Guided Reading: One Component of a Balanced Literacy Program November 20, 2007

What Is Balanced Literacy? Balanced Literacy is an approach to reading that was developed to incorporate both whole language and phonics instruction. It addresses the critical areas of reading instruction as addressed by the National Reading Panel: Motivation and Background Knowledge, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Comprehension, Fluency, and Writing.

What is Balanced Literacy? It is thematic in nature and provides connections across the curriculum. It integrates reading, writing, and language arts instruction as well as suggestions across the other curricular areas of science and social studies. Unlike SFA students are heterogeneously grouped usually with their grade level peers in their homeroom classroom. Balanced Literacy models have a portion of the literacy block devoted to whole group instruction and a portion devoted to small group instruction.

What is Guided Reading?

Guided Reading is… the small group instruction part of a Balanced Literacy program. instruction that occurs in a small group setting with 3-5 students who are similar in their development of reading processes and are able to read the same level of text. when the teacher works with the group in reading a piece of literature that is on their instructional reading level.

How is Guided Reading Different than Traditional Reading Groups? Students don’t round robin read so that all students can read the whole text. Children are grouped and regrouped in a dynamic process that involves ongoing observation and assessment. Stories are chosen at the group’s instructional reading level. While working in centers, workbook pages are not the primary activity. Activities should be authentic and meaningful to the students. Students respond to stories through personal and authentic activities. Teacher and students actively interact with text.

Managing Time Within the 90 Minute Literacy Block –30 Minutes Whole Group Instruction Introduction of Vocabulary Read Aloud Reading of the Anthology Grammar Lesson Spelling Lesson/Phonics Lesson Introduction of Focus Skill –60 Minutes Small Group Instruction (15-25 min. per group) Guided reading groups Targeted skill groups Learning centers

Additional Instructional Time Beyond the Literacy Block 1-3 S 1-3 S 1-3 S 1-3 S T T Flexible Grouping-More Intense Goal Specific Instruction Whole Group Small Flexible Grouping Guided Reading & Skill- Based Instruction Co- Teaching 3-5 s T 1 T s 3-5 s 1-3 s The Literacy Block

Management: What is the rest of the class doing? Students work in literacy centers while the teacher meets with small groups. Students know where to be based on a workboard, reading ticket, or assignment record form. Students can be grouped at a center by reading group or they can be heterogeneously mixed.

Literacy Centers Centers may look like… –Spelling Center Write your spelling words on a white board. Write each letter of your spelling word in a different color. Translate your spelling words into numbers using a telephone keypad and then add the numbers. –Word Work Center Oops Word Sort –Computer Center Odyssey –Writing Center Writing prompts that are connected to the story. Example - write a letter to one of the characters in the story.

Materials for Guided Reading Leveled Text: Many Balanced Literacy programs like Trophies and Story Town provide leveled text with each weekly lesson to use for guided reading groups. They have a below level reader, on level reader, above level reader, intervention reader, and sometimes an ESL reader. Trade books – authentic literature Basal Readers Articles Poetry Other

(Fountas & Pinnell, 2001) Using Assessment to Form Guided Reading Groups The following are different kinds of assessments that give different information to the teacher to help form groups and guide instruction. Students should be assessed prior to being placed in a group. –Retelling –Higher level questioning following reading –Fluency rate and phrasing (ex. DIBELS) –Concepts about print (checklists) –Teacher observation/anecdotal notes –Student interest surveys –Running record with benchmark text

Running Records Running Records using benchmark texts are the best way to determine at which level the student is reading. Running Records provide a student’s accuracy rate with a text level as well as a record of reading behaviors that can tell us what reading strategies the student possesses. You want students to be reading a level of text that they can read with 90-94% accuracy. – Independent Reading Level –90-94 Instructional Reading Level (Guided Reading) –89 and below Frustrational Reading Level

Running Records The balanced literacy programs have their own running record assessment for placement so you know which leveled reader is most appropriate for each student. But what often happens is that there are students that fall outside of the BL, OL, AL text. This is when you could use trade books. There are also many other leveling systems and assessment kits out there that provide the benchmark texts: –DRA which levels by number –Fountas and Pinnell Gwhich levels by letter

(Fountas & Pinnell, 1996) Selecting Text The text must provide the right level of support and challenge for children’s current processing abilities. Is the text so easy that children have no opportunity to build on their problem- solving strategies? Is the text so difficult to process that children get no real opportunity to read?

Guided Reading Lesson Structure see handout Before Reading During Reading After Reading

(Fountas & Pinnell, 1996) Before Reading Introducing the Text/Previewing the Text Draw on children’s experience and knowledge. Explain important ideas and concepts. Discuss the plot or theme of story. Talk about the illustrations and help children discover information in them. Use some of the new and challenging vocabulary found in the story. Draw children’s attention to specific words and punctuation. Make predictions.

(Fountas & Pinnell, 1996) During Reading Supporting Effective Reading Each student reads individually (silently or whispering), the entire text or a unified portion of the text. The teacher interacts with students individually to listen in on their reading. –The teacher may provide prompting and encourage the use of strategies when necessary.

(Fountas & Pinnell, 1996) After Reading Discussing and Revisiting the Text Children discuss what they have read reflecting on the meaning of the text. Teacher may guide group in revisiting portions of the text. Instruct students in the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Stems.

(Fountas & Pinnell, 2001) Extending the Text –Teacher may plan for an activity that expands the meaning of the text. For example, students may complete a graphic organizer or write a reflection in their journal.

Teaching Strategies The teacher demonstrates and explicitly teaches strategies children need to use in their independent reading. –Strategies for problem-solving new words for detecting and correcting errors for maintaining fluency for comprehending (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001)

Strategies for Problem Solving New Words Attending to initial letter(s) and the sound it represents Using the illustrations Looking through the word to the end Looking for a familiar spelling pattern Using “skip and return” Using meaning (context), structure (syntax), and graphophonic (phonics) cues in combination Monitoring, cross-checking and self- correcting (Taberski, 2000)

Strategies for Detecting and Correcting Errors Monitor –Listen to whether your reading makes sense and matches the letters Self-correct –Correct it if it doesn’t (Taberski, 2000)

Strategies for Maintaining Fluency Phrasing text Attending to and reading punctuation including –Ellipses –Dash Text Style –Italicized words –All capitalized words Making your voice show what you think the author meant (Adapted from Taberski, 2000)

Strategies for Comprehending Stopping to think about the text Making predictions and creating questions Making connections to your personal experiences (text to self, text to text, text world) Rereading the sentence, paragraph, or chapter Reading on a little, then coming back to the part that confused you Creating a “picture in your mind” Using sticky notes to jot down story elements such as characters, setting, plot, resolution. Summarization Use of graphic organizers

(Fountas & Pinnell, 2001) How do I monitor student progress? Running record Retelling Questioning following reading Fluency rate and phrasing Concepts about print checklists Teacher observation/anecdotal notes Student interest surveys Theme Tests Weekly Lesson Tests Progress monitoring should be ongoing during the guided reading lesson and over several subsequent lessons.

Planning the Next Lesson At the end of each guided reading lesson, you should: Think about whether your grouping is appropriate for all the students. Consider what you learned from observing the students read the text and how that will influence which book you select next. Make some anecdotal notes on what students need to learn. Think about what text you might choose for the next lesson to support this. Reflect on the effectiveness of your teaching. (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001)

(Fountas & Pinell, 1996) Record Keeping/Reading Portfolio Keep all assessments in a reading portfolio for each student. It will show progress over time, provide data for your instruction, and serve as a model for your parents.

Thank You! Happy Thanksgiving!