guided reading programme

Code: 0358 ISBN: 978-1-877440-58-8

Literacy: Guided Reading Rotation Programme A complete guided reading programme suitable for use with any fictional texts. •

Stimulating and fun activities that explore different facets of a book.•

Clear direction and expectations, that allow students to work independently of the teacher, •as needed.

Guidelines, tips, timetables and other support material for teachers.•

Coverage of the important areas of the English curriculum.•

So you think guided reading is important, but you need guidance on setting up and planning literacy rotations? If so, these resource books, covering the lower to upper primary grades, are ideal. The activities, in the form of A5 cards, comprise small-group tasks relating to independent reading, comprehension and detail, language and vocabulary, art and illustration, and reflecting and responding. The cards not only state the task required, but also include examples and additional information to facilitate group independence and greater understanding.

Code: 0360

Code: 0359 ISBN: 978-1-877440-59-5

Code: 0363 ISBN: 978-1-877440-63-2

Code: 0361 ISBN: 978-1-877440-61-8

Code: 0362 ISBN: 978-1-877440-62-5

3AGES 9-11

Bks 1–2 3–4 5–6

Age 7–9 9–11 11–13

NSW yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

VIC yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

QLD yrs 3–5 yrs 5–7 yrs 7–9

WA yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

NT yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

SA yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

ACT yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

TAS yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

NZ yrs 3–5 yrs 5–7 yrs 7–9

Other books in the series

Literacy: Guided Reading

Rotation Programme

Book 3 Middle Primary

Janet Bruce

Title: Literacy: Guided Reading Rotation Programme

Subtitle: Book 3, Middle Primary

Author: Janet Bruce

Editor: Paula Wagemaker

Layout: FreshfieldsDesignLimited

Book Code: 0360

ISBN: 978-1-877440-60-1

Published: 2008

Publisher: Essential Resources Educational Publishers Limited

NewZealandOffice: AustralianOffice: PO Box 5036 PO Box 90 Invercargill Oak Flats, NSW 2529 ph: 0800 087 376 ph: 1800 005 068 fax: 0800 937 825 fax: 1800 981 213

Websites: www.essentialresources.co.nz www.essentialresources.com.au

Copyright: Text © Janet Bruce, 2008

Edition and illustrations: © Essential Resources Educational Publishers Limited, 2008

About the author: JanetBrucehastaughtatalllevelsoftheprimaryschoolinAustralia.Asacurriculum coordinator, her primary responsibilities were to develop the school-based English curriculum. Janet initially developed the guided reading programme that is the focus of this present resource while teaching lower primary students. She then adapted it when teaching other grade levels. The resource has emerged from her passion for reading and inspiring younger children to develop a love of reading. The open-ended tasks that appear in this fun resource are therefore a product of her detailed knowledge of English and literacy curricula, as well as her varied classroom experience.

Photocopy notice:

Permission is given to schools and teachers who buy this book to reproduce it (and/or any extracts) by photocopying or otherwise, but only for use at their present school. Copies may not be supplied to anyone else or made or used for any other purpose.

Contents

Notes For Teachers: The Guided Reading Book Club

What is a Guided Reading Book Club? 4

Setting up a Guided Reading Book Club 5

WhatAreLiteracyRotationActivities? 6

TheLiteracyRotationActivities 7

UsingtheActivity(Task)Cards 8

Book Marks 9

Organisation of the Guided Reading Groups andtheLiteracyRotationActivities 10

For Students: The Book Club Meeting

Book Club Meeting Guidelines 11

BookClubDiscussionQuestions 12

Literacy Rotation Activity Cards

ComprehensionandDetailCards1–20

LanguageandVocabularyCards1–20

ArtistandIllustratorCards1–20

ReflectingandRespondingCards1–20

Guided reading is an activity where students gather together with the teacher to read a section of a book. Afterwards,thegroupdiscussesthebook and the development of the story. The main focus of the Guided Reading Book Club is for the students to engage in dialogue about the text they are reading and to do this at regular intervals as the book progresses. The club provides you, the teacher, with a good opportunity to discuss features of the text and to engage your students at a deeper level.

Group your students according to needs, based on reliable classroom-based assessment procedures. The Guided Reading Book Club is an excellent method for developing higher-order thinking skills in those students who are already reading.

The Guided Reading Book Club requires a group of students to select a text from several that you offer. The text should suit the reading interests and reading ability of the group’s members. Students must each have their own copy of the text.

