Classroom Management

• Groups should not have more than 6 students           4-5 students per group is ideal
• Ideally, the teacher should meet with every group at least 4 times per week
• It is recommended that the teacher meet with the two lowest level groups 4-5 times per week. If necessary, the two highest groups can meet on alternating days
• Groups rotate every 20 minutes
• Teacher meets with one at a time at the Guided Reading table
• Other groups are at areas such as Seat Work, Practice Zones (Centers), and Silent Reading. Each teacher has his or her own method of managing their classroom. Below is a brief description of how a third grade class is managed.

Seatwork

      During Seatwork time, the students are expected to sit quietly at their desks and complete assigned work independently. This work would be assessed and given a grade, comments/suggestions, and/or both.

Practice Zones

            Practice Zones are additional activities that supplement the shared reading story-of-the-week, other subjects such as math, and even the Guided Reading stories. The students are expected to stay occupied without speaking to others. They are allowed to change to a different activity once per day but need to complete a new activity each day. A typical week’s Practice Zone include practice with spelling words, listening to the basal textbook story with headphones, a reading related game, a reading related art activity, a math activity, and a writing activity. At the end of this session, the students are expected to complete a paper describing what they did for the day and their opinions of the activity. The work produced in Practice Zones is not graded but it is assessed.

Silent Reading

            This takes place in a corner of the classroom near the bookshelves. The students are required to use this time for silent reading. They are allowed to read anything they want – fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, comic books, Play Station instruction manuals, etc. Pillows are placed in this area to promote comfort. Reading for enjoyment is another critical component of a successful reading curriculum. Readers of any age need to be able to read often without having to always discuss the reading or complete written responses.