I found my Guided Reading article at http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/guided-reading-primary-classroom. First you want to place your students into small groups that are made up of about the same level of reading. As the children progress you can switch their groups around. The article gave three steps to guided reading.
1. Before reading make predictions about the book, pick out words to discuss the meaning, and talk about WHY you are reading the particular book.
2. During reading guide the students in a way that allows them to review their mistakes and try again. You need to allow that wait time to see if they will recognize their own mistakes.
3. After reading provide praise for their strength in reading.
I like the idea of small groups because I think it allows the children to read in a more relaxed environment. I know I make less mistakes when I have less pressure on me and having a classroom of eyes on you can be a little intimidating!
I didn't think about how much more relaxed reading aloud would be for students in smaller groups. That's a great point! This would definitely boost their confidence, therefore benefiting their literacy development.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea for small groups as well! I feel like each child is more apt to talk because they may feel less intimidated on how many "eyes" are looking at them.
ReplyDeleteSmall groups is definitely the best way to hear several children read! I know that I used to feel so pressured when I had to read in front of the whole class, especially when I was unsure of some words. Guided reading groups like you talked about take away a lot of the pressure and allow for the children to really focus on their reading.
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