Vicky McLain’s Blog Post 8: Routman Chp. 10 Examine Guided Reading

Guided Reading is often the last thing to be squeezed into my tight schedule.  Guided reading was first introduced to me in Greenville County when we focused on Dr. Pat Cunningham’s and Dorothy Hall’s Four Block model. 

“In Guided Reading, teachers choose material for children to read and a purpose for reading, and then guide them to use reading strategies needed for that material and that purpose. Teachers provide guidance in a variety of whole class, small group, and partner formats. Guided Reading is always focused on comprehension. Children learn to predict what might happen or what they might learn. They learn about the story elements of characters, setting, and plot, and they learn how to organize and compare information learned from informational text.” (http://www.nevada.k12.mo.us/Bryan_School/Homepage/Four%20Block%20%20Method.htm)

Though Cunningham and  Routman are similar, I appreciate Routman’s broad view of Guided Reading…”any learning context in which the teacher guides one or more students through some aspect of the reading process…”  As I said in a previous post.  Sometimes we over “teacherize” our pedagogy making our teaching complicated, dreaded, and overly challenging. 

Guided reading comes after the teacher has modeled through mini-lessons and/or shared reading the strategies to be practiced during guided reading.  Guided reading puts students in the driver’s seat with the same goal as before “supporting students in becoming more accomplished readers” (pg. 152).

When it comes to grouping, Routman suggest heterogenous leveled groups past 2^nd grade.  I see the value in that.  However, I seem to be able to meet the needs of the lower 40% when I have small homogenous groups.  I agree with Routman that those grouping sessions do not need to be long.  I don’t want my students to feel like they are stuck in those groups either.

Routman highlights the real struggle we have to find quality books for guided reading.  I teach fifth grade, so interest and content should be considered more into the book selection rather than levels.  However, for those in the urgent intervention or intervention realm I need to choose books that allow them to feel competent and confident.  The checklist on pg. 155 is a great resource in helping us choose excellent books for guided reading. 

Perhaps the most frustrating element of guided reading is organization of groups and scheduling. I appreciate the ease Routman gives us in that we don’t need to meet with every group every day.  Nor do we need to let guided reading dominate our schedules.  In addition, guided reading (like shared reading) doesn’t have to be limited to the reading block on our schedules.  Instead this can be practiced across the curriculum.  Truth is, that is the only way I’m able to fit it in.  The main focus in my reading instruction is independent reading.  I’m glad Routman encourages this!

The most helpful part of this chapter is on pages 163-167.  It’s very frustrating when I’m trying to meet with a group or a student and the rest of the class is distracting.  This is an area that needs improvement.  I have set expectations but some aren’t following suit.

Routman’s frameworks and examples are very helpful.  I noticed that the guided reading lessons are truly focused more on meaning than anything else.  This is consistent with Routman’s philosophy.  We read for meaning.  Our small group time should also focus on meaning.  Focusing on fluency has its place and time.  But our main focus is on cultivating comprehension through finding meaning.