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Text Selection - The Most Critical Part of Guided Reading in Four Blocks!

It is probably the most critical part of the Guided Reading block in Four Blocks.  Because this block is the one with typically the most questions, implementation of the block at its best, is ALL about text selection – at least in my opinion. 

While it is true that for the majority of the time, everyone in the class is reading the same piece of text, it does not mean that each day is whole class instruction.  We develop guided reading lessons with three parts:  before, during, and after.  Each of those components has a variety of structures and strategies to choose from so that one of the greatest strengths of the block is that the way it looks each day can change.

Let’s look at each part of the block, with text selection as the lens. . . .

Before reading:  In order to decide what to do in your before, you must decide how to get students READY to read the text you have chosen.  Will it be necessary to introduce some vocabulary?  Will a picture walk be helpful?  What about modeling the strategy you intend to have students practice?  In order to make that decision, you have to know what text you will be using.  How difficult it is?  What amount of support will you have to provide in order to make your most struggling readers successful?  And as you finish up your before, what will you say to establish the purpose for reading that day?

In the past few years, one of my own personal goals in my guided reading demonstrations is to make sure the last thing I say to students before they go off to read is “Remember, your job as a reader today is . . . “  or “Our purpose for reading today is . . . “.  It is so important that students know what to think about as they go off to read.  It will focus their attention on the right thing. 

But if the purpose we have is a higher level strategy or requires intense thinking, it will be necessary to select a text that is easier to read.  There is only so much working memory available in the brain. If that working memory is spending all of its effort on decoding, there will be no space available for comprehending.

During reading:  This should ALWAYS be the longest part of the block.  Reading makes us better at reading; therefore, we should devote the most time to the act of reading.  But how will the students read this text?  Again, we have to decide that based on the level of the readers in our classroom and the level of the text we have selected.  If we know most of our students could read the text easily, it would be a great day for an ERT where each person reads the assigned portions alone. 

Or maybe a Three Ring Circus would be good.  Then you would have some of the more proficient readers reading independently while others are either with a partner or in a group facilitated by the teacher.   If the text will require more support, we may spend the first day in an echo and choral read and let subsequent days be partner reading or play school groups.  Kids should read the text in a variety of ways and if it is the second or third day of rereading the same text, the level of support can decrease.

After reading:  If you established a purpose for reading in the ‘before’, then your after activity should be a follow-up on that purpose.  If students read to pay attention to the questions they had, the after will be a time to discuss those questions.  If the level of support chosen for reading this text was sufficient, all student should be able to participate in the after activity.  It may involve only discussion but even better is to try to include a quick write as often as possible. The quick write can be followed or proceeded by a discussion.

This block is about teaching students HOW to comprehend.  Comprehension is much more difficult and even impossible if the text you have been asked to read is too hard.  Choose your texts wisely and provide the amount of support your most struggling readers will need to be successful.  Then each day you reread that text, lesson the support to increase their strategy work.

Until next time....

Amanda
Amanda Arens
Literacy Consultant