Kelli Wolfe Blog Post #7 (March/April) Guided Reading

I like what Routman says in Chapter 10 of Reading Essentials:  Examine Guided Reading.  She reminds us at the very beginning that Guided Reading can take place at many different times during the day – not just during Guided Reading Group time.  She reminds us that Guided Reading is intended to be a time where students are in flexible groups and are “practicing what has already been demonstrated by the teacher.”  It is important that everyone know this definition.   I have recently observed a few guided reading groups where the teacher is just listening to the students read . . . there is no guided practice going on.  We need to remember to group our students in a way that allows us to get the most out of our time and to be sure they are practicing a skill or a strategy that has already been taught.  

What I liked most about this chapter centered around what Routman had to say about classroom management during a Reading Workshop model.  I, too, hear this question over and over!  “What do the other students do while I am meeting with a Guided Reading Group?”  And, “Creating these centers took me all weekend.”  I truly believe, and have experienced myself as a classroom teacher, that if students are engaged in what they are reading (because they are given choice) and are taught expectations, management will not be an issue.  Of course there will always be outliers, but overall, students pick up a routine very quickly and respond well when they know what the expectation is and are engaged in what they are doing/learning.  

In response to “creating centers,” I think this speaks mostly to teachers who think center work is worksheet work.  In reality, it should be the exact opposite.  I will admit that I have used games as center time . . . a figurative language sort or something of that nature.  I don’t think this scarred students for life, but I am not sure it was the best use of time either. Maybe if I had asked them to watch for examples of figurative language in a book they are reading and recording it in their notebook, they would have gotten more out of their time.  In that scenario, the student is doing the work . . . not the teacher.   It is definitely a paradigm shift and will probably be harder for those of us who have been teaching longer, but it is important that we give students the opportunity to think for themselves EVERY DAY!  Centers full of worksheets won’t do that.