The Importance of Guided Reading; The Significant Benefits of Guided Reading and
Specific Instructions on How to Use Guided Reading to Help Your Child or Student
Advance Reading Skills.
Phew! Long title but great article! It is aptly named because it delivers everything it advertises.
Gagen defines guided reading as "reading out loud to an adult, or other proficient reader, with feedback." She explains that the key is providing guidance. "The process of the student reading out loud with correction and instruction is the essential criteria of guided reading that actually help the student learn and improve skills."
Next Gagen explains why guided reading is important. Basically it helps all readers with everything! That's kind of a stretch, but the list benefits is long. Research proves that guided reading helps with word recognition, fluency, and comprehension across grades. This isn't only true for struggling readers; good readers also reap the benefits. These benefits include helping students:
- establish fundamental skills necessary for proficient reading
- identify weaknesses and strengthen specific skills
- build fluency
- expand vocabulary knowledge
- develop reading comprehension skills
Okay so now that we know guided reading is wonderful, Gagen teaches us how to actually do it! Here are some of her main points:
- Have the child read aloud to you for at least 20 minutes a day
- You have to be reading along to provide immediate feedback
- Require complete accuracy, stopping at all errors and correcting all mistakes
- Help teach skills with coaching and strategies
- Require physical tracking (if tracking errors)
- Develop vocabulary as the child reads
- Help develop comprehension skills by asking questions
- Monitor progress and adapt to meet the child's needs
I appreciated this article because it is clear cut and explicit. It clearly lays out the benefits of guided reading, stressing its importance, as well as how to actually conduct it. It gives general instructions, but also more in depth information on each topic. This was very helpful to someone new to the concept of guided reading!
1. Do you remember doing guided reading in school?
2. Do you think guided reading should be done out of school also?
1. Do you remember doing guided reading in school?
2. Do you think guided reading should be done out of school also?
I don't remember engaging in guided reading as a child. However, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the guided reading process in my education 100 class. I got the chance to witness the positive effects of guided reading and I saw that the students were on task and determined to improve. I think that it would be wonderful if parents practiced guided reading with their children. This added instruction would absolutely benefit!
ReplyDeleteI do remember guided reading as a child, I hated it! I was in the slow readers group, and the teacher let everyone know it. Which in hindsight was a horrible thing to do to your students. I think from this experience I will never single out kids from different level. I will also try to make guided reading as fun and educational as possible.
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