Guided Reading Assignment

Guided reading is an instruction method that helps students learn about strategies and tools they can use to become skilled independent readers.  It involves placing students into small groups in which each student is of a similar reading level.  The group reads a book that is at their reading level (not below or above) under the supervision of a teacher.  The teacher interacts with the students to teach and model good reading strategies before, during, and after reading the book.

Before Reading	During Reading	After Reading
The teacher introduced the book and its topic. She connected the book to a topic the class has been learning about. Students made comments about what they saw on the cover, & the teacher encouraged them to make predictions about the text. She read the title and then the group read the title aloud together. Students made predictions. They went through each page together and looked at the pictures to find clues and connected them with their background knowledge. For the main word on each page, the teacher asked what sound it made at the beginning and then had them find it on the page.  She also did the same for reoccurring words.  She asked the students to find words on the pages that they already knew. She also helped them notice punctuation marks, their meanings, and how to read the sentence correctly.  She tells students to use the picture & text to find out what they’re reading.	Each student read quietly aloud. The teacher visited briefly with each student. -          Helped students with difficult words by sounding out the word and repeating it several times. -          Helped them notice pictures while reading. -          Took notes -          Had students reread and/or repeat words that they struggled with The students were encouraged to reread the book if they finished reading it before the teacher finished visiting with each student.	The teacher points out & provides examples of specific things that good readers should do: -          Make sure sounds at beginning & end of the word match what you are saying -          Go back & reread if something isn’t making sense -          Use the pictures to help guide your reading They played a word game together. -          She provided pictures of the weather they read about and cards with single letters on them -          She guided the students in figuring out what sounds each letter made and matching them to the pictures (1 letter for beginning sound & 1 letter for ending sound) -          The students provided the answers with guidance from the teacher when needed. She congratulated the students for doing a great job and gave each a high five.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching the video because I loved how enthusiastic the teacher was! I also thought she did a great job at taking comments from each child in the beginning and then moving on with the activity.  You could tell that her excitement was helping the students stay focused and interactive.  The only thing I noticed was that she didn't spend much time visiting with each student. I probably would've spent just a little more time and listened to them read more than just one page, but I understand that lack of time is a major factor in education.  I also felt that some of the students were not getting a chance to participate in the game at the end.  This may be because they were struggling to understand.  The other students were eagerly shouting out answers which is great because it means they are comprehending and motivated, but I think it also would've been beneficial to have students raise their hands to answer.  This way the teacher could notice those who weren't understanding and help guide them through achieving the answer.

Reading A-Z looks like a great resource for teachers planning guided reading lessons.  With a membership, teachers have access to a huge supply of leveled books which are perfect for guided reading.  You can find fiction and nonfiction books and books that come with a guided reading lesson, Common Core lesson, reader's theater script, and even worksheets that focus on comprehension and phonics.  I imagine that finding a wide variety of books at a specific level can become difficult, so it's great that this website makes it so easy.  I could see myself using this site to order books for guided reading, get guides on how to implement guided reading, and simply get ideas to make lesson planning just a little bit simpler.  I especially love that you can get the books in a projectable format which saves paper and could make instruction easier!