Notes For Teachers: The Guided Reading Book Club

This section, written for teachers, provides a range of discussion points and suggestions that you can use while taking a guided reading group.

Whenthechildrenfirstreceiveabook,their initial discussion should focus on the cover and title to encourage the group to make predictions on content. Subsequent discussions should focus on deepening the students’ understandings of the text and on encouraging their higher-order thinking.

Studentsbenefitsignificantlywhenparticipating in a Guided Reading Book Club. The many strategies provided enable them to build greater meaning from the text and to increase their comprehension. This development, in turn, allows them to develop greater fluencyandreadingskills.

What Is a Guided Reading Book Club?

4 © Essential Resources Educational Publishers Ltd, 2008

The aim of the discussion the children engage in during the Guided Reading Book Club is to encourage open, natural conversation, where personal opinions, experiences and questions are welcomed and explored. Your role is that of facilitator, not a group member or instructor.

1. Group your students according to their reading ability.

2. Each group should consist of four or six students.

3. Askeachgroupofstudentstositina circle, and then take turns to read the book aloud.

4. Make sure each student has their own copy of the book so they can follow along and that they also have a number of book marks (see page 9).

5. Alsomakesurethateachgrouphas a book that is appropriate for their reading level and a task activity card as appropriate (see following pages).

6. Have the groups meet regularly to read so they can discuss a section of the text at a time.

7. Atthebeginningofeachsection,askthestudentstobrieflydiscussthe section of the book they read during “independent reading” and then to take turns reading the next section of the book aloud.

8. Encourage their discussion of each section of the book by answering questions from the “Book Club DiscussionQuestions”list(seepage 12). This list can be copied and laminated, making it a handy resource to use with any book.

9. Alsoencouragethestudentstoclarify their understanding by asking the other members of the group questions.

10. Assessthechildrenwhilelisteningto their individual reading and their responsestothequestions.Alsoassess the extent and nature of their participation and their book work.

Setting up a Guided Reading Book Club

5© Essential Resources Educational Publishers Ltd, 2008

What Are Literacy Rotation Activities?

Literacyrotationactivitiesconsistoffivedifferentsmallgroupactivitiesthatrun in conjunction with the teacher taking a small group of students who are participating in the Guided Reading Book Club.

The literacy rotation activities (given in this resource as a series of task cards) provide students with stimulating and fun activities that explore different facets oftheirbook.Theactivitiesareself-sufficientinthattheyprovidestudentswithclear direction and expectations, thereby allowing the teacher to engage with the book club group without distractions. The literacy rotation activities cover important areas of the curriculum as outlined on the next page.

Teacher with a Guided Reading Book Club

Independent Reading Group

Comprehension andDetailGroup(Activitycards)

Language and Vocabulary Group(Activitycards)

ArtistandIllustrator Group(Activitycards)

ReflectingandResponding Group(Activitycards)


The Literacy Rotation Activities

Independent Reading

This activity requires the students to read the next section of their book independently. Each student should write on their book mark any interesting or unusual words they come across as they read. When the book club meets the following week, they will discuss the section of the book read during “Independent Reading” before beginning their Guided Reading Book Club session with the teacher.

Comprehension and Detail

These activities aim to develop students’ comprehension. The activities are varied and encourage the students to engage with the text to extract greater meaning.

Language and Vocabulary

These activities focus on language, grammar, understanding and applying new vocabulary. The activities encourage students to seek out, identify, understand and apply new and interesting words.

Artist and Illustrator

These activities explore the creative and visual aspects of the book. They also explore the emotions and pictures created in our minds when we hear particular words, phrases, and passages. The activities enable students to visualise the thoughts and feelings they have in relation to the text and to re-create these artistically.

Reflecting and Responding

Theseactivitiesaskstudentstoreflectonandrespondtoaparticularaspect of their text to provoke a written response. These activities are particularly interesting for students because they enable them to respond in a personal manner.


Example of Display Board

Guided Reading Literacy Rotation Activities

Timetable

GroupsGroup 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6

Cards

The cards are designed to be photocopied, cut out and laminated. There are 20 cards in each section, which means you will have a full year’s supply of task cards to use. The timetable on page 10 provides you with a clear fortnightly timetable that allows each group to rotate through all activities over the two-week period.

Each fortnight, select one card for each of the following groups: • ComprehensionandDetail• LanguageandVocabulary• ArtistandIllustrator• ReflectingandResponding.

