Using Leveled Readers At Your Guided Reading Table
Guided Reading is an important part of the literacy spectrum as it is a time to work with students of similar needs and abilities using material at their instructional level. It is a time to introduce and practice important reading strategies, build one to one correspondence, and to practice the importance of rereading text, and more.
If you are like me and find the guided books in your basal series to be marginal at best, you need something more. I have been making thematic books for two decades now, and find they fit the bill for effective guided reading. I have several sets for sale at our on-line store, they are moderately priced. My students love these little books! I usually sent home two a week. Additionally, each of our 50 plus thematic units and 12 homework packets each contain at least one guided reader.
With these paper readers it is so easy to make the guided reading table a more authentic experience. The books can match the themes you are teaching in your classroom, books can match focus sight words, or other reading skills being taught.
One activity I like to do is to have students play detective and circle a particular sight word such as, "Circle all of the words the." I can also focus on decoding, beginning sound and more. Because students can write on these books, the instruction can be broad and varied.
If you would like tips on using guided reading in your kindergarten classroom, click here.
