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Guided Reading involves grouping students according to the
current DRA reading level. The text used during guided
reading is selected by the teacher because it emphasizes
specific skills that the students need to work on. In
guided reading, the students and the teacher explore the
text together through discussion. The teacher selects the
text, introduces it and guides the students as they talk,
read, and think their way through the text.
The key objectives of a guided reading are:
-
an appropriate text is selected by the
teacher
-
the purpose for reading is established and
shared with the students
-
the skill being taught is introduced as
well through the reading or prior to the reading depending
on the skill
-
the reading is introduced to the students
through guided discussion
-
texts are read (either individually, group,
chorally, and/or by teacher) and discussed by students
-
students respond to texts
-
specific skills are emphasized during the
lesson
-
individualized reading instruction
Steps in the Process of Guided Reading
-
Teacher Preparation
A wide range of text forms are suitable for guided reading
- stories, poems, articles, reports, recounts,
descriptions, instructions, explanations, arguments,
extracts from magazines or newspapers, picture books,
cross curricula texts, extracts from novels to just name a
few. The teacher spends a significant amount of time
planning how to introduce the text to the students. I
often have the students discuss what the think the story
will be about, what genre it belongs to, etc. A teacher
needs to read the selected book and come up with questions
that will encourage higher order thinking in the
students. The teacher also needs to develop a follow up
activity to the text that will emphasize the desired
skills.
-
Introducing the Text
This will vary depending on the text selected. The
discussion may be based on student's recent experiences,
the author of the story, the title and /or illustrations
of the book, opening sentence, possible genre, and/or
current theme being studied within the classroom. The
students should be encouraged to ask questions, make
predictions, and discuss what they think the text will be
like.
-
Reading the text
Students may read the text individually, group, chorally,
and/or by teacher. Depending on how the text is read, the
teacher then questions the students about what has been
read. Asking questions as the text is being read is an
excellent way to monitor your student's reading.
-
Questioning/Assessment
Depending on how the text was read, the teacher will often
question students during the reading. These questions
need to require higher order thinking and relate to the
skill being taught. If the students read independently,
this is the time the teacher observes the students as they
read, noting problems or difficulties that need to be
followed up later.
-
Responding to and discussing the text
It is during this time that the teacher and students
respond to the text. They may reflect on their
predictions, clarify any misunderstandings, ask questions,
examine the author's craft, validate responses by using
the text as evidence, and
-
Follow up
Follow up activities to extend students'
understanding of the text may be valuable. However, the
reading and the discussion may be enough in itself.
Guided Reading helps to develop in students:
-
positive attitudes to reading
-
desire to read
-
appropriate strategies to gain meaning from
texts
-
the skills needed to think critically and
outside the box
-
the skills to decode and define unknown
words
-
the skills to access information and use it
effectively
For additional in-depth hints on questions to
ask during guided reading, please visit
My Reading Strategies Page. You may also wish to
visit
Characteristics of Leveled Texts page for additional
information on the various reading levels.
Independent reading involves the
children reading self-selected texts on their own. These
self-selected texts are selected from their appropriate DRA
reading level. Upon completion of a book, the students are
required to respond to the reading in their reading
journal. Responses can be chosen from several prompts.
Possible Prompts:
-
I like...
-
I didn't like it when...
-
My favorite part...
-
This story makes me think of...
-
This story reminds me of...
-
I noticed that..
-
I wondered..
-
I predicted..
-
I
would recommend this story because...
-
I like
when the character...
-
The main character reminds me of...
What the children enjoy most about this
center is that they can use our big pillows and lay on the
floor to read. They also like using bean bag chairs as
well. The children are also able to use their whisper
phones (2 pvc pipe elbows attached by a short piece of pvc
so that it looks like a small phone) which allow them to
read aloud but they are the only ones to hear themselves.
This center involves the children
reading a text with a buddy and then discussing the text.
With older students, I have them complete a Buddy Reading
form. With the younger students, I make observations as to
how the read, their questioning skills, and so on. The
students enjoy buddy reading because it allows them to set
their own pace with reading a story and to read with a
friend. They are also in control of the questions being
asked.