I keep these cards all together in an envelope at the front of the classroom, attachedtotheorganisationboard.Asthe diagram below shows, the board displays the names of each of the children in each group and a copy of

the timetable. I also have a pocket for additional book marks that the children can take and use when needed. (For information about the book marks, see page 9.)

The activity cards are designed to be used as follows:• Onecard(laminated)ishandedto

each group completing that activity.• Thechildrenreadtheactivityonthe

card.• Thechildrenwriteallresponsesin

their own literacy rotation work books.

When it is time for the Guided Reading andLiteracyRotationActivitiestobegin,one person from each group collects theactivitycardforthegroup.Allotherchildren collect their books and any other materials required and begin the task card. The children sit together in their groups to complete the activities.

Using the Activity (Task) Cards


Book Marks

The children use the book marks mainly during the independent reading and guidedreadingsessions.Asthechildrenread the book, they should write down any unusual or unknown words on the book mark. They then use these words

Name:

Book:

Author: Wor

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Name:

Book:

Author: Wor

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Name:

Book:

Author: Wor

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Name:

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for some of the activities in the Language and Vocabulary section. When children identify and write downnewordifficultwords,theyarestrengthening and broadening their own vocabularies


Organisation of the Guided Reading Groups and the Literacy Rotation Activities

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Book Club

Meeting Guidelines

You will need your book, a pencil and your book mark.

1. Form a circle.2. Get organised within one minute.3. Brieflysummarisewhathappenedinthelastsection

of the book you read independently. 4. Read the next section of the book.5. Take turns to read small sections of the text and

follow along as others read.6. Cooperate with your group and support one

another with reading.7. Discussthesectionyouhavejustread.Ifyouhave

any questions, ask your group.8. Finally, choose a few questions to answer from the

“BookClubDiscussionQuestions”list.


Book Club Discussion Questions

• Describeyourfavouritepartandyourleastfavouritepartof your book.

• Findthree of your favourite descriptive words (adjectives) the author used. Explain why you liked these words.

• Find other words the author used instead of “said” or “then”.

• Locateapartofyourbookthatcaughtyourattention.Discusswhyitcaughtyourattention.

• Statewhichcharacteryouthinktheauthormightbelikeand discuss why.

• Whydidtheauthorchoosethissettingforthestory?

• Isthesettingarealoranimaginaryplace?Howcanyoutell?

• Wouldyouliketovisittheplacedescribedinthestory?Discusswhyorwhynot.

• Howwouldachangeinsettingchangethecharactersorthe plot of the story?

• Howdidthebookmakeyoufeel?

• Whichcharacterdoyoulikebest/least?Why?

• Whatwasuniqueaboutthesetting,characters,and/orstory?

• Whatmessagedoyouthinktheauthorwantsthereaderto receive?

• Whatpartofthebookwasthemostexcitingorinteresting? Explain why.

• Wouldyoureadanotherbookbythisauthor?Explainwhyor why not.


Aim

© Essential Resources Educational Publishers Ltd, 2008


The aim of the comprehension and detail

activities is to develop students’ comprehension

and understanding of the text. The activities

encourage students to engage with the text

to extract a greater depth of meaning and

understanding.




Summary

Write a summary that describes the main events that occurred in your book. Your paragraph should be made up of one or two descriptive sentences that outline the characters and the main events that occurred followed by two or three sentences thatdescribethespecificdetailsofthestory.

Question and Answer

Writeafewtrickyquestionsaboutspecificeventsthathappened in the story you have just read. Be sure to write the answer to each question. Try out your questions on other students who have read the same book.

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Main Ideas Chain

Collect a piece of round paper for each section or chapter of the book and on each piece do the following:• Writethenameofthetitleofyourbook.• Whenyouhavefinishedreadingeachchapter,writeunder

the title fifteen words that are important to the story you are reading. These words should sum up the main ideas and events in the story.

• Stapleeachpieceofpapertoyourchainandwatchitgrowasyou read your book.

Example: The Three Little Pigsthree, pigs, left, home, wolf, house, build, straw, sticks, bricks, huff,puff,blow,down,fire

Character Profile

Choose a character from your book. Be sure to include other information about your character such as name, age, description, facts, likes and dislikes, andsoon.Drawaportraitofyourcharacter in the middle of a page in your work book and write your information around the character.

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Title Inventor

Come up with alternative suggestions for the name for each sectionofyourbook.Eachtitleshouldreflectthemainideasin the book. While each title should make people want to read on, it should not give too much away about what happens.

Journalist

Write a newspaper article about an important event that happened in your book. In your article, be sure to include the following information:

Who? Name and describe the characters.

