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Kindergarten Independent and Guided Reading Resources

33 kindergarten independent and guided reading resources: 15 activities, 12 worksheets, 5 Common Core Lessons and more. How teachers use these

Kindergarten Independent and Guided Reading Resources

33 kindergarten independent and guided reading resources: 15 activities, 12 worksheets, 5 Common Core Lessons and more. How teachers use these

Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenReading High Frequency Words Worksheet

This Reading High Frequency Words Worksheet gives Kindergarten readers hands-on practice tracing four Dolch sight words and then spotting them inside simple sentences. An answer key is included, so sight-word practice takes no prep at all.

Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenI Can Read From Left to Right Worksheet

The I Can Read From Left to Right Worksheet gives kindergarten readers nine short sentences to track and mark, with picture cards for support. An answer key is included, so print-concepts practice needs no prep.

Assessment
AssessmentKindergartenChrysanthemum Worksheet

Using Chrysanthemum Worksheet, students read Chrysanthemum and describe what she says and does when her school friends make fun of her adored name.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenRetelling Using Key Details Activity

This retelling using key details activity helps kindergarten to 3rd grade students sort key events, put them in order, and retell a story, with an answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenFinger Spaces Sorting Activity

This finger spaces sorting activity helps preschool to 1st grade children see that words in a sentence are separated by spaces. Answer key included for quick checking.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenI Like Colors Flip Book Activity

This I Like Colors flip book activity lets PreK to 1st Grade children build and read a 10-page color mini book with a repeating sentence. Answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenRetelling Stories Activity

This retelling stories activity has Kindergarten to 2nd Grade students order picture and sentence cards, then retell a pool-day story. Answer key included to check every card.

Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenBasic Reading Skills Worksheet

This basic reading skills worksheet has kindergarten students match sentences to pictures and rewrite sentences with spaces between words. An answer key is included to make checking quick and easy.

Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenAsking Questions Worksheet

This asking questions worksheet gives kindergarten teachers three observation cards for noting when children ask for help, seek information, clarify ideas, or ask about story details.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenComparing Books Activity

In this comparing books activity, K-1st grade students read two pumpkin picture books and use 12 detective cards to tell what is the same and different. Answer key included.

Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenDetails about Digging Up Dinosaurs Worksheet

This Details about Digging Up Dinosaurs Worksheet helps students identify the main idea and key details while reading a passage about dinosaurs.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenLet's Read Emergent Readers Activity

This Let's Read emergent readers activity is a cut-and-tape mini book for PreK to 1st grade that builds sight word fluency. Answer key included for the practice page.

Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenReading from Left to Right Worksheet

This reading from left to right worksheet lets kindergarten students trace reading arrows, circle first words, and rewrite squished sentences with spaces. An answer key is included for quick checking.

KindergartenAsking Questions Activity

Using the Asking Questions Activity, students actively engage in group reading activities to discuss purpose and understanding after shared reading.

Common Core Lesson
Common Core LessonKindergartenRL.K.3 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson

This RL.K.3 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson includes RL.K.3 Worksheets, RL.K.3 Activities, RL.K.3 Assessment, and RL.K.3 Poster.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenAsking Questions about a Story Activity

This asking questions about a story activity helps Kindergarten to 2nd Grade readers match question cards to answers from a short story. Answer key included, so checking the work is quick.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenKey Details in a Text Activity

This key details in a text activity helps K-2nd grade readers answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions with self-checking story cards. Answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenAfter Reading Discussion Cards Activity

These after reading discussion cards give kindergarten to 3rd grade readers 24 story questions, a spinner and a book talk page for lively group conversations about any book.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenKey Details for Comprehension Activity

Use this key details for comprehension activity with Kindergarten to 3rd grade readers to find characters, setting, problem and solution in a story. Answer key included, so checking work is quick.

Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenAsking Questions Assessment Worksheet

Use this asking questions assessment worksheet to record when Kindergarten students ask for help, information or clarification, with a sample-question legend and a whole-class table for quick notes.

From our teachers' playbook

First books, first big wins!

What do kindergartners learn in guided and independent reading?

Kindergarten reading starts with how books work. Kids learn to hold a book the right way, read from left to right and top to bottom, and notice the spaces between words. In small guided reading groups, they point to each word as they read simple patterned books like "I like the dog. I like the cat." They learn high-frequency words, retell a story using key details, and ask and answer questions about it. The click comes when a child reads their first little book all the way through and wants to read it again!

Our favorite ways to grow kindergarten readers

Little readers need lots of support and lots of practice. These moves give them both.

Point and read

Read a big book and slide your finger under each word, left to right. Then hand the pointer to a student. One finger, one word helps kids match what they say to what they see.

Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).

I Can Read From Left to Right WorksheetTry it withI Can Read From Left to Right WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Retell with props

After a story, give kids a few props or picture cards and let them act out the beginning, middle and end. Retelling with their hands helps them remember the key details in order.

Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.

Retelling Using Key Details ActivityTry it withRetelling Using Key Details ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

A few words every day

Practice three or four high-frequency words each day, mixing new ones with old ones. Kids read them on cards, then find them in their books. Little daily reviews build a big word bank.

Why it works: short practice spread over several days beats one long session, according to a large review of learning research (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Reading High Frequency Words WorksheetTry it withReading High Frequency Words WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Questions teachers and parents ask

What is guided reading in kindergarten?

Guided reading is when a teacher meets with a small group of kids to read a book together. The teacher coaches each child to point to words, use pictures and sound out simple words.

When should kindergartners start reading on their own?

Many kindergartners start reading simple patterned books by themselves in the middle of the year. Every child is different, and steady progress matters more than a date.

What are concepts of print?

Concepts of print are the basics of how books work: holding a book right side up, reading left to right, knowing where a word starts and ends, and knowing the difference between letters and words.

How can I help my kindergartner read at home?

Read together every day and let your child point to the words. Ask them to find a word they know on each page, and talk about the story when you finish.