This center involves the use of magnetic
letters and a magnetic board. My students work in pairs and
create words using the magnetic letters. Sometimes I will
have the words on flashcards for them. Other times they are
given free choice to create their own words. The students
may also be asked to make their spelling words with the
magnetic letters. Having the students create words from
word families is also another way for them to use the
magnetic letters. For your more advanced students, they can
create sentences. The magnetic letters and boards can also
be substituted with dry erase boards and markers. You can
buy big dry erase boards cheap at Home Depot and then cut
them up into small boards. It is a lot cheaper than buying
the small dry erase boards individually.
Word Families
|
ack
attack
back
black
crack
Jack
knack
lack
pack
quack
rack
sack
snack
stack
tack
track
whack |
ad
ad
bad
dad
had
lad
mad
pad
sad |
ail
ail
fail
hail
jail
mail
nail
pail
rail
sail
snail
tail
wail |
ain
brain
gain
main
pain
plain
rain
Spain
train |
ake
bake
brake
cake
flake
lake
make
rake
stake
take
wake |
ale
bale
dale
gale
male
pale
sale
stale
tale |
all
ball
call
fall
hall
mall
stall
tall
wall |
am
dam
ham
jam
ram
Sam
slam
wham |
ame
came
game
fame
game
name
same
shame
tame |
an
an
ban
bran
can
clan
Dan
fan
flan
Fran
ran
span
Stan
tan |
ank
bank
blank
crank
Hank
plank
prank
rank
sank
tank |
ap
cap
clap
flap
gap
lap
map
nap
rap
sap
tap |
ash
ash
bash
cash
dash
gash
hash
lash
mash
rash
sash |
at
at
bat
brat
cat
chat
fat
flat
hat
mat
pat
rat
sat
Sprat
tat
that
vat |
|
ate
ate
crate
date
fate
grate
mate
plate
state |
aw
claw
flaw
gnaw
jaw
law
paw
raw
saw
slaw
straw |
ay
away
bray
bay
clay
day
gray
hay
lay
may
pay
play
ray
say
spray
stay
sway
tray
way |
eat
beat
eat
feat
heat
meat
neat
seat
wheat |
eel
eel
feel
heel
peel
wheel |
eep
beep
deep
jeep
keep
peep
sheep
sleep
steep
weep |
eet
feet
fleet
greet
meet
sleet
sweet |
ell
bell
cell
dell
dwell
fell
sell
smell
spell
swell
tell
well |
en
Ben
den
fen
gentlemen
hen
men
pen
ten
wren |
ent
bent
cent
dent
lent
rent
sent
tent
vent
went |
est
best
jest
nest
pest
quest
rest
test
vest
west |
ice
ice
dice
nice
mice
rice
slice |
ick
kick
lick
nick
pick
quick
Rick
sick
slick
stick
thick
tick
trick
wick |
ide
bride
hide
pride
ride
side
slide
tide
wide |
|
ife
fife
knife
life
wife |
ight
bright
delight
fight
flight
fright
light
might
night
right
sight
slight
tight
tonight |
ile
file
mile
Nile
pile
rile
smile
stile
tile
vile
while |
ill
bill
hill
ill
Jill
pill
sill
still
till
will |
in
bin
din
grin
in
kin
pin
shin
spin
thin
tin
win |
ine
dine
fine
line
mine
nine
pine
swine
tine
vine |
ing
bring
cling
fling
king
ping
ring
sing
sling
spring
sting
string
swing
thing
wing
zing |
ink
blink
brink
ink
link
mink
pink
rink
sink
think
wink |
ip
grip
hip
lip
nip
ship
sip
slip
tip
trip
whip |
it
bit
fit
grit
hit
it
kit
lit
pit
quit
sit
spit
twit
wit |
oat
boat
coat
float
gloat
goat
oat
throat |
ock
block
clock
cock
dock
flock
frock
lock
mock
o'clock
rock
sock
stock |
og
bog
cog
clog
dog
fog
frog
hog
jog
log
slog |
|
oil
boil
broil
coil
foil
oil
soil
spoil
toil |
oke
awoke
bloke
broke
joke
poke
spoke
stroke
woke |
oo
boo
goo
moo
shoo
too
zoo |
ood
good
hood
stood
wood |
oof
goof
proof
roof
spoof |
ook
book
brook
cook
crook
hook
look
nook
shook
took |
oom
bloom
boom
broom
doom
gloom
loom
room
zoom |
ood
brood
food
mood |
ool
cool
pool
spool
stool
tool |
oon
goon
moon
noon
soon
spoon |
oop
droop
hoop
loop
scoop
snoop
troop |
oot (long oo)
boot
hoot
scoot
shoot |
oot (short oo)
foot
soot |
op
bop
cop
crop
drop