What? Describewhathappened.

Where? Describewheretheeventhappened.

Why? Describewhyyouthinktheeventhappened.

When? Describewhentheeventtookplace(dayandtime).

How? Describehowtheeventbeganandended.

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Label Your Characters

Mostfictionalstoriescontainvillainsandheroes.Identifyone “villain” and one “hero” in your book. Write a few sentences describing why each character you chose from your story has been labelled a hero or a villain. Give examples from the book to back up your labels.

Dictionary

Villain: Avillainisawickedorevilperson—someonewhodeliberately does evil.

Hero:Aheroisapersonwellknownforamazingcourage,strength and goodness.

Put Yourself in Their Shoes

Choose a character from your book and plan a whole day full of appropriate activities for this character. Think about this character’s likes and dislikes, where the character lives, other people the character knows, etc.

Create a short story describing a day in the life of this character. You might like to write your story from the character’s point of view. You will need to write about what this character did throughout the day, from the time of getting up to the time of going to bed.

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Readers’ Theatre

Within your reading group, choose a small section from your book and act it out. You will need to allocate roles to each member in your group. You will need a narrator to read all of the descriptive passages and an actor for each character in your book. Each character will read and act out his or her speaking part. Practise and perform your play in front of the class.

Interview with the Author

In pairs, prepare an interview about the book you are reading. One person will be the reporter and the other will be the author. Plan your questions and answers together and practise your interview before presenting it to your class.

Reporter: Write the questions you will ask in your work book.

Author: Write your answers to these questions in your work book.

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Book Report

Give a two-minute speech about your book to the class. Include a short summary of the main events, the setting andthecharactersinvolved.Attheendof your speech, be ready to answer any questions from the audience about the book. Remember to use a clear, loud voice and to make eye contact with the audience.

Skimming and Scanning

Everyone in the group turns to the same page in the book. Intwominutes,scaneverywordonthepagetofindallthewords containing one of the blends listed below. Write these wordsinyourworkbookasyoufindthem.Thepersonwiththe most words wins. Go through the page together as a group to check the winner’s answers before beginning again with a different blend chosen from the list below. Remember, the blend may be located at the beginning, middle or end of the word.

BLENDS: WH, CH, TH, NG, PL, SH, GH, KN

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Predicting the Future

Read a double page in your book as a group. Write down a prediction as to what you think might happen next in the story. When everyone has written a response, each person takes a turn to read his or her prediction out to the group. Next, and while still in yourgroup,readontofindoutwhatactuallyhappenednext.Asagroup,reflectonthepredictionsmadeanddecide which prediction best matches what happened in the story.

Order of Events

Asagroup,listonindividualpiecesofpaperthemaineventsthattookplaceinyourstory.Whenyouhavefinishedwritingyour events, jumble the pieces of paper up. Your job now is to work together to put the events in order, from the beginning of the story to the end.

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Find a Passage

Allmembersofthegroupneedtosittogetherinacircle.You will each need your own copy of the book you are reading. Each person selects and then reads out to the group a different passage of text from the book (two to three sentences).Therestofthegrouptriestofindthepassageandtocalloutthepagenumberitison.Thefirstpersontosaythecorrect page number wins a point. Remember to take turns locating and reading one passage at a time.

True or False?

Write ten True or False questions about the story you are reading. When you have written your questions, read them out to another person in your group to test his or her knowledge.

True: Means the statement is correct.

False: Means the statement is incorrect.

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Character Acrostics

Choose a character from the book you are reading. Write the character’s full name down the left-hand side of the page. Write an adjective or descriptive sentence beside each letter of the name. The adjective or descriptive sentence should begin with the corresponding letter of the name. Example: C Caring and considerate R Rich and giving A Alwaysthereforalaugh I Interesting and intelligent G Goals set high

Terrific Ten

Choose tenterrificwordsfromyourbook.Thewordsyouchooseshouldhaveaspecificlinktothestory.Integratetheseten words to create a short descriptive poem about the story.

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Birthday Bash

One of the characters from your book is having a birthday tomorrow. Choose an appropriate present for this character. Think about the character’s likes and dislikes. Write about the present you chose and why it suits this character. When you havefinisheddoingthis,createabirthdaycard.

Personal Account

Choose oneeventthattookplaceinthestory.Brieflydescribethis event and write about how you would feel if this happened to you! Be sure to describe your feelings and reactions in great detail.

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Aim



These activities focus on the language, grammar and

vocabulary within the text. The activities encourage

students to seek out, identify, understand and apply new

and interesting words.






