Guided Reading, Simply

 Guided Reading....Simply

Let's talk about Guided Reading, but let's keep it simple. Guided Reading is a strategic and systematic approach to growing reading competence through data driven, differentiated instruction.  Wow! 

Yet, something that is SO BIG can actually be quite simple if we break it down to it's parts.  In this post we'll unpack each component of Guided Reading while getting at its most foundational pieces.  Through this walk through Guided Reading, we'll pinpoint exactly WHAT is most important!  This is so important right now as many of us are experiencing shortened days and less instructional time with students for ELA.

The Guided Reading format has 3 major components:

• Before Reading
• During Reading
• After Reading

Each one of these components has a group of strategic actions, let's break it down.

Before Reading

• This is where you are conducting all pre-reading activities.  These activities vary by guided reading level....that's where it can get more complex, but remember we are keeping it simple.
• At this time you have three main concerns:
• giving your students what kind of practice they need in regards to word work
• providing your students with clear vocabulary support
• introducing or reviewing the comprehension focus for the upcoming read
• Word Work- this is completely dependent on the needs of your group, period. It should take about 5 minutes.
• Whatever you do, keep it simple and consistant.  Do not try to teach a new game or activity with every session, that is not an effective use of time. 
• Vocabulary- this depends on the text selection, but the key is for the teacher to be clear about definitions and potential morphology connections, this is not a time for students to "guess" at what they think the definition may be, there will be times for discussion and this is not it.  It should take about 2 minutes, give the word & definition/maybe a sentence. done.
• Comprehension Focus- this depends on the needs of the group & your grade level standards, this is what should be driving your text selection, 2 minutes.

During Reading

• Every. Student. Reads....the whole text, Guided Reading is not "popcorn reading" or "round robin" reading. (Yes, virtual guided reading may look a little different, I am talking about traditional guided reading in person)
• Listening to all students takes some practice and skill on behalf of the teacher, you are the magic!  Depending on students' ages you can use whisper reading, silent reading, and a combination of both.  I often ask students to "turn down" or "turn up" their voices as I listen in to each student.
• This is when teachers are taking notes regarding students' reading behaviors, even one note per student adds up.
• Students may need some support in decoding words or with fluent reading behaviors.  This is the time to give immediate feedback while students are engaged in applying reading strategies.  It is the Guided part of Guided Reading!
• It is likely that students will end a seperate times, have a plan.  It depends on the group...early readers could benefit from rereading, where more accomplished readers can start on the after reading activity. Have a plan, keep it simple.

After Reading

• Time to show what you know and make connections!  This activity should be directly connected to the comprehension goal but with the needs of the students in mind.
• Reading journals are an effective way of keeping this element consistent, organized, and relevant to later reads.
• The most important consideration is generating an output that will show each students' level of understanding within a short time frame, 5 minutes.  This should be more like an exit ticket.
• You can do more involved after reading activities in later guided reading sessions with advanced readers.

These are the fundamental pieces of Guided Reading.  It cannot happen truly without data to drive your instruction.  The data you collect from running records, exit tickets, journal entries, class performance or more formalized assessments like the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment all give you crucial information about your students.  Guided Reading instruction does not happen in a vacuum, like authentic reading it is connected to all of the other subjects. 

Here is a perfect example of a simple guided reading structure.  You can see in this image, lesson plans that describe before, during, and after reading activities.  You can also see as simple before reading activity (word hunt) and a simple after reading activity (sentence writing).  By using resources such as this, you can start running guided reading groups immediately with minimal prep for materials.

You can find sets of readers like this in my TPT store, Simply Primary.  There are several sets that each have lesson plans, readers, pages for teacher notes, before reading activities, and after reading activities.  Check them out here!

Don't be afraid of Guided Reading.  It is a recipe that works and has been tested over time.  It is one key element in a well balanced literacy program.  Guided Reading should be used in addition to Read Alouds, Shared Reading, and Independent Reading.  Each one of these serves its own purpose.

Let's talk more about Guided Reading!  Tell me what you'd like to explore further.  Follow my blog for more information about literacy instruction.  Leave a comment or connect with me on Instagram @simply_for_teachers!

Thank You!

Kristin