Creating a Guided Reading Binder

We get a lot of questions about guided reading and how to organize all of our materials for guided reading. This summer we are dedicating several of our posts to sharing more information about guided reading…starting right now!

Guided reading has a lot of components to it- grouping students, keeping anecdotal records, conducting reading conferences, keeping track of  your students reading levels and the books that they read with you….whew! That is a LOT of paperwork!!!

Now, even more than ever, with RTI becoming such an integral part of the educational process, teachers really need have to have a concrete way to keep track of their students’ progress. One of the resources that really transformed how I teach guided reading and keep all of my paperwork and organized, is my guided reading binder!

In this post, I am going to show you how to create an organized and functional reading binder, which will help you become the guided reading guru that you are!!!

If you are looking for a shortcut, check out my video below:

[videojs_video url=”https://inspiremeasap.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_5431.mov”]

First up- the most important let’s start with what materials you will need. purchase HEAVY DUTY binders! Normally when I buy binders, I do not pay attention to what type I am buying and just pick a color I like.

However, this is one binder that I use EVERY DAY of teaching!!! With that being said, this is what my binder looks like at the end of this school year:
 
You may not be able to tell in the picture on the right hand side, but it is completely detached and ripped open. Buy that heavy duty binder!

I also bought a pack of index dividers to separate the different categories and a pack of 50 page clear sheet protectors.

Now that you have all your materials, you are ready to organize your binder! The first category of my guided reading binder is the guided reading section!

Here is where I keep my instructional leveled reading groups.

I printed off the “instructional reading level” page for as many groups that I have- which was 5 at the end of last school year. I placed grouping pages in the clear page protectors. I can also write the names of the students in that group where it says, “readers.” I normally post the names of those students on a sticky note and place the sticky note on that group’s poster.

I then make a bunch of photocopies of the “Guided Reading Log” page. I hole punch the pages and place them in the binder behind the instructional grouping posters.

This is where I keep all my notes about the title of the book that each child is reading, its level, and any quick anecdotal notes. This is a great way to document the progress of the reading levels for your groups!

After formally assessing my students instructional reading level, I keep track of their growth by recording this information in my reading binder.

I then have all of my guided reading teaching resource pages in the clear plastic sleeves.

This would include my reading level correlation chart. I like having a quick reference to see the grade level equivalency of the Fountas and Pinnell reading levels. In my school district, we assess our student’s instructional reading level in Fall, Winter, and Spring. I keep track of their improvements in my reading binder and also send that information home with the parents. I highlight the reading level that they were assessed with so the parents easily see if they are below, meeting, or exceeding standards.

In the next category, I have my guided reading assessments: running records section. Similar to the other categories, I place the teacher reference pages in clear plastic sleeves. It is very helpful to have all the conventions for running records right there in your binder for quick and easy access whenever you need to assess one of your students. I take running records more frequently with my I.E.P and my students who are below grade level with their reading. I give running records when the child is reading independently during a guided reading group or during a reading conference.

Which brings me to the next section in my binder…

Reading conferences: an invaluable assessment tool! Again, I keep all of the teacher resource pages in clear plastic sleeves.

All of my guided reading goodies make up the last section of the guided reading resources!

For example, I have a finished copy of the guided reading license to show my readers- I just stuck my school picture on there! At the beginning of the year, as I am assessing my students reading levels and forming groups, I explain how guided reading is a special opportunity for the teacher to help her students become better readers. And, most importantly!!, it is for ALL the students in the class! Not just the “low” students or the really “smart ones!” To emphasize the important work that we do in our guided reading groups and to set the tone of my expectations, I like to pass out their licenses at the beginning of the school year. I remind them to bring their licenses to each and every guided reading group- they keep it in their reader’s notebook. (More on those in a future post!) If they loose it- they have to pay a fine (I use a credits and debits system for my classroom management) and apply for a new license!

I then have the rest of the categories for my reading binder! (FYI..these next parts are NOT part of my Teacher Reading Binder on TpT and on my website.)

In my classroom, we begin book clubs in the second half of the school year. Prior to working in our cooperative book club groups, we have WEEKS of mini lessons about expected behavior and modeling of effective conversations. I have used book clubs with my second and third graders and found them to be very successful…IF I spend the appropriate amount of time modeling the appropriate way to stay on task during a book talk!

