Guided reading is an instructional approach used to help students build effective reading skills to comprehend increasingly challenging texts. It involves grouping students by reading level and providing scaffolding as they read short passages aloud with the teacher. The goals of guided reading align with the Common Core Standards of raising text complexity over time. Research shows guided reading is most effective when texts are well-matched to a student's reading level so they do not break down in the reading process.

1. Guided
Reading
Reading well means reading
with deep, high quality
comprehension and gaining
maximum insight or
knowledge from each source.

2. What is Guided Reading?
Guided Reading is an instructional
approach designed to help individual
readers build an effective system for
processing a variety of increasingly
challenging texts over time.
Guided reading is research-based,
professionally energized, highly
targeted, scaffolded reading
instruction.

3. Guided Reading and Common
Core Standards
Is there a Common
Ground?
Key feature of Common Core State
Standards: to provide students with a
grade-by-grade staircase of increasing
text complexity and steady growth of
comprehension.
Key feature of Guided Reading: to help
students build an effective system for
processing the meaning, language and
print of a variety of increasingly
challenging texts.

4. Is There Evidence to Support
Guided Reading?
Meticulous study by researcher Marie
Clay indicated that the complexity of
the reading process, through detailed
coding of thousands of readings,
showed that when a text is too difficult
for the child the process breaks down
and the child does not develop inner
control of effective actions for
processing texts.
Gaffney, J. & Askew, B., (2014)

5. What Are Guided Reading
Levels?
Developed by Irene Fountas and Ga Su
Pinnelle, the Guided Reading Levels
or F&P Text Level Gradient, is a
compilation of two decades of research
and practical work with teachers, Marie
Clay, Reading Recovery© and other
comprehensive studies.
Choosing texts that students can read
with 90% accuracy promotes an
enjoyable yet strategically challenging
reading lesson.
Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S. (2011)

6. Implementing Guided Reading
1. Plan 15-20 minutes for each lesson.
2. Divide students into small groups according to their
reading level.
3. Obtain appropriate level reading material for each
group.
4. Pre-Reading: Teacher establishes purpose of reading
through prediction making, vocabulary introduction or
discussing ideas important for background knowledge
required for understanding of the text.
5. Reading: Teacher observes reading and may provide
prompts, ask questions or discuss strategies for effective
reading.
6. Post-reading: Teacher asks questions to ensure
comprehension and provides praise for efforts.

7. Pros of Guided Reading
• Increases comprehension of text, build vocabulary and
familiarity with sound
• Provide students with reading fluency
• Critical questioning through text and talk
• Students become independent readers
• Build comprehension
• Increase reading comprehension, accuracy, fluency and
vocabulary
• Gain skills in word recognition, reading texts and writing

8. Cons of Guided Reading
• Does not teach reading strategies and skills
– Nonsense Word Fluency: phonetics and decoding
• Prevents beginning readers from reading independently
– Lost of interest
– Comfort of read aloud
• The strategies taught in guided reading are redundant
and can be seen in other lessons throughout the day.
• Reading skills and strategies are taught as part of a
lesson within the curriculum

9. A Look at Guided Reading
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