tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7437383588074504926.post3214164566550008515..comments2023-09-15T03:30:07.674-07:00Comments on The Hungry Teacher: Guided Reading and Small Groups in Middle School PART IIMartina Cahillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15756584951680947561noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7437383588074504926.post-37875762965856681552017-02-20T18:31:20.771-08:002017-02-20T18:31:20.771-08:00How do you hold the kids accountable at each stati...How do you hold the kids accountable at each station?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16451014123482989529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7437383588074504926.post-82744354562795288012017-01-28T09:53:10.513-08:002017-01-28T09:53:10.513-08:00I love your blog, and I could really use some advi...I love your blog, and I could really use some advice! I am an 8th grade ELA teacher and have 47 minute class periods. I am desperate to implement guided reading into my classroom, and my biggest stumbling block at this point is wrapping my head around the scheduling of the class period and week and what the rest of my class is doing while I'm meeting with small groups. I see that your kids have Daily 5 Choices--so once they choose, is that their activity for the remainder of the ELA time? I notice you mentioned in the above comment that you don't like kids moving to different stations during a set time, and I agree. I think that would invite behavior issues that would interfere with my small group time. So would you suggest that I schedule certain students to complete certain stations each day while I meet with small group OR allow them the choice of station or daily 5, but do not allow them to move to more than one station per day. I'm not sure if my question makes sense--my mind is all over the place trying to get this under control so that I can help my readers!! Thank you so very much!! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917983180354798611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7437383588074504926.post-66800388963293663132016-01-24T14:55:05.124-08:002016-01-24T14:55:05.124-08:00Hi! Thank you so much for reading my post.
So my...Hi! Thank you so much for reading my post. <br /><br />So my Super Stallion time is a SUPER work in progress. K-3 in our building uses "Burst Groups." I literally have no clue what they are, but they divide the kids up based on their DIBELS scores, each teacher then prints the lessons for their groups of kids, and then teach the lessons. <br /><br />Fourth and Fifth grade, have three classes each. Again, they have them divided into three groups: Intensive, Proficient, and Enrichment.<br /><br />The intensive kids do rotations with their teacher, so he meets with 2 small groups per day to work on skills they need (his group is also the smallest so he can really meet their needs). The proficient kids' teachers does novel studies, in a whole group setting. The enrichment teacher uses Junior Great books. Essentially, they read a short story, have a socratic seminar, and write. <br /><br />My whole set up is different because I'm in 6th grade, and I have been making it up as I go. In general, it's like a controlled Daily 5. There are four days a week of intervention and my kids go to one station each day: Meet with their literature circle, Lexia, Read to Self, or Teacher. I make the schedule, so I can control the groups. I despise rotations and kids moving to different stations during a set time in one session, so I like that they focus on one station each day. Sometimes my 6th graders get bored and/or restless and I will do some whole group close reading or discussions to break it up.<br /><br />Hope that helps, but feel free to ask more questions if you need clarification. <br /><br />Thanks! <br /><br />Martina Martina Cahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15756584951680947561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7437383588074504926.post-28665512657615459422016-01-23T12:40:21.078-08:002016-01-23T12:40:21.078-08:00I was wondering what your Super Stallion time look...I was wondering what your Super Stallion time looks like? I work in a relatively small school, that is relatively new and we are trying to implement an intervention block but we are struggling with a good format. Any advice or help would begreat! I would be happy to chat via email kwalker@mht-stl.orgAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7437383588074504926.post-9167595953769354942016-01-17T17:23:04.099-08:002016-01-17T17:23:04.099-08:00Thank you so much for your sweet words! So glad yo...Thank you so much for your sweet words! So glad you love teaching with novels. I wish I could get the whole world reading with novels!<br /><br />As for groups, I know what a struggle than can be! I don't have the same range, but my 6th graders do range from levels O-Z. My struggling readers tend to vary the most. That being said, I would pull the E, F, and H and pick a text that is an F and really try to dig deep with all of them. I have found (sometimes the hard way) that it's not always the text, but what you do with it. For me, my goal is always just making them love reading, so who cares if your K is reading a G! :). Just have them really analyze what they're reading. That's how I feel about the novels too! When I read Holes, with my 5th graders, it was technically to low and too high for more than 1/2 my class, but how they had to write and response during that time was how I differentiated and really pushed them as readers and writers. <br /><br />I know you are probably already doing some of these things, or thinking about them, but sometimes it's just nice to hear it from someone else's voice! Hope this helps!<br /><br />MUAH!<br /><br />Martina Martina Cahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15756584951680947561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7437383588074504926.post-30685562328505170312016-01-17T09:42:46.653-08:002016-01-17T09:42:46.653-08:00Thanks so much for this series! I bought your nove...Thanks so much for this series! I bought your novel study bundle this summer and I have been using those with my 5th graders as a whole group read aloud. It's a great addition to my ELA block and my kids really enjoy it. It has also been fun for me using books I probably never would have read aloud otherwise (Freak the Mighty, Locomotion). <br /><br />I have an 8:1:1 self-contained class but my biggest struggle with reading groups is having only 1 student at a certain reading level. For example I currently have students at levels E, F, H, K, N, P (2 students) and Q. How would you recommend grouping them for small groups? <br /><br />Thanks Martina!AJFuller16https://www.blogger.com/profile/11282654246659200470noreply@blogger.com