groups as developing and IEP for every child in my class. I teach what the child needs not what everyone else needs.

Fountas and Pinnell's books "Guided Reading: A Good First Teaching for All Children" is great for reading and keeping as a reference.