Guided Reading Groups

In Guided Reading, the teacher works with a small group of students who are at the same instructional reading level. The teacher selects the book that the students will be reading; provides an introduction that will help the students tackle the text; supports each student as s/he reads the text, prompting as needed to encourage flexible use of strategies; and reviews key concepts at the end of the lesson. Guided Reading provides students with the opportunity to learn and practice reading strategies in a highly-supported environment, while also nudging each student out of his or her “comfort zone” and into the next independent reading level. Guided Reading is primarily utilized in the K–2 classroom, where students need more support with word-level strategies, fluency, and basic comprehension skills.

Guided Reading Group Lesson Planning Template*

Step	Instructional Plan	Teaching Tips
Preparation - Select the Group	Analyze running records. Analyze conference notes.	Students should have similar instructional reading levels and needs.
Preparation  - Choose the Text	Select a text at the appropriate instructional level (90–94% accuracy). Choose a text that supports your instructional goal for these students. Analyze the text for “traps” that may confuse the students.	Think about potentially unfamiliar vocabulary, unclear picture-to-text matches, phonic difficulties, unfamiliar text structures, and confusing content.
Lesson Plan - Introduce and Debug the Text   - Name and Model the Focus Strategy	Read the title. Briefly preview the book. Point out “traps” or tricky spots that the students may encounter (debug). Decide if any words require explicit teaching. Build background knowledge of unfamiliar concepts. Name and model one or two strategies that you want the group to practice today.	How heavily you scaffold the introduction depends on the students’ abilities and the familiarity of the content. With early readers, do a picture walk and “plant” new vocabulary. With more fluent readers, discuss challenging concepts and refer to particular pages that may help students activate background knowledge.
Students Read Silently	Students read the text silently. Sit beside each student and listen in for a minute or two. Prompt when needed, encouraging each student to use a range of reading strategies (including the ones you modeled earlier).	If you find students struggling with the text (below 90% accuracy), it is too difficult. Either read it to the group, or replace it with an alternate text.
Wrap Up	​Discuss the text and personal reactions to it. Retell the story if appropriate. Or—invite a few students to share how they applied a new reading strategy while reading the text. Or—revisit challenging pages, tricky vocabulary, or any other parts that seemed difficult. Explicitly teach one decoding, fluency, or vocabulary skill that presented a particular challenge that day.	​After reading, focus mainly on comprehension. Remind students to use this thinking during Independent Reading. Ask students to put the GR book into their book bags so they can reread it during Independent Reading. Collect these books a few days later and return to the school book room.

* See the Guided Reading Group Lesson Planning Template in Appendix for a blank template.