How to Link a Reading Basal With Its Leveled Readers for Guided Reading

Enhance reading instruction in the primary grades with leveled readers.

Primary level (kindergarten through third grade) reading series often offer both basal readers for guided reading and leveled readers for small group reading. Both elements are extremely important for reading success. However, the two should be considered separate teaching. Teachers must find a way for the two readers to work together to enhance the level of instruction that the students receive. Linking a basal reader to the leveled readers during guided instruction will lead to the greatest reading benefits.

Instructions

1. Find common sight or high-frequency words in both readers. Kindergarten and first-grade teachers usually focus on specific words each week. Use words that both the basal and leveled readers have in common. Ensure that the children are aware that the words occur in both books. Ask the students to find the words and point to them or read the sentences that contain the words.

2. Compare and contrast the story elements in the basal and the leveled readers. Discuss how the characters, setting and plot are the same and different in the stories. Create a graphic organizer to give the stories a visual for the relationship between the two readers. Venn diagrams are good tools for comparing and contrasting.

3. Refer to the books during reading sessions. Whether you recall an event that can relate to the current story or a rule from phonics that is found in both selections, there is always an opportunity to refer to the books. Use phrases such as "Remember in (basal story) when we saw the word ..." or "One of the reading groups read a story that also had this word. Does anyone remember it?"

4. Assign activities that require the use of both books. For example, have children in older primary grades (second or third) rewrite one of the stories combining the characters from the basal reader and the leveled reader. The children could also write a story with the settings exchanged. This activity could be done orally or through pictures in early primary grades.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the basal reader for instructional purposes and the leveled readers for reading practice, comprehension and fluency.

• Always carefully select leveled readers for the children that reflect their true reading ability. Be open to moving students from one level to the next if needed. It is the goal that students progress to higher levels as they read. Never confine the students solely to the basal reader. All children are not on the same reading level as the basal.

References

• Scholastic: Leveled Reading Systems
• A Beginning Advantage: Why Go Beyond Basal Readers?
• Reading Programs: Guided Reading