Skip to main content

Individual Guided Reading Binders: How to Kick start your reading groups!

For quite a while now I have been looking for a Guided Reading system that worked for my classroom. I needed something that the class would get excited about, kept the parents informed of progress and was easy for me to maintain. After looking through various blogs, products and polling other teachers I realized I had to create my own system. There just wasn't anything that met enough of my needs out there that I could find. So for several months now I have been piecing together what may be the best thing I have ever made for my classroom. INDIVIDUAL GUIDED READING BINDERS!!!!! Here is a view of one of the front cover choices:
I had always used simple folders with a reading log and the weeks books. There was no space to send home more literacy building resources that the children could work on. When I would send home extra resources in the kiddos backpacks I would either never get them back or they would get lost in the child's home for a while. I also wanted everything for each group in one place, making our limited meeting time more efficient. I am no longer hunting for supplies, everything is inside the binder. It is also easy to switch out resources, communicate with parents, complete assessments and conduct smooth reading groups. These guided reading binders fix so many of the problems I was having. Here are views of the binder spine inserts, inside and back cover choices:
Sure, this took some time and money to put together. I used some Amazon Gift Cards I had been given by my students parents and some Amazon gift cards I had earned through swagbucks (to find out about earning through swagbucks use this link: Swagbucks). In the INDIVIDUAL GUIDED READING BINDERS FILE I have outlined and given pictures of each item I am using in my binders. I purchased most of the items on Amazon and a few at my local dollar store. These binders have turned out to be well worth the original time and money. My kiddos love them, my parents are excited to work with their children and I am one happy teacher! Here is how they work:
I purchased everything I needed and gathered it on my kitchen table. You can get as simple or detailed as you want with these binders. Several things I bought were used in more than one binder making things a bit more economical. I outline all of this in my unit on TpT. I assembled the binders, printed out the covers and introduced them to my students. I sent an email to my parents preparing them for this binder, there is also a section within the binder that explains it's contents and provides activity ideas for at home. Each binder has a pocket for manipulatives, a dry erase surface, reading log, lesson plans, parent resources, learning posters, extra support books and assessments. I also created a master binder for myself with copies of everything included in the student binder plus pages that I use during guided reading. Here is my binder:
These are just a few of the pages in my binder. Most can also be used as worksheets or copied off and laminated for repeated use at the guided reading table. Here are some views of the inside of the student binders:
So now that we all have our binders how do we use them? Simple, each morning the children unload their binder into a bucket in the hall which I later bring into the classroom. Then when it is time each child brings their binder to the table when called. We start by reviewing this weeks sight words, vocabulary words and learning posters. Once we have done that we go through a few of my teaching pages, reviewing syllables, rhymes, decoding etc. Then we get down to reading our book. While the group talks about comprehension I write their homework in their log and record anything necessary in their assessment section. I go over sight word assessments on Fridays making my groups 3-5 minutes longer than my other three days. Download the full INDIVIDUAL GUIDED READING BINDER UNIT which includes full instructions, pictures and editable files. Here we are enjoying our binders, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
WHEW! That was a long one! Thanks for sticking with it!

Comments

  1. Hi friends, your blog has lots of information to teach. I have also some tips & tricks about iphone, ipad, android, blogger, windows, wordpress and many more. You can download free software, games and songs for your PC and mobiles. visit here: http://entertainment-plateform.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome ideas! Do you start with the binder right away?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I honestly can't believe how big my kids are getting. It's crazy to think that I am sending my youngest one off to a per-kindergarten program in Lakewood, CO during the fall. Hopefully we can get her enrolled in one as soon as possible. http://www.advantagelc.net/Program%20Descriptions

    ReplyDelete
  4. I know this is an old post, but I'm hoping you can answer a few questions for me. How old are the kids using the guided reading binder?? How much time do you spend with each child? Does each child go on the same day? I am working in a pre-kindergarten classroom at a daycare and we have quite a few kids in my class. I'm just wondering how you manage your time AND accomplish other activities throughout the day???

    ReplyDelete
  5. Have you been in need of good exposure to your talents and professional capacities on LinkedIn? The very best way-out is thru Buying LinkedIn Endorsements, Connections and Followers. website to buy linkedin connections


    ReplyDelete

  6. You could purchase U.S.A Facebook Suches as on really pocket pleasant prices. This service is no question, budget friendly yet extremely effective that you could always utilize for advertising your organization as well as bringing exposure on global level. buy usa likes

    ReplyDelete
  7. Life long Replacement is a thing that you seldom find, any time you Buy facebook reviews. Solitary a handful of great suppliers offer this. buy facebook review

    ReplyDelete
  8. Are you presently trying to find valid genuine YouTube Views? Leave behind your headaches, we can completely assist you to buy YouTube Views. buy youtube views 3

    ReplyDelete
  9. The white papers assist to demonstrate the worth of initial coins offered and plays a vital function in the success of launch and its profitability. ico white paper writer

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am happy to find this post very useful for me, as it contains lot of information. I always prefer to read the quality content and this thing I found in you post. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments and Ideas are always welcome, I am always looking for new units to create for TpT!

Popular posts from this blog

Sight word freebie, ideas and more Dyslexia Worksheets!

Hello All, Today we had so much fun with our sight word from my freebie Snowflake Slap . First I laid out all of the snowflakes on the carpet. If the child could read me the word they could keep the card and crumple it into a snowball. Once all of the words were read and squished I told the class we could have a snowball fight! It was such great fun that we took our "snowballs" into another kinder classroom and attacked them. As the kids threw the sight word snowballs we made more snowballs and threw them into the crowd from leftover paper. It was great fun! Once we settled back into our classroom we placed all of the snowballs into a bucket and each child pulled a word. If they could read it they recorded it on the left side of the worksheet below, if they couldn't read the word they recorded it on the right. The ones most did not know were pretty consistent so I know which ones we need the most work on. So hop on over the TpT to grab your free copy of Snowflake Slap an

The Story of Creation Flip Book Freebie!

As many of you already know I am a Christian school teacher in a small private school. I have decided to start making my Bible craftivities into files for others to access for their own Christian classrooms or homeschools. I have just finished putting together my first file for a Creation Flip Book and it is listed for free on TpT. The file includes full picture instructions as well as an option for color or black and white. Throughout this year I plan to list each Bible story craftrivity I do in my classroom and then bundle them at the end of the year. I am also working on a God's Journal, similar to the poetry and math journals you see so often in classrooms theses days but this one will celebrate our faith. I would appreciate your feedback after downloading the file and sharing this with other believers. Please take a minute to follow me here on my blog and hop on over to TpT to get your free flip book file. While you are there please check out my other items and follow my store

$25.00 TpT Giftcard Giveaway! TpT Back to School Sale!

Hello All, It is that time again to get ready for school to start which means the TpT Back To School Sale is here! August 3rd and 4th enjoy 20% off my entire store as well as another 10% off from TpT, don't forget to enter your code to get the extra savings!!! Now enter below to win a$25.00 gift card to spend during the sale! Rafflecopter will chose the winner at 10:00 am central time Tuesday August 4th! a Rafflecopter giveaway