This summer, we hope to write more posts about how we actually teach reading, writing, and math in our classrooms….which is a workshop approach! We just implemented guided math into our classrooms this past year, however, we have used guided reading and writing workshop for several years.
Today we are starting with Guided Reading!
I have implemented guided reading in my classroom since my first year of teaching. At my first school I taught at, fresh out of college, I had no clue what guided reading was. I remember being asked the question, “what is guided reading?” in an interview for a kindergarten position. Having NO CLUE what the principal was talking about I made up some answer which was completely inaccurate and laughable. I can only image what the other teachers in the the interview and the principal were thinking! The principal then asked me, “what do the other students do when you are with guided reading groups?” I had a little bit more of background knowledge about literacy centers to answer this question….and believe it or not….I ended up getting the teaching position!
My lack of knowledge about quality literacy instruction got a MAJOR wakeup call my first year of teaching. My college classes did not prepare me for implementing guided reading or teaching through a workshop approach! To this day, I am so grateful to the literacy coach that was assigned to our school, but especially assigned to help the new teachers, like yours truly, become more knowledgeable and effective with teaching reading. The literacy coach came into my classroom to model small group guided reading lessons, worked with me to create meaningful and engaging activities for the other students to be working on. Although at the time I felt frustrated because it seemed like I had someone watching my every move…I am now so grateful for those opportunities because I learned so much!
Note to new teachers: DO NOT be shy/embarrassed/think you know everything….take advantage of the people and resources offering their help! 
At another school I taught at, the reading specialist played an instrumental role of helping me implement guided reading and a reading workshop approach with older students. In both schools that I taught at, the principals supported and encouraged the staff to participate in book talks. Since I was a shy new teacher, I never felt comfortable sharing any of my thoughts aloud at these meetings, however I was soaking up all the knowledge of the veteran teachers around me! I was also lucky enough to attend several conferences and workshops to help me learn more about how to teach reading.
On my own time, I have filled my bookshelves with teaching resource books written by all the guided reading gurus. When we moved into our new house, I was lucky enough to be able to have one room to call my own. It was agreed that I could “do whatever I wanted to it.” I initially named it my “meditation room,” painted it a really pretty purple color, and filled it with serene pictures, art, and inspiration. Hah! What a laugh!
Within months, my meditation room became the storage/junk room.
However, one of my favorite parts of my meditation/junk/storage room is my Ikea bookshelf that is stacked with books!
My favorite “teacher books”:
Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K-8 by Foutas and Pinnell.
Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy by Fountas and Pinnell.
Reading Essentials: The Specifics You Need to teach Reading Well by Reggie Routman.
On Solid Ground: Strategies for Teaching Reading K-3 by Sharon Taberski.
Nine years later…I can confidently say that I “know what guided reading is.” In fact, I have learned enough about it to now to help OTHER teachers implement guided reading into their classrooms. My district has asked me to serve on committees to mentor new teachers and initiate new programs…and I love it! I love being able to share what I have learned about what works in my classroom, in the hopes of inspiring you implement something new into your classroom!
So, I hope that you learn some new ideas about guided reading from this post…and become a guided reading guru! 
In our school, we are really fortunate to have a pretty extensive guided reading school library, which one teacher in our building organized into the Fountas and Pinnell reading levels A-V.
Each baggie has about 6-7 copies of the same book and teachers simply “check out” the baggie that they are using.
In my own classroom, I have a guided reading library. My district uses the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
Reading series, which provides every teacher with their own set of guided reading leveled texts.
For my third grade classroom, I have leveled texts from K-R. There are six copies of the same book title…a just right book for every guided reading group! I organized the books into baskets, according to their level, so that I can easily pick out a book for a guided reading group.
*** If you are looking for ways to gather multiple copies of the same text, click on the image below!!***
My guided reading table has all the “must have’s” for a guided reading group:
-Enough copies of the book for every student
-Pencils and sticky notes for the students to write their thoughts and connections
-My teacher reading binder that has my anecdotal notes, reading conference notes, running records, and other information about guided reading and literature groups
-A table that allows everyone to be facing each other
-Eager readers and guided reading guru :)
Behind my guided reading table, I have a bookshelf with all my guided reading materials: my reading binder, my guided reading “goodies,” and one bin for every group that I am working with.
