Reflections on Guided Reading - worth pondering

GUIDEDREADINGThe Romance and the RealityIrene C. Fountas ■ Gay Su Pinnell

As I read and re-read this article over the summer, I thought it made some really thought-provoking points.  As everything in the world, "guided reading" terminology needs to be defined.  I think if you are getting high results you are probably grouping students and explicitly teaching to meet their unique needs such as the repetition needed, skill breakdown needed or coaching of a skill for independence.  Listening to yourself to see how much you are talking and how much the students are talking is also very key.  Many of us, like myself, love to share and talk but it is the students who need to share and talk the most during today's instruction.  Teaching is very challenging - I just wish more of the world would understand that.  Perhaps we need to have a teacher and parents allow a "reality tv" produce "A Year of Learning" to showcase the life of an educator from start to finish of a school year.  Oh well, time to allow you to ponder the article.  kathy

http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/supportingmaterials/fountaspinnell_revdreadingteacherarticle12_2012.pdf