Guided Reading: The Nuts and Bolts of Running a Group

August 25, 2011Blain, Carroll, New Bloomfield

Paraprofessionals

What is Guided Reading? Working with small groups of students

With adult support, students are successful.

Students are: reading material at their instructional levels

90%-94% accuracy practicing the skills and strategies learned in shared

reading or whole group reading

What is the Purpose of Guided Reading?

“The aim of guided reading is to develop independent readers who

question, consider alternatives, and make informed choices as

they seek meaning.”

-Margaret Mooney

Why Does Guided Reading Work? Material at student’s instructional level

Students have opportunity to practice skills and strategies

Too easy-Do not need to use skills/strategies Too hard-Students get frustrated;

comprehension breaks down Adult support

Students make greater gains than they would on their own

Small groups Allow for interaction between readers and

adult

What is the Role of the Paraprofessionals? Working with a guided reading group Classroom teacher will form the groups, do the

planning, pick the books, etc. Rotate group with teacher

2 weeks with one group and switch groups with teacher Training

Today-Nuts and bolts of running a guided reading group

Tomorrow-Analyzing running records (This will be overwhelming-Don’t Panic!)

September-Administering running records Future-Throughout school year as needed

What Materials Do the Students Read? Instructional level

Reading materials

Multiple books within the week (K-1) Multiple books within week or chapter books (depends on needs of

readers) (2-3) Cover multiple skills/strategies over the duration of a chapter book

Chapter books and novels (4-5) Cover multiple skills/strategies over the duration of a chapter book or

novel

Mix of genres

What is the Lesson Format? Lesson format (refer to chart)*

Warm read Sending books home at night

Before reading Videos

Amy-First Grade Linda-Fifth Grade

During reading Techniques (K-1 vary depending on needs of students and text)

Whisper reading-Each student reads in a whisper to him/herself; You listen in and provide assistance when needed

Echo reading-You read, students repeat what you read Choral reading-All read together Shared reading-You read aloud and students follow along Paired reading-Students pair up; each reads aloud a portion and other

student follows along Techniques (2-3/4-5)

Whisper reading Videos

Amy-First Grade Linda-Fifth Grade

What is the Lesson Format? (cont.)

After reading Videos

Amy-First Grade Linda-Fifth Grade

*For fourth and fifth grades, this format is for struggling readers. Advanced and proficient readers can be in literature circles.

Decoding During Reading: Going beyond telling the student the word

Small white board, marker and eraser are your best friends

Decoding strategies Using sounds (Ex. shop /sh/ /o/ /p/) Showing familiar words/word families (Ex. that/cat, sat, mat) Showing parts of two known words (Ex. Tray/tree play) Chunking words (Ex. stinger/sting-er and blend) Using the sentence (skip the word, keep reading and use meaning of

words in rest of sentence to figure out the skipped word) Using environmental print (using print around the room) Using prefixes, suffixes, root words (Ex. biology/bio-life, ology-study

of) Asking questions:

Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense?

Let’s See it in Action

Word work clips Jennifer-Second Grade Kris-K