Guided Reading

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2jckrzhwYo

In this video there are a lot of things the teacher talks about which I feel would be very useful. In relation to the article she talks about doing a picture walk (for her students it is mandatory) as well as activating prior knowledge. The most interesting aspect of this video is how the teacher uses comprehension cubes to get her students thinking and discussing the book before they have even read the words. I like the idea of having an interactive activity involved in the reading process because I feel like it helps cement in the children’s minds that reading itself is an interactive activity. Also, the cubes may bring up (and are likely intended to) questions that students would not have thought of on their own or allow them to share ideas with others who are not having the same though processes. Although the video does not show the entire lesson, I would imagine that this teacher would use similar interactive processes throughout the reading of the story and also the reflection. This cube idea is especially innovative to me because I think oftentimes teachers get so caught up in the actual reading of the words that they forget how to introduce texts and create intrinsic motivation for their children to want to read and be involved in the text in front of them. Yes, this activity may take more time, but as we have read before, there is always time for literacy if you make the time.
While the video we watched in class showed an exemplary job on the teachers part of the during and after aspects of the guided reading lesson, compared to this video, it was lacking in the before area in some respects. True, the teacher did do a picture walk and asked the students what they knew about the subject, but she did not get them really critically thinking about the text. The questions on the cubes are meant to go a little bit deeper than just observation questions (i.e. what color are frogs) to make the students see that to get the most out of what they are reading, they need to think about it on a deeper level. I thought the cubes were a fun way to make reading active and desirable for all students.