The week went BAM! {All About Reading: Wed-Thurs.}

Welp, friends!  Due to 5 extra students yesterday, our reading was not normal.  I didn’t have enough copies to be able to do “my normal” activities.  And let’s be honest, 5 extra friends is a whole new reading group.  A new reading group in a jammed packet reading block.  The whole day was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-kind-of-a-day. 

And then, today I realized that reading today or tomorrow would not be “normal” due to a presentation by a local theater smack dab in the middle of reading.  So, long story short.  I have no photos for you, the rest of the week won’t be normal, and I’m just trying to survive.  Seriously.   I’m so bummed.  I was on a roll posting all about reading on Monday & Tuesday, then BAM!  The week got crazy…it is what it is.

Here is a little break down on what our Wednesday-Friday would normally look like for whole group reading. 

I normally will have students complete the reading comprehension section of the weekly test during seat work on Thursdays.  I try very, very, very hard to have the time to discuss/check the answers in small group, after our “normal” group is finished. If for some reason I feel that we need more time in the basal story, we would complete the comprehension section on Friday.

If you are a Journeys Teacher, 

I only give the vocabulary & comprehension test weekly.

Students are allowed to use their textbook for the comprehension test.   Our state test in 3rd grade requires students to be able to look back into the text to find answers, so we use our weekly tests in 2nd grade to start preparing them.  

Currently, I am still reading the test to three well below grade level students.  Well below as in we will just be moving into reading a level G next week, but we started on an A or B:)   At the beginning of the year, I was reading it to all students besides my high group.  All other groups are now are able to do it independently during seat work time.  I try very hard not to use our whole group time to do any part of the test.  It is too valuable!  Yes, students need to be tested to check for understanding of the skills & comprehension, but they also need to be practicing the skills of the week on a daily basis with a gradual release model of instruction.