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