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It's been a long time coming, but I'm thrilled to finally write this post to introduce Guided Reading That Works! I love my community of 20,000+ elementary school teachers, and I recently polled them to ask about what they experience as they run their Guided Reading groups.

These educators shared openly with me about their Guided Reading struggles. The feedback came via email, Facebook and Instagram-so many stories! These teachers are committed to the task of teaching children to read. Yet their comments revealed a huge helping of frustration, mixed with a little confusion, topped with a generous dollop of exhaustion.

Here's just a taste of what I heard...

"Pull-outs and interruptions kill me!"

"Grouping students! I have one kiddo way lower than anyone else."

"Keeping the other students focused on their independent tasks"

"Fitting in all the areas that my different groups need to focus on"

"Knowing what I should be focusing on during the lesson"

Doesn't sound like a recipe for success, does it? Not in my book, anyway.

We all know that reading is the SINGLE most ESSENTIAL skill our students will learn in school. But there's no pressure in teaching them to read, right? (Gulp!) OK, so there's a little pressure...

More like a pressure-cooker, sometimes!

In addition to the pressure to organize level groups and assign students appropriately, there's also the issue of overwhelm. Teachers have A LOT on their plate, and Guided Reading struggles can pile on the stress. Ever had any of these questions cross your mind when you're preparing to teach Guided Reading?

"There's so much important material to teach...how am I ever going to get through it all without rushing?"

"How can I differentiate my teaching without creating more work for myself?"

"What are the other kids supposed to be doing while I'm teaching small groups? How do I avoid interruptions and keep my independent learners accountable for their work?"

The bottom line of what teachers are saying?

"I need help with Guided Reading. Pronto!"﻿

Well, my teacher friends, it's finally here! I am so excited to serve-up my online, anti-boring professional development workshop for 1st-5th grade teachers,

Guided Reading That Works has been over 20 years in the making. I created this program to save you hours of planning and years of stress; it's packed with actionable information and strategies you won't find anywhere else.

What's the secret to my Guided Reading recipe for success? Like any good recipe, it took years of trial & error! I spent countless hours trying to create a reliable system that ensured my guided reading groups were rigorous and inspiring. I finally focused on streamlining my instruction and building a routine that simplified my Guided Reading blocks. That's when everything changed!

Now I'm ready to share all the yummy goodness with my teacher peeps...

Guided Reading That Works: A Recipe for Success

The best recipes combine quality ingredients and a step-by-step plan. Guided Reading That Works does the same. It's made up of 5 zero fluff training modules and bite-sized tutorials to get you up and running fast. And it's all built around my step-by-step P.L.O.T. Framework for Flawless Guided Reading Groups.

That action plan was born out of my 23 years of personal experience. I learned to translate theory into practice as an elementary school teacher, curriculum developer, and adjunct university professor. Were my early attempts at Guided Reading always successful?

Absolutely not.

When I first started my Guided Reading groups, I was a HOT MESS EXPRESS! I knew how important guided reading was to my students' academic success; but I felt confused, overwhelmed, and, at times, ready to quit.
But just like you...I kept going.
Those years of trial and error finally led me to discover there was nothing wrong with me! I didn't need a time machine to fit everything in. What I needed was a SYSTEM for running my guided reading groups.

As I said before: when I learned to streamline my instruction and simplify my routine, it was a game changer!

Finally, I could fully focus on my small group, rather than constantly monitor other students to ensure they weren't goofing off. I no longer worried about whether I was meeting all my students' needs, checking the right curriculum boxes, or differentiating as well as I could be. Was it because I no longer cared? No! I cared plenty, but my mind was now at ease. My students were consistently leaving my classroom at the end of the year at or ABOVE their reading benchmarks. Yet I wasn't running myself ragged to make it happen!

That's why I'm so excited to share that system with you through Guided Reading That Works.

I'm here to tell you that it is possible to find a rhythm that works for your guided reading groups. It's even possible for Guided Reading to become the time of day that you and your students look forward to the most!

With Guided Reading That Works, in as little as 7 days, you'll learn how to:

Take the materials, plans and resources you have and turn them into a streamlined SYSTEM for running your Guided Reading groups with ease-from literacy stations to independent work and everything in between.

Begin your Guided Reading blocks each day with confidence and calm-because you know exactly how to keep students on track and making progress

Differentiate and scaffold your instruction, minus the stress and frenzy. And stop worrying you'll run over time, have to rush, or not give each student the attention they deserve.

I created Guided Reading That Works to help you save hours of planning and years of stress. I give you actionable information and strategies you won't find anywhere else. Here's just a taste of what you will find...

