3rd Grade Guided Reading Mini-Lessons

Does guided reading in 3rd grade seem daunting or maybe even boring? Or maybe you catch yourself doing the same thing every day? Are you ready for a switch? The 3rd grade team at my school is LEGIT and I idolize them (second only to my team, of course). SO... I teamed up with one of my favorite 3rd grade teacher-friends Brittany and we made this 236 page pack JUST FOR OUR 3RD GRADE FRIENDS! She's going to use it lots in her classroom and I know you will too. I actually had some super high 1st grade readers who could have benefitted from this last year.

This pack is full of ideas to help you plan for your guided reading mini-lessons for 3rd grade. These lessons are perfect for your small group, but many can be used in whole group!  This goes great with the Common Core State Standards and goes with ANY book (informational and narrative).  Included in this pack:

*Comprehension*
Narrative Spinner
Informational Spinner
Narrative Story Board
Informational Story Board
Comprehension Question Rings
Questioning Necklaces
First, Then, Next, Last
Making Connections Posters
Informational Text Feature Posters
Comprehension Questions {Graphic Organizer}
KWL  {Graphic Organizer}
Venn Diagram {Graphic Organizer}
Question Words {Graphic Organizer}
Sequencing Events{Graphic Organizer}
A Story Takes Flight {Graphic Organizer}
Author's Point of View {Graphic Organizer}
Cause and Effect {Graphic Organizer}
Moral of the Story {Graphic Organizer}
Book Club
-Job Card
-Book Club Bookmark
-Book Club Booklet
Making Inferences Task Cards

*Word Work/Phonics*
Consonant Blend Chart {for remediation}
Spelling Pattern Chart {for remediation}
Spelling Pattern Posters {for remediation}
Vowel Chart {for remediation}
Consonant Digraph Chart {for remediation}
Vowel team Fill-In {for remediation}
Decoding Word Questions
Decoding Word Bookmarks
Word Parts Posters (prefix, suffix, root)
-re, un, dis, pre, mis, er, est, ful, less, able
Word Part Riddle Board Game
Word Stairs Game
Multi-syllable Freeze
Monster Munch Game

*Fluency*
EARS Posters (expression, accuracy, rate, smoothness)
Fluency Rubric
Fluency Self Rubric
Silly Voices Cards
Sight Word Zap
Word-O
Fry Phrases {Remediation} (8 lists)

*Vocabulary*
New Word {Graphic Organizer}
Super Word {Graphic Organizer}
Word Wizard Poster
Word Wizard Book
New Word Fold and Cut

Teach Kinder or 1st Grade? 

{Get your mini-lessons pack here}

Teach 2nd Grade?
{Get your mini-lessons pack here}

Play-Doh Books

Last week, Natalie and I got some special surprises in the mail! We each got three Play-Doh Let's Create books!  I gave the Shapes and Christmas Creations as gifts to my niece and nephew. They were occupied for a good 3 hours playing with them! My sister said my niece pulls it out each night to "create" more pictures!

 I kept this book for my classroom and I love it! Each page has pictures of  Play-Doh items that start with each letter of the alphabet.  It shows my students how to create each animal/item.

But what I love most are the Play-Doh letter stamps in the back of the book! I love that they are small, but not too small! They are easy to use and the little canisters of Play-Doh that comes with them are perfect for Daily 5 Word Work!

Are you interested in learning more about these fun activity packs and other great books?

Visit this website by Silver Dolphin.

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Management Monday: Word Work {made easy}

I do the Daily 5. I love {almost} everything about the Daily 5 and I find myself modifying it for my kiddos {which is exactly how it should be}.

Word work can seem like a management mess. But it's not! You just give your expectations by making those lovely handwritten anchor charts and going over them and over them and over them {and building their stamina}. After I think they've got it, I transfer those handwritten anchor charts and cutesify them. I mostly do this because of lack of space {those charts take up a lot of space} I'm OCD.

Sorry ya'll! Due to copyright, I'm not allowed to share this {I emailed the Sisters and they said no, but I totally understand!} but I did want to show you what I hang up next to my word work spot.

