Guided Reading Strategies Lead Students to Independent Reading Skills
Guided Reading Strategies Lead Students to Independent Reading Skills
Guided reading is a popular teaching technique that is used by the majority of teachers to train students up to be successful independent readers. While this approach to reading is often thought of in relation to the primary grades, guided reading strategies can also be an effective tool for older students who may need to take another look at their reading skill in terms of reading for research and information gathering purposes. When the proper guided reading strategies are employed, the ultimate goal is to train up independent readers who have all of the necessary skills to be able to read with success and enjoyment.
How is Guided Reading Done?
Guided reading strategies are generally done in small groups of four to six students. A book is selected that is age and skill level appropriate for all of the children in the group. For younger readers, the teacher may ask the student to use guided reading strategies that will help them to recognize words, like looking at a picture to determine what a word is. Another effective strategy is to look for recognizable combinations of letters in a word that will help the child sound it out, like "-at" or "-it". Children can also skip a difficult word and read on to the end of the sentence. Sometimes the context of the text itself can help a child to determine what a word is.
In addition to guided reading strategies that will help newer readers recognize the words in a text, teachers will also discuss subjects like predicting what the book is about based on the title or illustrations. Children might also be asked to evaluate the story by telling what they liked or didn't like about it. Sometimes teachers will use a guided reading strategy of asking children to help solve problems that might come up in the story, or to predict what might happen next. All of these guided reading strategies are implemented to help children with reading and comprehension skills that will allow them to enjoy independent reading time as well. These guided reading strategies can also be a useful tool for parents who are reading with their kids at home.
Good reading skills are essential for academic success, which is why so many teachers and parents place such an important emphasis on effective guided reading strategies. The better your child can read, the better student he or she can be.