At this time of year, my Guided Reading groups morph into discussion groups where the students help one another answer questions and solve problems using text evidence. I’ve been working on discussion skills all year long, and we’re at the point where I can throw out a few possible topics and sit back and listen.
Sometimes a single comment reveals where a student is. This is my favorite from a discussion about James and the Giant Peach by a reader who is learning his third language:
You should not use James and the Giant Peach for research. You might think that peaches can get that big!
Now we are almost at the end of a fantasy unit. We’ve read and talked about Harry Potter 1 & 2; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Ella Enchanted. We’ve read fantasies for Guided Reading. This little boy’s comment shows us how the line between fantasy and fact still is blurry for him.