Guided Reading Tracking Tool {Freebie Included!}

Let's chat about guided reading for a quick second. More specifically, tracking student growth during guided reading. I've got a super easy-to-implement idea WITH a free resource to make it!

You can choose to glue on the leveling cards and laminate!

This idea that I'm sharing today isn't a new idea, but it's a "new to me" idea and I think it's brilliant, and more importantly, easy to implement.

I saw this guided reading reading folder in use by my daughter's current teacher. Here's how it works:

She assess her 1st graders at the beginning of the school year to determine their reading level. (She uses DRA [meaning she uses numbers to track with] but any system you use will work.)

Once her students are assessed, she writes their names on a small post-it such as these (aff. link) and also records their assessed level in parenthesis next to their name. Why, you might ask? Here's the genius part--by recording the level they started the year at, she's able to see how much they've grown throughout the year, and especially at the end of the year.

For example, my daughter started at level 8 (DRA). She was recently re-assessed and is now at a level 18. This means her teacher will move Lilly's post-it underneath the 18 card, but she's still able to see where Lilly started the year. This is a great tool during parent conferences as well to show student growth (or a lack of).

All you need to create this guided reading tracking tool is a folder, the post-its, and the leveling cards. I've created those for you for using both numbers and letters in 4 different colors so you have options.  They'll work for DRA or Fountas & Pinnell leveling!

A quick note about the downloads--I've included a PDF file as well as a PPT file. The PDF file you will keep as is, meaning you can't edit it. It's a print-and-go kind of thing. The PPT file can be edited, but keep in the mind that the font may look a little wonky if you don't have the same font I used on my computer. You can select the font and change it to whatever you'd like, as well as add your own text boxes if you need something I haven't included in one of the boxes.

To download the PDF (cannot be edited) file, click here.
To download the PPT (CAN be edited) file, click here.
To hear me talk about these folders in my Instgram Stories, find me at the4thgrade_journey on IG.

Feel free to pin the image below on Pinterest to save for later! Thanks for stopping by and reading!

Best of luck in growing those readers!