Amy Stone's Guided Reading

Modeling Guided Reading FAQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txC-Qo_8GiU

The video I chose to watch was a question and answer session with a first grade teacher, Ms. Candice Bookman, who teaches at Lawrence Elementary. There was never a specific lesson shown within the video but she did provide a lot of information about how guided reading was conducted in her classroom and there were clips of her performing the lesson with her students. She begins the lesson by reading the book with the students and then allowing them to have time to read out loud. This mimics the guided reading lesson that was shown in class. Ms. Bookman also uses whiteboards or note cards to go over words that the students are struggling with while she listens to them read. This is another strategy that the video we watched in class showed. One thing that is different from the class video is that Ms. Bookman allows the students to take home books in their book bag, which is a large plastic baggy for them to place their books. They can then practice reading while at home as well. I think one interesting aspect of her guided reading lessons in the ways in which she creates her groups. She has groups that are based by different colors but the groups are also constantly changing. The students are placed into groups based on needs that they show within the reading processes. She never calls the students to her guided reading group by their color but by their individual names so that the students do not know why they are in the groups that they are placed. As in the other video, Ms. Bookman uses the guided reading groups as a way in which she can listen to the students read and is able to see what strategies they are or are not using. While Ms. Bookman is working with a particular group, the rest of the students are working on different centers. She spent over a month at the beginning of the year to teach the centers and how to clean up properly. I think this video was very interesting and informative. I was able to understand different ways of teaching guided reading lessons in the younger elementary grades. By hearing the teacher answer the specific questions that were asked, I had a better view of the teacher’s perspective on guided reading lessons. I think this video is very informative on getting started with guiding reading lessons in the classroom. With proper class management skills and a dedication to work in guided lesson groups daily, I think these lesson can be carried out in a way that is very beneficial to the students and the teacher.