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How to Teach Guided Reading

Do you need some guided reading inspiration? Do your guided reading group lessons need a little pizzazz?
guided reading
I don’t know about you..but my groups needed to have a little “something” to make it through the year. The kids are started to get annoyed with each other. Teachers are feeling the pressure of end of the year testing, report cards, conferences/open house. Mind you- we have yet to begin our spring break yet and it is still about 40 degrees.

Enter idea for guided reading inspiration….mustache style!
I began by reading the adorable book Moosetache and we worked together to make a “mustache” themed bulletin board! However, this was no ordinary bulletin board! We made it an interactive bulletin board that got all staff members involved and was reading related.
I began by taking each reader’s picture and enlarged and photocopied it. I then had each student randomly draw a staff member’s name (my students told me this reminded me of our secret Santa project!) They wrote a reading related question and stuck their ‘stache on their portrait.
guided reading
We then put our reading fluency skills to the test! Talk about real life application! No robot reading here! The kids worked together to practice reading the invitation in their best, most fan-tasche-tic voice.
guided reading
Reading partners took turns reading their invitation and the other student provided one “star” and one “wish.”
Guided Reading
I “mustache” you a question…can you please speak louder?
guided reading
guided reading
After practicing for about twenty minutes during our reading partnership time, the students were ready to go! One at a time, each student had the opportunity to approach a staff member and read the invitation, which invited them to go visit our bulletin board.
guided reading
I can’t believe how nervous they were! Here is my students asking the next store neighbor third grade teacher, Kelly, “I MUSTACHE you a very important question…”
guided reading
My student is asking Abby, an awesome second grade teacher that I had the pleasure to mentor last year.
guided reading
I love when other teachers get as excited as I do about these fun little projects! I had one student act as the “paparazzi” and take a picture of each staff member as their invitation was read to them.
guided reading
Staff members then started to come up to our bulletin board and respond to the students questions! Here is my principal reaching way up there to respond to his oh so important question.
guided reading
However, I am still waiting to hear a response from him about my important question…
Completed bulletin board:
guided reading
guided reading
guided reading
Now onto the guided reading part….
I gave my guided reading bulletin board a “MUSTACHE MAKEOVER!”
My students created their ‘stache style portrait and I posted the picture of those students who I am meeting with on our guided reading bulletin board. What kid doesn’t like seeing their face with a fuzzy ‘stache glued on???
guided reading
Is your district crazy ‘bout common core? I jazzed up my learning targets- ‘stache style!
guided reading
I then reorganized my book nooks for each guided reading group. All the materials that I need for each group are neatly organized into the different bin.
guided reading
guided reading
After reading our selected book for our guided reading group, my students “turned and talked” with their partner.
Each student has their turn to ask a comprehension based question with their partner, which correlated with the common core standard and learning target.
“Excuse me, I ‘mustache’ you  a question. Can you identify two character traits for the main character in this story? Can you use the text to prove your ideas?”
guided reading
These girls had a “fan-tasche-tic” conversation.
guided reading
Now onto my little “STACH” (Sorry, I just can’t resist!) of goodies. I don’t know who enjoyed these more- the teacher or the students Smile
Remember those Kohl’s for kids stuffed animals? YEP! I used that little moose and stuck a mustache right on him.
guided reading
He now serves as a nice, well mannered ready buddy for when my students practice their reading fluency and their partner is absent. (This is also why several of my students have stuffed animals with them in the photos!)
Of course, I have a handy display of ready to go ‘staches for questioning strategies.
guided reading
When my students do an exceptional job with their reader’s notebook, our reading conference, or sharing their thinking….I praise them for “blowing” me away. Smile
guided reading
All readers eventually enjoy their lollipop, but I first have them take it home to “brag” to their mom and dad.
guided reading
I took out my “worth every penny” cans of foam shaving cream and we sprayed a generous amount on everyone’s desk.
guided reading
This student spelled the word surrendered, which was a vocabulary word from the Moosetache story.
guided reading
We actually had a “girds vs. boys” spelling contents.
guided reading
guided reading
So…we “mustache” you one final question…
guided reading
Are you a little bit more inspired for guided reading? Smile
If you want the goodies and resources from this blog post, I “mustache” you to click on the picture below, which will take you to my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I “mustache” you a question…do you need some guided reading inspiration? 7878

Have a “Fan TASCHE tic” night! Smile

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10 Responses

  1. Oh my word ladies . . . this blows my mind. I am going to have to try this after Open House. Perfect for those "dog days" at the end of the year. Thanks so much for the inspiration . . . love ya girls!

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Welcome to Inspire Me ASAP. I am a National Board Certified 2nd Grade Teacher. This is my 18th year of teaching. I love inspiring other elementary teachers to implement new ideas, strategies, and lessons in their classroom.
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