Guided Reading

I found a great to-the-point article entitled "Guided Reading in the Primary Classroom" by Mary Kreul.

This article focuses on guided reading within your classroom, but primarily at the lower-grade levels (k-2). Guided reading in listed as one component of a four-block reading program consisting of self-selected reading, shared reading, writing, and working with words.
What I got out of this article is that guided reading does something for the reader before, during, and after the reading. Before the reading: the purpose is set, vocabulary is introduced, opportunity for predictions is provided, and time to talk about the strategies good users use. During the reading we guide students as they read, provide wait time, give prompts or clues as needed by individual students, such as "Try that again. Does that make sense? Look at how the word begins." After the reading we can strengthen comprehension skills and provide praise for strategies used by students during the reading.

One great tool I have seen in classrooms is very similar to this image I have found....

Vocabulary, Read Alouds, and Technology

Vocabulary words....
Hmmm...
These words might annoy many students, both past and present, but it doesn't have to be so.  We can incorporate new and fun ways of learning or teaching our vocabulary words so it is more beneficial for all. One method is to use technology to assist.  What better way that to illustrate what you are trying to express with words by using pictures.  This will engage more students and allow us to reach many that we might not otherwise be able to.  One example would be to simply show matching pictures to go with each vocabulary word as it is introduced on your smart board, PowerPoint, or even printed handouts you developed on Microsoft Publisher or equivalent software.  There are so many things we can do with technology to assist us in this and other challenges, we just need to be creative and willing to try new things within our classrooms.

So, as you can see.. technology can aid with building vocabulary words, but it is also a helpful tool  you can apply during your read alouds. 

How will you use technology in your classroom to maintain your students' attention?

Real Teachers Support Their Readers

What does this statement mean? Real Teachers Support Their Readers???

Well, according to this week's article from Pardo (2004), Teachers support their readers in six main ways: teach decoding skills, help students build fluency, build and activate prior knowledge, teach vocabulary words, motivate students, and engage students in personal responses to text.
So the myth isn't true.. there isn't just one part to learning to read or to teaching someone else to read :-)
It is a process.
A great teacher finds a healthy balance amongst all of the areas needed.
What would this look like>

What can I say.. I'm a Visual learner:-)

Pretty much you can see it is a process to placing meaning to what one reads.