Chapter+10


 * Chapter 10**

#1 Guided Reading
// When reading about guided reading on p. 176 I underlined this detail. “When I lead a guided reading group, I ask two or three sets of reading partners to join me at a table or on the carpet in our classroom library.” I had never thought of it as gathering sets of reading partners. It makes sense based on how we partner kids up and how we form guided reading groups, but calling them by partners was a neat detail that seemed like it would be more cohesive for students (We sit by our partners at minilessons, we read and talk with them during independent reading sometimes, and we join small groups with them sometimes too.) // // What detail(s) stuck out to you about guided reading that you want to remember? // // My guided reading groups will be based on my research. The basic group will be created for students having similar challenges. What I like about Reading Workshop, I can and will develop "interest" groups. This will happen during my second unit of study. Unit 1 will involve what and how this grouping will look and feel. As the children and I "practice" on becoming a community of readers, I will be assessing grouping possibilities. // // Margaret Fox ﻿ //

I also highlighted the section about including two or three sets of partners. I had not previously thought of doing so, but it does seem like a logical idea since reading partners are as close to the same level as possible. Doing a guiding reading group with partners would also allow a group to occasionally take place during partner reading or sharing time once these routines are firmly ingrained in students. A second part I highlighted also came from page 176 and discussed the book selection and introduction to the book. I rarely give students a text harder than their current level, but it makes perfect sense to do so during a guided reading group so I can see how students rise to the challenge. I want to work harder at doing “a three- or four- minute book introduction, which includes a summary of the book and a discussion of key concepts and new vocabulary words.” (176) I did introduce texts in the past, but never to that extent. What a great strategy to set up students for success in their reading of the book. Finally, I highlighted the section on page 177 discussing how children reread or find a favorite part when they are finished before a brief discussion ensues among all members. I have chosen longer guided reading books in the past and have students read a section and them come back for discussion, but wasn’t pleased with the results. I am definitely going to add this strategy to my growing list of ones to try. Stephanie Cooper In this chapter, I found that there were several things I had been doing "wrong" and am anxious to fix my mistakes this year. 1.) Often times my students read a book that they may have read before, during guided reading. (Because we used the same books for "backpack books" and for guided reading, there was over lap... and they were the books we had multiple copies of). I also didn't have the books harder than their current level either, like Stephanie. I will want them to be a bit more challenging next time. 2.) After they read the book quietly to themselves, I would have them go back and read it "out loud", "round robin" style. Oops! I will have them read silently for the entire time. And 3.) I often gave a very brief overview/ introduction to the book. I will be sure to make this a bit more lengthy and help the students get a handle on the book before they read it. Kari Bonnema

It was fun how the prompt and my only underlining on p176 where the same. I like how the book sited the work betweenauthors with different opinions. Thechart on pg 178 is a helpful reminder and an easy way to spring boarddiscussions on how to set up guided reading for the year. KDN

When I used guiding reading I typically grouped the students together on a level, without partners, but as a group. We would do an introduction, acivate prior knowledge, and look at challenging vocabulary. I would then send them off "as a group" to read and support each other. Many times the introduction, vocabulary, and background knowledge took up so much time it meant we had less time for reading. I hope to do a better job at making that transistion go more quickly. I did like the advice on p. 177 about how to handle students that finish early,"ask them to reread the text, this time silently (or without their finger), or we might ask them to find their favorite pages." I see this as a way to keep the students engaged in the text at different levels, at lets then think and stay focused on the text we are using so they can have a bigger part in the discussion when we come back together. Like my colleagues, I like the idea of using a more challenging text at times to give me a better assessment of what they can do, and what I need to change in my lessons. Mike

Some things that stuck out about guided reading was the short introduction, discussion of key concepts and new vocabulary. I really like the part when the teacher uses a slight suggestion or prompt so they can continue with the comprehension and flow of the story. I tend to want to swoop in and save them not realizing that I am probably distracting them from their book and not letting them become independent readers. Ronda

That is such a great way of looking at it…reading partners do so much together, it makes sense to gather them together for a small group. I’ve always struggled with how to work best with my proficient readers who do not need the work of decoding and making meaning like the emergent/beginning/struggling readers (page 179). I found it helpful to read that my work with these readers would involve “short texts, such as short stories, poems, articles from the newspaper, and excerpts from larger books” (page 181). I often felt like we had to tackle a lengthy text together. Now I’m thinking that I may have tried to turn “guided-reading groups into response groups, literature circles, or book clubs” as Calkins cautions us against doing (page 177). Stephanie, I found myself highlighting the same parts as you did. I have never been great with book introductions. I know now to spend more time with this. In fact, “80% of guided reading is the introduction” (page 185). I’ve always thought that kids needed only a brief intro so that I could truly see what they were doing as readers, as if they were on their own without knowing the book. I know it’s “critical to study a text beforehand,” also (page 181). I’ve been caught where I quickly pick out a text to use with a group of students and then it didn’t work well!