Book Mark

Create a book mark and on the back of it write down any new and interesting words you come across as you read. The words you write on your book mark should be words you have not seen before, and/or words you might like to use in your own writing.

Vocabulary

You will need to choose three of the words you have written on your book mark for this activity. With each word, do the following:

1. Useadictionarytofindthemeaning of the word.

2. Write down the word and its definitioninyourworkbook.

3. Create a sentence using this word and write it in your work book.

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Express Yourself

When reading, read with expression! This means altering your voice, changing the volume and speed with which you read, and observing punctuation. Reading with expression lets you depict different characters and bring the story to life, but it takes practice. 1. Choose a section in your book that is exciting or interesting.2. Practise reading this section of the book on your own out loud and

with expression. Change speed, volume, voice and tone to express the events and the level of excitement you are reading about.

3 Afteryouhavepractised,readyoursectiontoanotherpersoninyour group.

Tell a Tale

You will need to work with a partner for this activity. Choose a passage of the book you are reading and read your passage to your partner with expression in order to represent character voices, events in the story, and the punctuation. When youhavefinishedyourreading,yourpartner reads his or her passage to you.

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Descriptive Phrase Find

When you are reading, you will come across descriptive phrases or even a whole sentence that paints a clear, vivid picture in your mind. Here is an example:

The waterfall was surrounded by a lush, green rainforest.

Find three examples of good descriptive phrases (groups of words that do not have a verb) or sentences from the book you are reading. Write these down and share them with your group. Explain why you chose them.

Superb SimilesAuthorsoftenusespeciallanguagecalledsimiles to compare actions, characters and observations to or with something else. Similes focus on the similarity between one thing and another. They give us a better picture of what the author wants us to see as we read. Similes usually follow a pattern.Examples: • Asbusy as a bee. • Aswhite as snow.• Asquiet as a mouse. • Aspretty as a picture.Writedownexamplesofsimilesfromyourbook.Alternatively,create your own similes, but relate them to text from the book you are reading.

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Wonderful Word Search1. Create a collection of twenty important

words from your book.2. In a grid (your teacher will help you

here) write these words vertically, horizontally and diagonally. Alsowritethewordsbelowthegridsothatotherpeopleknow what words to look for.

3. Spread your words evenly throughout the grid. Be sure to write one letter per square.

4. Whenyouhavewrittenallwordsinthegrid,fillintheremaining blank squares with random letters of the alphabet and give the grid to someone in your group to solve.

Glorious Glossary

Aglossary is like a small dictionary found at the back of some books. It allows you to look up the meaning of unusual words you come across in your book.1. Find three unusual words from the book you are reading.2. Create your own glossary by writing down the word and then

looking up the meaning in the dictionary and writing it next to the word.

3. Dothesameforallthreewordstocreateyourownglossary.Example:My GlossaryGremlin:Amischievouscharactersaidtocauseaccidentstomachines.

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Long List

Create a list of five interesting descriptive words (adjectives) from your book. Using a thesaurus, write down five synonyms foreachword.Asynonymisaword that means the same or almostthesameasthefirstword.

Powerful Pick

Pick out five to ten words from your book that you feel are powerful words you could use in your own writing. Create a piece of writing using these chosen words.

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Personification Personality

Authorsusepersonification to bring objects tolife.Personificationgiveshumanqualitiestonon-livingobjects.Anexampleis,“Thechocolate bar is calling out my name.” Try to locate oneexampleofpersonification fromyourbook.Alternatively,createyourownexampleofpersonificationbasedonyour book.

Empty Empathy

Authorsusespeciallanguagetomakethereaderfeelempathy.Empathy describes the ability to recognise and feel the emotion that someone else is experiencing. It is like putting yourself in their shoes. Locate a passage in the book when you feltempathy—whenyouwereabletosensetheemotionsofacharacter or characters. Share this passage with your group.

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Literal Language

Literal language is factual and truthful. Think about this sentence: “Craig ate some pizza.” The sentence is literal because it describes an actual event. Scan throughyourbooktofindfactualsentences containing literal language.

Opposite Antonyms

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings from each other. Here are some examples:

• Light/heavy

• Strong/weak

• Big/small.

Choose appropriate words from your book. Write these words down, and then write the antonym for each word.

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Horrible Homonyms

Homonyms are words that are spelt and pronounced in an identical or a very similar way but have different meanings. They can sometimes confuse people. Some examples of homonyms are:• Mydogcanreallybark.• Thebarkiscomingoffthetree.• WeleftforourtriponWednesday.• Becarefulthatyoudon’ttriponthestep.

