What was the highlight
of the session?
My highlight today- what does an effective guided reading programme look like!Book Introduction
- activate prior knowledge
- predicting
- new vocab
- tricky concepts/ideas
- unpack the learning focus for the group (usually ongoing for a series of lesson)
- practice if necessary
- students read the text (if short) or a chunk of text
- teacher listens in to students reading, guides and supports as necessary
- discuss comprehension
- review any tricky sections
- review the learning focus of the lesson
- introduce the post reading activity
What aspect caused
you the most difficulty?
The realisation that there was so much improvement I needed
to make in my reading programme. Prior to the workshop, I was reading in unison
with the kids- not giving them the opportunity to read independently while I
monitor or ‘listen in’ to students reading. I was more focused on getting
through the text with the children that I was forgetting to activate prior knowledge,
make connections, discuss comprehension and review the focus/purpose of the lesson.
Was there any aspect
that surprised you?
Time-management!10-20 mins depending on the
reading level for the group. It’s OK if I don’t get through each group every
day!
What were the three
most important things you took away from the session?
- Be realistic- guided reading is only one component of a balanced reading programme (we don’t have to teach everything or everyone)
- It’s not about finishing the text at higher level- meaning/understanding/connecting J
- Students don’t read in unison/ round robin read
Which aspects could
you include in your own practice based on your learning experience?
- Developing a think, pair, share culture in my classroom
- Make time for talk
- Reading task board- must do/can do
Evaluation:
- must do/can do has become a successful part of my classroom programme and planning. Students are engaged in their must do tasks and enjoy having choices afterwards.
- think, pair, share needs to stay consistent as it became very easy to get sucked back into "put your hand up" or picking on the same child to answer questions/share ideas. When it is implemented effectively, I noticed every child is taking turns at listening and sharing with each other. Every child gets a voice!