My PLOT Framework for Guided Reading Groups That Work - your new go-to framework for ensuring your Guided Reading groups are more calm, engaging and effective than ever before

5 "make it work" professional development video modules, complete with step-by-step instructions and zero-fluff strategies. EVERYTHING you need to breathe new life into reading groups!

30 easy-to-digest, action-packed video tutorials covering 5 learning modules. They're rich with examples, strategies, how-to's, and behind-the-scenes peeks to help you streamline your Guided Reading instruction

The essential info on literacy assessments, planning, materials, printables and more - so you know exactly where to focus your time to optimize your reading instruction, without hurrying to fit everything in.

The cherry on top! Exclusive bonuses & resources to help you tame the chaos and ensure that every student is engaged, on track, and working on exactly what they need to progress toward becoming a confident, capable reader!

Guided Reading that Works Bonuses:

Here's a peek at what's contained in the 5 modules in Guided Reading That Works...

Module 1:

Course Introduction and Overview - Building Your Balanced Literacy Classroom: In this module, I explain how to implement a balanced literacy approach in your classroom-by simply tweaking what you're already doing-to make your reading block more effective and much less hectic! You'll learn what a balanced literacy framework looks like in action and see how it can transform your classroom to provide a new level of flexibility for you and your students, while also encouraging independence and self-learning.

For those new to guided reading, this module will demystify it and show you how to bring all its components together into a smooth, workable system. Yet those familiar with or already using a Guided Reading approach will love the introduction to my PLOT framework for more effective Guided Reading instruction. By the end of this module, newbies and seasoned educators will have a structured, step-by-step game plan. You'll know how to develop a streamlined, consistent, strategic Guided Reading block that meets the needs of each of your students.

Module 2:

How to Pre-Assess Your Way to Reading Success: Finding each student's starting point and conducting ongoing assessments are key to a successful Guided Reading approach, and that's what this module is all about! You'll learn about the four main types of reading assessments, along with when and how to use each one. You'll understand how assessments can inform your instruction as well as help you make confident decisions on leveling, progress monitoring, and addressing individual learning needs. We also explore how to use informal reading assessments to periodically monitor students' reading level, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.

Each lesson is packed full of essentials and in-depth information, giving you everything you need to choose the right assessment, for the right student, at the right time. Assessments don't need to be overwhelming or time-consuming! By the end of this module you'll be able to use assessments to plan your instruction more effectively and make the most of the time you have.

Module 3:

Level Groups - The Low-Down on Leveling Your Groups...The Right Way!
In order for guided reading to work, it's essential to appropriately group your students by their instructional reading level. In this module, we'll cover the how and why for grouping your students. This is the foundational structure that allows you to provide differentiated, small group instruction that keeps your students moving forward toward their literacy goals.

I'll introduce you to Strategy Groups, an alternative to a conventional Guided Reading group that allows you to provide differentiated small group instruction to students of varying ability levels who struggle with the same skill or strategy. Plus, in an in-depth, "nuts & bolts" video, I'll show you the approach I personally use to group my students by level. I share the methods and criteria I've used to successfully create guided reading groups in my own classroom. You'll learn how you can apply these same strategies to ensure your students are getting the support they need.

Module 4:

Organizing and Optimizing Your Time for a Seriously Smooth Guided Reading Block
Effective guided reading groups require an organized approach. If you feel like you're drowning in activities, worksheets and materials, this module will deliver a serious dose of sanity to your classroom!

I'll share the most effective strategies for organizing materials near your teacher table and around the classroom. (Ensuring that everything you need is always within arm's reach is key to optimizing your time!) We'll also answer the most common question I receive about guided reading: "What are the other kids doing, and how do I keep them on track?" We'll cover how to implement literacy stations, showing you the different types of literacy stations and activities you can provide, and sharing a step by step approach to setting up literacy stations in your classroom.

I'll also share insights on how to implement an effective behavior management plan. I'll give you practical, creative ways to calm the chaos and ensure an engaging and peaceful learning environment for your students (some of these will surprise you!) Next, I'll share a workable plan for implementing guided reading rotations, including the steps you should consider when planning out your rotations. I'll explain how to streamline your rotations so you can fit everything in with the time you have available. Finally, I'll share the most e ffective ways to hold students accountable for the practice activities they perform during literacy rotations

Module 5:

Tackle, Tend & Teach: The Nitty Gritty of What to Teach, When and How
This module will give you total clarity about the types of reading groups you'll have in your classroom, and exactly what to work on with each of them. I'll show you how to tackle your guided reading instruction, tend to each individual learner through differentiated instruction, and teach your heart out to help your students reach mastery level in their literacy development.

