You are going to create a guided reading lesson plan to support your activities this week. You have presented the text via your Think-Aloud/Read-Aloud. In addition, you have already created word study activities. You are well on your way to creating a balanced literacy lesson.
Guided reading groups are small groups of about four to five students who are at the same reading level. Every day during your literacy block, you will conduct 15- to 20-minute guided reading group lessons. You need to meet with your lowest performing group every day. You can rotate between your higher performing groups. Each lesson will be targeted to address the differentiated reading levels of your class. Usually, teachers use basals or leveled texts during their guided reading lessons: Helpful criteria for selecting leveled texts
.While you are conducting these lessons with your small groups, the other students will be engaged in various literacy activities; here are some suggestions for what to do with the other students while you are busy conducting a guided reading group (Links to an external site.).
First, you are going to have to learn more about guided reading lessons. Review these resources about guided reading:
- What is guided reading?
- What is balanced literacy?
- What is leveled reading?
- A helpful guided reading lesson training video (Links to an external site.)
- An inventory of guided reading lesson plans (Links to an external site.)
- Comparison of traditional and guided reading groups
- Structured talk: Guided reading groups (Links to an external site.)
Second, you are going to have to learn about various groupings for guided reading (Links to an external site.). Read this short web article: Tips for getting your guided reading groups started quickly (Links to an external site.), and Steps to establish small-group reading instruction. Usually, you will have groups broken down as follows: Far Below Grade Level Reading Expectations, Below Grade Level Reading Expectations, At Grade Level Reading Expectations, Above Grade Level Reading Expectations, and Far Above Grade Level Reading Expectations.
Third, you’ll need to choose a text. Make sure it supports your anchor standard and your Read-Aloud text. Choose a text from this list of leveled picture books.
Fourth, you are going to create a guided reading lesson using the template provided below. Keep in mind there are many different types of templates.
In a five-to-eight-page paper (not including title and reference pages) with proper APA formatting and citations, you will include the following components:
- Restate your anchor standard, grade level, and Read-Aloud text.
- Describe how many guided reading groups you will have in your classroom and how you will name them.
- Complete the following lesson plan template.
Attached template
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
