| What is guided reading? | | | | the family is clearly very far from the sea. I |
| What are some guided reading activities? | | | | would then ask a series of questions: Is the family |
| How about guided reading demonstrations or | | | | happy or sad? Why are they standing next to a |
| guided reading lesson plans? | | | | monument? What are monuments for? Why is |
| Using guided reading as a teaching strategy has | | | | the mother holding flowers? By answering these |
| become more and more popular as the emphasis | | | | questions, the students conclude that the Iwasaki |
| in education continues to focus on how to | | | | family has brought flowers to some solemn place, |
| increasing reading comprehension As a teacher | | | | and at least one reason they are sad is that they |
| mentor, I often have teachers ask me questions | | | | are ?so far from the sea?. Students can then |
| about guided reading similar to those above. | | | | predict where they think the Iwasaki family is on |
| However, as with any other reading strategy, | | | | the cover and the goal of the guided reading can |
| increasing reading comprehension depends highly | | | | then be to discover if their predictions are correct. |
| on what the teacher does ?before? the reading | | | | However, I would not start the guided reading |
| assignment. | | | | just yet. First, I would take the students on a |
| First, though, what is guided reading? Simply put, | | | | "picture walk" through the book. The pictures in a |
| in guided reading students are placed in small | | | | book can go a long way towards increasing |
| groups with similar reading levels. Children read | | | | comprehension. In this particular book, the father |
| either silently or aloud to themselves, but they do | | | | often reflects back to his youth when he and his |
| not read in unison. In early guided reading groups | | | | father were interned in the prison camp. This |
| books are chosen based on a 90% accuracy level. | | | | reflecting, however, can create problems for |
| Books should also match a child's interests and | | | | some readers. Fortunately, the illustrator, Chris K. |
| knowledge base. | | | | Soentpiet, has drawn pictures in both color and |
| Of course, two problems exist. First, to do all that | | | | black and white. The color pictures are present |
| guided reading suggests can be quite challenging | | | | day (1972) at the abandoned prison camp. The |
| and maybe even impossible since kids with similar | | | | black and white pictures are during World War II |
| reading levels do not necessarily have similar | | | | when 10,000 Japanese-Americans were interned |
| interests or knowledge bases. And second, the | | | | at the Manzanar War Relocation Center in eastern |
| teacher still needs to tap into and build upon the | | | | California. The "picture walk" also provides a great |
| student?s prior knowledge of the subject matter | | | | opportunity to point out any words that the |
| (before reading) if the teacher truly wants to | | | | students may have trouble with. For example, I |
| increase reading comprehension. | | | | would certainly point out "Manzanar War |
| A great teaching strategy to overcome these | | | | Relocation Center" written on a sign in an early |
| obstacles and improve guided reading instruction is | | | | illustration in the book. These words come up |
| to do a three to five minute book introduction as | | | | often and the pictures provide a great |
| a scaffold for the first reading of a text. | | | | opportunity to explain their meaning. |
| Here is an example from an historical fiction | | | | By "walking" through the pictures to introduce the |
| guided reading lesson I did with 8th graders during | | | | book, a teacher can tap into students' prior |
| our unit on World War II. Eve Bunting's book, ?So | | | | knowledge and also have students predict what |
| Far From the Sea?, is a beautiful story about the | | | | the text is about. Furthermore, teachers can clear |
| Iwasakis, a Japanese-American family that goes | | | | up any comprehension concerns they may have |
| back to visit the "relocation" camp where the | | | | about the book, such as "jumping" back and forth |
| father was interned for three and a half years | | | | between 1943 to 1972. The "picture walk" will, in |
| during World War II. While the content is serious, | | | | turn, increase students' interest in the book and |
| the book is actually a picture book written on a | | | | therefore increase students' motivation to learn. |
| second grade level. Nevertheless, an introduction | | | | This is all done prior to the actual guided reading. |
| to the book is necessary to scaffold learning, | | | | Remember, guided reading is a great reading |
| clear up any comprehension concerns, and | | | | strategy, however, teachers must still activate |
| ultimately make the guided reading instruction | | | | prior knowledge and clear up any comprehension |
| more successful. I would start with the cover, | | | | concerns if they really want to increase reading |
| both the title and the illustration. I would point out | | | | comprehension and get the most success from |
| the mountains in the background and explain that | | | | their the guided reading. |