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Introduction
Introduction
Guided Reading is an example of my small group direct instruction. Each student joins a teacher-led guided reading lesson for twenty minutes at least twice per week. There are four to six students per guided reading group, and I cater each lesson to each group's literary skill needs. There are four important elements to my guided reading lessons - fluency, preparing to read and reading, after reading, and note taking.
Fluency
Fluency
Before we begin a lesson, I always review a fluency skill with the group. This could look like letter name or sound recognition practice, or, as students become more advanced, CVC blending practice. It could involve a variety of materials such as magnets of letter tiles to practice building words, or activity papers like those pictured below.
Preparing to Read and Reading
Preparing to Read and Reading
Before I begin a guided reading lesson with my students I consider what level book they will be reading and what skills I can target in that level. I reference charts like the one below to see what skills a student is expected to master at each book level.
After I choose a book skill for a particular level, I look for a book that will support this skill.
In the example below, I chose a level B book called "At Grandpa's House". I focused the lesson on "1 to 1 correspondence" and "check the pictures". Before introducing the book, I showed students flashcards with the sight words from the book in isolation, then put the sight words together to make the pattern we would see in the book. We read the pattern while pointing together a few times and I discussed the importance of one-to-one correspondence. Then we practiced using our "eagle eye" to look between the picture and the beginning sound to decode a word. Once students have reviewed these skills, I give them each a book. At levels A and B, we read 1-2 pages chorally and then they continue on their own. Once students are level C readers and beyond, they begin reading individually and I check in with each student as they read.
After Reading
After Reading
This section becomes more and more important as students develop higher phonemic skills. Once students
Note Taking
Note Taking
While my students are reading, I take anecdotal notes about which skills they appear to be mastering and which they may need additional support with. I consider each student individually and the group as a whole. My guided reading groups are fluid, so if a student appears to be making a significant jump ahead or to need more remediation after a few lessons then I may move them up or down a group to make sure they are paired with similarly leveled students.
In this example, most of my five students were showing progress with one-to-one by pointing as they read, and "Eagle Eye" or decoding by looking at the first sound and the corresponding picture. As a group, they need more help sounding out words beyond the first sound. Next time I will choose a fluency game focusing on sounding out longer words while still referencing a picture and I will find a book with a longer pattern or a simple break in pattern to increase their challenge level.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Guided reading is one of the clearest ways for me to meet each of my students' needs. I enjoy this small group instruction opportunity because my students receive more individual attention than in their whole group phonics lesson and they are able to use a wide variety of manipulatives in a structured way. In guided reading, my students get to apply skills that they have learned in phonics and writing instruction in a more personal and focused way where they can get quick, individualized feedback.
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