Each bin holds all three different books: a book that we just finished reading, a book that we are currently reading, and a book that we will be reading next. This is just how I stay organized and how I plan the books that we are reading.
Speaking of groups, I use a fun and interactive bulletin board display to organize my guided reading groups.
I have tried MANY different ways to group my students for guided reading groups….and I finally found one that I love! I have one poster for each reading group. Students write the title of the book we are reading on a sticky note and place the sticky note on the poster. I then have a sticky note (or better yet, a picture!) of each student in the group. I place the names of the readers under the spot it says “readers.” This easily helps me keep my groups flexible! Anytime a child is switching groups, I just pull off their picture and stick it to a different group.
I love how the focus is on the book that each group is reading and NOT what LEVEL the books are!!! When I call students to the back table, I do not say “Green Group!” or call each individual name. Instead, I call out the name of the book that they are reading!
I also have several different ways to document how my guided reading groups are flexible and constantly changing.
One way I keep track of my ever changing groups throughout the year by using a guided reading groups tracking sheeting, a color coded guided reading group display (which stays in my reading binder and on my bulletin board display) and each student also has a guided reading log. This is where I take notes about what we did during the guided reading group and the title and level of the book that was read.
I have more in depth assessment tools that I also use, which are part of my reading binder.
I just began informal reading conferences with all my readers a few years ago. I love them! I learned about reading conferences by reading about them in Reggie’s book. I have learned so much about my students by individually meeting with them.
DURING this actual guided reading group, Nicole and I like to use lots of goodies to help motivate our students!
Our stash of reading manipulatives: beach balls (for comprehension, not play!!), magnetic letters, magnetic trays, Wikki Sticks, highlighters, sticky notes (of course!), puzzle pieces, stickers/awards, good readers strategy cards, pointers, visualizing manipulatives…wow…lots!
For the students who are guided reading levels L or higher, the focus of the group discussion (after the reading) is all about comprehension. Again, we love to use sticky notes with our students! Our sticky notes metacognition cards teach students to think as they are reading. We TELL them all the time “good readers THINK when the are reading,” but this actually shows them HOW to do that! For adult readers, that is automatic. But for young children, we need to explicitly teach them to think about their reading.
These good readers are sharing their vivid visualizations after their reading.
Another guided reading goodie…an incentive to get my students excited to meet with other students and I about READING! I pass out their guided reading licenses at the beginning of the year…right after I meet with every child in their guided reading group for the very first time. This shows the students that guided reading is a FUN thing to do and working with the teacher at the “reading table” is a privilege for ALL students…not just the struggling/low ones! :)
If you are interested in learning more about Guided Reading, please check out my resource below.
Below is a preview of the file:
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This 120+ page file is filled with everything that you need to become the guided reading guru at your school! This resource is ideal for kindergarten through 5th grade!
* Fun, engaging resources for your students during guided reading groups
* Information about grouping students and examples of how to group students for guided reading
* Information and examples of how to conduct reading conferences, anecdotal records, and running records
* Resources to explain exactly what guided reading is and how to implement it effectively in your classroom
* Examples of guided reading schedule and grouping
* Ideas for how to include a home-school connection
* Pictures of how to implements some of the ideas presented in the file
This file includes effective and innovative posters to display for grouping your students
Click HERE to purchase Become a Guided Reading Guru on Teachers pay Teachers.
Save 10% by purchasing Become a Guided Reading Guru directly on my website.
**** The Guided Reading Guru file is also part of my Guided Reading Binder Resource. Learn more about that resource by clicking HERE.***
So where are your thoughts on guided reading? How/where did you learn all that you know? Any other suggestions? Or, are you still learning? What are you struggling with? Share your thoughts with us!
38 Responses
Hi,
I have a question for ya! I noticed that you had Treasures – some of those guided readers are pretty long (in 3rd grade) – how long do you stick with a book? I like the nonfiction ones because we don't always have to read the whole thing. I would also like to know more about your guided reading manipulatives, they always keep guided reading exciting! A friend of mine and I would sometimes do Mystery questions – we placed different discussion prompts / higher level thinking questions in envelopes and each student would pick their own question and discuss with the group. They seemed to really enjoy it and it got them engaged.
This looks great! :) So, if I purchase the ultimate reading resource, this is included in that file?