Sara Sabourin Chapter 10 from Bobbi Friend #1 Guided reading, in my opinion, can best occur when we have evaluated our students through running records or informal reading inventories. Once we know and understand our students’ strengths and weaknesses, we can more easily group them into guided reading groups. According to the book Teaching Reading in Small Groups by Jennifer Serravallo, we can group students into guided reading or small groups for many different reasons. We can group students according to reluctant readers, readers that are struggling, readers who are having similar issues with text analysis, or readers with similar interests. When developing guided reading groups, what I thought was interesting was that each child receives a copy of the text rather than sharing one text. I also found that Lucy asks that each child read all the way through without pausing. Children read either silently or aloud to themselves, but if the child is reading silently he or she knows to read aloud when Lucy draws near. After reading, the teaching point is made based on, quite often, a part where all the students experienced difficulty. If groups are developed with students who are having similar struggles than the teaching point should be evident. I feel that guided reading is a very important part of reader’s workshop.

I agree with Bobbi, that we do need to thoroughly evaluate with running records or informal reading inventories to better place our readers based on their strengths and weaknesses. Ideally we should provide out students with their own text. Sometimes the MAISD might have a Big book with 6 smaller copies that is appropriate for students and I am fortunate to have the whiteboard so I can project the text for our transition unit. However, I never tried guided reading in small groups using the whiteboard. Hmmm...On the other hand, I am able and have provided copies of some text from our transition units in the past. Still, I would like to have some leveled books that our students could read all the way through, aloud or silently as the author suggests. M.J.

There were a lot of "a-ha's" in this section for me. On page 177, it states, "...I don't recommend trying to turn guided-reading groups into response groups, literature circles, or book clubs." WOW! What a statement! When I taught from the basal, I would almost always teach my guided reading groups in this way. It never occured to me that I was turning them into response groups or the like. With my struggling readers I would work on actual reading, but my beginning and strategic readers were a different story. Maybe this is why I gravitated so much to the other end of the spectrum this past year with regards to Reading Workshop...where I worked mostly with kids one-on-one. I really felt like I was teaching strategies and reading skills better than in a group. The challenge for me this year will be to really work on pages 176 and 177 and hone my skills so that I can actually pull groups of kids this year and restructure my guided reading groups as to not turn them into literature circles and book clubs. Wish me luck! :) Keri Cooper

This chapter is what I was really wanting to get to. I am struggling with figuring out what direction it is that our district is moving toward. There is a big push for guided reading groups which are expected to occur while the rest of the class moves through literacy stations. This seems to contradict the vision Lucy has for guided reading groups. I feel that I am receiving mixed messages. Guided reading is expected yet, all of the kindergarten and first grade teachers were asked to attend the yearlong Reader's Workshop training and I am left wondering which way I am expected to teach reading in the upcoming year oh by the way I still have a basal that I am expected to use too. I feel like my year is going to be a mishmash of philosophies that will be hard/impossible to weave together. I want to take off full force with Reader's Workshop but some of the assessments we use are based on the basal series so I cannot leave that out without risking my class will not show the growth expected and if my job status is based on student performance I cannot let that happen. (How sad for my students because these skills tested are directly related to workbook pages that we are also expected to use.) If the student's progress was based on running records, book level increases, comprehension and growth seen through conferring, I would not be worried. Sorry, this whole comment is directly related to my personal situation but this chapter gave my some excellent amunition to use when I go in to talk to my building principal. Keep your fingers crossed for me! --Jodee Tuttle

**#2 Parallel Structures**

// Discuss the parallels between strategy lessons and minilessons and the benefits of those similar structures. // //﻿// I like this twist. It is still a small group but with a different purpose. The mixing of the ability levels—on the same topic hits at the holes students dev. Whenthere is no time to reteach. On pg 192-193 help side by side lay out the differences. KDN

Strategy lessons and minilessons are parallel in that they follow the same structure of: connection, teaching, active involvement, link, and follow-up which lead back to a connection and teaching point in a future lesson (page 187). This familiar structure is important for students. They don’t have to spend any mental energy figuring out how the lesson will go. In both the whole-group reading workshop mini-lesson and in the small-group strategy groups the format is quite similar. This allows children to free up their brain power and attend to the reading work. In fact, Calkins says, “Strategy lessons can feel almost like miniature reading workshops with small groups” (page 189). Sara Sabourin Chapter 10 from Bobbi Friend #2 The structure for both strategy lessons and mini-lessons is the same. Both lessons include a connection, teaching point, active involvement, and a link to be used in every day reading. Strategy lessons can be almost like miniature reading workshops with small groups. That is the main difference between strategy lessons and mini-lessons. Mini-lessons are done with the whole class, while strategy lessons are meant for more direct instruction for small groups.

