This tutorial provides a basic overview of guided reading.

1. Guided Reading Tutorial
Understand the basics of guided reading for
elementary literacy
LIST 4373
Guided Reading Quiz is Week 6
Initial Thoughts on Guided Reading is Week 5
Dr. Peggy Semingson
*Documents included in this tutorial were located on
publicly found websites
Tip: Start your own Pinterest boards for guided reading

2. Related Assignments
• Assignment: Week 5. Post your initial thoughts on the
guided reading lesson plan in small groups in
Discussions. Post at least 3+ comments to peers. Post
by Thursday, 2/18/16,(11:59 pm. Do 3+ formal
comments by 6 pm Saturday, 2/20/16. Do informal
follow-up replies by Sunday, 2/21/16 at 11:59 pm.
• Assignment: Guided Reading Quiz on Blackboard
(Week 6). The guided reading quiz will cover
information from the guided reading tutorial. A study
guide will be provided on Blackboard. The guided
reading quiz test window is between Monday, 2/22/16
(12:01 am)-Sunday, 2/28/16 (11:59 pm). The study
guide for the guided reading quiz is on Blackboard.

3. Objectives/Outcomes
In this tutorial, you will
1. Identify key aspects of the structure and planning of guided
reading
2. Examine and read several exemplar lesson plans for guided
reading
3. Identify and analyze the central components of guided reading
4. Feel more confident about guided reading in general and guided
reading lesson planning in particular!
5. Browse, explore and become familiar with resource websites for
guided reading (e.g., Reading A to Z, bubbl.us, Popplet, etc.).
6. Archive digital resources for later use (e.g., assignments for the
class, future teaching, etc.)

4. How to maximize your learning using
this tutorial….
• Review the entire Guided Reading Tutorial
PowerPoint. Explore the websites and documents
that are linked in the PowerPoint. Not everything
from the tutorial will be covered in the guided
reading quiz, but please do explore all of the
items in the tutorial as they will help you greatly
in this class and in your future teaching. Save the
links, tutorial, and documents for your future
teaching. A good bookmarking tool is diigo:
https://www.diigo.com/

5. Elementary Guided Reading
• Guided reading is largely associated with the
ideas of prominent American literacy educators
Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. Their ideas
continue to shape the key concepts of guided
reading and the way that texts are leveled
according to readability levels and challenge to
the reader. You can read more about their history
of guided reading and the ways it is connected
with Marie Clay’s Reading Recovery program
here:
www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/fountas
pinnellstory.pdf

6. Guided Reading: “Big Ideas”
• Two documents will help you understand some of the key
ideas of guided reading. It is primarily a small group (3-8
students) approach where a targeted literacy strategy or
technique is used with students in intensive short amounts
of time (15-25 minutes). Save both of these documents and
review them carefully.
• Document 1: A good overview guide with key concepts of
guided reading is here (source: Mandan School District):
http://www.mandan.k12.nd.us/lewisclark/teachers/Garlan
d/include/files/documents/What%20is%20Guided%20Read
ing.pdf
• Document 2 (Austin ISD):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0cFN802Sa7RUC1RQ0xV
M0VuVFE/view?usp=sharing

7. Leveling System
• Literacy instruction often begins with collecting baseline
data on reading levels to determine reading groups. This
correlation chart from Reading A to Z shows how the
different levels compare to each other and to grade level.
Note the Fountas and Pinnell A-Z levels. You will see these
often in schools as well as DRA levels. Note the criteria
used at the bottom of the chart.
• https://www.readinga-z.com/learninga-z-levels/level-
correlation-chart/
• There are so many different terms associated with reading
development. A general overview is here:
https://www.readinga-z.com/learninga-z-levels/stages-of-
development/

8. Assessment
• Initial assessment (baseline data) to determine an
instructional reading level (90-95% accuracy with good
comprehension) is key to matching the reader with
text. Your job will be to best match students with text.
Remember that students bring different background
knowledge and interest to text, too, so reading levels
aren’t always “everything” as far as matching students
with text.
• A good overview of assessing students is from Reading
A to Z: https://www.readinga-z.com/learninga-z-
levels/assessing-a-students-level/

9. Reading Levels
• Determining the readability level of a text is
not an exact science. Some good key websites
for looking up a reading level include:
• Scholastic Book Wizard
http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/
• AR Book Finder
http://www.arbookfind.com/default.aspx
• Other databases online

10. Scaffolding!
I do
We do
You do
*Vygotsky
Scaffolding is a key idea from the
grandfather of literacy, Lev
Vygotsky! Your role in guided
reading is to model strategic
approaches to reading while
offering support, as needed.
Think of yourself as a coach,
providing input and closely
monitoring students.

11. General Tips on Success with Lesson
Planning!!!
• Web Tour
• http://www.readwritethink.org/
• *A fabulous resource!
• What resources related to literacy do you see?
• How are lesson plans structured?
• How is a lesson plan like a “recipe”?
• Notice the type of language used (third person, step-by-step, procedural directions).
• Focus on preparation (e.g., materials needed).
• Browse some of the lesson plans and resources from readwritethink lesson plans:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/ You can further
refine your search on the left column.

12. Sample plans from readwritethink.org
• Questioning: A Comprehension Strategy for Small-Group Guided Reading
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-
plans/questioning-comprehension-strategy-small-408.html
• Guided Reading Strategies with Henry and Mudge
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-
plans/guided-reading-strategies-with-30510.html
• Browse/skim the above plans including all the tabs for each one. Note the
structure of the plan, the specific instruction, and the third person nature
of the lesson plan. Each step under the “instructional plan” section are
written as procedural steps.

