The Ultimate Decoding Strategy Guide

Guided Reading

The focus on literacy has increased greatly in Kindergarten over the years. Guided reading is an integral part of my literacy block. I use reading strategy posters to teach different reading and decoding strategies. The strategies are associated to a familiar animals which helps students remember each strategy, plus it's more fun! They are just brilliant! 

Use guided reading strategy posters to give students picture clues and reminder to use their strategies! I also made guided reading strategy bookmarks that can be sent home, and guided reading strategy name plates! Anywhere they go, they can reference their strategies. 

Whether you work with just one guided reading group in one day, or if you have several groups that cycle through your classroom each day, this helpful packet will give you countless lessons and supplements to make guided reading a breeze! 

Here are some other guided reading tips I use in my classroom:

Managing Reading Groups

To manage my guided reading groups, I level my students using DRA (Developments Reading Assessment). Try not to have guided reading groups with more than 5 students, but I try to keep my groups around 4 students, especially my groups who need more scaffolding. I use a binder to section off each guided reading group and place running record sheets in each section for each student.

Selecting 'Just Right' Texts

I recommend picking your texts about a week ahead of time. This gives you time to be more reflective about the strategies and levels you choose. Pick several books at each groups' instructional level and place rubber bands around the group of texts. 

Managing Time In Guided Reading Groups

Managing your time during guided reading is essential to teaching an effective lesson. I always begin my guided reading lessons with picture walks. Remember, kindergarten-ages children think in pictures, so it is important to pay close attention to the pictures and give students the opportunity to discuss these pictures with their peers. Find a timer that gives you a warning before the guided reading session ends, in order to closure you lesson appropriately. 

My guided reading groups last about 20 minutes each. I break my lessons into small segments.

2-3 minutes: Mini-lesson. Set a purpose for reading.

2-3 minutes: Picture walk

4-5 minutes: Students read using phonics phones, choral reading etc.

4-5 minutes: Partner reading. Students take turns reading a page of the tezt. Partners follow along with their finger while their peer reads a text and vice versa. 

5 minutes: Closure and respond to reading. You can do this through reading, exit slips, think-pair-share, etc. 

Get all the guided reading tools and supplements you'll ever need HERE!