Best Intervention Reading Conferences for First Grade Teachers

You might already know that a reading briefing is i-on-one reading instruction. But how do you lot comport a reading briefing? And are they really worth the time they take?

Every schoolhouse twenty-four hours is packed, and information technology seems as if there's never plenty time to "fit it all in." I feel similar reading conferences are one of the start things that go eliminated from the literacy block!

BUT they are and so valuable! In today'southward mail service, I'll share with you WHY reading conferences are important and explain HOW to conduct them!

Photo Credits:   Monkey Business Images, Shutterstock 

Why one-on-ane reading conferences?

When I first began instruction, I didn't brand fourth dimension for one-on-i reading conferences.

I taught guided reading groups and gave my students as much individual attention as I could. But I'd set up my literacy block then that students read independently as a eye, then I was occupied teaching guided reading during that time. With this setup, I reallycouldn't deport reading conferences.

However, I quickly realized how of import it was for me to check in with students while they read independently. Conducting reading conferences allows me to:

• Run into what books students are choosing to read independently (and help them adjust the level, if necessary)
• Determine if students are actually applying what they are learning during other parts of the literacy block (information technology makes no sense to teach, teach, and teach and then not see if they are applying the skills to where it really matters—independent reading!)
• Spend precious i-on-one time with my students (this helps build our relationship and also allows me to provide super-targeted, relevant instruction to each reader)

If you're still non convinced, consider this metaphor:

Let'due south say that your car has an engine problem. You take the car into the shop, and the mechanics practise their best to set information technology. But they don't exam-drive the car to encounter if the trouble is solved. Yous pick upwards the machine, assuming that the trouble is solved, just you drive half a block and it breaks downwards once more! ??‍♀️

In this metaphor, your reading teaching = the mechanics trying to fix the problem. Reading conferences = examination-driving the car.

You wouldn't want your mechanic to try to fix the problem and simply hope for the best. Similarly, nosotros shouldn't teach, teach, teach and hope for the all-time without checking to run into if our students are actually using what they acquire when they read independently!

Now, I always prepare aside daily time for students to read independently while I conduct as many reading conferences as time allows. I may non get through very many conferences in one day, merely I'yard at least makingsome time for this super-of import practice.

What "should" a reading conference look like?

I put "should" in quotation marks above because at that place's no one right way to deport conferences!

Generally speaking, a reading conference is near v minutes long, involves the teacher and one educatee, and is designed to target students' individual needs. In a reading conference, the ground for the discussion / teaching is a volume that the Child has selected to read.

I don't have a set up number of conferences that I conduct per day or calendar week (although I do effort to see all of my students once every 2 weeks). The number of conferences that you lot conduct each day will depend on a) your daily schedule and b) the frequency with which you run into students in guided reading / small groups. (If you just see students in small groups about once a calendar week, and so you volition want to plan for more individual reading conferences than if, say, you see students three-4 times per week for guided reading.)

I tend to teach three unlike types of reading conferences: standard, cheque-back, and extended conferences. In the next sections, I'll explicate what each ane of these conferences looks similar.

Standard Conferences

In a "standard" conference, I follow the observe-compliment-teach routine. This is non something I fabricated upwards; many teachers utilise this method, and I believe I kickoff learned virtually information technology in Jennifer Serravallo and Gravity Goldberg's 2007 bookConferring with Readers. In an observe-compliment-teach conference, I run into how the student is doing, provide a compliment virtually something she is doing well, and teach or review 1 strategy to aid her move forward.

