Reading groups always bring angst to a teacher, parents, and children! How do you divide into groups? Is my child in the top group? Do I have to read out loud? I have been challenged (Let me keep it real and re-phrase that...I have been attacked and you may be as well!) on what I have done through the years for reading groups. Remember, I started teaching older grades...I knew where these students needed to go! When I started teaching Kindergarten, I had four different mentors that I drew wisdom from and put into practice. I also had three children that grew up in our house, who each had a different learning style. I had a husband who vividly remembers being placed in the "Turtle group" and what it felt like as a student. It makes me sick to think that grown-up educators thought naming groups with animal and vehicle names was a good idea once upon a time.
By December each year in Kindergarten, teachers have a pretty good idea which students are catching letter sound and blending. A good teacher is always assessing and noticing different learning styles and struggles during lesson time...who is paying attention during drills and review, who is participating, who is questioning, and who is disengaged. During seatwork (paperwork) time...a good teacher is walking around looking over shoulders praising and correcting and encouraging individual effort. When it comes to reading practice, you have spent time building as a class; but by January, you want to break the whole down into parts to work more one on one. If you have some low level friends, call them up to your office every once in awhile and review with them one on one. Give helps to Dad and Mom to use at home. (You should have a list of tips and tricks to pass on to parents when they ask you for help!)
DO NOT break into groups of like ability! This is not only my opinion, but the opinion of several teachers after years of practice. I base this theory on fact of practice now! High level readers (it has clicked for them and the process makes sense) can be great examples and be leaders in how it is to be done. This is less stressful on the low level students, because their friend is reading to them, not just the grown-up teacher. It says to them, "Oh, I can do this too!" Low level readers (struggling to remember what letter makes what sound and the process of putting sounds together) need examples to imitate and cheer them on to keep going. If they hear poor practice and slow reading all the time, it will take them longer to put it all together. Mid level readers benefit from hearing high level readers read quickly and smoothly. They also benefit from the extra time it takes for low level readers to sound out and review letters. As a teacher, you are encouraging and reminding but not doing it for them! Ask the students to help us remember what sound the letter, blend, vowel makes. Students should be taught how to follow along (with their eyes and fingers) and praised when they do! Stickers, M&Ms, Skittles, Smelly Dots, or little eraser pals given sporadically! Wandering eyes and mind need to be called back to the task at hand. "Follow with us, so you don't get lost." Gather around the reading chair! After the first few weeks of learning how to do reading groups, I would allow them to lay on their tummies, as long as they followed along. Reading groups should be fun and comfortable! Depending on the year and mix of my class, I would call children to meet me at the reading chair by rows/tables, girls, boys, or all mixed up. As we progressed and if we were running short on time due to special activities, we would sit at our desks and read altogether. One time before Valentine's Day, we did this and I handed out the little eyeballs that go on a finger. That day we worked on following along with our eyes and finger "because we need to SEE what we are reading!" Another time, I gave out magic wands (package of 6 party favors from Dollar Tree) to use as we started reading long vowels. In our phonics lesson, we had talked about "Magic E" and how the second vowel reaches around and taps the first vowel and "it magically changes it to say its long sound!" Have fun with these tricky rules. Take the fear of hard things away with fun tricks and characters. It will help you not want to pull your eyebrows out one at a time when the going gets tough and slow. "Practice makes Progress!"
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