How to Teach Using Guided Reading Groups

Teaching with guided reading groups is a good alternative to whole group instruction because it allows the teacher to work with small groups who have similar abilities. The advantage to this is that the teacher is able to work with only the students who need help on particular skills. A teacher can differentiate instruction and teach the same strategy in a variety of ways depending on the needs of the group. Progress can also be more closely monitored, and there will be fewer students whose learning problems go unnoticed.

Instructions

1. Group according to ability. Teachers need to place students in reading groups according to ability level. At the beginning of the year, a teacher can use data from formal assessments like grade entry tests or other standardized tests. If these are not available, a teacher can compose a checklist of skills that should already be mastered when the child enters the classroom. From the results of these tests along with observation and parental input, teachers can then form the groups. The ideal size would be five students in a group, but no more than seven. This means there will usually be three to give groups per classroom.

2. Choose texts that are at students' instructional level. When teaching guided reading groups, use texts that students can already read. To give students in a group a text that that have not mastered yet will cause early frustration. To teach reading strategies effectively, students need to be comfortable with the book or passage. Be sure that most of the words are ones that they have previously read and been exposed to often.

3. Practice strategies that need reinforcement. This is one of the benefits of teaching with guided reading groups. After you have introduced a reading strategy to the whole class, reinforce it in each group as needed. For example, if you have already taught the skill of predicting in a whole group format, your top group may be able to practice this skill with very little help from you. A group with a lower ability may have to see you model the strategy several times before its members are comfortable enough to try it themselves. Teaching with the small group format ensures that students are getting the right amount of instruction with as much intensity as they need to master it.

4. Use graphic organizers. These are good for all groups, whatever the academic level. Use of graphic organizers can be differentiated according to need and skill. For example, struggling students can be taught to use a "T" chart to separate main ideas from supporting details in a text. A more complex activity for advanced students would be for them to complete a chart detailing what strategies they used (inferring, predicting or questioning) to determine the main ideas and details. These types of charts give the students a way to see their thinking. This is especially good for those who struggle with abstract concepts.

5. Change groups when needed. Your guided reading groups need to be flexible to allow for growth, progression or regression. If you see that a student is falling behind academically or has begun reading at frustration level, not grade level, then move them to a lower group. There should be no embarrassment for the child, because groups are not labeled according to ability. Groups should be named by numbers, colors or team names. Groups should never be named in a way that shows differing levels of ability. Students who are progressing rapidly can be moved them to a more advanced group. Teaching with guided reading groups may mean more work for you, but it is well worth it if students are learning and getting the help they need.

Resources

• More about teaching reading