We all know what it is like to run reading groups in a primary classroom… hectic, to say the least! It is a time when we get to sit down and work closely with our students, but at the same time, we are managing the remainder of the class that is supposed to be working ‘independently’.

Over the years, we have found some activities for the groups working independently that are better than others and today we want to share this wisdom. 

In this episode of Rainbow Skies for New Teachers, we talk about the 5 golden rules we try to stick to when choosing activities for our students to do while we are reading with individuals or small groups. 

These golden rules include:

1. Limit activities that require marking
2. Consider noise level and movement (we want minimal of each)
3. Choose activities that can be used on repeat
4. Don’t underestimate simple activities
5. Teach your students how to set and pack away to your standards

We also share activities you can implement in your classroom starting tomorrow. All tasks are aligned with the research from the science of reading and follow our ‘golden rules’ for choosing activities. 

If you want a visual of these suggestions, you can find them here.

We know a lot goes into planning reading groups so they run smoothly, and more importantly, students are learning! We hope this gives you some inspiration to guide you in choosing fun and engaging activities that allow you to work with the students in your small group. If you need more help to setup your reading groups so they run like clockwork in your classroom, check out Transform your Reading Groups.

Thank you for joining us, if you enjoyed this episode share the love and send it to a teacher friend.

Rainbows ahead,
Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Our Mini Course: Transform your Reading Groups (all activities mentioned in today’s episode come as a bonus inside this course). 
• Science of Reading Podcast Episode 21 with Sara Marye
• Scinece of Reading Podcast Episode 29 with Malia Hollowell 
• Word of the Day templates
• Roald Dahl flipbook

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