There’s no denying that guided reading in small groups is a game-changer when it comes to mastering phonics skills. But. . . when it comes to organizing your groups and planning activities, it can feel a little overwhelming. Especially when it comes to planning a warm-up that works for every student! I was really struggling to find an effective warm-up activity that didn’t take hours to prep, was easily adaptable for different skill levels, and most important of all, easy to implement. So, I made one! Come along to see how I solved this problem in our room and made small group guided reading warm-ups for everyone!
My Warm-Up Dilemma
One of the messiest transitions in my classroom used to be the time between guided reading groups. It’s just a little bit of a chaotic time, isn’t it? You have one group leaving your table. All of their reading materials are still out in front of you. Meanwhile, a new group is moving to your table, and you must get out their reading materials, swap out a clean page for notes, etc. All while the rest of the students in the room are switching activities, and may need a bit of a reminder to get focused and quiet. Whew, I’m tired just thinking about it!
This was a major pain point in my room, so a while back, I decided that I wanted to clean up this transition. After some brainstorming and creating a resource that could support this need, I started implementing guided reading warm-ups. It has made a world of difference for my guided reading time!
What are Small Group Guided Reading Warm-Ups?
So what am I talking about here? Small group guided reading warm-ups are brief, low-prep activities that you can place out at your table for students to engage with as you are transitioning one group out and a new group in. The idea is that it’s pretty hands-off for you, but very hands-on and active for them. This allows for full independence, a fun activity to review, and a few minutes to allow you to get organized.
Here’s how it works: when my students arrive at my table, they know to grab the warm-ups and choose an activity to do quietly for just a couple of minutes as I get myself (and the other groups) settled. After everyone has what they need, and I am ready to begin, we clean up the warm-ups and start our lesson. The routine starts over again when that group leaves and the next group arrives. The warm-ups come back out, and students work quietly at my table until we are ready to begin. No wasted instructional time for my students, and they are focused and quiet, instead of contributing to the chaos of the transition! Biggest teacher-win of my life, let me tell you! Ok, I know that sounds dramatic, but really, a smooth transition makes a huge difference in how the day unfolds.
Warm-Up Activities
I have tried all the things when it comes to small group guided reading warm-ups. Sight word cards, mini readers that you have read in past lessons, and even manipulatives for students to build words with all work well. If it’s low prep and academically aligned to what that group is working on, it makes for a great warm-up! Through trial and error, I decided I wanted something totally foolproof that the kids would eventually learn to be fully independent with. That’s how “Cover it Up Activities” were born!
Cover It Up
My favorite activity to use as a guided reading warm-up is an activity called Cover It Up! These resources are a set of work mats that each focus on different skills. Letter recognition, letter sounds, and phonics skills are the topics we use during small group guided reading time. I love having a variety of options because it means I can easily differentiate by group and skill level.
To use the Cover it Up Mats, students identify the letter, beginning sound, or phonics skill at the top of the page. Then, they begin to search their page for circles that match it. As they search, students will use mini erasers, pom-poms, dough, or other small manipulatives to cover circles on the page that match the skill.
For example, if a student pulls out a Cover It Up with the letter H at the top, then he or she will use their manipulatives to cover every picture that begins with the H sound. If the ‘-ap’ word family is at the top of the page, then the student would cover every picture that ends in ‘-ap’ on their mat.
Why You’ll Love These Small Group Guided Reading Activities
In each Cover It Up set, there are five different mats for each skill. This means that each student at your guided reading table will have a different mat, so they will be working independently. The time it takes students to cover all of their pictures it’s just long enough for you to get yourself organized, get the rest of the students in the room settled, and be ready to teach.
Plus, the cleanup is so fast that you don’t have to worry about transitioning out of warm-up time into the lesson. You simply put the mats and the manipulatives back into a tub or basket that you’re storing them in and move them off of the table!
Best of all, you can switch up the way you have kids “cover it up” to make this activity feel fresh and new every day. They can color in the circles, use BINGO daubers, smash playdough on the circles, or use manipulatives. Mixing it up keeps these small group guided reading warm-ups feeling fresh and fun every day!
Try Small Group Guided Reading Warm-Ups in Your Room
I cannot recommend using some kind of small group guided reading warm-up activity in your classroom enough! It completely transformed this time from hectic to calm and promotes so much independence in my room. And. . . if you really want to simplify your life, I know Cover it Up Mats will be a total win for you too! I’d love for you to try these in your classroom and see how they work with your kids. You can grab a free sample by entering your email below. I’ll send it straight to your inbox!
Once you get the freebie and test it out in your classroom, you’ll be hooked! If you want to take a closer look at the different skills and options I use with my kiddos, be sure to click on the pictures below and take a peek at the mats for letter recognition, beginning sounds, and phonics skills in my store! Have fun crafting a warm-up routine for your small group guided reading time. Trust me, it makes all the difference!
Looking for More?
Want to see how you can apply these ideas to your small group math activities, too? Read this post next!
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