Guided reading is a crucial instructional approach for developing students’ reading skills. It involves a teacher working with a small group of students who are at a similar reading level. This method allows for focused support as students individually read a carefully selected text. But what exactly does a guided reading session entail? This article explores What To Do During Guided Reading to maximize its effectiveness.
Guided reading empowers students to develop strategic reading actions when processing new texts. It is a powerful instructional setting that supports each reader’s development.
Why Guided Reading Matters
Guided reading is important for several reasons:
- Expanding Processing Competencies: It helps readers develop in-the-head systems of strategic actions to effectively process texts.
- Responsive Teaching: It facilitates teaching tailored to each student’s needs, leveraging the teacher’s knowledge of each student.
- Text Variety: It allows students to engage with a diverse range of texts.
- Thinking Like Proficient Readers: It helps students cultivate the thought processes of skilled readers.
- Challenging Texts: It enables students to tackle more difficult texts with adequate support.
A Step-by-Step Guide: What to Do During Guided Reading
A typical guided reading session involves several key steps:
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Gather Information: Before the session, collect information about the readers to identify areas of emphasis. Understanding their current reading level and any specific challenges they face is crucial.
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Select and Analyze Texts: Choose texts that are at the students’ instructional reading level. Analyze the text beforehand to identify potential challenges and teaching opportunities.
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Introduce the Text: Prepare students for reading by discussing the title, author, and any relevant background knowledge. Activate prior knowledge and build anticipation for the story.
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Observe Individual Reading: As students read the text individually, observe their reading behaviors. Take notes on their strengths, weaknesses, and the strategies they employ. Provide support when needed, but encourage them to problem-solve independently.
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Discuss the Meaning: After reading, invite students to discuss the meaning of the text. Facilitate a conversation about the main ideas, characters, and themes. Encourage students to share their interpretations and support them with evidence from the text.
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Make Teaching Points: Based on your observations, identify one or two key teaching points to address. These points should focus on specific skills or strategies that will help students become more proficient readers.
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Engage in Word Work: Incorporate a letter or word work activity to reinforce phonics, vocabulary, or other essential literacy skills. This activity should be directly related to the text they have just read.
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Extend Understanding Through Writing: (Optional) Have students write about what they have read to further their understanding and solidify their learning. This could include summarizing the text, responding to a prompt, or making connections to their own experiences.
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Reflect and Plan: After the lesson, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. Use this reflection to plan for the following lesson.
The Journey to Effective Guided Reading
Becoming proficient in guided reading is a continuous process. It requires dedication, observation, and a willingness to adapt your approach based on the needs of your students. However, the rewards of seeing students grow as readers make the effort worthwhile. Guided reading creates a supportive environment where students can practice and refine their reading skills, ultimately becoming confident and capable readers. By providing targeted instruction and personalized support, you can help students unlock their full reading potential.
