What is Guided Reading

Guided reading is one component of the Literacy program during which students work independently and in small, ability groups of readers. Students learn to use reading strategies, such as context clues, letter and sound knowledge, and syntax or word structure, as they read a text or book that is unfamiliar to them. The goal of guided reading is for students to use these strategies independently on their way to becoming fluent, skilled readers.

During a Guided reading lesson :
Before reading: The teacher sets the purpose for reading, introduces vocabulary, students make predictions and discuss the strategies that good readers use.
During reading: The teacher guides students as they read, providing wait time, giving prompts or clues as needed by individual students, such as "Try that again. Does that make sense? Look at how the word begins."
After reading: Lessons review comprehension skills, including discussion of story elements and strategies used by students during the reading.

The  guided reading lessons vary according to the needs of the students in the group.  Flexible groupings are determined by student abilities and needs. We determine a child's ability level with formal and informal assessment methods, including running records, retelling, print tests, and teacher observations. Since students progress at different levels,  ongoing observation and assessment is used to track student growth, select appropriate texts, and to regroup students as their needs change.

A wide variety of books at different ability levels, sometimes called "leveled texts," are used for each group.  Books are selected that are easy enough for independent reading, meet the instructional goals for the group, and are interesting and motivating to students. As students become more skilled at using a range of reading strategies, the ability level of the texts used in guided reading lessons can be increased. Previously read texts are available so that students can reread them independently, with a partner, or at home as they become fluent, confident, and self-motivated readers.