Guided Reading Organization and Documentation Simplified! Plus MORE!!!

Keeping it simple and organized! Isn't that what everyone's about?

Everything I am about to share with you, I USED in the classroom! They are so simple and easy to use, which makes them a favorite of mine. So you can say they've been tested and implemented with success!

Before I get started, everything I'm about to show you below has just been updated. So if you own any of the 3 products below, go re-download! 

Questions:

• Do you keep a record of reading conferences?
• Do you keep a record of small group meetings?
• Are you required to keep reading documentation?
• Do you evaluate reading documentation to drive instruction?
• Do you plan for your small groups?
• Do you use reading documentation for parent conferences?
• How do you organize it all?

How do you record reading conferences?

Recording by individual students:
Keep it simple! Don't waste time thinking about the behaviors to watch per reading level or the comprehension questions to ask per reading level. Veteran teachers know these things by heart, but when you have a group in front of you and your are keeping tabs on what all your other students are doing you have to act quickly.

I've always used these forms, I copy them front and back so I have documentation for 10 reading conferences per student. My reading conference notebook has a tab for each student, I open it and begin! These forms check individual students strategies, skills and comprehension. Not only is this specific documentation, it is great for your assessment/data notebook. Best part is it will help you to target your small group instruction.

The levels included are: A-B, C-D, E-H, I-J, K-L and M-up.

Click on any of the photos above or HERE to grab these forms!

Another option for recording your reading conferences is using an individual anecdotal form. This form is very versatile and simple to implement for a teacher of any grade level. When recording observations, you can record the positives and negatives. This is also great documentation for conferences as well as driving your instruction for the next steps. Simply copy this form front and back to have 14 conferences documented.

Recording by small groups of students:
You can also document reading conferences or small groups of students on one form. One of my favorite forms to use with young learners is "Figuring out unknown words with my strategies". This form documents if students are independently applying the strategies they have been taught. I absolutely LOVE this form! It goes along with my Decoding and Word Solving Strategies pack. Click HERE to view those.

I also like to use 2 other types of group anecdotal notes. They both focus on strategies being taught and reviewed along with observations.

Guided Reading planning and anecdotal note recording combination:
Another option is to combine your small group planning and documentation into one form! I love to use these forms because I can focus on a comprehension strategy with a specific text reading skills, sight words, vocabulary words, review words and individual student anecdotal notes on one form.

Guided Reading Informal Group Assessment:
Looking for a quick and simple group check? This form allows you to check student gains every few weeks. Simple to use and focuses on sight words, fluency, comprehension and unknown word strategies.

Recording running records:
You can record on running record nearly on anything just about! Quick, random running records are the best! It is very important that you take running records on students often to guide your conferences and instruction with them. This form is another favorite of mine because it allows me to capture a minute or so of a student to use with my conference. I sometimes copy this form front to back which allows me 6 running records with a student or I cut the form up to use with 3 separate students. I store them in my reading conference binder.

Organizing your groups:
Keep this as simple as possible! You first need to decide upon the behaviors in your classroom whether or not or can group students together by reading levels or if you need to group students randomly together by behaviors. Not only do you need to have groups of students to work with based on instructional levels, but you will have groups of students to work with based on skill deficits, comprehension strategies, etc...

New to guided reading and need a quick guide?
I created this little cheat sheet to use daily with guided reading groups. It's great for new teachers who are training themselves as well as veteran teachers who need a visual reminder.

Click on any of the photos above or HERE to grab these forms!

You can GRAB EVERYTHING ABOVE PLUS MY GUIDED READING TASK CARDS by purchasing my I HEART GUIDED READING BUNDLE HERE or on the photo below!

I hope these form are helpful in getting you organized in a simple manor for your guided reading groups along with keeping your documentation easy!