flop
mop
pop
stop
top |
|
ore
bore
core
chore
lore
more
ore
pore
sore
store
tore
wore |
orn
corn
morn
scorn
thorn |
ot
apricot
blot
cot
dot
not
plot
pot
shot
spot
tot |
ought
ought
bought
fought
sought
brought
thought |
ould
could
should
would |
ouse
douse
house
louse
mouse
spouse |
out
about
out
pout
shout
spout
stout |
ow (rhymes with cow)
bow
cow
how
now
sow
vow
wow
plow
chow |
ow (rhymes with low)
bow
blow
crow
flow
glow
grow
low
mow
row
show
slow
snow
sow
stow
throw
tow |
own
brown
crown
down
drown
frown
gown
nightgown
town |
uck
buck
duck
luck
muck
puck
pluck
stuck
tuck
yuck |
ug
bug
dug
hug
jug
lug
mug
pug
rug
tug |
ump
bump
dump
hump
jump
lump
pump
rump
stump
trump |
unk
bunk
flunk
junk
lunk
plunk
punk
slunk
sunk
trunk |
This center involves the students
reading various pocket charts around the room. The students
like this center because they get to use the pointer and
pretend to be the teacher. The pocket charts contain word
family words, sight words, poetry, theme words, and much
more. To make this center more interesting, you can have a
wide range of pointers available for student use. You can
even have the students wear special glasses (sunglasses,
glasses frames without lenses, etc. ) as they walk around
the room. You can also have the students walk around with a
clipboard and have them write any interesting words they
find.
This center requires the students to
listen to a story on tape or CD. They are then required to
complete a reader's response to the story. Possible
responses or prompts include:
-
I like...
-
I didn't like it when...
-
My favorite part...
-
This story makes me think of...
-
This story reminds me of...
-
I noticed that..
-
I wondered..
-
I predicted..
-
The main character reminds me of...
Center 7: Writing Center
The writing center remains one of the
most popular ones in my classroom for a variety of reasons.
The children are free to express themselves and they have
many materials available at their fingertips that are not
easily accessible. Materials needed for this center can
include the following:
Center 8: Word Families
This center is very similar to the Word
Play center. However, in this center, the students are
required to use magnetic letters on a dry erase board to
create words within a specific word family. The word
families that are often used relate to the spelling words of
the week. Here is a list of word families:
Word Families
|
ack
attack
back
black
crack
Jack
knack
lack
pack
quack
rack
sack
snack
stack
tack
track
whack |
ad
ad
bad
dad
had
lad
mad
pad
sad |
ail
ail
fail
hail
jail
mail
nail
pail
rail
sail
snail
tail
wail |
ain
brain
gain
main
pain
plain
rain
Spain
train |
ake
bake
brake
cake
flake
lake
make
rake
stake
take
wake |
ale
bale
dale
gale
male
pale
sale
stale
tale |
all
ball
call
fall
hall
mall
stall
tall
wall |
am
dam
ham
jam
ram
Sam
slam
wham |
ame
came
game
fame
game
name
same
shame
tame |
an
an
ban
bran
can
clan
Dan
fan
flan
Fran
ran
span
Stan
tan |
ank
bank
blank
crank
Hank
plank
prank
rank
sank
tank |
ap
cap
clap
flap
gap
lap
map
nap
rap
sap
tap |
ash
ash
bash
cash
dash
gash
hash
lash
mash
rash
sash |
at
at
bat
brat
cat
chat
fat
flat
hat
mat
pat
rat
sat
Sprat
tat
that
vat |
|
ate
ate
crate
date
fate
grate
mate
plate
state |
aw
claw
flaw
gnaw
jaw
law
paw
raw
saw
slaw
straw |
ay
away
bray
bay
clay
day
gray
hay
lay
may
pay
play
ray
say
spray
stay
sway
tray
way |
eat
beat
eat
feat
heat
meat
neat
seat
wheat |
eel
eel
feel
heel
peel
wheel |
eep
beep
deep
jeep
keep
peep
sheep
sleep
steep
weep |
eet
feet
fleet
greet
meet
sleet
sweet |
ell
bell
cell
