Guided Reading:
Guided
reading is conducted with a smaller number of students and focuses more
on the individual reading needs of each child. During guided reading,
teachers work with students at their instructional level to guide them
in using the context, visual, and structure cues within stories to
generate meaning. By using instructional level texts that gradually
increase in difficulty, students apply strategies in context and feel
successful! During guided reading students work on higher level
questions, where they are having to go back in the text to find
information that supports their answer. They are working on their written
responses to these types of question as well. The end goal, is for
students to become confident, proficient readers who know how to use a
text for enjoyment or learning new information!
What is Teacher Directed Reading?
Teacher
Directed Reading is exactly what it sounds like - It is a time for
sharing a story and reading together! During this time the whole
class will be reading out of the same text. Each child will have a copy
of the text. "TDR" reading in our classroom may include echo reading (students echoing the words after the teacher), choral reading (students reading at the same time as the teacher),
or partner reading. All of these ways of reading are ways to encourage
early reading enjoyment and success with a high level of teacher
support.
During teacher directed reading,
students focus on both the pictures and the text to make predictions and
to generate meaning. The book is revisited among several days along
with a new text each day. Further comprehension of the story takes
place through questioning and discussion of each story (the author's choice of words and the illustrator's pictures), reviewing elements of the story (setting, characters, problem, solution), and putting pictures of events of the story in order.
Once
students are familiar with the story, we also look more closely at the
text. Looking at new vocabulary in each text and concentrating on
essential questions (what features in the text help you find important information, what is the main idea of the text, comparing characters...).
There are many learning opportunities during Teacher Directed Reading!