Guided reading

The Ford and Opitz article Looking Back to Move Forward with Guided Reading provided a quick synopsis on the history of guided reading. It started with the grouping strategy we can all remember as kids. This of course being the groups of bluejays, robins, and crows. Or as the students thought of them smart, average, and dumb. As a fellow crow, I can remember hating this grouping and being so embarrassed about my reading skill. For this reason of negative social stigmatization, these groups ended. However, the need for small group instruction was still necessary for accurate guided reading instruction.

While the bird groups based everyone on ability, the new groups do so through strategy-based constructivism. The new focus would be on teaching learners, not merely covering the material. Guided reading is not about teachers telling their students what to learn, but coaching students on what they need to learn. It uses a scaffolding technique that "weens" students' need for constant aid from their teachers. The end result being autonomous readers.

The end of the article shared 11 facts about guided reading that have stood the test of time. Here they are:

1. All children have the ability to become literate
2. All children need to be taught by a skilled teacher in order to maximize their full potential in reading
3. The goal of guided reading is to help students become independent readers
4. Guided reading is but one component of an effective reading program
5. Reading for meaning is the primary goal of guided reading
6. Children learn to read by reading
7. Children need to become meta cognitive; knowing they they know and the how and why of reading
8. Children need to develop a self-extending system I order to be independent readers
9. Al children need to be exposed to higher level thinking activities
10. Children need to experience joy and delight as a result of the reading experience
11. Specific elements characterize the successful guided reading lesson: purpose, scaffolding, independence 

So here is my article on guided reading, please share with ,e if this was helpful or not in furthering the understanding of guided reading .

Here is a helpful guided reading activity