What is Guided Reading?
Guided Reading is a small-group, teacher-guided reading instruction designed to provide differentiated teaching. The small group model allows teachers to work closely with students with similar reading abilities and needs to help them develop proficiency and independence in reading complex texts. During Guided Reading lessons, the teacher selects and introduces books at the student’s reading levels and then guides and coaches them as they read.
Selecting Texts for Guided Reading
Selecting the proper texts for Guided Reading is essential for student success. The teacher carefully chooses texts on the student’s instructional level to offer opportunities to build specific reading strategies and skills. Texts for Guided Reading typically have:
- Familiar concepts and topics with accessible but not overly simple vocabulary
- Clear structures to aid comprehension
- Opportunities for teaching specific reading strategies
The teacher introduces new vocabulary, discusses the text structure, and sets a purpose for reading before students read the text independently with support and coaching.
Benefits of Guided Reading
Guided Reading provides a number of critical benefits for students:
- Differentiated instruction at the student’s reading levels
- Strategic teaching of reading strategies and skills
- Frequent, high-level questioning and discussion around texts
- Scaffolded practice to increase reading independence
- Immediate feedback and clarification from the teacher
- Opportunities for students to talk, read, think, and learn together
Students thus develop proficiency with decoding skills, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension through targeted, supported reading experiences in Guided Reading.
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