Find some examples of homonyms from your book. Write each homonym in a sentence to depict its meaning.

Syllable String

Choose some important words from your book that contain different numbers of syllables. Follow the pattern below so you can use these words to create a haiku poem.

Line 1: Five syllables Catch/ing the cool breeze

Line2: Sevensyllables Leavesliftandfloata/boveme

Line 3: Five syllables Wind/swept har/mon/y

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Noun Guess

Each person in the group chooses a nounfromthestory.Anoun is the name of a person, place or thing. Each person needs to keep their noun a secret. Each person writes a description of their noun and reads it aloud to the other group members to guess.

Example:

• Ihavefourlegs. • Ihavefur.

• Ilovetoeatfish. • Ihavefourlettersinmyname.

• Ihaveatail. •Iam...Paws, the cat.

Alphabetical Adjectives

Choose a character from the book you are reading. Write the name of the character at the top of the page and write the alphabet going down the page so that you have each letter on a separate line. Write an adjective (describing word) about the character on each line that begins with the letter of the alphabet. How many adjectives can you come up with?

Example:

Mr Wilkins

A Awesome

B Busy

C Cool

D Daring

E Elderly

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Object Families

You will need to do this activity in pairs. Write down a list of four objects from the book you are reading that are related insomeway.Addone object that does not belong to the list. Read out the list of objects and ask your partner to identify the object that does not belong.

Examples:

• boots,ball,socks,shorts,jersey (ball—theotherobjectsarepartofasocceruniform)

• paper,pencil,pen,crayon,chalk (paper—theotherobjectsarethingsyoucanwritewith)

Compound Mania

Choose five compound words from your book. Use each word within the compound word to make many more compound words. Examples:

Rainbow: raincoat, rainwater, rainstorm, rainfall, bowtie

Watermelon: waterfall, rockmelon, waterhole

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Aim




These activities explore creativity and visualisation. They

investigate the emotions and images that are created in

our minds when we hear particular words, phrases and

passages. The activities enable students to visualise the

thoughts and feelings they have in relation to the text

and to re-create these visually.





Scene Setter

Afterreading,chooseadescriptivephrasethatpaintsapicturein your mind. Write down the phrase and draw the picture that you see in your mind.

Illustrator

Drawadetailedpicturethattellsthestoryyouarereading.Your picture must include the settings, characters and any objects or events that were mentioned in the story.

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Comic Creation

Create a comic strip that shows a major event that took place in your book. You will need to draw a series of pictures that show the order of the events that happened. Below the pictures, write the dialogue.

Finger-puppet Fun

Choose a character from your book. Using craft materials, createafinger-puppetofthischaracter.Besuretogiveyour character suitable features and characteristics. Show your puppet to your group and describe its features.

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Mighty Mosaic

On a clean piece of art paper, draw a simple outline of an object from your book. Try not to make your outline too detailed. To make this outline into a mosaic, you will need to cut pieces of coloured paper into small squares. Glue the coloured squares onto the paper, leaving a small space between each piece. Your picture should look like it has been tiled. Label your object and display it.

Informative Artist

Create an illustration of your favourite part of the book. When your illustration is complete, write on a separate piece of paper a brief explanation of the illustration and why you chose this part of the story. Staple this to the bottom of your picture and display it.

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Popular Poster

Choose one character from your story and think about what this person’s likes or dislikes might be. Create a poster that your character would love to have pinned up in his or her bedroom. Your poster might be environmental, musical, playful, or in some other form. When you have finishedyourposter,explaintothegroup why your character would like it.

Style Collage

Choose one character from your book. What do you think this person would like to wear? Find clothing from magazines or draw the clothing yourself. On a large sheet of art paper, draw the character in the middle of the page. Next cut out each picture of clothing and overlap the clothes to make a style collage. Share your collage with your group.

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Feeling Groovy

Authorsusuallydescribethefeelingsofthecharactersintheirstory. Sometimes they also express exactly how the characters feel through illustrations. Choose one character from your story and draw his or her face showing an expression that was described in the story. Label this expression—forexample,excited,miserable, cheerful, silly, fearful, jovial.

Comical Comedy

Drawahumorouspicturetoshowaparticularlyfunnypartofthe story. Write your dialogue within speech bubbles to reveal the amusing event. Share your work with other people in your group.

