Gaynor, B., Thompson, L., Thomly, C. & Mellvrick, R. (1997). Guided Reading —Teachers’ Resource Book. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media Guided Reading: Guided reading is the heart of the comprehensive tracy program. It helps stwlents become fluent. independent readers. In shared reading, the teacher reads aloud, modeling the skills and stratevies ‘children reed to be successful readers. In guided reading, a teacher works with a smaller group of Students, helping them use these skills and strategies to ead a text themselves, In guided reading «the teacher works with a small group, usally four to cight sudens, {groups canbe bused on interests, experiences, and/or ability; 1 Ge iicup of groupe orl change form time tote as stadens develop at ifferent rates and a the teacher entfes the diffrent needs of individual tents the teacher helps student to read anew text sucoesfllys Students have opportunities to develo and practice reading skills and stacgies, teasers can observe students reading unfamiliar texts and enti teaching needs; teachers and students explore language features ina varity of texts; Studews develop postive aitudes towards reading. Guided reading activities are appropriate at all grade levels of the school, from emergent readers to the ‘most capable students. In the early tages, guided reading is provided three t five times a week. With ‘older, mere proficient readers, it can be done less regularly. Usually, guided reading is started with children who have developed some understanding of reading. A few children develop these understandings quickly and may be ready to begin guided reading early in their kindergarten year, others may develop them later. Guided reading may be started with children who: ‘© have an intial understanding ofthe alphabet; ‘+ know that reading makes sense and “sounds righ” ‘+ havea clear understanding ofthe directionality of reading; ‘can match the spoken words with each written words can recognize and write afew words, including their name; fare able to match the same word writen in different contexts; are earning to wse information from the text and illustration to work out unknown words. ‘Choosing xn appropriate text. “The texts used for guided reading atthe emergent and early stages are usually complete books. With kl fluent readers, shor stories, informational pieces, articles, poems, and even chapters from longer books can be used. Fora successful guided reading lesson, you need to select texts that are: ‘© not familiar to the stadents; © ffoma range of text types within the children’s areas of interest; at alevel where there are enough challenges and supports to allow new ‘earning;‘+ suitable for developing and practicing taught skills ‘+ appropriate in length — five to ten minutes" independent reading; ‘+ available in sts so that each child has a copy. Children should meet manageable challenges, with enough supports from the text and illustrations to give thema geod chance of suocess. Ifthe text is too difficul, children’s efforts are hindered andthe reading process breaks down into meaningless “word calling,” Your aim is always te help students understand ‘What they read. ‘The first readi Orientation ‘Betore the children begin to read a buvk, it is important to st the scene eo they have a suceessfl and ‘meaningfal experience. The orientation, or opening discussion, should be short ~ no longer than five minutes, Draw on a recent event, topic of interest, the ile ofthe text, the flustations, the author the main characters, or place names. SERRE EEE EEE ete ‘Orientation may involve simply walking the children through the picture and or the pattem of the story. ‘The important point i that the children know enough about the text and are motivated to read it successfully themselves, During orientation, i is useful to: ‘© set a purpose for the reading; ‘discuss unfamiliar words and concepts in a conversational way: discus a particular strategy you want the students to focus on, such as using visual information, ‘You could use an easel to write down questions, predictions, or text features to help students focus during the reading. Some words and concepts may need further explanation during and following the reading, Set rei ‘When you are confdent that the children have a grasp of the storyline, have them read the text themselves Ie Jovoteewe and sist where necessary. By ine th students soul Pate a sense of expectation and anticipation: 1 TeNctne predictions abou the text or what they wil ean fom the texts J htvesome knowlege ot how o cope wth th diicukies they will enue, eam wih any now sructre,susual vocabulary, ad proper anes Each stulent is expected to read silently. Emergent readers can be encouraged to read softly to thentsches, so as not to distract other readers, “Round Robin” reading, where children take tums at Tending sloud, is not appropriate because it prevents each reader from processing the text and constructing ‘meaning independently. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for this stage. nT ‘Eisen in” during the silent reading, intervening only where necessary to help child with a lifficulty Encourage students to use the skills and strategies they have beca learning n shared reading to solve any ‘challenges in the tex. This can also be a good time to take a running record ofa child (see page 22). ‘Observations taken at this time and recorded on a clipboard are invaluable ‘or preparing for future teachingRevisiting the text ‘What you do with the group aller the first reading will be determined by! ‘© the nature ofthe text “+ the students’ responses to its ‘the purpose that the :cacher and students had in mind forthe reading. Often the reading is suficent in itself, particularly ifthe group had already had ample opportunity to discuss experiences, ideas, storyline, charaters or information and to anticipate and confirm their understandings of the text. ‘Afterall students in the group have finished reading, they could be asked to talk bout the text and t ask ‘Questions about i. Thisis a good time to return othe predictions they made about the text before they ‘egan reading for affirmation. For some texts, itis important o talk about the author's message or debate ‘arious