Guided reading is a must in my classroom. I see so much growth in my students when I spend time with each group. Creating a fun learning space is so important to guarantee your students stay engaged during small group instruction. I’m sharing with you my favorite guided reading tools to ensure that your students will have fun and get the most out of their small group instruction!
Finger Flashlights
These finger flashlights are so fun! They are inexpensive which is a huge plus, but they fit perfectly on little fingers. Use these flashlights for those kids that love to read with flashlights. They are just bright enough to shine on the page and not disturb anyone close.
Eye Rings
These little eye rings will make anyone giggle a little. When students place the puppets on their finger, it looks like another set of eyes reading. These finger puppets are perfect for reluctant readers that need to use their finger to guide them as they read. A definite must-have in your guided reading tools!
Magnifying Glass
Turn your readers into little detectives with these hand held magnifying glasses! These are great to use when you give your students a task of looking for something specific in their reading.
Whisper Phones
I’m all about being frugal, so I made my phones with PVC pipes and some spray paint! But there are some fancy whisper phones out there for any type of budget! If I were asked to keep just one of these tools, this one would be it! Early learners need to hear themselves read..and they can’t hear their reading in a room full of students. These whisper phones do just what they say…students whisper into the phone and hear every word without interrupting others around them.
Letter Cards
Every student in my class has a set of these letter cards. They use them during literacy stations and guided reading. The letters are color coded: vowels and consonants. This helps students learn how vowels and consonants work together to form words. Guided reading isn’t always about reading books. You can also work on phonics skills! Psst…you can grab these letter cards for FREE below!
Reading Strategy Bookmark
I love using these bookmarks! It helps me monitor what strategies my students use when they are stuck. I provide each student a paper clip and a bookmark during the first few weeks of school. We spend lots of time going over each strategy. We then move those strategies to small groups. Lots of times I’ll ask my students to place their paperclip on their favorite strategy. It gives my students ownership in their learning, but it also helps me monitor what they are good at and what they struggle with.
These are just a handful of guided reading tools you can add to your guided reading toolkit. The main goal is to make this small window of time effective and fun for your students…it will help encourage more reading in the future!!
Grab these FREE letter cards by clicking the link below!