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Book Cover Competition

Create a new and exciting cover for the book you are reading. Remember to include:

• Thenameofthebook

• Theauthor’sname

• Theillustrator’sname

• Picturesofeventsorcharactersfromthebook.

Use bold colours and simple designs to make your cover eye-catching and appealing so that others will want to read the book.

Wonderful Words

Find examples of good descriptive phrases from your book. Write down one descriptive phrase and draw an illustration of the picture it creates in your mind. Share this picture with the other people in your group.

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Find Your Feelings

Describethefeelingsyouexperiencedduringthedifferentpartsofthebook.Describehowyourfeelingschangedduringthe course of the book. When you have done that, draw a picture of yourself and then add some word bubbles around the picture. Write your feelings in the bubbles.

Puppet Background

Drawabackgroundforthemostcommonsettingfromyourbook.Whenyouhavefinishedcreatingthebackground,createcharacter puppets and act out a section of the story.

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Character Mobile

Drawandcolourincharactersandimportantobjectsthatarepart of the storyline of your book. Cut out each character and object and hang them from sticks or a coat-hanger with thread to make a mobile.

Creative Clipart

Use the computer to draw a picture that represents the best part of the book you are reading.

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Super Shape

Three-dimensional Object

Choose an object from the book you are reading, for example a soccer ball, hat, bag, phone, etc. Use recycled materials and paper to create a three-dimensional model of this object. Label your object and display it.

Drawanoutlineofacharacteror object from the book you are reading. Fill the inside of the shape going across the page with words that represent the character or object. Repeat the words over and over again, using different colours each time the words are repeated.

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Sponge Prints

You will need a piece of sponge, some paint and a piece of paper for this activity.

1. Choose an object from the book you are reading.

2. Turn your piece of sponge into this shape by cutting around the edges.

3. Dipthespongeintothetrayofpaintandplacethespongeon the paper to create a print. Fill the page with your sponge prints.

Hand Creatures

Turn your hand into a character from the book you are reading.

1. Place your hand in the middle of a piece of paper and trace around your hand. You can arrange your hand in any position.

2. Now use your imagination to add to the hand drawing and to turn it into a character.

3. Colour the hand creature and label the drawing with the character’s name.

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Aim




These activities require students to reflect on and

respond to a particular aspect of the text. They require

students to give a thoughtful, reflective response to

the text. The activities enable students to respond in a

personal manner to the text.





Journal

Imagine you are one of the characters in the book you are reading. Write a journal entry expressing what you have done, how you feel, and what you think might happen to you next.

Book Blurb

Write a letter to your friend or your teacher about the book you are reading. Be sure to tell them the name of the book and to include a short summary of whatthebookisabout.Alsotellthem what you think of the book.

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That Reminds Me of . . .

Have you ever read a description of a character and thought to yourself that reminds me of (someone you know)? Think about the characters in the book you are reading. Can you findacomparisonbetweenacharacterandsomeoneyouknow(maybeevenyourself)?Describethecharacterfromthebook and the person you know who is like that character. Make a list of the similarities between these two people.

Finding Friends

Youhavejustmovedtoanewtownandneedtofindnewfriends. The characters in your book live in your new town. Which character would you like to have as a friend? Explain why.

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That Happened To Me!

Think about something that happened in your story that you havealsoexperienced.Describetheeventthattookplacein the book and then describe the similar event that you experienced. List the similarities and differences between the two events.

Similarities Differences

• •

• •

Problem-Solver

Think about a problem that occurred in the book, such as someone losing a school library book on the way to school. Explain what you would do to solve the problem if this happened to you.

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Decisions, Decisions . . .

Choose the character from your book that you would most like to be. List the ways you would change the book to make a better story and life for this character.

Magazine Marvels

Apopularchildren’smagazinehasaskedyoutowriteanarticleabout the book you are reading. The article will be read by 8- to 10-year-old children. Write a detailed description of the book and give it a rating out of 10. Be sure to explain the reasons for your rating. Include an illustration of your favourite part of the story. Submit your article to the magazine publisher (your teacher).

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Friendly Qualities

Think about the qualities you like in a friend. Choose a character from the book you are reading. Name the character and list the qualities this character would have as a friend.

Example:

Charlie is:• Trustworthy• Agoodsoccerplayer• Funtobearound.

Character Cinquain

Think about an interesting character from your book. Write a cinquain poem about this character. Illustrate your poem when youhavefinished.

Cinquain Poem Structure

Line 1: One word (name of character)

Line 2: Two words (adjectives that describe the character)

Line 3: Three words (verbs that describe the character’s actions)

Line 4: Four words (feelings the character felt)

Line 5: One word (different name for the character or restate the name).

