Good Habits, Great Readers
The Reading Program:
Shared Reading
During Shared Reading the teacher models (using think alouds) the habits, skills, and strategies proficient readers use to understand and enjoy reading. Each instructional unit covers one of the identified habits of proficient readers, so students learn to:
*See themselves as readers
*Make sense of text
*Use what they know
*Understand how stories work
*Read to learn
*Monitor and organize ideas and information
*Think critically about books
Guided Reading
Guided Reading lessons are designed to be used with small groups to address specific reading skills and strategies. Guided reading allows me to instruct small groups of students with similar learning needs, using a text that is carefully matched to their current instructional needs. I provide direct instruction in reading skills and strategies and gather informal assessment information by listening to students read and discuss text.
I share questions and activities to help students activate and use prior knowledge, build background knowledge, make connections and predictions, set a purpose for reading, preview vocabulary, and explore a featured reading skill. As students read independently, I use prompts that provide support. After reading, students revisit the featured reading skill and discuss the text. Each lesson will usually include some type of activity to extend and/or reinforce one of the reading skills.
Literacy Activities
Literacy Activities give students opportunities to work independently or in small groups to extend and reinforce the skills and strategies they learn each week. Some possible activities include: Fluency Practice, Vocabulary Builder, Writing, Word Study/Word Work, Computer Activities, Reciprocal Teaching
Literature Discussion Groups
Literature Discussion Groups, also known as book clubs and literature circles, are small groups of students who meet to read and discuss the same text. These groups provide students with opportunities to explore their understanding of a text while practicing and applying comprehension strategies, building collaborative relationships with classmates, and strengthening communication skills.
Within group discussion, students may take on certain roles or responsibilities related to reading strategies, such as initiating discussions, making connections, creating visuals, defining vocabulary, analyzing characters, summarizing, and researching background information. These roles are modeled and taught to the group before students fill them independently. Students can rotate roles for each meeting to practice new strategies.