I keep all of my book club mini-lessons also in my reading binder. You can read more about book clubs in my 8 post series, starting HERE.  As the students are meeting with their book clubs, I am writing observations and keeping anecdotal notes about the groups and the individual students.

I keep the guidelines and teacher resource pages for Reading Workshop inside the clear plastic sleeves. You can read more about reading workshop by clicking HERE.

There you have it!!! You now are one super duper organized guided reading guru who has his/her binder all ready to go!

Are you looking to learn more about how to implement guided reading into your primary classroom at the beginning of a new school year? If so, check out my 40 minute video on Facebook by clicking on the image below.

If you are looking to create your own reading binder, check out my resource below. 

Guided Reading Binder – The Ultimate Resource for Any Teacher

Guided Reading Binder – The Ultimate Resource for Any Teacher

1. Guided Reading Binder Assembly Directions- 8 pages
In this section, I give detailed directions for how to set up your reading binder.

2. Guided Reading Guru!- 126 pages
This 120+ page resource is filled with everything that you need to become the guided reading guru at your school! This resource is ideal for first through fifth grade teachers.
Resource includes:
-Information about grouping students and examples of how to group students for guided reading
-Information and using assessments and examples of how to conduct reading conferences, anecdotal records, and running records
-Explanations of exactly what guided reading is and how to implement it effectively and successfully in your classroom
-Examples and pictures of how to group your students for guided reading and how to create and display this information
(This resource includes creative and colorful posters to display and organize the instruction reading groups)
-Suggestions for how to set up your guided reading schedule
-Pictures of how to implement some of the ideas presented in this resource

3. (Editable!) Reading Binder Cover Pages- 26 pages
This is a POWERPOINT file, which means that you will be able to insert a text box and type in your own cover binder titles. Some titles I like to create for my binder include: a personalized cover page with my name, guided reading schedule, guided reading groups, anecdotal records, reading conferences, guided reading lessons, ect.

4. Comprehension Posters- 10 pages
These clean, simple, and colorful posters are great for a bulletin board display. This file includes 10 different reading strategies that you can refer to in your guided reading lessons.

5. Guided Reading Teacher/Student Venn Diagram- 19 pages
This is a great lesson to teach when you are implementing guided reading groups at the beginning of a new school year. This interactive lesson gives the opportunity to teach the expectations of the teacher and the students in a guided reading group. I like to use two hoola hoops to create our Venn diagram, just like shown in the picture of the resource. There are 22 different expectations for your students to place in the correct spot of the Venn diagram. “Teacher, Student, Both” titles are also included for you to place in each component of your Venn diagram.

6. Intermediate/Primary Guided Reading Extension Activities- 28 pages
This resource includes different graphic organizers and reading response templates for students to complete as an extension to a guided reading lesson. There are 6 different graphic organizers as an option for upper elementary students (3-5th grade) and 6 different graphic organizers as an option for primary elementary students (1st and 2nd grade). Both include a “Guided Reading Booklet/Reading Response Journal” cover page.

7. Reading Prescription- 28 pages
Guided reading just got a bit more interesting! Dress up in your favorite doctor gear for this fun activity! Your students will love meeting with the doctor during their “routine” reading check up. Turn your typical reading conference or guided reading group into an “office visit” where you diagnose a “cure” for each student’s reading aliments. This would be fun to do during a goal setting session, during a review of data, or a typical guided reading lesson or reading conference. This resource includes detailed directions for implementation, colorful posters to print for display, reading prescription templates for the “doctor” to fill out for his/her patients. Also includes a doctor reading prescription art project. Students use the body templates and clip art to make the doctor and write a reading prescription listing the doctor’s orders for the reading ailments.

—If you want to learn more about guided reading and implementing this approach to teaching reading into your primary classroom, this is the file for you! This file does NOT have specific lessons (for comprehension/fluency/decoding) for the different reading levels.

If you want to learn more about guided reading and implementing this approach to teaching reading into your primary classroom, this is the file for you! This file does NOT have specific lessons (for comprehension/fluency/decoding) for the different Fountas and Pinnell reading levels.

Click HERE to view this file on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Save 10% by purchasing this resource from my website.

Now, go and add “heavy duty binders” on the top of your shopping list!