Guided Reading Strategy Groups

Purpose for Guided Reading Guided Reading is especially effective with emergent and beginning readers as well as struggling readers who are learning to take both meaning and print into account and cross - check these two sources of information Guided Reading is also helpful when we want to help any group of children move up a level to books that are a bit harder than those they are currently reading. Guided Reading is an effective way of trying to ensure that proficient readers are able to have a comprehensive understanding of a text.

Guided Reading is... Partners come together to the reading group – partners are ability based Teachers choose the text that will be read Book introduction is very important – it sets up students to be successful with the text Book introductions should last about 4 minutes Children will read the text aloud or silently, but students DO NOT read in unison When children run into trouble while reading we offer help. If there are too many difficulties then we have chosen the wrong book

Guided Reading is... If a child finishes early, we ask that he/she reread the text, this time silently, until all members of the group have finished When all members have finished the book there should be a brief book talk – this is not a “real book talk” it tends to be teacher to child to next child After a miniature conversation about the book then we make our teaching point, the teacher may ask, “ What was the tricky part?” or “Where did you do some good reading work?” This would be the section that you revisit.

Guided Reading is... During the teaching point the teacher may take children back to a place that the teachers deems difficult, it may be that several children had difficulty with one word. The teacher would then pull this word out on the white board and then work with similar words. Then children are to reread the sentence or phrase that contains the word you have worked on in isolation.

Issues with Guided Reading Building a library for Guided Reading Work – You will need multiple copies of books, preferably 6, to make a set of books for instruction Becoming Familiar with the Text – Teachers that are able to use the same text over and over have had opportunities to study the book and know the difficulties this book will pose for readers Doing Book Introductions Well – 80% of Guided Reading is the introduction. Begin with a few sentences in which the teacher conveys the main gist of the text in a way that gives the reader background knowledge so that he/she is able to understand the texts concepts. Ask the students to open the book halfway through the introduction, not right away Managing the rest of the Class – Children should continue doing the work that the teacher has taught them to do. This means children are reading independently or in partners. Sometimes all children are working in small response groups

Strategy Lessons Purpose is to help readers develop a particular skill using a specific reading strategy. Usually the teacher has pulled a shared text – However students can also use their independent reading books Connect - You tell the readers what it is that you are going to teach Teach/Demonstrate – You will demonstrate a strategy that proficient readers use Active Engagement – Ask readers to try this strategy while teacher is there to scaffold and coach Link – Second Teaching point is based on what the teacher has seen and then students are sent off to try this on their own as they read independently

Strategy Lessons Follow Up - The next day we begin with a share and discuss session. This is where students discuss how they have used this strategy in their reading work Connection - Then the teacher shares what she has noticed and shares what she will teach... The Cycle Continues Strategy Lessons can feel like a mini reading workshop. In one strategy lesson there is time for a minilesson, reading time, coaching, and share session