points of view. This sort of conversation helps students get beneath the surface ofthe text and think about what they have rad. eading Labi This is also a good time to: «use an easel to write down and analyze any words that have proved difficult or interesting, J Gaamine lettce-sound relationships, letter clusters and parts of words using the context ofthe story chart such things as the plot, main ideas, lactvopinions, eatures of text, oF technical vocabulary: alk about the difficulties some ofthe children have fuced and the strategies they used to solve them. ‘All ofthese points help reinforce good reading behavior, particularly for those children who are not yet confident readers. “This discussion should not go on too long. With emergent readers, it might last up to five mimutes and ‘with older, ent readers, it might last ten minutes. This can also be a good time to read the story again, tea group or as.a parter reading. ‘The text should be available tothe students fora fee days so that they an reread itor in the ease of younger readers, take it home to read it to someone else in the family Follow up Some related activities after reading can help to extend and enrich the experiences gained inthe sessien and practice and reinfarce skills, The activity that best encourages good reading habits is reading ise ind plenty of t. Mostof ll, students need many texts that they can read successfully, and the time and ‘opportunity to read them. Evaluating the students’ reading of the text Gunted reeling provides opportunities to evaluate students’ reading development. By observing ‘halviduat students reoding, taking running records (see page 22 and Appendices), and discussing the ‘rious ways in which students solve word difficulties, you can lea a great deal abou their reading Yahavibr, If this infornation is recorded, it can be used as reference in future lessons. In this way, you ‘can monitor each student’s reading behavior and progress through a series of increasingly difficult books.Classroom Management Guided reading can be done ata table, ata group of desks, or on a rug on the floor. small circle is the best configuration, 0 the students and teacher can see each other while reading and discussing the tex. Teally, a guided reading lesson shouldbe free from interruptions. To achieve this, you will need 10 develop a program that involves the rest ofthe class in ongoing, independent literacy activities. This will flow you to call out groups or individuals as you need them, ‘This takes time and plenty of student raining. Itis important to reach the children a range of routines by modeling them to the class several times at the beginning of the sebool year. For example: ‘how to work in learning centers; ‘how to read with a partner; what to do when finished: ‘when and how lo move to another activity; hhow to use the clas library: how to move about in the classroom; hhow to maintaia acceptable noise levels: ‘what to do when needing help. “The purposefl literacy activities suggested below should engage most children fora sustained period of time while you work with a guided reading group or at an individual conference. Some activities are ‘more Suitable for ounger children, Independent reading ‘This fe the most important and valuable activity, Students can read silently at tables, on the rg, orn the lass brary. A large number of suitable fiction and informational text should be available forthe ‘Children to choose from. You need to monitor this activity carefully o ensure that children are choosing, ppropriate materials and are reading them successfully. tub of prseleceted books can be of help. Play reading ‘A small group of children can read a play silently and then choose parts to read aleud, They could perform the pay in font ofthe class at an appropriate time, This activity isthe best done in a corner of the classroom or in the corridor. toning center ‘Ramall group of children work atthe listening center with books and a tape. Children listen to the story ‘nd then follow the texts asthe tape is played a second time. Afterwards, children should read the book independently. Partner reading ‘Children read to each other quietly in pairs, taking turns to read a page. At the end ofthe reading, they ‘ask cach other a question about the book and discuss it quietly. Directed reading Children are given an informational text that they can read successfully. You provide written instructions that give clear directions on what to do with the information in the text and suggest ways in which ‘children can present what they have learned to the clas.Alphabet and spelling games Tis category ineludes alphabet leters of various styles, including magnetic leters, jigsaw letters, bingo games, memory, crossword puzres, and matching games with words needing revision, Computer time ‘The children carry outa preset task lang to a current study or cass theme or take time to write or eit their own stories or update diaries. Sentence strips ‘The children arrange sentence strips in pockets. Students practice reading, matching, and ordering sentence sips on familiar poets. rhymes. news stories. class stores. recipes, big books. songs, and so Following instructions ‘The children are given alist of instructinns that they have to follow exactly. When they have completed the task, they present the Finished product tothe class. ‘Most teachers do guided reading in the morning during a large block of uninterrupted time. ‘To allow teachers, particularly of young children to reach one or two groups for guided reading and to monitor independent activities each day requires seting up a rotations system the children can follow easily you want more info concerning Guided Reading... Here are (wo web sits Guided Reading Resource Page Guidet Reading Links Early Literacy Assessment Forms What is Guided Reading? Guided reading isa context in which a teacher supports readers development of effective ‘up vow pburg k12.n.us/GuidedRexding/indes. him Guided Reading Ihave compiled sonte of the information Ihave shared in my inservices on Guided Reading. Much of my information and yuotes a taken from the “gods” of teaching; Foustas and Pinnel, Dorn, French and hipulwwow seocities com/Wellesley/Atruny/1783/GuidedReading him)