Each of you has a variety of ability groups and educational levels present in your classrooms. Ask yourself how you are meeting the individual needs of ALL your students. Over the past few weeks we have discussed diversity and the importance in recognizing the differences represented within the school and our classrooms. These differences also include the current instructional levels of our students. According to Fountas and Pinnell, guided reading is an instructional setting that enables you (the teacher) to work with a small group of students to help them learn effective strategies for processing text with understanding. The purpose of guided reading is to meet the varying instructional needs of all the students in your class, enabling them to greatly expand their reading powers. Utilizing this approach or specific strategy groups is the best way to reach ALL students in a timely manner.
This week we are also sending the 1st grade team to Shiloh to observe their math workshop approach to teaching mathematics. Often this is the time during the day when we appear to struggle the most to reach students that are severely above or below grade level. Although it may require more prep-time it will surely help you to be more effective. Teaching only to the whole group will never help us to reach each and every child. Ask yourself two questions:
1. Am I pulling enough small groups to address the instructional needs in my classroom?
2. Are there things I am doing because I like to do or because I have always done them that could be eliminated to allow more small groups to meet?
Be honest with yourself and remember we are here for each and every child that walks through the door, not just the ones that are easy to teach.
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