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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

No Reading Homework Tonight!

So the topic of today's post is behavior management during small group.  I love meeting with my small reading groups at the end of the day, but I have been finding it very difficult to control the rest of the class.  Nothing seemed to work, and my students seemed to always be off task and too loud. 
Today my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Hager over at 5th Grade Rocks 5th Grade Rules, came up with a strategy that was very successful!  The idea is like a reverse game of basketball "HORSE."  Instead of a letter being negative, the students word towards earning words through their good behavior and staying on task throughout our reading block. 

I labeled different colored index cards with each of the groups books.  Each group got a set of cards that said, "No reading homework tonight! (on the same colors).  I had one card for each team with me at the back table that was labeled with an "X."

The different cards for the reading groups.
At the end of each rotation, if the students had stayed on task, their group would receive a card to put up on the board.  If at anytime the groups were misbehaving, the teacher would simply hold up a strike card.  As in baseball, three strikes and you're out!  In terms of our activity, three strikes mean extra reading homework that night.  It's really amazing how well students behave when there is extra homework on the line :)  I am happy to report that this behavior management activity was a success, and I am hopeful that it will continue to work for our small reading groups.  My students stayed on task and worked quietly while I met with my other reading groups (and they didn't have any extra homework).

We are thinking of trying to adapt it for our small groups in math centers as well because it was so successful.

The students would put the cards up on the board as they earned the different words.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for sharing Miss Rowley! This is such a good idea! Behavioural management is my main worry for my practicum as well, but I think keeping a structured system like what you're doing is the best way to go :)

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