What Students Should Actually Do During the First Weeks of Reading Instruction (Free Resources Included)

You know that weird in-between space during the first week or two of school? You’re still teaching expectations. Your reading block doesn’t feel “real” yet. You’re not quite ready to dive into grade-level skills, but you also don’t want to hand out fluff work while students wait around.

So what do you actually give your students to do during reading while you’re still laying the groundwork?

You want it to matter. You want it to feel like reading. And you want it to set the stage for everything else that’s coming.For me, the answer has always been simple: story elements.

Why I Start with Story Elements

I’m not just reviewing story elements because they’re “easy.” I start here because it gives me a clear, low-stress way to:

• See how deeply my students understand character, setting, problem, and events (these are foundational to so many grade-level skills, so getting an idea of how my students are doing with these is invaluable)
  
• Model key reading routines like turn and talk, using a graphic organizer, or annotating (and see how much additional instruction or practice is needed on these areas)
  
• Start small groups or centers with tasks that feel familiar while I focus on management and structure
  
• Build reading stamina with short, engaging texts while reinforcing a skill they’ve seen before
  
• Assess students’ writing about reading and answering short-answer question skills (Can they write in complete sentences? Do they include evidence when prompted?)
  

So What Are the Students Actually Doing?

During the first week or two, while I’m still teaching expectations, students are:

• Reading short fiction texts and identifying key story elements, either with you (while you teach expectations), independently, or in small groups.
  
• Using graphic organizers to respond to read alouds (either passages or picture books)

See a huge collection of Story Element picture books just for 4th and 5th graders here.

• Completing partner or small-group tasks like story element puzzles or sorts → This is a perfect time to teach partner/small-group expectations with rigorous but accessible work.
  

Want to Try This with Your Students?

I pulled together the exact activities I use into a free Story Elements Review Kit just for 4th and 5th grade teachers.

You’ll get:

• Story element posters and graphic organizers
  
• Two sets of practice passages so you can teach the skills separately or together
  
• Hands-on review activities like puzzles, sorts, and coloring

Printable and digital options are included to fit your teaching style.

Click here or on the image below to grab the FREE Story Elements Review Kit.

You’ll also get a sneak peek into what it’s like inside the All-Access Reading+ Membership. Because once you see how easy and engaging this first week can be, you’ll start to imagine what reading instruction could feel like all year long. Curious about All-Access Reading+? Click here or on the image below.