Guided Reading "Must Have" Tools

Today I am blogging about my guided reading "must have" tools. These are tools that I use every day and I can't imagine guided reading without them. These are tools that I have found my students love and that I find helpful. So here goes.

We call these little glass stones "book bubbles". The pictures don't quite show it, but when these little stones are placed over the words... they work like a little magnifying glass. I found a bag of about twenty bubbles at the Dollar Tree. You can find them in multiple colors too!

The picture on the left shows our eyeballs. I found these at a local store for about $1.50 each. I have about 10 of them. They just slide on the student's finger and they use their finger to point to the text. (Usually the eyeballs are doing the reading... not looking back at them... hehe.) The picture on the left shows my kiddos VERY favorite pointer that we use. These "later fingers" were found at the same store I found the eyeballs. They were about $3.00 for the pack of 4. So of course I bought 5 packs! :) I bought them 2 summers ago and I have only opened 2 packs for guided reading! The batteries have lasted a long time. My kiddos strap the little light on their finger and use it as a guide while they are reading.

The first picture is my absolute classroom MUST HAVE. Post-its are everywhere in my classroom. We use them at guided reading for snapshots (quick thoughts that we are feeling about the text), recording text evidence and making connections! This pile of post-its is a permanent fixture on my guided reading table. The second picture shows my next favorite tool! I absolutely love using these plastic plates for practicing spelling, sight words and responding to text. I found them in packs of 4 at... yet again... the Dollar Tree. (Just a side note... if you are looking for some great personal whiteboard erasers.. go to your local Dollar Tree and buy some of their facial scrubber thingys. They work fabulously and you can just throw them in the wash every month or so!)

 These little pointers are just erasers from (you guessed it... the Dollar Tree) on some bright-colored pencils! I mean... just look at those erasers! What kid wouldn't want to point with a little duck or frog... monkey or baseball!

I snagged these posters from the fabulous Amy Groesbeck! I just have to say... these posters are great. I change them out each week depending upon which reading comprehension strategy we are using that week. I just staple them to the bulletin board right behind my guided reading table. My students refer to them all week during guided reading.

The first picture shows some Rolling Comprehension pages that I found in Tammy Staser's store. My students love to roll the dice and then respond to reading! It is so easy!! The second picture shows these amazing Bloom's Taxonomy questions that I found a few years back. I have searched HIGH and LOW for them... but can't seem to figure out where I got them. I remember laminating them when I was in college.... hm. If you happen to know or see them, please let me know so I can give credit!!

This last Guided Reading Must Have is from Joanne Miller (Head Over Heels for Teaching). I have two rings of these questions (Non-Fiction and Fiction) hanging on a pin in the bulletin board right behind the table. They are perfect. She separated them out by before, during and after reading questions!

I hope that you were able to get an idea or two from my Guided Reading "Must Have" Tools. I would love to hear what your #1 Tool is in your classroom!!