[nstafins]

We use LLI as it seems many other people on this board do. My problem is that the kids all read at different speeds and the students are required to read independently at this age. Is there anything you can recommend on having the kids work on while they wait for others to finish reading? Language packets, etc? I tell them to bring independent reading books, but most show up without one or they don't want to read anymore after reading the LLI book.

Also-- any resources you could suggest would be great too. Looking to break up the week by switching from LLI to something different at least once or twice a week. Thanks everyone!

[cabernet]

My thoughts are to do word work and sentence strips. Use the words from the stories and use them in different ways: alpha order, sort, etc so the children become familiar with them. Sentence strips are great for comprehension, including sequencing.
If you want something ready made, I found this:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/...homework%20lli

[LastMinute123]

Leave several books from previous sessions on the table in a basket. Once they finish the new book, they have the option to reread it or reread something else. Everyone must be reading the whole time. You can talk to them about how rereading is great for understanding new things about a book and great for working on your fluency so you read like you're talking. Do some fluency work with all of them to get them reading in a phrased way so they can practice it. It's not so much about speed as it is about intonation and phrasing that carry the meaning of the text:

The. dog. ran. into. the. big. empty. yard. and. tore. it. up.

The dog ran -- into the big empty yard -- and tore it up!

The dog RAN into the big empty yard and TORE IT UP!!

This will both speed up your slow readers and give your faster ones something to work on within the text. Call it 'adding flavor' and talk about the plain, boring, word-by-word reading you eat when it's the only thing around and you're starving, the kind of sweet reading in chunks that is a snack but doesn't really fill you up, and the super spicy reading with lots of flavor to make you always want more. Put it on a chart and have them rate their own reading - Boring (word by word, voice stays flat), sweet (some words together but not all, some change in your voice), or spicy (words grouped together, voice goes up and down)?