Thread: Guided Reading and background groups

I have the group that I am going to meet with next come and sit on the carpet area close to the table where I am working with my guided reading group (or vice versa) and I have them do pre-reading activities or buddy read. Sometimes I have them do predicting work, word work (find as many adjectives or find words with our spelling pattern)

I find for management purposes it's very helpful and I also like that they are working close by so I can monitor their learning better.

Fluency, round reading, buddy reading, word finds, vocabulary building are all really great ideas for background groups

I agree with borntoteach about the background groups working. With this group you might want to limit it to your higher kids, especially if you're in K-2.
Round robin works but you might try pairs of readers alternating with a single book, then, when the book is through, have them make a short list that includes:title, characters, setting, problem and solution. It's a good comprehension builder/maintainer. Another idea is to have each reader write three or four questions about the story and then have their partners write their responses in good sentence form.

I am actually a 5th grade teacher and the students work really well independently. I've done alot of research and I have alot of ideas already. I just haven't decided whether or not to use the background group or not. I may try it and decide I don't like it. It will simply leave students in centers while I'm doing Guided Reading.

The lady that presented at our workshop has activities directed toward the students level. Since the students are in their guided reading group, they are mostly at the same (or close to it) level, so having activities that they can do as a group helps them learn to facilitate and also to practice some of the strategies we have discussed in class.

Exactly. I have all my groups work in a background type situation prior to meeting with me. I meet with my lower groups more so they are in a background group and guided reading group each day whereas I meet with my higher readers less frequently. The skills they are working with during their background time is either a practice of the previous days lesson or a build up to what we will work on together during group time.

If a group is not with me or with a background group then they are in centers or working on independent projects. Setting up those expectations is huge. I teach 3rd so it takes a long time in the beginning of the year to get those routines in place. Some years are better than others. Last year I cut centers out completely because they just weren't working with my kids. We did a lot of student driven independent projects instead. Good luck with it all. Worst case scenerio is you try, you don't like it, you try something else.

Thanks so much for your response.

You have your students go to background groups right before meeting with you. That sounds like a sensible plan. She said that she never has her lowest group in a background group because they need the center practice more (we are also required to have centers) and cannot facilitate a group meeting on their own; this I find kind of hard to believe. Though their reading level may be lower, that doesn't really affect their leadership qualities and the fact that they can work together. Am I wrong here? What do you think would be the best way to go about that?