In this final teaching module, I give you a detailed lesson plan for each of your leveled reading groups. Then, for each group, I'll show you how to tackle the task of planning an effective, engaging lesson that accomplishes your instructional goals and meets the needs of the students in your group. You'll also learn how to tend to the individual learning needs of your students, by using the information gained from monitoring and assessment to differentiate your instruction and inform your teaching.

I'm on a mission to give your Guided Reading story a happy ending...

Thanks for joining me for this tour of Guided Reading That Works. I'll continue to offer blog posts with helpful teaching tips, creative ideas and actionable strategies you can use in your own classroom; however, I wanted to take this opportunity to share the exciting news. There's a lot of good stuff that's waiting for you; so be sure to check out this page for Guided Reading That Works!

'Bye for now, and happy teaching!

xoxo, Anna

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What is Guided Reading That Works? - Simply Skilled Teaching

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It's been a long time coming, but I'm thrilled to finally write this post to introduce Guided Reading That Works! I love my community of 20,000+ elementary school teachers, and I recently polled them to ask about what they experience as they run their Guided Reading groups.

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With many lettered and numbered leveled reading systems, it's hard to know which one to choose and when to use it. Let's cut through the confusion.

What Are the Differences Between Leveled Reading Systems?
Grade Level Equivalent
The Grade Level Equivalent indicates the readability of the text by grade. It is a reflection of the grade level at which a student reading on grade could read the book independently. For instance, a student who is in the first month of fourth grade and reading on-grade would be well matched to a book with a Reading Level of 4.1. Each grade level has a range of .1 to .9.
Guided Reading Level
Developed by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, the guided reading level system gives a more precise reading level for books. This detailed, alphabetic system has several levels within each grade level. For example, grade 2 is equivalent to guided reading levels J through M.This allows you to tailor your reading program more accurately to a wide range of reading abilities.

Each book is carefully evaluated prior to being leveled, and teacher input is taken into consideration in the leveling process. The Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Books website for subscribers includes a database of 18,000 leveled books, as well as suggestions for reading instruction, supporting materials, and teacher tips.
The Lexile Framework® for Reading
The Lexile Framework, an even finer numerical filter, assesses a book's difficulty and helps match reader ability and text difficulty based on the numeric Lexile scale. This system from educational measurement company MetaMetrics targets books on the right reading level for the child's ability. It is based on an algorithm that simultaneously measures vocabulary and sentence length.

The Lexile database includes prose only. Poems, plays, and songs are rated simply Non-Prose, or NP. If a book is best shared as a read-aloud, it is in the Adult Directed, or AD, category. A book is a Nonconforming Text, or NC, if its vocabulary and sentence length are complex compared to the subject matter. An NC book is one that is suitable for advanced readers who need age-appropriate material. Beginning Readers, or BR, are those books at a Lexile measure of zero or below.

The Lexile framework includes formative assessments, as opposed to summative assessments like chapter, unit, or statewide tests. Formative assessments are tests you give as you teach new material. The test results help you amplify your teaching, re-teach, and provide additional practice to solidify concepts and skills. There is a free database at Lexile.com.
DRA
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) is a reading assessment tool intended to identify the independent reading level for students in grades K-8. Using the DRA numerical scale, you can measure reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Students are said to be near, at, or above grade level, below grade level, or significantly below grade level. Once you know the student's DRA score, then you can match that score with books in the appropriate level.
Interest Level
Interest level indicates that students in these grades are the most likely to be engaged by the book's content and approach.
Grade Level
Sorting books by grade level is the most basic, understandable system. If you use a basal series to teach reading, you probably use this system. If you're searching for science or social studies books for a unit of study, a grade level search is precise enough.
Reading Recovery
Reading Recovery is an intensive one-on-one remediation program designed to supplement reading instruction for students in grades K-2 who are slow to read. You can compare Reading Recovery and guided reading levels; Reading Recovery levels by themselves have limited usefulness.

Which Leveled Reading System Should I Use?

Now that you understand several commonly-used systems, which leveling system should you use? The answer is, it depends on:
Students
A leveling system is not meaningful to young readers and may threaten older readers. I don't mention levels to my second graders, although their reading books are all labeled. If I stress a student's level, I'll affect his or her self-esteem.

At any one time, I have students reading on four to six different levels. I teach them to choose just-right books carefully, and to meet their needs, I pre-select books across a range of levels.
Curriculum
Your reading methods and materials may suggest an appropriate leveling system. Because I teach guided reading, I use Fountas and Pinnell guided reading levels. When I download printable books from Reading A-Z, I convert their levels to the Fountas and Pinnell system when the two don't match.

