Grouping Students for Guided Reading—The Importance of Observing Students Beforehand

Teacher Observation is Key in Grouping Students for Guided ReadingGrouping students for guided reading first requires that teachers ‘know their students.’ Teachers assess their students, using the tools they know—letter/sound checks, a fluency passage, a benchmarking kit. Yet somehow, when teachers put the students together, the grouping just doesn’t seem to be quite ‘right.’ Something is missing—and the missing piece is teacher observation. Teacher observation is [...]

Grouping Students for Guided Reading—The Importance of Observing Students Beforehand2018-09-03T09:00:23-07:00

Guided Reading and Balanced Literacy—Recognizing the Need for Guided Instruction

The Importance of Finding a Place for Guided Reading in a Balanced Literacy Classroom Guided reading and balanced literacy are big ideas in literacy instruction today.   The function of different approaches in a balanced curriculum offers teachers opportunities to illustrate literacy for learners along a continuum of gradual release of responsibility. Reading to, with, and by children and teachers gives comparative amounts of support [...]

Guided Reading and Balanced Literacy—Recognizing the Need for Guided Instruction2018-09-03T09:00:33-07:00

Activities that Extend Guided Reading—Build Comprehension and More with These Suggestions

Increase Independence with Activities that Extend Guided Reading There are several ways in which activities that extend guided reading increase the powerful learning that comes through guided reading instruction. First, the very best activity to extend guided reading into independent work is to make the book available to students to read after the small group instruction has concluded.  As students revisit the book on their [...]

Activities that Extend Guided Reading—Build Comprehension and More with These Suggestions2018-09-03T09:00:41-07:00

Raising Achievement among English Language Learners with Guided Reading

Three Considerations for Raising Achievement among English Language Learners with Guided ReadingWorking with English Language learners in guided reading presents one of the best opportunities for raising achievement among these students. Keep these three key things in mind to make guided reading an effective part of an ELL’s learning day:English Language learners shouldn’t be locked into lower levels during guided reading. Text selection for guided reading is [...]

Raising Achievement among English Language Learners with Guided Reading2018-09-03T09:00:49-07:00

Building Fluency During Guided Reading

What Guided Reading Practices Contribute to Fluency? Building fluency during guided reading is essential for developing readers. Fluency is often defined by reading rate, but also includes pausing, phrasing, stress, and intonation, all of which are related to meaning. There are several ways fluency is built during guided reading. As teachers work with students in guided reading, understanding the role and expectations of fluency development [...]

Building Fluency During Guided Reading2018-09-03T09:00:57-07:00

Guided Reading and Academic Vocabulary: Words to Learn By

Guided Reading Time Is Prime Time for the Acquisition of Academic VocabularyGuided reading presents a unique opportunity for students to learn academic vocabulary if the guided reading books are written about engaging topics in ways that make academic vocabulary interesting and accessible. Students love learning “big” or “fancy” terminology for things and they will use academic vocabulary confidently if those terms have context to supply meaning [...]

Guided Reading and Academic Vocabulary: Words to Learn By2018-09-03T09:01:07-07:00

High-Frequency Words in Guided Reading: Words by Sight

When It Comes to High-Frequency Words, Context Is Key in Guided Reading Texts!The use of high-frequency words in guided reading texts offers young readers the opportunity to learn these words as part of a wider reading process. When developing readers learn these words, such as he, she, you, I, ask, is, but, the, have, and good in context, they learn to recognize these words by sight. This supports the child to become a [...]

High-Frequency Words in Guided Reading: Words by Sight2018-09-03T09:01:14-07:00

Shared Reading and Guided Reading: Learning in Context

In Shared Reading, Students Learn What They Later Apply in Guided ReadingShared reading and guided reading lie alongside each other within a gradual release of responsibility model of instruction.  One of the key ways guided reading instruction differs from other small reading groups is through this relationship to shared reading instruction. Along with read aloud (sometimes referred to as Instructional Read Aloud or Interactive Read Aloud), [...]

Shared Reading and Guided Reading: Learning in Context2018-09-03T09:01:22-07:00

Close Reading and Guided Reading

Close Reading Can Be Powerful Within the Context of Guided ReadingClose reading and guided reading can exist in the same instructional environment.  By reading closely in guided reading, a reader is encouraged to apply all their known understandings about how texts work to figure out meanings the text brings into existence.  When close reading of a text is viewed as comprehending a text in an intentional manner, [...]

Close Reading and Guided Reading2018-09-03T09:01:28-07:00

Guided Reading and Reading Strategies

Learn to Let Students Apply Reading Strategies During Guided ReadingGuided reading is a small group opportunity to support readers as they apply known reading strategies. David Hornsby, in A Closer Look at Guided Reading (2000), describes guided reading as a time when “the teacher helps the children use strategies they already know so that they are able to read an unfamiliar text independently, with success.” Those reading strategies have been modeled [...]

Guided Reading and Reading Strategies2018-09-03T09:01:36-07:00
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