Robin Wright - Blog Post #4 - Routman Chapter 10 Examine Guided Reading

     Guided reading is something that I try very hard to implement in my classroom at least twice a week.  I must say it is quite challenging due to the fact that my guided reading sessions tend to last a bit longer then the 10 - 15 minutes that Routman suggests.  No matter how hard I try to stick to those guidelines, my guided reading group always ends up being longer then the suggested time.  Even when I conference one on one with my students, I find it very difficult to cut them off in the middle of their idea or explanation simply because of a ticking clock.  I want to feel like my guided reading time is not wasted.  I want my students to gain important knowledge and skills in the precious time I have with them.  Routman's grouping practices really made me reflect on the way I've been conducting my guided reading time.  First, he suggested that guided reading groups should be flexible and based on students' needs and interests, not just on their reading level.  I always tend to group my students based on their reading levels.  They need to experience guided reading in many contexts and the way I often group my students doesn't really allow for that.  Second, Routman stresses that the texts chosen for the guided reading lesson need to be of the highest quality.  I use the literacy closet quite often at my school and finding interesting, high quality books there are few and far between. Recently, I have been trying to use my own class sets of books I have in my classroom.  However, finding those sets for all levels of readers from kindergarten to seventh grade has proven to be quite difficult.  Routman suggests making activities for the other students not in the guided group meaningful and having a purpose.  I strive to make the other activities interesting and fun, not only so my students will gain knowledge from them, but also so they will be engaged and not need to constantly seek my attention.  As with all things, there is always room for improvement.  I hope to implement some of Routman's suggestions, such as, expecting students to manage their own behavior and using a rubric to evaluate how well students have managed themselves.