A Guide to Guided Reading Written by Suzanne Aessie, Janice Dunn and Nicole Spencer An NLSD Professional Literacy Project 2014-2015 Northern Lights School Division No. 69 Guided Reading Table of Contents 1. Guided Reading 2. What is Guided Reading? 3. Our Shared Philosophy of Guided Reading 4. The Purpose of this Guide 5. NLSD: Components of a Balanced Literacy Approach 6. What do the Experts Say? 7. Key Learning Outcomes and Specific Learning Outcomes 8. Preparing for Guided Reading Daily 5 The Daily Café Website Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System Building Groups for Guided Reading Prepare for Guided Reading Instruction The Guided Reading Area The Guided Reading Process The Guided Reading Process: Before, During and After Reading Time Line: Literacy Assessment and Guided Reading 9. The Café Book 10. Paper Pensieve 11. Online Café Conferring Pensieve (CCPensieve.com) 12. References S. Aessie, J. Dunn & N. Spencer (2015) Page 1 Northern Lights School Division No. 69 Guided Reading Guided Reading “Guided reading is an instructional setting that enables you to work with a small group of students to help them learn effective strategies for processing text with understanding” (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996, p. 2). “Guided reading leads to the independent reading that builds the process; it is the heart of an effective literacy program” (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996, p. 1). “The ultimate goal in guided reading is to help children learn how to use independent reading strategies successfully” (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996, p. 2). “Guided reading is a key part of a balanced reading framework and an essential element of a successful reading workshop” (Richardson, 2009, p. 6). S. Aessie, J. Dunn & N. Spencer (2015) Page 2 Northern Lights School Division No. 69 Guided Reading What is Guided Reading? Guided reading is a teaching approach designed to help individual students learn how to process a variety of increasingly challenging texts with understanding and fluency. Guided reading occurs in a small-group context because the small group allows for interactions among readers that benefit them all. The teacher selects and introduces texts to readers, supports them while reading the text, engages the readers in a discussion, and makes teaching points after the reading. Sometimes, after reading, the teacher extends the meaning of the text through writing, text analysis, or another learning experience. The lessons also may include working with words based on the specific needs of the children (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001). Our Shared Philosophy of Guided Reading As experienced teachers, we recognize that students in our classroom are all reading at different levels and have different needs. Guided reading has proven to be a successful tool used in our daily instruction to meet the varying needs of all students. This form of differentiated instruction takes away the frustration and fear of reading because students are working at an instructional level with the support they require. Because all students achieve success, they develop a positive attitude toward reading and experience a higher level of enjoyment. The Purpose of this Guide Is To: deepen an educator’s understanding in the area of guided reading provide the support teachers may need in order to implement guided reading into the classroom to improve upon student learning provide ideas in the structure of Daily 5 deepen an educator’s understanding using the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System enable children to use and develop reading strategies support children as they become strong independent readers provide support for NLSD teachers S. Aessie, J. Dunn & N. Spencer (2015) Page 3 Northern Lights School Division No. 69 Guided Reading NLSD: Components of a Balanced Literacy Approach • Read Alouds • Shared Reading • Guided Reading • Independent Reading • Modeled/Shared Writing • Interactive Writing • Independent Writing Guided reading is one component of NLSD’s Balanced Literacy Approach. Depending on the grade and reading level, a student might spend between ten to forty minutes a week in a reading group that is organized, structured and supported by the teacher. The rest of the time, students will participate in whole-group, small-group, and individual literacy activities at their instructional level. A high-quality literacy program provides several kinds of reading and writing. Guided reading is one approach that teachers can use to support children’s differentiated reading needs. Guided Reading… gives children the opportunity to develop as individual readers while being supported by a teacher gives teachers the opportunity to observe students’ reading process and use of strategies gives readers the opportunity to develop reading strategies to increase reading levels gives students a chance to discuss the text using higher level thinking skills