If I used a Lexile scale assessment program, I would use Lexile measures. If I taught reading using a basal series, I'd use grade levels. When I assess students with DRA, I use DRA levels. Our Reading Recovery teacher uses Reading Recovery levels.
Colleagues
To be consistent, my colleagues and I all use guided reading levels. This fosters positive, open communication. We all speak the same language.
Parents
Parents may remember grade leveled reading when they were kids. While I'm aware of each child's precise level, parents may compare their child to other classmates, so I'm deliberately vague. The terms above grade level, on grade level, and below grade level inform parents without overwhelming them with information.

How Can I Make a Leveled Book List?

Scholastic's Book Wizard allows teachers to search for books by level, but not all books are leveled for each leveling system.

If you want to create a leveled book list with books that are measured according to different systems, it helps to have a Reading Level Conversion Chart. This chart is only an approximate guide. DRA and guided reading are exactly equivalent, and the conversion chart is perfect for them. But a book's Lexile measure does not always correspond neatly with its guided reading level. In fact, there can be wide variations. You'll need to use judgment and read the books yourself before giving them to students.

Here is a Guided Reading Leveling Chart.

What Can I Do if a Book Is Not Leveled?

If you can't find a level for a book, compare it to similar leveled books. Keep in mind that you will need to assess whether or not a book is developmentally appropriate for a given student or group. For example, just because a young student can read a book about the Holocaust does not mean the subject is appropriate for that student. Another example is a book written in dialect may be difficult for students to comprehend.

As you compare books, consider the following:

Vocabulary and word choice

Sentence length and complexity

The length of the book

Subject matter

Repetition and predictability

Picture support

Age appropriateness and Interest level

How Much Do Reading Levels Matter?

Students will read beyond their level when they're motivated by a topic, like dinosaurs or insects. Let it happen. That's one way readers grow. My second graders read the entire Iditarod website because they were excited about the Iditarod sled dog race. On the other hand, sixth graders can be encouraged to read nonfiction picture books that are informative and accessible to older students.

Remember, Leveling Systems Are Guides

Observe your unique students, the subject matter, your colleagues, and parents. Be flexible and trust your judgment. A well-informed teacher who understands leveling systems and knows her students will make wise choices about books.

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Leveled Reading Systems, Explained | Scholastic

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With many lettered and numbered leveled reading systems, it's hard to know which one to choose and when to use it. Let's cut through the confusion. Grade Level Equivalent The Grade Level Equivalent indicates the readability of the text by grade.

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Reading Level Correlation Chart

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Top 5 Parts of a Guided Reading Lesson - Learning to the Core %

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Guided Reading Must Haves When leading a Guided Reading lesson, it's important to make the most of the short amount of time you have with your readers. The more prepared ahead of time you are, the better the lesson will go. As someone who has worked with readers from Kindergarten-5th Grade, I've noticed a few ...

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Understanding Reading Levels

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The teacher gives a brief statement of the story in 2-3 sentences, including the title, author, illustrator, genre, copyright date, and other books by the author. The purpose is to relate students' prior knowledge to the story.

2. "Picture Walk"

The teacher and students "walk" through the book looking at and discussing each of the illustrations. Through asking questions, the students will come to realize the story line, main idea, structure of the book, predictable patterns, etc. If it is a nonfiction book, discuss the nonfiction text features.

3. Vocabulary Introduction

During the "picture walk," the teacher should use the vocabulary unique to the story. Ask students to find these words on the various pages using graphophonic clues.

BEFORE READING STRATEGIES are ways to increase engagement, motivate the students to read, and increase comprehension. Choose one of the following:

5-10 key words from story are written on board. Predict what the book/chapter will be about using all of the words, then read for a purpose ~ to confirm or revise predictions.

If studying verbs, just select verbs to teach from the book. If studying adjectives, just select adjectives. . . .

Select 3-4 pictures from the story and make copies of them. The students predict what the book is about by arranging pictures and telling a story.

Bring in objects that are in the book to teach the new vocabulary.

Anticipation Guides ~ Write 5-10 statements based on the content of the story or nonfiction piece. Students attempt to answer yes/no or true/false for each statement. They then read to correct their guides.

Fill in the Blank ~ The teacher selects 2 sentences from the story with key words missing. Students brainstorm all of the possible words that could fill in the blank. This is a good strategy to use for students who do not use context clues when they are reading.

DURING READING STRATEGIES are important to assess what the students know and what they think will happen. This is particularly important for longer stories. Students whisper read. Listen in to each child.

