TEACHING

PRACTICES
FOR READING
AND VIEWING
Guided reading
Guided reading is an instructional
practice or approach where teachers
support a small group of students to
read a text independently.
Key elements of guided reading
Guided reading sessions are
made up of three parts:
• before reading discussion
• independent reading
• after reading discussion
The main goal of guided
reading is to help students
use reading strategies whilst
reading for meaning
independently.
 Why use guided reading
Guided reading is informed by Vygotsky’s (1978) Zone of
Proximal Development and Bruner’s (1986) notion of
scaffolding, informed by Vygotsky’s research.
The practice of guided reading is based on the belief that the
optimal learning for a reader occurs when they are assisted by an
educator, or expert ‘other’, to read and understand a text with
clear but limited guidance. Guided reading allows students to
practise and consolidate effective reading strategies.
Vygotsky was particularly interested in the
ways children were challenged and extended
in their learning by adults. He argued that the
most successful learning occurs when
children are guided by adults towards
learning things that they could not attempt on
their own.
Vygotsky coined the phrase 'Zone of Proximal
Development' to refer to the zone where
teachers and students work as children move
towards independence. This zone changes as
teachers and students move past their present
level of development towards new learning.
(Source: Literacy Professional Learning
Resource, Department of Education and
Training, Victoria)
Guided reading helps students develop greater control
over the reading process through the development of
reading strategies which assist decoding and construct
meaning. The teacher guides or ‘scaffolds’ their students
as they read, talk and think their way through a text
(Department of Education, 1997).
This guidance or ‘scaffolding’ has been described by
Christie (2005) as a metaphor taken from the building
industry. It refers to the way scaffolds sustain and support
people who are constructing a building.
The scaffolds are withdrawn once the building has taken shape
and is able to support itself independently (pp. 42-43). Similarly,
the teacher places temporary supports around a text such as:
• frontloading new or technical vocabulary
• highlighting the language structures or features of a text
• focusing on a decoding strategy that will be useful when
reading
• teaching fluency and/or
• promoting the different levels of comprehension – literal,
inferential, evaluative.
Once the strategies have been practised and are internalised, the
teacher withdraws the support (or scaffold) and the reader can
experience reading success independently (Bruner, 1986, p.76).
When readers have the opportunity to talk, think and read their
way through a text, they build up a self-extending system.
This system can then fuel itself; every time reading occurs,
more learning about reading ensues. (Department of Education,
Victoria, 1997; Fountas and Pinnell, 1996). Guided reading is a
practice which promotes opportunities for the development of a
self-extending system (Fountas and Pinnell, 1996).
Teacher’s role in guided reading
Teachers select texts to match the needs of the group so that the
students, with specific guidance, are supported to read sections
or whole texts independently.
Students are organised into groups based on similar reading
ability and/or similar learning needs determined through
analysis of assessment tools such as running records, reading
conference notes and anecdotal records.
Every student has a copy of the same text at
an instructional level (one that can usually be
read with 90–94% accuracy, see Running
Records). All students work individually,
reading quietly or silently.
Major focuses for a teacher to consider in
a guided reading lesson:
The teacher selects a text for a guided reading group by
matching it to the learning needs of the small group. The
learning focus is identified through the analysis of running
records (text accuracy, cueing systems and identified
reading behaviours), individual conference notes or
anecdotal records, seeRunning Records).
 Text selection
The teacher selects a text for a guided reading group by
matching it to the learning needs of the small group. The
learning focus is identified through:
• analysis of running records (text accuracy, cueing
systems and identified reading behaviours)
• individual conference notes
• or anecdotal records
 Text selection
The text chosen for the small group instruction will depend on the
teaching purpose. For example, if the purpose is to:
• demonstrate directionality - the teacher will ensure that the text has a
return sweep
• predict using the title and illustrations - the text chosen must support
this
• make inferences - a text where students can use their background
knowledge of a topic in conjunction with identifiable text clues to
support inference making.
Text selection
Text selection should include a range of:
• genres
• texts of varying length and
• texts that span different topics.
It is important that the teacher reads the text before
the guided reading session to identify the gist of the
text, key vocabulary and text organisation.
A learning focus for the guided reading session must
be determined before the session. It is recommended
that teachers prepare and document their thinking in
their weekly planning so that the teaching can be
made explicit for their students as illustrated in the
examples in the information below.
Example 1
Students
Jessie, Rose, Van, Mohamed, Rachel, Candan
Text/Level
Tadpoles and Frogs, Author Jenny Feely, Program
AlphaKids published by EleanorCurtain Publishing Pty
Ltd. ©EC Licensing Pty Ltd. (Level 5)
Learning Intention
We are learning to read with phrasing and fluency.
Success criteria
I can use the grouped words on each line of text to help me read with
phrasing.
Why phrase
Phrasing helps the reader to understand the text through the grouping of
words into meaningful chunks.
An example of guided reading planning and thinking recorded in a
teacher’s weekly program (See Guided Reading Lesson: Reading with
phrasing and fluency
Quality literature
Quality literature is highly motivating to both students and
teachers. Students prefer to learn with these texts and given the
opportunity will choose these texts over traditional ‘readers’.
(McCarthey, Hoffman & Galda, 1999, p.51).
Teacher's role during reading
During the reading stage, it is helpful for the teacher to keep
anecdotal records on what strategies their students are using
independently or with some assistance. Comments are usually
linked to the learning focus but can also include an insightful
moment or learning gap.
Learning example
Students
Jessie
• finger tracking text
• uses some expression
• not pausing at punctuation
• some phrasing but still some word by word.
Rose
• finger tracking text
• reading sounds smooth.
Van
• reads with expression
• re-reads for fluency.
Mohamed
• uses pictures to help decoding
• word by word reading
• better after some modelling of phrasing.
Rachel
• tracks text with her eyes
• groups words based on text layout
• pauses at full stops.
Candan
• recognises commas and pauses briefly when
reading clauses
• reads with expression.