Need Suggestions in Small/Whole group reading

[kwalton]

This is my second year of teaching. Last year our grade level put a big focus on small group reading instruction and did very little whole group. I am wanting to practice both methods equally this year, but I am having trouble figuring out how both times can support each other. Our schools guided reading library and basals do not correlate. Is it important or can each time focus on seperate stories? What do most small reading groups look like? How many groups a day and for how long with each group?

[A True Teacher]

Try this site: www.discoveryschools.com and see if you get any ideas there.

All the Best

[Unregistered]

We use the basal for our whole group teaching (just 2 days per week), then we use trade books for small group reading. I usually have 5 reading groups of about 5 students in each. I meet with 2 groups a day, about 15 minutes per group. The lowest group meets twice a week because they need it the most. We read a short book at their level, stopping at teachable moments. There are some great books out there to touch on this. I will post the title of the one I used when I find it at school.
Another great book my 2nd grade team is reading this summer is Allington's What Really Matters to Struggling Readers. Great ideas and insight.
Also, you should REALLY read Debbie Miller's Reading With Meaning book. My second grade team does large group lessons with the basal 2x a week, and then lessons from the Debbie Miller book 3x a week---large group. We love it, and can't say enough about this book!

[Unregistered]

I meant to say I meet with each group twice a week. If time gets shortened for an assembly or whatever, I make sure I meet 2x with the lowest group for sure that week!

[Unregistered]

take a look at this:

http://www.ielts-exam.net/

[Unregistered]

I like to do my whole group lessons with eithor the Social Studies or the Science textbook. I start by picking the one comprehension skill I want the kids to know and then plan from there. For example, when I taught context clues I explained the skill, modeled it as we read, had the kids practice while we read as a group, and then had them independently define words from the textbook. My favorite lesson that used the S.S. textbook involed Sequencing. The kids created a timeline for the events in an ordinary day for Texas Missionaries (1600's) and a timeline for their own day. Then, for extra credit they made an inference based on the two timelines.