13. Resources
• Quick overview guide:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gui
ded-Reading-Quick-Guide-1156868
• Scaffolding Tools such as Bookmarks, Cards, etc.
• http://www.janrichardsonguidedreading.com/resour
ces-1
• Organizing for Guided Reading (*I highly recommend
the sticky note technique:
• http://guidedreading101.weebly.com/organization.ht
ml

14. Overview of Guided Reading
Teaching active reading
• Guided reading: small group. Can focus on:
decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
comprehension.

15. Big Ideas about Strategic Reading
• Explicit instruction
• Comprehending vs. comprehension (active
process vs. assessing)
• Need to help students activate their schema or
background knowledge by building schematic
background (BSB) prior to the lesson.
• Consider:
– What are ways to help students activate their
background knowledge??

16. Anchor Charts Support Learning and
the Strategic Focus of the Lesson(s)
• Use an anchor chart for your teaching focus.
Explicitly teach the what, why, when, and how
of your teaching focus. Students should know
what it is they are learning and why it is
important. This is the case for all of your
teaching all day long, in fact.
• Search for comprehension anchor charts on
Pinterest, Google Images, and on teacher
blogs.

17. Planning and Aligning your Lesson with
Figure 19 (TEKS)
• Select one comprehension focus that aligns with Figure 19
• Figure 19 is here:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/19_0110_0010-
1.pdf
• Pick one comprehension focus: main idea/get the gist, connecting
(pick one: text to self, text to text, text to world connections),
drawing conclusions (making inferences), self-monitoring,
predicting/confirming (can do a t-chart), questioning /wondering
(good for non-fiction), visualizing; Find this in Figure 19 and by
consulting the ELAR TEKS.
• Read through Figure 19 and select one comprehension focus. If you
are not sure, you can select “summarizing”. Many districts will tell
you what your comprehension focus is for the week, which makes
planning quite easy!

18. Anchor Chart: A visual
This “looks like” a small poster you create
These are on Pinterest, etc. but please make your own anchor
chart for this course!
• You will be creating a comprehension anchor
chart
• -main idea (get the gist)
• Connecting (T-T, T-S, T-W)-pick one only
• Drawing conclusion/inferencing
• Self-monitoring
• Visualizing
• Other strategies from Figure 19

19. Using an Anchor Chart
• Use an anchor chart for your teaching focus.
Explicitly teach the what, why, when, and how of
your teaching focus. Students should know what
it is they are learning and why it is important. This
is the case for all of your teaching all day long, in
fact.
• Look for examples of comprehension anchor
charts and guided reading anchor charts on
Pinterest or Google Images.

20. Modeling: “I do, we do, you do”
• Use strategy posters and think-aloud prompts.
• WHAT, WHY, WHEN, HOW of strategy
• Explanation, Model, Scaffold
• Include lots of teacher talk
I statements “I’m noticing…” etc.

21. Application: modeling [explicit instruction/teacher-
centered/demonstration focus] “I do”
• Practice writing some modeling statements
using think-aloud statements.
• --restate objective to students
• --what, why, when, how
• --set purpose for learning
• Use opening moves and think-aloud
statements.

22. Application: guided practice “we do” [student-centered]
chunk the text/students apply strategy/give corective
feedback/debrief
• Practice writing some guided practice for
guided reading statements using strategic
stopping points and having students apply
the strategy.
• --locate stopping points
• --students apply strategy
• --share/debrief/move-on
• *Keep lesson moving forward while staying
focused on teaching objective!

23. Examples of assessment for guided
reading
• See the overviews from the beginning of the
PowerPoint for examples of assessment.
• Other assessments
– Graphic organizer that aligns with the comprehension
focus of the lesson. This can be a digital graphic
organizer.
– Student 1-on-1 read aloud with teacher noting areas
of strength and challenge (e.g., accuracy, fluency)
– Literature response journal that aligns with the
comprehension focus of the lesson.

24. Tools for guided reading with a
comprehension and vocabulary focus
• Graphic Organizers
• Anchor Charts
• Character Traits Charts/Lists
• iPads/mobile tools
• Pocket chart or iPad or Popplet for displaying
vocabulary words.

25. Digital Tools to Support Learning
• Consider using Popplet or Bubbl.us for pre-
reading (comprehension) or for post-reading
(retell, comprehension, main ideas).
Examples:
http://skillsnack.weebly.com/popplet-
examples-from-our-teachers.html You can
make up to five free Popplets with the free
account. Be creative and seek out other
examples of both Popplet and bubbl.us for
mind mapping and use in guided reading!

26. Vocabulary and Tier 2 Words
• Select 5-8 vocabulary words that are Tier 2
Vocabulary
• That is, Tier 2 vocabulary words are not rare or
unusual but they are also not common or
ordinary and it is likely that students will see the
words again.
• Skim through the following link to better
understand how to choose vocabulary words for
a guided reading lesson.:
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/choosing-
words-teach

27. Five Short Video Clips to Watch from
Teaching Channel
• Watch all five videos with Jenna and guided reading
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/guided-reading-
differentiation-system
• Guided Reading with Jenna Complete Lesson
• Guided Reading with Jenna: Introducing Work Stations
• Guided Reading with Jenna: Overview
• Guided Reading with Jenna: Classroom Management
• Guided Reading with Jenna: Small Group Guided Reading
• *You can watch the videos in any order.

28. Putting it All Together and Next Steps
• This tutorial provided a few key resources for
you to better understand the structure and
purpose of guided reading.
• Continue to collect resources for guided
reading through Pinterest, Teachers Pay
Teachers website (look for free items),
Teaching Channel [videos], and by talking to
classroom teachers about their ideas and
resources.

29. Follow my Pinterest board on Guided
Reading! 
• https://www.pinterest.com/peggysemingson/
guided-reading-lesson-planning-resources/
• I will be adding to this Pinterest board on
guided reading throughout the semester!
• -Dr. Semingson