The Next Step In Guided Reading…Chapter 6-The Fluent Reader

I would like to welcome my good friend and fellow teacher to the blogosphere!  Her name is Melissa and she is a 1/2 split teacher and a long time friend of mine.  Please welcome her and enjoy her post on the Fluent Guided Reader!  

This chapter couldn’t come at a better time for me. I am currently teaching a 1/2 split and this is my first time teaching this. One thing that I noticed is that the kiddos that read fluently sometimes struggle with comprehension. I have always wondered what is the best way to teach them. The first part of chapter 6 is perfect for teaching those fluent kiddos comprehension skills. Three things I learned…. 1. Comprehension instruction is part of every guided reading lesson! It is especially important with fluent readers. Fluent readers have few problems decoding, therefore they are able to explore the process of comprehension. We need to make sure that a text has just enough of a challenge to make the students “work at it”. 2. Assessments are key in creating small groups. The book has a summary chart to use for fluent readers. This chart is used for students reading fluently at or above Level N. You will use fiction and nonfiction text to complete the chart. It is possible for a student to be proficient in a comprehension strategy on fiction but not on nonfiction. The chart will let you know what strategies you need to teach and which genre you need to use for your small groups. Make sure to reevaluate your groups once a month and limit your groups to six students. 3. Strong guided reading lessons at the fluent level focus on specific strategies. Model the strategy, then students work independently as you work with others. The goal in your small groups is to construct meaning of the text. Classroom Implications…. One thing that I will be doing that I have NEVER done before is group students by the comprehension strategy that they need to work on. Also they don’t need to read the entire text all the time. Once they have achieved the instructional objective, they don’t have to read the entire text. The materials that you will need for fluent guided reading…… · assessment kit · texts in a variety of genres-fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc. · copies of lesson plan · dry erase board and marker (for teacher) · reading notebooks for student responses · comprehension scaffold cards-make six sets of each chard and laminate them · 6 copies of the vocabulary strategies cards · sticky notes · timer After students finish reading the book, help them extend their understanding by writing with support for 20 minutes. Comprehension Strategies, Scaffolds, and Prompts: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxqYW5yaWNoYXJkc29ucmVhZGluZ3xneDpmYzM4Yjc3MGI4YmQxZA Fluent Guided Reading Lesson Plan: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxqYW5yaWNoYXJkc29ucmVhZGluZ3xneDozZWZmZGQ3ZWNiZGUwMGQz Comprehension Cards: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxqYW5yaWNoYXJkc29ucmVhZGluZ3xneDoyNmNlMWU1ZTJmNjVlNzc0   For an assessment grid for more intentional group planning check out this link as well… http://1drv.ms/1TKnwKv