For me, a successful briefing begins earlier I ever sit down down with the reader. I have to have, in my mind, some general ideas about what I might want to work on during the briefing. Otherwise, ane of two things might happen:

• I get blank and am non sure what to teach during the concluding part of the briefing
• I discover something that I could teach, and I teach the strategy—but information technology's not a "high priority" strategy (meaning, information technology's not related to our electric current reading workshop unit or an important skill for the student to master at his/her current reading level)

To avoid this, I always attempt to have these two things with me during ANY briefing:

1. A list of goals for our current reading unit
2. A list of strategies that are relevant to the student's current reading level (since I have readers at many levels, I accept many checklists with me and merely plough to the correct 1 for each student)

Here are examples of both (the "form checklist" is from a second grade reading unit and has one additional page, not shown; the Level H rubric is an example of a reading level specific strategy listing):

Beingness prepared for a conference is essential and helps me get the most "bang for my buck!" When information technology'southward time to behave the briefing itself, here'south what that looks like:

Observe

• I check in to see how this reader is doing. I desire to find at least one thing to compliment him/her on, and one thing to teach to move the reader forward.
• I usually do ane of the following things during the observation component: ask the reader what strategy he/she is working on, enquire a focused question to help me observe out something specific ("Why did you choose this book?" or "What do you lot similar nearly this book?"), ask the reader to describe what is happening in the text (comprehension check), or inquire the reader to read a section of the text out loud to me.
• I endeavor to jot down at to the lowest degree one thing I see the student doing well and ane expanse for improvement.

Compliment

• I tell the reader what I noticed her doing, using very specific language. (Example: "I saw that you covered upward the end of that give-and-take with your finger. You read the base of operations discussion, uncovered the ending, and read both parts together. That was a great strategy for figuring out a longer word!")
• I encourage her to continue doing it!

Teach

• I teach the reader one new strategy that I believe could aid move her forward, OR I review something that we have worked on in the past.
• This teaching point is usually related to one of my goals lists that I mentioned before – the unit-specific checklist, or the reading level specific checklist).
• To demonstrate the strategy, I choose a different word or department in the text she is reading OR I apply a text that I brought to the conference for modeling purposes (you lot can read a little more than most that strategy Here).
• If possible, I ask the student to demonstrate the strategy right there and then (this can usually exist done easily with decoding or fluency strategies), OR to write on a sticky note the side by side time she uses the strategy (better for comprehension or vocabulary strategies).
• I provide a visual reminder to help the pupil retrieve to apply the strategy (I like to use these strategy cards from my reading workshop toolkits, shown below)

• I thank the reader for conferring with me and wrap up the conference!

All of this happens in nigh 5 minutes, which can make timing tricky!! Use a timer if you're having trouble keeping your conferences brief. 🙂

Check-Back Conferences

A bank check-back conference is slightly different and does not follow this discover-compliment-teach routine. In a check-back conference, I'm touching base of operations with a student to see if she has been using a strategy I taught previously.

The construction of this type of briefing is a little "looser." I might begin by:

• Asking the child to read aloud from his book
• Inquiring directly most the strategy: "Tin can you evidence me an case in this volume or another one where y'all <made a prediction / insert your own strategy here>?"

Once I've determined whether or not the child is using the strategy, I then:

• Praise the child for using it (if applicative)
• Re-teach the strategy in a different manner (if necessary)
• Provide a visual reminder to use the strategy (if I haven't already)
• Encourage the child to keep using the strategy

In my own notes, I record my observations most if/how the child is using the strategy (or non using it yet).

Extended Conferences

An extended conference is….just what it sounds like. 🙂 A longer conference!

I rarely use extended conferences. Only if I've noticed that a child is Actually struggling with one attribute of reading, and guided reading / regular conferences aren't helping, I know that I accept to devote a little more time to helping him/her.

In an extended briefing, I basically eliminate the "Observe" portion of the "Observe-Compliment-Teach" routine. (It'south unnecessary; I already know what I want to work on!)

I begin by giving the child a compliment about his / her reading. Then, I spend five-10 minutes working with the child on the "trouble spot." I contain modeling, guided practise, and and so encourage the child to continue using the strategy independently.

When I conduct an extended conference, I normally follow it up with a "check-back" briefing a few days later. Since I devoted extra time to that student, I want to brand certain that he/she is following through with the strategy!

More Help with Reading Workshop

For more help with reading workshop, accept a peek at my new shared reading units for Kinder, 1st, or 2nd grade. You can learn about them HERE!

Happy didactics!

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Source: https://learningattheprimarypond.com/blog/how-to-conduct-individual-reading-conferences-kindergarten-first-second-grade/

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