Quick and Clutter-Free Guided Reading Game Storage

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Here’s an organization tip for storing guided reading materials! If you like to use games, workmats or re-usable activities for warm-ups or wrap-ups to your lesson time… this may help you grab what you need fast. I hope you find this quick storage tip easy to use and helpful!

Quick and Clutter Free Guided Reading Game Storage - KindergartenWorks

Guided Reading {Pain Free} Organization

Store your activities by skills. Keep them in separate baggies so that you can easily grab and go when a lesson starts. I keep these expandable folders around… and keep them organized in the drawer by difficulty. You’ll also know where to take a group next just by having things in order of general kindergarten progression/difficulty.

Possible Skills to Organize By:

Quick and Clutter Free Guided Reading Game Storage - Organization - KindergartenWorks

Keeping the “Stuff” Out of Sight

You don’t need to pull stuff out until it’s group time! While it’s a nice idea to pull things ahead of time and put them into a group’s basket/bin… that only means you have to later put it away {uggh} and it can get tricky if you want to use the same resource with more than one group. If you can, do a little rearranging… pull a filing cabinet drawer near your guided reading instructional space – so your materials can stay tucked away until the group comes and go right back in when they leave!

Quick and Clutter Free Guided Reading Game Storage - KindergartenWorks

While the group is making their way over, you reach in the drawer and pull out the baggie or folder with the materials needed. Students help you put it all back in as part of clean up and it immediately goes back in the drawer! …unless you’re going to use it with the next group that is. I love using a short filing cabinet with two drawers. It only takes one drawer to hold all of my gear for the entire year. You could use the second drawer to organize anything that’d be helpful to you!

Why It Works For Me

I try to only keep out items I use everyday and then leveled books/non-reusable stuff in each group’s basket. That way the group baskets empty themselves out and I don’t have an extra job of putting more things away after school is out. I like workin’ smart this way plus I could easily get lazy and the clutter would freak.me.out.

Quick and Clutter Free Guided Reading Game Storage - Filing Cabinet - KindergartenWorks
No clutter. Happy teacher.

I like to use an activity that focuses on a specific Common Core standard as a way to warm-up with a group, or as a way to wrap-up a group. I used to simply teach using a leveled book during a group’s time, but have found this a more effective way to teach each group exactly what they need to be successful as readers. I can target a specific skill(s), we practice/use it during our leveled book reading (if applicable) and I can much more easily differentiate each group and pinpoint where each student need to progress. I track it all in my guided reading binder to keep my head on straight and to make tracking data easier.

It helps with lesson planning too! Since I know a group will need to practice *xyz,* I can look in the folder and see what might work for them. Let’s take it one step further too in the name of workin’ smart. When you download a freebie or printable, store your digital files in the same way you keep your  guided reading drawer organized. You’ll have an easier time finding a matching skill game that you haven’t printed yet when you’re in need of something new/different!

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

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