**#3 "Yes/And" instead of "Either/Or"**

//The chapter reminded us that utilizing guided reading and strategy groups is not an “either/or” but rather a “yes/and”. What stood out to you on p. 192-194 that highlighted the importance of both for specific purposes and specific readers at specific times?//

It is interesting that in GR the teaching point unfolds through discussion. In Strategy lessons the teacher begins withthe teaching point. This is also a goodway to hit different learning styles. Some students are more focused in the beginning of the lesson and some at the end. KDN

I think that guiding reading is important for a specific group of readers and will be used mostly with whole group and small groups. The strategy groups will be used mostly with small groups that are choosen to work on the same strategy that they have shown to be of a challenge to them. I think they are both important because one brings students together to read about the same level of text and the other brings them together so they can become stronger at a new skill. Ronda

//** #4 Decisions from Conferences **//

//How might conferring regularly and often with each reader in a classroom play into a teacher’s decisions about guided reading and strategy groupings and purposes?// //Conferring regularly and often will be a concrete guide that will dirrect my planning. It was stated earlier that "predictability" cam move my children forward. This I use in my math. I confer often. I make connections and add the links. This has always been successful. It took taking this book study to realize I do confer, now I will be using the this to guide my decisions about guided reading and strategy groups.// //Margaret Fox﻿//

Conferring regularly and often made it possible for me to tailor my strategy lessons to those students who needed a particular skill. Last year when I noticed a student having an issue with a strategy (reading punctuation) I recorded the strategy and the child’s name on my planning sheet. As I conferred with others and noticed they also needed this skill, I added names to my list. A strategy group was formed when I had between 3 and 6 students listed. One thing I never thought to do in the past was to give students an easier text so they can focus on the work of paying attention to the punctuation to read fluently rather than decoding. Stephanie Cooper

I like how Stephanie gave a specific example of how she used her strategy lessonsin her classroom this year. That was a helpful visual. The skill of predictingis //nice// to teach in strategy lesson with their own books that they are currently interested in. KDN Conferencing gives us the evidence we need to make good decisions not only in the groups we form but in the needs of our students. If we decide that the group would benefit from a guided reading lesson, we can collect copies of texts that work well with the skill we want to strengthen, and form a plan to teach that skill. We would then look for any "teaching points" to surface during the guided reading, and adjust accordingly. If we see a need during conferencingfor a particular strategy that would help them all we can quickly call them together using the texts that they have with them, and with our "teaching point" already decided, give a small demonstration, short practice and have them get back to reading and using their new strategy. It seems conferencing helps you decide which direction to go. I see it as being a challenging issue, but "Oh well. //Whatever// it is, it is good teaching." **p.195** Mike

**When I read the section: Strategy Lessons: An Alternative to Guided Reading, I became confused. This is a subject I'd like to explore further and get more input on from others who are more practiced in Reading Workshop and who have conducted more guided reading groups and strategy groups during their RW time. Like I've said over and over, I wasn't great at pulling groups last year and this is an area I would like to work on for this coming school year.** **Keri Cooper**
 * // In addition to the questions and thoughts above, here is a place to post other ideas and burning questions from chapter ten, if any... //**
 * //﻿ ﻿When I read the section "managing the rest of the class" on p. 185, I was also reminded of another error. I had often tried to get in all 4 of my guided reading groups, each day! I failed to spend enough time with each group, thinking I just wanted to get them all in. I now see the importance of "quality" vs. "quantity". I also had the rest of the class doing work at centers, but after reading the chapter, I see that a better way to have them use that time, is to just let them read... read... and read some more. //**
 * // Kari Bonnema //**

I especially like the way Guided Reading is laid out in easy to follow steps on page 178-179. 1) Teacher gives the introduction/overview of the text and goes over particular pages that might be harder. 2) Students read for the first time an unfamiliar text supported by the teacher’s introduction. 3) All members of a small group read the text quietly and usually in its entirety. 4) **Students read the text without stopping and may reread it if they finish early**. 5) Small groups or partners. 6) 10-15 minutes of group work. 7) Followed by a teaching point that usually addresses ‘a tricky part.’ On page 179, the author goes on to say that “guided reading is especially effective with emergent and beginning readers who are still learning to take both meaning and print into account and to cross-check these two sources of information.” M.J.