Amanda
http://www.oneextradegree.blogspot.com
Oh my, thank you for this post! I love your container with the "fun" things you use for guided reading. I have some Wikki Stix that I want to use, and now I'll use them in guided reading! We have some Kagan things we use, like learning chips and comprehension cubes…just like anything, you have to keep guided reading new or the kids get bored!
I also love that you call them over by name of the book. That is a fabulous idea…I have called them by a color or shape in the past, and want to use this idea now! Your "now showing" posters are also really cute. One of my goals this year is to create a reading notebook similar to yours with running records. How do you find time to do anecdotal records? I have such a hard time with those.
We are switching over to Lead 21 this year, which has a built in guided reading component (we've been doing guided reading in the past anyway). I'm curious to see how it will affect our current practices.
How much time do you spend reading versus discussing? I know that we have been encouraged to spend a lot of time actually READING during groups, but sometimes I feel we don't have enough time to discuss comprehension and be on the same page about the book. How do you balance it?
Thanks for the post. I love seeing what other 3rd grade classes are doing!
Megan
oceanoflearners.blogspot.com
I love this! I have your Teacher Reading Binder and I love it sooooooooooo much (that's a lot)! So, is the rest different or just more detailed? I love to learn more about Guided Reading because I'm still trying to perfect it! I'm a long away from that though! Have you seen my file folder that keeps track of the GR levels? http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/2011/03/management-monday.html
-Rachelle {your biggest fan}
whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com
Loved your post. I really like the idea of keeping the previous, current, and future books of each group in the bin. What a great way to organize so you're never behind!
I noticed that your students were sitting on big exercise balls at the guided reading table. I love the idea and I'm sure it makes it even more exciting for the students to participate in guided reading. Are these a distraction? What guidelines do you set up at the beginning of the year about their use?
Megan
http://blackboardandbeyond.blogspot.com/
You ladies are awesome!!
I finished up my first year as a reading/math teacher… overwhelming is an understatement! I really wanted to implement Guided Reading, but I wasn't able to implement it as efficiently as I had hoped. So, I am supperrrrrr excited to do some summer reading and better prepare myself to approach reading!
I have already re-downloaded your Reading Resource File to get the Guru file- very excited!
In your blog and file, I saw a picture of one of your girls using Plastic Sleeves- so great! Where did you get those??
Also, how do you use your "Stash of Goodies" exactly? I'm so intrigued!
Thank you!!!
Oh my word!!! This is amazing!! I purchased the Teacher Reading Binder: Complete on your website….and LOVE it! Do I need to purchase it on TpT to get the new updates or is it something different from what I purchased? lol….because I am always ready to shop ;)
Curls and a Smile
You are awesome! I thought I was organized, but DANG! This is fabulous! I have my reading groups set up very similar to yours, but it's not as awesome. :) I'm hopping over to your TpT store right now! Your ideas seem like the answers to some of the questions I'm still up in the air about. Thanks for sharing!!!
Dana
3rd Grade Gridiron
your hot spot idea is a great way to keep them engaged. I can hardly wait to use them. Mary
This comment has been removed by the author.
I just purchased this and love it!
What are your other students doing while you're working with guided reading groups?
Oh my word! I am so glad I stumbled across this website :) I am a first year teacher… straight out of college and I had to laugh at your interview experience because mine was very similar. I have accepted a 3rd grade position and was not as prepared as I had hoped to be for Guided Reading. Most of my questions were asked above but I'll just list them again.
– What are your other students doing? Centers if so, what are some good center ideas for 3rd grade?
– Are the exercise balls a good alternative? They seem more comfortable and good for those kids who need to have some kind of movement…not to mention the balance practice they get with it!
– How do you acquire your classroom baskets of leveled books with 6 copies of each? Is that something you purchase or your school has and you check them out and just put them in your baskets until you are done with them? Also do the students catch onto the idea that K is a lower level than R? I love your idea of calling up by book name so I wasn't sure if they even noticed the letters.
Thank you so much for any help and inspiration!!!
Great post!!!!!!!! Love your ideas!
Grabbed your button. Grab mine :)
A Teacher's Treasure
http://teacherstreasure.blogspot.com/
This is a great post! Guided reading is the one area that I feel I need to kick up a notch. As an fyi – your teacher binder link goes to the TPT homepage.
