Guided Reading- Keeping it Together Part 1

We officially started guided reading this week.  I really tried to pump it up for the kids, explaining how important reading is for their future.  I listed a bunch of different types of jobs and why they have to be able to read for it and it seemed to work.  They seemed to be excited.

Wednesday was a dream world!  The kiddos were quiet at literacy centers and my guided reading groups went REALLY well! YAY!

 
Now lets be real for a minute... Every year I go in thinking "This is the year! I'm going to be so organized and prepared for guided reading!"  And then life happens, and paperwork happens, and testing happens, and teaching and being prepared for everything else happens, AND the next thing I know I'm scrambling for a book and idea as my students are warming up by rereading books we've previously read! UGH! 

 Slow Down... Breath... Everything will be OK...

Does this ever happen to anyone else??  Well, to be more prepared I have put together a weekly planning guide for my 5 groups.  I don't see each group each day, so I won't use all the boxes, but this will make planning the book, skill, and word study easier and I will have it at my fingertips!  I am very excited about this!

 I've made both 4 group and 5 group versions in case you are interested in picking one up to make your planning a little easier as well!  You can get it HERE.  I'll be back next week with more info about how I stay organized for guided reading.  Happy planning!