Concept Mapping ~ Students record the main idea of the story, and then map all facts they have learned up to the stopping point. This works well for students who forget the details. The teacher can provide the main idea and/or some details.

Inspiration (www.inspiration.com) can help you create a map on the computer.

See my page for prompts to ask during guided reading groups. (Prompts for the Reading Strategies.)

Teachers should write observations of students' reading behaviors at this time.

AFTER READING STRATEGIES

Students come up with their own questions to ask each other.

Students retell** the selection, or summarize using "Somebody Wanted But So Then." (Jack and Jill wanted to fetch a pail of water but Jack fell down and broke his crown so he did not get the water. Then Jill came tumbling after.)

Prepare sentence strips of the story plot and the students sequence the story.

Put specific questions in plastic Easter eggs. Students each pick one and call on a group member to answer.

See my Open Ended Questions page.

See my Expectations By Grade Level page. 1st graders are expected to retell, make a connection, and tell a favorite part and why. 2nd graders are expected to retell, state the most important event and why it is important, and state author's message or overall lesson in the story. (Always listen to a parent. Don't talk to strangers.)

Students discuss strategies that they used.

Revisit the mini-lesson and how that strategy was used today.

**RETELLING** after reading, WITH THE BOOK CLOSED is wonderful, especially for beginning readers. They should:

1. Tell most events in sequence, or tell key facts for nonfiction.

2. Include important details.

3. Refer to characters or topics by specific names.

4. Include key vocabulary from text.

5. Respond to any questions asked with interpretation that shows higher level thinking or connections.

Teacher should ask the children in the guided reading group who are NOT retelling if the RETELLER is giving enough information. The online store, Really Good Stuff, sells cute retelling ropes: Retelling Ropes so the students have something concrete to scaffold the retelling. I have students use their fingers:

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS. THE ABOVE IS JUST A GENERIC OUTLINE FOR NEW TEACHERS.

tips-for-managing-guided-reading-with-large-class-sizes-rev

Here are lesson plan templates from Jan Richardson Resources:

3earlyform-rev

emergent-plan-with-prompts

fluent-lesson-plan

What Works Clearinghouse discusses the very LATEST BEST PRACTICES based on research!

Research is important: http://www.ncte.org/cee/positions/researchandteaching

Must see website: http://reading.uoregon.edu/big_ideas/. The site discusses 5 Big Ideas in Beginning Reading, which are Phonemic Awareness, Alphabetic Principle, Fluency with Text, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. Click on the links within the site for valuable charts and information.

The National Reading Panel states that the best approach to reading instruction must incorporate:

The Panel found that a combination of techniques is effective for teaching children to read:

Phonemic awareness-the knowledge that spoken words can be broken apart into smaller segments of sound known as phonemes. Children who are read to at home-especially material that rhymes-often develop the basis of phonemic awareness. Children who are not read to will probably need to be taught that words can be broken apart into smaller sounds.

Phonics-the knowledge that letters of the alphabet represent phonemes, and that these sounds are blended together to form written words. Readers who are skilled in phonics can sound out words they haven't seen before without first having to memorize them.

Fluency-the ability to recognize words easily, read with greater speed, accuracy, and expression, and to better understand what is read. Children gain fluency by practicing reading until the process becomes automatic; guided oral repeated reading is one approach to helping children become fluent readers.

Guided oral reading-reading out loud while getting guidance and feedback from skilled readers. The combination of practice and feedback promotes reading fluency.

Teaching vocabulary words-teaching new words, either as they appear in text, or by introducing new words separately. This type of instruction also aids reading ability.

Reading comprehension strategies-techniques for helping individuals to understand what they read. Such techniques involve having students summarize what they've read to gain a better understanding of the material.

The above in green came directly from: National Reading Panel.

Teachers should be following the GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY MODEL found here: http://www.literacyleader.com/node/477 and DIFFERENTIATE instruction: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/differentiated-classroom-structures-literacy-instruction.

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COPYRIGHT 07/20/2015. PLEASE CITE AS FOLLOWS:

Araujo, Judith E., M.Ed., CAGS. "How to Teach a Guided Reading Group & Best Practices!"Mrs. Judy Araujo, Reading Specialist. N.p., 20 July 2015. Web. <http://www.mrsjudyaraujo.com/teaching-a-guided-reading-group-k-3/>.

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How to Teach a Guided Reading Group & Best Practices!

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The teacher gives a brief statement of the story in 2-3 sentences, including the title, author, illustrator, genre, copyright date, and other books by the author. The purpose is to relate students' prior knowledge to the story. 2. "Picture Walk" The teacher and students "walk" through the book looking at and discussing each of the illustrations.