dell
dwell
fell
sell
smell
spell
swell
tell
well |
en
Ben
den
fen
gentlemen
hen
men
pen
ten
wren |
ent
bent
cent
dent
lent
rent
sent
tent
vent
went |
est
best
jest
nest
pest
quest
rest
test
vest
west |
ice
ice
dice
nice
mice
rice
slice |
ick
kick
lick
nick
pick
quick
Rick
sick
slick
stick
thick
tick
trick
wick |
ide
bride
hide
pride
ride
side
slide
tide
wide |
|
ife
fife
knife
life
wife |
ight
bright
delight
fight
flight
fright
light
might
night
right
sight
slight
tight
tonight |
ile
file
mile
Nile
pile
rile
smile
stile
tile
vile
while |
ill
bill
hill
ill
Jill
pill
sill
still
till
will |
in
bin
din
grin
in
kin
pin
shin
spin
thin
tin
win |
ine
dine
fine
line
mine
nine
pine
swine
tine
vine |
ing
bring
cling
fling
king
ping
ring
sing
sling
spring
sting
string
swing
thing
wing
zing |
ink
blink
brink
ink
link
mink
pink
rink
sink
think
wink |
ip
grip
hip
lip
nip
ship
sip
slip
tip
trip
whip |
it
bit
fit
grit
hit
it
kit
lit
pit
quit
sit
spit
twit
wit |
oat
boat
coat
float
gloat
goat
oat
throat |
ock
block
clock
cock
dock
flock
frock
lock
mock
o'clock
rock
sock
stock |
og
bog
cog
clog
dog
fog
frog
hog
jog
log
slog |
|
oil
boil
broil
coil
foil
oil
soil
spoil
toil |
oke
awoke
bloke
broke
joke
poke
spoke
stroke
woke |
oo
boo
goo
moo
shoo
too
zoo |
ood
good
hood
stood
wood |
oof
goof
proof
roof
spoof |
ook
book
brook
cook
crook
hook
look
nook
shook
took |
oom
bloom
boom
broom
doom
gloom
loom
room
zoom |
ood
brood
food
mood |
ool
cool
pool
spool
stool
tool |
oon
goon
moon
noon
soon
spoon |
oop
droop
hoop
loop
scoop
snoop
troop |
oot (long oo)
boot
hoot
scoot
shoot |
oot (short oo)
foot
soot |
op
bop
cop
crop
drop
flop
mop
pop
stop
top |
|
ore
bore
core
chore
lore
more
ore
pore
sore
store
tore
wore |
orn
corn
morn
scorn
thorn |
ot
apricot
blot
cot
dot
not
plot
pot
shot
spot
tot |
ought
ought
bought
fought
sought
brought
thought |
ould
could
should
would |
ouse
douse
house
louse
mouse
spouse |
out
about
out
pout
shout
spout
stout |
ow (rhymes with cow)
bow
cow
how
now
sow
vow
wow
plow
chow |
ow (rhymes with low)
bow
blow
crow
flow
glow
grow
low
mow
row
show
slow
snow
sow
stow
throw
tow |
own
brown
crown
down
drown
frown
gown
nightgown
town |
uck
buck
duck
luck
muck
puck
pluck
stuck
tuck
yuck |
ug
bug
dug
hug
jug
lug
mug
pug
rug
tug |
ump
bump
dump
hump
jump
lump
pump
rump
stump
trump |
unk
bunk
flunk
junk
lunk
plunk
punk
slunk
sunk
trunk |
Center 9: Big Books
This center is pretty much
self-explanatory. The children get to read from the many
Big Books we have in the classroom.
Center 10: Independent Work
This center requires the students to
complete independent seat work as it relates to the skills
being taught during whole group reading instruction and
guided reading groups.
Center 11: Reading Games
This center requires the students to
play a reading game that emphasizes skills being taught
during whole group reading instruction and guided reading
groups. These games can be store bought or teacher
created.
Computers are also used as a center.
There are many wonderful resources on the Internet that you
can use that are inexpensive or even free. Most counties
have also purchased access to various programs. For
example, Duval County has purchased Destination Success for
students to use.
Center 13: Karaoke
The Karaoke Center allows the children to read a story using
a microphone. They enjoy reading aloud and hearing
themselves on speaker. Sometimes I have the students record
their reading on a cassette tape or even the computer.
Their reading can even be saved on a computer for use in
creating a pod cast or
voicethread. |
