FAQ- How often do you meet with groups of students?
Though it may sound a bit trite, the answer is, "As often as they need it." Let us explain. We used to maintain a very structured schedule, meeting with four guided reading groups every day following a whole group lesson. The better we got at giving and analyzing assessments, the more we realized that our students didn't really fit into four neat and tidy group packages, so we endeavored to find a way to better meet their needs. Grouping children with like needs for certain skills and strategies changed everything. We ended up with more groups (seven to ten), but they were truly flexible. Once students learned the skill or strategy being taught, they moved out of that group and into another that met their "next steps to achieve goal" need. Sometimes, if an existing group wasn't a good fit, we'd just meet their needs during our one on one conferring time. Now, we know what you're thinking. Only a crazy person would try to teach 7 to 10 groups a day. We assure you, we aren't crazy. We are firm believers in the gradual release of responsibility model however, and it is a perfect match for this kind of organizational structure. When we are just beginning to introduce a skill or strategy, we meet with the group daily for about a week, and then move to three times a week, and usually once a week after that. When we meet with the individuals for a one on one conference, we have the same focus, which alleviates the pressure to meet with the group daily. The critical key to making this all work fluidly and almost effortlessly is the record keeping. Our pensieve keeps track of everything so we can be consistent and intentional. If you are interested in what that looks like, see the links below.
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