allows students to strengthen their comprehension skills with support from the teacher develops the abilities needed for independent reading (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996) S. Aessie, J. Dunn & N. Spencer (2015) Page 4 Northern Lights School Division No. 69 Guided Reading What do the Experts Say? “The purpose of guided reading is to meet the varying instructional needs of all the students in your class, enabling them to greatly expand their reading powers” (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 191). “Grouping gives the teacher a way to approach reading instruction systematically so that each child’s needs are met” (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996, p. 104). Guided Reading… • is a teacher-directed activity for small groups of students with a similar need • uses texts at the student’s instructional level to provide the necessary support and challenges during the lesson • involves intensive teaching, with the teacher supporting students as they talk, read and think their way through a text • involves students practising strategies that will enable them to read independently • enables students to have a high accuracy rate in reading when the proper text is selected for them • provides students with the necessary strategies to overcome “reading road blocks” • increases students comprehension, accuracy, fluency, vocabulary and reading level S. Aessie, J. Dunn & N. Spencer (2015) Page 5 Northern Lights School Division No. 69 Guided Reading Key Learning Outcomes Example of Grade 3 KLO’s covered during Daily 5, Café Conferences & Guided Reading: KLO – I communicate my understanding of new ideas and information by making connections to what I know 1.1.1 – I connect personal experiences to new ideas and information from texts 1.1.2 – I explain my understanding of new concepts in my own words 1.1.3 – I explore ideas and feelings by asking questions, talking to others and referring to texts 1.1.5 – I choose and use a variety of text of interest to me 1.1.6 – I talk about my strengths as a reader, writer & illustrator KLO – I choose from a variety of texts to develop new understanding of various topics. 1.1.4 – I can choose different texts to help me communicate and share ideas. 1.1.5 – I can choose and use a variety of text of interest to me. KLO – I consider the ideas of others to enhance my understanding. 1.2.1 – I can explore and clarify my understanding by asking for others ideas and observations KLO – I explore my understanding of new ideas and information by talking and writing about them 1.2.1 – I explore and clarify my understanding by asking for others ideas and observations 1.2.2 – I experiment with arranging and recording ideas and information in many ways. KLO – I use a variety of strategies and cues to understand text 2.1.1 – I share ideas from my personal experience that are related to new ideas and information 2.1.4 - I apply different strategies such as setting a purpose, confirming predictions, making inferences and drawing conclusions 2.1.5 - I identify the main idea and supporting details in simple narrative and expository texts 2.1.7 – I read silently with increasing confidence and accuracy 2.1.8 – I use a variety of strategies and cueing systems to help me read unfamiliar words KLO – I use text features to understand ideas and information in texts 2.1.9 – I use headings, paragraphs, punctuation and quotation marks to help me understand 2.1.10 – I use capitalization, commas in a series, questions marks, exclamation marks and quotation marks to help me read and understand what I have read S. Aessie, J. Dunn & N. Spencer (2015) Page 6 Northern Lights School Division No. 69 Guided Reading KLO – I use phonics and language structure to understand ideas and information in texts 2.1.11 – I use what I know about phonic rules and generalizations to competently read unfamiliar words in context 2.1.12 – I use what I know about word parts and syllables to read unfamiliar words in context KLO – I use text features to understand ideas and information in texts. 2.1.9 – I use headings, paragraphs, punctuation and quotation marks to help me understand 2.1.10 – I use capitalization, commas in a series, question marks, exclamation marks and quotation marks to help me read and understand what I have read. KLO – I choose, retell and connect important details from what I read, see and hear 2.2.2 – I tell about or write my favorite parts of texts 2.2.4 - I connect situations found in texts to personal experiences using textual references 2.2.6 – I summarize the main idea in texts 2.2.7 – I discuss, represent or write about idea in text and connect to my own ideas, experience and other texts 2.2.8 – I make inferences about a characters actions or feelings KLO – I use artistic qualities of texts to create mental pictures and feelings. 2.2.10 – I express feelings related to words, pictures and sounds in texts. 2.2.11 - I identify how authors use comparisons and how they create mental image.