❀Lisa
Effective Teaching Articles Blog
A fantastic source for guided reading is called The Next Steps in Guided Reading by Dr. Jan Richardson. It shows how to effectively do guided reading from pre-emergent to the fluent reader. She's an amazing presenter as well. Her book is sold on amazon.com or scholastic and is the BEST guided reading resource I have read in 13 years and I've read Fountas and Pinnell, Debbie Diller, etc.
Thanks so much for sharing so many great ideas! Now I'm prepared to head back to my 2nd graders with lots of new ideas after our holiday break :)
Lisa
http://stories114.blogspot.com/
I purchased the guru and it's very blurry.I have the updated version of Adobe. What do I do?
Hi, Mimi-
Email us at teachers@lessonplansos.com and we'll take care of that for you. :)
Hi there, I love your post and all your explanations! My district also uses a workshop approach for most subject areas and I am trying to do the same with Math. You mentioned above that you do guided math, is there anywhere you have a blog as detailed as your guided reading?
Thanks for your time!
Thank you so much for your kind words. That's great that your district uses a workshop approach to meet the needs of its students! Once you teach guided math you will wonder how you taught it any other way!! We don't have any big, detailed posts…yet…it's something we were going to work on this summer. Feel free to email us with any questions you have about guided math and we can try to answer them for you!! Nicole and Melissa :) teachers@lessonplansos.com
May I ask how you address word attack skills? Do you teach mini lessons that follow a phonics continuum for each group? Whole group? Especially looking at your third grade level with mult-syllabic word attack. Thanks for the reply…
Jackie
Check out http://www.dazzleonadime.com You'll find lots of great ideas to help differentiate with students who work independently during guided reading time. "Fastfinishers" and the iDazzle App Units are perfect for those who need to keep their minds busy with meaningful work while the teacher is working with small groups. You'll love them!
I am very OCD and I love guided reading. I have been teaching guided reading since day one, although I continue to learn more each and every day. I also noticed your use of exercise balls. How do they work with your students? Are they more helpful or distracting? I have first graders.
Does the binder have everything that the guru has, or are they different?
Hi-
It is great to hear that you love guided reading! Your students are very lucky!! Personally, the exercise balls have been great. I have 5 of them, so 5 kids get them each day and we rotate them before dismissal. You definitely have to set up and model rules (no rolling on your stomach, no throwing them, no poking them with pencils, etc.). Also, the binder includes the entire Guided Reading Guru file, our literature group file, and our reading workshop file. :)
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Thanks for the great information. You are very fortunate to have had someone come to your classroom and model guided reading groups. I felt like I was thrown to the wolves my first year and would have loved a helping hand. The 2nd grade team at my school uses Daily 5 for our literacy block, but we still do traditional guided reading using the "Treasures" resources. Combining Daily 5 with guided reading helps with the management of the students you are not working with and allows for a lot of independence. Great post. Keep them coming!
Hello,
Great post. My school is really into Guided Reading, but I've never been properly trained! This was a great blog to read. One of my biggest problems is knowing how to group them, i.e. their letter. Is that information in your "Be a Guided Reading Guru"…my reading coach just suggests I use my own judgment, but there must be a better way!
Thanks!
Hello Taking Things One Day at a Time!
Thanks for visiting our blog and taking the time to make a comment. Grouping students for guided reading groups can really take some time and thought, in order for them to be "dynamic," like Fountas and Pinnell suggest. I will be writing a post about this topic specifically this month- keep reading!!! :) Melissa
What size exercise balls do you use at your guided reading table? I was planning on ordering some, but I have no idea what size would work best for fourth graders. My kidney table height appears to be identical to yours.
Hi! I use the 55 cm exercise balls. They are $8.77 at Walmart.
Enjoy the rest of your summer! Nicole :)
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oh my Gosh, I LOVE YOU! I taught K, 1st and 2nd grades before becoming a mommy and switching to preschool. I share your philosophy and used the same teaching methods that you do. I am sad to say none of the schools my children have attended use any form of guided reading. It is a frustrating thing to me. I want to direct them all to your blog! THANK YOU for taking your time to do this! AND for being an awesome teacher:)
Thanks for your kind words! Thanks for passing our blog on to other teachers!! :)
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