"The ultimate goal of guided reading is to help children learn how to use
independent reading strategies successfully."

Fountas and Su Pinnell, 1996

The Wappinger Central School Distict encourages the use of varied approaches for reading
instruction. In addition to whole group instruction with our reading/phonics
series, Harcourt Brace, I also teach Guided Reading Groups, based on the
philosophies of Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinell.



The following reading strategies are the basis of Guided Reading. Parents
and teachers may utilize them when reading with children.

Tell the child to look at the picture. You may tell the child the word is
something that can be seen in the picture, if that is the case.


Tell the child to look for chunks in the word, such as it in sit, at in
mat, or and and ing in standing.


Ask the child to get his/her mouth ready to say the word by shaping the
mouth for the beginning letter.


Ask the child if the word looks like another word s/he knows. Does bed look
like red?, for example.


Ask the child to go on and read to the end of the sentence. Often by
reading the other words in context, the child can figure out the unknown
word.


If the child says the wrong word while reading, ask questions like:
Does it make sense?
Does it sound right?
Does it look right?


* While I instruct a small group of students the rest of the class
participates in literacy centers. These centers are also commonly referred
to as learning centers or stations. The three rules for the literacy centers
are:

Use a whisper voice.
Cooperate with others at your station.
Do your job at the station.


Guided Reading lesson format:

Fluent Reading and Writing

Select 3-5 known high-frequency words and/or letters for the students to
write on marker boards to build writing fluency. Have the group chorally
read a familiar text.
Running Record

Students' partner read or whisper read while I take a RR on one student
reading yesterday's new book.
The group chorally reads yesterday's new book.
Teaching Point

Design a brief explicit instructional lesson based on the needs that were
visible during the RR.
New Book

A new book is introduced which may include today's teaching point. We talk
about the book using the pictures to predict and locate tricky words. Next,
the students independently whisper read the book. I provide support as
needed, however, the goal is to have students read and use the TP strategies
independently. Then the book is read again chorally to promote fluency. This
book is used for the RR the next day and is not sent home at this time.
Return to Centers

The students use magnetic letters, tactile letters, Wikki Sticks,
pointers,linking charts, or other manipulatives to reinforce the teaching
point skill taught in small group.
Time permitting, have the students orally compose a group sentence about
today's Running Record Book. The teaching point is incorporated into the
sentence.