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Awesome Advice

You have been given the opportunity to give one of the characters in the book some advice. Giving advice means sharing your opinion about what someone should do in a particular situation. Choose one situation a character experienced in the story and explain what advice you would give this character at that particular point in the story.

Book Reflection

Asagroup,taketurnstorespondtoanddiscussthefollowingquestions about the book you are reading. Record your answers on a big piece of cardboard and present your responses to the class.

1. What are the main events that make up the storyline so far?

2. How could the author improve the storyline?

3. What do you like and dislike about the storyline so far?

4. What do you think will happen next in the story?

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Ask the Author

You have been chosen to interview the author of the book you are reading. Create a list of interesting open-ended questions you will ask the author. Open-ended questions are questions that require a thoughtful response with lots of detail rather than a short yes or no answer.

Hidden Message

Authorswritefordifferentpurposes. Sometimesauthorswriteto teach a lesson or to entertain. What was your author’s purpose? Give at least three reasons to support your answer.

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Alternate Ending

You have been given a very important job. You have been asked to come up with an alternative ending for your book. Your job is to write a different, exciting and satisfying ending for the book you are reading.

Life Lessons

Have you ever learnt a valuable lesson through a character in a story you have read? Think about the story you are reading and identify one important lesson that a character experienced.Reflectonthisexperience from the story and then comment on what you have learnt from it and how that lessonmightinfluenceyou.

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Detective White Hat

YournameisDetectiveWhiteHat.Yournewcaserequiresyouto investigate the factual details in the book you are reading. 1. Identify the facts.2. What facts do you already know?3. Which facts do you not know?4. What is the most important fact in the storyline?5. Examineallfacts,figuresandinformationinthestory.Is

any information missing that would give you a complete understanding of what is going on? If so, what is it?

6. Of the information provided in the story, which is crucial for the story development?

Detective Red Hat

YournameisDetectiveRedHat.Youhavebeengivenanewcase. It requires you to investigate the emotions experienced in the book you are reading.

1. What emotions and feelings did the characters experience?

2. What emotions and feelings did the reader experience throughout the book?

3. Examine all emotions experienced during the reading of the story. What emotions were not experienced?

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Detective Green Hat

YournameisDetectiveGreenHat.Youhavebeengivenanew case. It requires you to investigate the problems and complications in the book you are reading.

1. What was the major complication within the storyline?

2. What would be a better way to solve the problem or complication?

3. What problem or complication would be more exciting for the reader?

Detective Multicoloured Hat

YournameisDetectiveMulticolouredHat.Youhavebeengiven a new case. It requires you to investigate the book you are reading, using a combination of two differently coloured hats, with each colour selected from the colours below:

Yellow: Positive/good points of the story

Black: Negative/bad points of the story

Blue: Overall purpose of the story.

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Code: 0358 ISBN: 978-1-877440-58-8

Literacy: Guided Reading Rotation Programme A complete guided reading programme suitable for use with any fictional texts. •

Stimulating and fun activities that explore different facets of a book.•

Clear direction and expectations, that allow students to work independently of the teacher, •as needed.

Guidelines, tips, timetables and other support material for teachers.•

Coverage of the important areas of the English curriculum.•

So you think guided reading is important, but you need guidance on setting up and planning literacy rotations? If so, these resource books, covering the lower to upper primary grades, are ideal. The activities, in the form of A5 cards, comprise small-group tasks relating to independent reading, comprehension and detail, language and vocabulary, art and illustration, and reflecting and responding. The cards not only state the task required, but also include examples and additional information to facilitate group independence and greater understanding.

Code: 0360

Code: 0359 ISBN: 978-1-877440-59-5

Code: 0363 ISBN: 978-1-877440-63-2

Code: 0361 ISBN: 978-1-877440-61-8

Code: 0362 ISBN: 978-1-877440-62-5

3AGES 9-11

Bks 1–2 3–4 5–6

Age 7–9 9–11 11–13

NSW yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

VIC yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

QLD yrs 3–5 yrs 5–7 yrs 7–9

WA yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

NT yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

SA yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

ACT yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

TAS yrs 2–4 yrs 4–6 yrs 6–8

NZ yrs 3–5 yrs 5–7 yrs 7–9

Other books in the series

guided reading programme

Documents

nsw yrs

vic yrs

qld yrs

wa yrs

nt yrs

sa yrs

act yrs

tas yrs