Guided Reading
My absolute favourite subject to teach is English. There is so much to our English curriculum however, between reading lessons, writing lessons, the new oral language curriculum, it is full on.
I aim to do a series of posts about the teaching of English in primary school because it is where my passion really lies.
I am going to start off with guided reading and how I approach it.
- Grouping Students
Assess your students abilities and group accordingly.
Once assessed, list all students by Guided Reading Level. I like to make groups of five and plan my instruction according to their level. I spend the most time with the children who are struggling with their guided reading.
2. Focusing My Instruction
The planning of guided reading can be overwhelming at first. Once you have your routines and structures, it makes like so much simpler. I like to have my texts organised by level and by group so I can easily pick the right text for the right group. It takes a while to organise but it is worth it.
Here’s what we did with our last novel , Fantastic Mr Fox
3. A Familiar Re-Read (1-2 minutes)
After we have finished the ‘choice’ part of the transition (normally lasting 2-3 minutes), I head to my table and listen to a child read to their friend. This is normally when I am doing a running record,or assessments.
Picking 1-2 words from the book that align with sight words students need to know at that level, we practice writing, saying, and applying the words. We do lots of sentence writing, oral writing, and sharing our ideas while using our focus sight words in context.
4. Book Intro (1-2 minutes)
A book introduction is short, sweet and too the point. It is teacher-driven and gives students only an overview of what’s in the book. It does not summarise the book.
Once our book has been introduced, we are ready to read. Students are reading by themselves at the whisper. As students are reading (using all of their strategies and checking for any words we might have predicted), I am checking in with students individually. During this time I listen to students read, prompt them for strategies, ask questions, and provide support. .
5. Focus: I pick a focus for each of our book and that is my main teaching focus for the week in English.
The last few minutes for our time together is spent in Word Work and written activities.
I am hoping to start guided reading with my 34 3rd class in January – can you suggest the best book options to use and what activities the pupils should be doing that are doing independent work?
Regards
Karen M