I use my binder in guided reading EVERY DAY! I am lost without it! I keep everything in there and keep it organized so I can find student data when needed. Here is how I do it...
First, you need a HUGE binder. By the end of the year it will be FULL of running records and data. Also, if I have to look at that binder and use it every day...it might as well be cute. So... I made this binder cover page and some dividers.
Get the other dividers here:
In the front of my binder I always have my guided reading schedule...so I know what groups I need to meet with that day as well as my lesson plans for my groups. These are the forms I use:
We also send home books to read in a book bag. I keep track of the books they take home as well as the date they take it home and return it. If I am ever short a book, I can look at this chart and know exactly who still has it. This is the checkout form I use:
Next, I have a separate tabbed divider for each student in my class. This is where I put all of their running records. An easy way to keep track of their progress and the stories/levels they have completed is with the running record summary sheet. I have one of these for each student. I add it to the front of their section of running records so I can find it easily.
Some other information you might want to add to your binder is a yearly data sheet that shows their reading level progress. I often refer to this in planning meetings as well as parent conferences to discuss student progress.
I also like to have this graph for each student. It is a great visual for students and parents about where they are reading and where they need to be reading each nine weeks. I like to keep it in a separate folder to show parents at conference time.
If you are new to guided reading, these cheat sheets might be helpful to keep in your binder as well. They have a quick breakdown of guided reading expectations.
I hope you find some of this useful!
