DIGITAL WORKSHOP TRULY GUIDED READING



Just like you, I truly want to make a difference in improving ALL levels of reading of my students. After years of teaching and working with teachers and Reading Recovery tutors and implementing researched pedagogies, I finally found the right procedure.  
My success in Guided Reading and Literacy pedagogy took me to London, the United States of America and parts of Australia where I consulted and ran workshops in schools on how teachers can effectively and easily implement Guided Reading.
I have now created an affordable, easy to navigate digital platform where you can access training, worksheets and other handy tools plus a copy of my book: Truly Guided Reading, so you, too, can experience the success I have had in teaching children to read.

The recording of the digital workshop, is a combination of an oral and visual, Power point; this was an achievement in itself. Only my mouth could move as any minuscule paper rustle or quiet opening of a door, even the children’s voices in the swimming pool next door were recorded! This caused many a slide to be repeated.

Disregarding these inconveniences, the Power point is constructed as three components:

Component 1

Because teachers support small reading groups during Truly Guided Reading and children are involved in independent activities, a teacher must shape the learning environment in a way that students become autonomous workers. This component shows teachers how, over a 4-5, week period, they prepare the classroom environment (a checklist and behaviour expectations chart are provided) so small group instruction is successful. You and the children are fully prepared and children are well versed in working autonomously.

For children to be autonomous workers, a Task Board (or task baskets for young children) is essential.

Where do tasks come from? The easiest and most relevant approach is reinforcing the learning from whole class learning, Shared Reading and Writing and Read Aloud. From knowledge gained in student-centred clusters, Independent Tasks for Early and Developing and Early Fluent Readers are created, for example, manipulative tasks, generic worksheets or the same learning concept set at different levels of complexity.

Component 2

Shows teachers how to implement Truly Guided Reading effectually where students become independent and fluent readers; readers for life. Details such as daily Guided Reading session times for each Early, Developing and Early Fluent are included as well as who reads aloud and who reads silently.

Implementing Guided Reading, involves, Orientation to the text and unfamiliar words: During Guided Reading: After Guided Reading discussion: Re-reading, early and developing readers: levels 1-10 quickly learning 15 high-frequency words.

Orientation, activates schema allowing students to anticipate structures and patterns when they read independently. Unfamiliar words are heard by the students flowing from a sentence or phrase, rather than pointing out the single word. The aim of Guided Reading is for students to take-on problem solving strategies which teachers’ model or prompt - ‘fix up’ and thinking strategies that relate to vocabulary and text meaning. Asking open-ended questions allows children to interpret and analyse the text just read.


Non-fiction texts are read during Guided Reading and you will note that as children become more independent readers they move to Reciprocal Teaching (non-fiction) and are involved in Book Clubs, fiction, (or something similar). This follows the pedagogy of the Optimal Learning Model (Pearson and Gallagher’s, 1983): beginning with maximum teacher support and the children gradually taking major responsibility.

Component 3
Assessment is vital as it is the indicator of levels the children move to next - up (or down) and most importantly whether the teacher needs to modify instruction to cater for the learning needs of their children.   
Assessment consists of (1) Daily Recording, not only students’ strengths and weaknesses, but what the teacher aims to reinforce and/or teach next and (2) Running Records (an example of a recording sheet is included). Information about the taking of Running Records is combined with the recommendation to consult Dame Professor Marie Clay’s book, Observation Survey (included in bibliography).
It is essential teachers monitor each student’s progress (an example of an Excel monitoring sheet is included).

It is great that you can go back again to view the Power point Truly Guided Reading. There may be parts that you want to re-examine. Also, a digital workshop can reach rural and outback schools as well as suburban.

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