• Use running records to find the instructional reading levels of each student using leveled readers.  I like using Reading A-Z but you do have to pay for a subscription (in my opinion worth every penny).
• Once you find each students' reading level, group them according to level.  You may have groups as large as 6 or as small as 1.  Make sure groups are no bigger than 6 although 5 would be ideal.  If you do not want to have too many groups, try to group students' with the closest levels possible.

Sites on Guided Reading Groups:

You should try to have the following --

• Leveled readers (books) - my school uses the Fountas & Pinnell system of leveling books so our readers are scored from A-Z.
• Whisper phones -- pvc pipes that act as phones so students can whisper as they read.  Click on this site for instructions on creating these phones (scroll to the bottom).
• Small magnetic whiteboards and dry erase markers - teachers can use these small boards to model a lesson or to have students do word work
• Magnetic letters - can be used with white boards for word work.
• Record keeping system - Binders, folders, index cards all make excellent records for anecdotal notes, running records, and more. 

Sites on Materials for GR:

Guided reading lesson structure:

Before reading:

• Selecting the text - Teachers must make choose text that is on the group's instructional reading level. That means that the text is neither to easy nor too difficult for the children to read.

• Introducing the text - Tap into children's background knowledge or provide background knowledge of the text.  Teachers should also

  • explain important ideas and concepts

  • do a picture walk of the text

  • discuss plot or theme of the story

  • point out new vocabulary

  • draw children's attention to certain details important to the story (i.e. use of verbs, punctuation, text features, etc.)

During reading:

• Supporting effective reading - Students read text individually, either silently or whispering using whisper phones. Teacher listens in on each student, providing guidance and support on strategies when needed.

After reading:

• Discussing and revisiting the text

• Teaching for processing strategies

• Extending the text

• Conducting word work

Sites on GR Lessons:

Teaching for Strategies:

There are many different strategies readers use. Guided reading is a time to explicitly teach & reinforce the use of strategies.

• Strategies for problem solving new words.

• Strategies for detecting and correct errors.

• Strategies for maintaining fluency

• Strategies for comprehending

• Strategies for self-monitoring and repair of comprehension (see Fix-Up Strategies page).

Keep track of students' progress through various assessments that can be completed during guided reading.

• Running records - can be quick and easy to do when students are reading text during guided reading.
• Retelling - students can retell text read in GR.
• Anecdotal notes - keep notes on each student when observing them read text independently in the group.
• Comprehension Check - ask students questions about the text they read to check for comprehension.

Sites/Resources on GR Assessments:

Must Have Books on Guided Reading