Teaching Guided Reading Groups On Zoom

In my last couple of blog posts, I explained the difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning and also shared with you a remote reading lesson that I taught remotely to my second graders, using Zoom. In this blog post, I am explaining how to teach guided reading groups remotely on Zoom!

Did you miss those blog posts? If so, you can check out the video OR the blog post, using the links below!

Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning Blog Post

Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning Video

Teaching Reading Remotely Blog Post

Teaching Reading Remotely Video

In today’s blog post, I am sharing with you how I teach guided reading groups remotely, using Zoom.

If you prefer to watch my video about this topic, click below!

Video on YouTube

Video on Teachers Pay Teachers

Now that my students are in their ninth week of remote learning, we are finally getting into our groove. The students know exactly what to expect for our reading lesson. I always begin with the whole-group mini-lesson. In my last video, I modeled a lesson that I taught to my students- “I can think about what I am reading and share my thinking with others.” Once we conclude the whole group lesson, we then transition into our small group learning time, or asynchronous learning time. This is an opportunity for students to apply what was taught in the mini-lesson to their own reading. This is also a time when I begin to teach my guided reading groups.

Now there are a couple of ways that you can teach guided reading groups remotely on Zoom. One way to go about this is to put all of your students in the waiting room. The kids that will be in your guided reading group are invited back to the main Zoom group. The kids not working with you are doing asynchronous learning at that time.

Another way you could do this is to create a breakout room for your students. I would recommend this way if you have several other teachers working with your students at the same time as you are, such as interventionists or the co-teacher, and then you can join the group of students that you want to meet with for guided reading. Now, the only drawback to this option is that there’s no one in that main Zoom room session.

In my experience, I determined that it is best to put all of my students in the waiting room. Those students who I want to meet with, I admit them back into that main zoom session.

Now, once you have your group of readers or one reader, if you’re doing a reading conference, then you are ready to begin your guided reading group. Just like I would in person, I always begin my reading group with a brief introduction of the story. So let’s say I’m reading Apples in the Fall, which is a level C. This would be a kindergarten reading level. I might say to my students, “Boys and girls, today we are going to read a fun story called Apples in the Fall. And in this story, you’re going to read all about some of the things that happen in the fall when it’s time to pick apples. As you’re reading, I want you to think about…” It is important to give your students a purpose as they are reading.

 I then instruct my students to open Google classroom on their device, to view and read the story. Meanwhile, on my end, I open up Google Classroom. I click under “classwork” and pull up the story I want to read with the group.

Now, if you’re wondering how to use Google Classroom and how to assign reading passages to your students, then you will want to check out my FREE 14 page Google Classroom Guide. It shows you each step of the process, using screen shots to help you.

Click below to download your FREE Google Class Guide!

Once my students are viewing the assignment in Google classroom, they then independently start to read the story. And just like I would in person in my guided reading group on Zoom, my students would then start to independently read this story. Everyone is looking at and reading the same passage, live, which would make this synchronous learning time for this group of students. The students who are in the waiting room working independently would be doing asynchronous learning.

When the students are finished reading, we then discuss the story as a group. (If they finish early, they reread the story.) Students unmute and share what they were thinking about the story- something interesting they noticed about the main character, their favorite part of the story, or a new fact they learned.

We complete some of the comprehension questions together and I assign the rest of the questions for their asynchronous learning time.

Are you looking for engaging fiction and non-fiction digital reading passages to use for your guided reading groups? I created digital (or online) stories that are perfect for grades K-4. The online passages are all ready for you to assign to your students in Google Classroom. I also have all of my reading passages in printable, PDF format. Look below for the grade level that you need!

Kindergarten Digital Fiction Passages: Guided Reading Passages

First Grade Digital Passages (Both Fiction and NonFiction): Guided Reading Passages

First Grade PDF Version (Both Fiction and NonFiction): Guided Reading Passages

Second Grade Digital Passages (Both Fiction and NonFiction): Guided Reading Passages

Second Grade PDF Version (Both Fiction and NonFiction): Guided Reading Passages

Third Grade Digital Passages (Both Fiction and NonFiction): Guided Reading Passages

Third Grade PDF Version Passages (Both Fiction and NonFiction): Guided Reading Passages

Fourth Grade Digital Reading Passages: Guided Reading Passages

Fourth Grade PDF Version: Guided Reading Passages

What questions do you have for me? Please let me know in the comments below and I will be sure to answer them!