I chose a video that specifically addressed guided reading in the elementary school. This teacher used pictures and examples from her own classroom as students experienced guided reading. I liked this video because it walked me through the teacher's viewpoint of how to implement a guided reading session. I noticed that this teacher used a slightly different order of events in her lesson. She started with a review of a previously read book in order to warm the students up. Then she went straight into an introduction of a new book. She based her mini-lesson off of the students' reading and strategies in the moment. In this way, she listened to the students' reading during their independent time and left time to discuss and address any issues. This way, it is fresh in her mind and perhaps students can work on practicing a particular problem. After this mini-lesson, the students reread the book - hopefully incorporating the mini lesson information. This all takes approximately 15-20 minutes and the teacher meets with the students at least twice a week (or daily for pre-readers or those struggling the most).
I like this strategy of incorporating the mini-lesson during the guided reading instead of before going through the story. I think students might be able to make the connection between a struggling area and problem-solving in the moment. The mini-lesson might seem more relevant to the student if it is addressed as the problem arises. I think this works well on an individual basis. However, it would be very difficult to address 4-5 mini-lessons in one given time if each student struggles with a different area. Implementing individual mini-lessons would be ideal, but might not be practical. Overall, it would really depend on the needs in each classroom.
I think the practice of guided reading needs to be incorporated in the classroom. The only time I remember doing anything like this was when I was first learning how to read. I think this exercise should still be used after having the basics understood. Even if students are reading successfully, perhaps their comprehensive skills are lacking. Also, this would be a great opportunity to introduce new genres or authors that students may not be aware of. Teachers can make guided reading what they want and should tailor it to students' interests and needs.
Video Link - Guided Reading in Elementary Classrooms
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Its a nice idea to introduce mini-lessons during the guided reading session. However, the students would probably need to read the story over again to completely comprehend what's going on. They may get distracted by the lesson. However, done right, it seems like that's a good way to highlight specifics issues the students may have and go more in-depth with examples.
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