Strategy Group

• Students are grouped according to need not reading level (For example, if a teacher observes during one-on-one reading conferences that four students are struggling with visualization, the focus of a recent whole class mini lesson, she will gather those students regardless of the fact that two read at a level M, one at a level J, and another at a level O.)
• Instead of teacher choosing text for students to practice targeted strategy, students use their own independent reading selection for additional practice

Strategy groups provide teachers a way of immediately addressing the needs identified during the reading workshop. As difficulty is exhibited, teachers pull together groups with like needs to provide the additional scaffolding needed to achieve mastery with the strategies demonstrated during whole class mini lessons.   In a strategy group, teachers begin with a model, ask students to practice with the group, and then under their watchful eyes, ask students to apply the strategy while reading independently from their self-selected book.