Guided Reading: Revisiting an old friend

1. Guided Reading:Revisiting an old friend Erin Monn In-service Day Presentation for 2nd and 3rd grade teachers Oct. 11, 2010

2. Please Do Now Answer this question: What does a successful guided reading group look like? Be sure your response is at least 5 lines long. Please share your response with a neighbor.

3. What is our purpose for today? • Dipping our toes in the water with more professional development coming • Get everyone on the same page • Guided reading beyond Harcourt • Share ideas to TRY in your classrooms

4. What are the benefits to guided reading? • Best of both worlds: blend Harcourt with research-based success of guided reading • Provide data you will need to justify interventions • Consistent use of running records will allow us to move away from administering DRA2 to every student

5. Materials • Harcourt is the foundation • Works best for on-level students • Struggling readers and advanced readers need more or different • All readers need real literature • Key-look at needs of students • Other options • Book rooms • Will be expanding • Appreciate suggestions for reading materials • School library • Classroom libraries • Cover the same skills covered with the leveled readers

6. Materials (cont.) • Worksheets • We do not want to “workbook” our kids to death. • Use sparingly; they should be one, very small part of reading program • Students do not have to complete every workbook page. • Check for understanding in different ways • FCRR activities • Center activities • Performance in guided reading groups • Reading response journals

7. Groups • How big can the groups be? • Struggling readers/below-level groups (3-4) • Proficient/on-level groups (5-6) • Advanced/above-level groups (7-8) • How often do we meet? • Struggling readers/below-level groups (every day) • Proficient/on-level groups (4 days) • Advanced/above level groups (every other day) • Who meets with groups? • Classroom teacher meets with EVERY group. • Future consideration-Guided reading training for paraprofessionals • What can the paraprofessionals be doing now? • Work with groups of students reviewing skills/strategies already covered • Conference with students as they read independently • Help students as they work at centers

8. Groups (cont.) • After I look at my data, I have a student who is more advanced than my above-level group. How do I meet his needs? • Students need other students in their guided reading groups. • Talk with your colleagues and see if they have similar students • Combine the students from different classes to create a group • Rotate through the teachers on the team • Same can be done if you have one or two students who are below grade level • After I look at my data, I have an above-level student, but there is no other student in my grade level to pair her with. How do I meet her needs? • Talk with a teacher at the next grade level and see if the student would fit in one of his/her guided reading groups • Student only goes to the next grade level for guided reading; not whole group • Contact parents and make sure they are okay with arrangement

9. Lesson format • Instructional level • Multiple books within week or chapter books (depends on needs of readers) • Cover multiple skills/strategies over the duration of a chapter book • Mix of genres • Lesson format (refer to chart)* • Warm read • Send reading materials home at night • Before reading • During reading • Techniques • Whisper reading • The Helping Hand of Reading (prompts for decoding) • After reading *This will look different from Harcourt plan; These are ideas to try until further professional development is provided

10. What if I want help? • Just Ask! That’s what I am here for. • I can: • Help look at data to form groups • Help choose appropriate reading material • Help implement a schedule • Help implement meaningful independent work for students not in guided reading groups • Model a guided reading group • Share ideas amongst yourselves