Write Now:

“I’m going to tell you about three of the children in Mrs. Jewls’s class, on the thirtieth story of Wayside School. But before we get to them, there is something you ought to know. Wayside School was accidentally built sideways. It was supposed to be only one story high, with thirty classrooms all in a row. Instead, it is thirty stories high, with one classroom on each story. The builder said he was very sorry.” – from Sideways Stories, by Louis Sachar.

1.What might be challenging about reading and comprehending this passage?

2.What knowledge and skills would a student need in order to read and understand this text independently? List as many as you can.

Guided Reading

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Agenda

• What is the purpose of Guided Reading?

• What components comprise the structure of Guided Reading?– Fluency– Comprehension

• For each component:– What does it look like?– What strategies can I use to implement it?

Quick Review: Connection to testing

Frustration IndependentInstructional

Rate

Phrasing

Accuracy

Prediction

SummarizationVocabulary

Reflection

What does Guided Reading look like?

- Students grouped homogenously (level or focus skill)

- 6 or fewer students with the teacher

- Other students in centers

- Groups are fluid

Pinpointing a Guided

Reading Focus

What specific skills does this reader need in order to move to the next level?

Fluency

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- Sight Words

- Automaticity

- Phrasing/Expression

Measuring Oral Fluency

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Comprehension

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Comprehension

When? What? Why?

Pre-reading -Build background knowledge.-Identify a focus point-Previewing

During-Reading -Literal Questions-Inferential Questions

Post-Reading Summary/Synthesis

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Key Tools: Double-Entry Diaries

When I read… I predict that…

“With a swift and deliberate kick, Deirdre knocked the entire bucket of pig tripe over the edge of the roof. It landed upside down on Baker’s head, draping its slimy contents over her characteristically chic ensemble.”

Baker is going to freak out.

Baker will also have a hefty dry cleaning bill.

Baker might get even.

http://bakersliteracywiki.wikispaces.com

Building Comprehension: Before Reading

• “Contexting”– Activating prior knowledge– Pre-teaching students critical facts and context they’ll

need to understand in order to make sense of the text they’re about to read

Practice: Contexting

Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza believed her life would be wonderful forever. She would always live on her family’s ranch in Mexico. She would always have fancy dresses and a beautiful home filled with servants. Papa and Abuelita would always be with her.

But a sudden tragedy shatters her world and force Esperanza and Mama to flee to California, where they settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard labor, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, and lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick, and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproots their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances—because Mama’s life and her own depend on it.

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Jot down a few notes on background knowledge you would need to build or activate during pre-reading for this book.

Building Comprehension: During Reading

• “Don’t Wait:” Critical to ask questions every few sentences

• “Lower the Level:” Ask constantly about the “lower” levels and ensure that meaning is building reliably up from small units to larger ones.– 4 levels of meaning

• Word meaning• Sentence meaning• Paragraph meaning• Story level meaning

Examples of “Lower the Level” Questions

How are these questions effective in supporting students in reading closely? What do you think is the impact of asking these “Lower the Level” questions?

Remember – Lower the Level does not mean we’re asking less rigorous questions!

Practice: “Lower the Level”

“Our love is alive, Esperanza,” said Papa, taking her small hand as they walked through the gentle slopes of the vineyard. Leafy green vines draped the arbors and the grapes were ready to drop. Esperanza was six years old and loved to walk with her papa through the winding rows, gazing up at him and watching his eyes dance with love for the land.”

“This whole valley breathes and lives,” he said, sweeping his arm toward the distant mountain that guarded them “It gives us the grapes and then they welcome us.” He gently touched a wild tendril that reached into the row, as if it had been waiting to shake his hand. He picked up a handful of earth and studied it. “Did you know that when you lie down on the land, you can feel it breathe? That you can feel its heart beating?”

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Annotate the text with questions you would ask.

Building Comprehension: After Reading

• Summarizing– Guide students to prioritize information and restate key

ideas in their own words– Ask questions that require students to pull out specific

elements of a summary• “What are the three most important events in the

chapter?”• “What are the author’s two arguments in support of

his thesis?”• Ever decreasing word limits

Where do I find texts for Guided Reading?

• Reading A-Z (Pre-K through 5th)– Access through TFANet

• Resource Room (Pre-K through high school)

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Closing

• Guided Reading is a powerful opportunity to lead students to make growth in reading in these next 4 weeks.

• Focus on:

– Decoding/Word Work

– Fluency

– Comprehension

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Questions?

Julie Baker julie.baker@teachforamerica.orgAngelica Leveroni angelica.leveroni@gmail.comOffice Hours Tuesdays, 5-9pm Resource Room