I love doing the non-examples of what to do in word work. "Boys and girls, who can raise their hand and show us what not to do during word work". About a million hands fly up!  One of my boys started showing us word work and from what we were all seeing, it looked correct. But before I knew it, he was using the letter stamps and stamping his face. We all about died laughing. Needless to say, no one has ever even come close to getting a dab of ink on their skin since then. :)


Here's my tip for word work: MAKE IT SIMPLE. There's no need to make 10 sets of cutesy word work centers to put in your bins. I have my bins like this {and a stack of paper on the side that they use a lot during word work}:

Here's a close-up of some of the labels:

Click {here} to download

Don't you just LOVE the polka dot borders?
Head over to Karen's TpT store and download them for FREE!

They practice their spelling words {or spelling rule} during word work and they know how to use all of these supplies.  I also have a bin labeled "weekly activities". This is where your cute themed activity can go for the week {just choose one}.  Right now I have one of Abby's Long A Word Work activities in there. Love it because it's just what my kiddos need to practice their spelling rule this week {a_e}.

They can choose one activity and they must stick with that activity for the whole round {unless they choose the weekly activity...when they finish that they can choose a different activity}. I have my spelling words posted on the board and they just practice away! I have a menu they can glance at too:

Click {here} to download

Is word work working for you?


P.S. I'll be posting another font/clipart post SOON. Check back for that. And you know what I realized? My "Ode to Kevin and Amanda Fonts" didn't show up on some computers {I actually used the fonts in my poem}...so go back and read it by clicking {here}.

Fonts by Kevin and Amanda at www.kevinandamanda.com

Fonts by Miss Tiina at www.misstiina.com

Fonts by DJ Inkers at www.djinkers.com

Being a Guided Reading Wizard

Guided reading is not easy. I'll be the first to admit that I struggle sometimes with it. I have searched and searched for the best guided reading ideas to help my kiddos! I've racked the brains of former literacy coaches, super teachers, and even principals. I finally feel like I might be getting ahold of it.

Here is a bit how I organize it {from a previous post}

This is my {FAVORITE} guided reading tool ever (I got it from a workshop at my school).
This little folder organizes my students by level.  1st graders are ever-so-changing and always moving up so fast in reading groups. All you need is a folder, paper, velcro, and a little lamination!

Under each level there is a strip of "fuzzy" velcro. Then, each student has their own tag with their name on it and a piece of velcro on the back.

I take a running record of each student once a week. I keep it in this binder.

 For the cover of this binder {and a bunch others}, click {here}.

Each student has a tab in the Guided Reading binder.
I also keep anecdotal notes in there that I observed during the groups' reading time.

 For a copy of the running record sheet, click {here}.

These are my books for the day/week.  Each group is separated into colors.
The students know what color of group they are in.

After MANY requests by email and Facebook, 

I've created a Guided Reading Packet...with over 80 pages of activities and tools you can use in your small reading groups! It fits perfectly with kindergarten and 1st grade!

This unit is up on my Teachers Pay Teachers store

 and is on sale right now {I have this thing for sales}!!!

I'll give this 80 page packet away to the first person to comment with their email AND guess my next favorite thing to do other than teaching and blogging.

Is it???

a) organize 

b) craft

c) workout 

d) cuddle 

Valentine's Day Activities

Listen here, I love football season! I'm not even bluffing on this one {sort of}.  It gives me a PERFECTLY good reason to work on new fun things to do in my classroom and to share those ideas with the world. And, my hubby doesn't even complain that I'm not paying attention to him {because he is too busy yelling at the Steelers to pick up their game}. Oh, and there are some good looking hard working quarterbacks that are "fun" to watch!

Love Letters

This first idea came from some inspiration from www.proteacher.net {love, love, love this site}.  I took one tiny little explanation of a game and made it into 8 pages of printables!!! 

It is called love letters and I really think you {and most importantly your students} will enjoy this game/activity/word work. I've never taught during Valentine's Day so I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK (I'm usually off track).

{Click the picture for the FREE download}

Valentine's Day Book
The next idea is a great idea for any grade! Instead of throwing away all of those Valentine's Day cards that each of your students will get....instead....they will make a book of them!  They still make their cute Valentine's Day holders (tissue boxes, bags, cereal boxes, milk jugs), but will only keep their candy in it.  They will take out their cards and glue them into a book!


Here is what the cover of each student's book looks like:

And here is what the inside of the book looks like without the Valentine glued in (make sure each student has the amount of pages that you have students (example: I have 23 students in my class+1 (me)- each student will have 24 pages in their book):

Click HERE for the Valentine's Day book.