Why Shouldn’t Guided Reading Lessons Be Fun?

Guided reading lessons are the cornerstone of my reading instruction.  It’s the one time each day when I’m able to meet with my students and provide more individualized instruction.  My students love coming to the guided reading table, because they know it’s their turn to get more attention from me.  As soon as they sit down they want to know what we are going to read about.  They’re used to reading many different types of stories and texts with me, and look forward to our fun discussions which follow.

My guided reading lessons change depending on which reading skill I’m focusing on with my 2nd grade lesson that week.

In general though, I always try to bring engaging discussions and tasks into the overall lesson.  For quick tips on grading guided reading lessons, check out my post on authentic assessments.

I recently did a guided reading lesson on John Henry, Metaphors and Similes.  I used this close reading lesson about John Henry, and my students adored it!  The activities were fun and engaging and worked great in a small group setting.  The students were able to to do the craft activity during center time once their guided reading lesson was over (and I was able to continue working with other guided reading groups).

Here is a picture of one of the pages from the lesson, along with a photo of one of the pop up books my students created once we were finished.  The best part was that my students learned all about metaphors and similes, while having a ton of fun.

 

 

I am also able to reuse my guided reading lessons with other guided reading groups at different points during the school year.  For example, one group of students may not be ready for a particular lesson in September that is perfect for them in December.  As my students progress with their reading abilities, the skills they need to practice continue to change.  As long as I keep my lessons organized in my filing cabinets, there is no reason that I can’t use the lesson with another group that is ready for that reading skill.  Happy reading!

 

For more fun teaching ideas for the month of February, check out these blog posts below.