In order for students to grow as readers, it is crucial they spend a lot of time reading "just right books" independently. They should be allowed to read within their interests and to read without having to do a lot of "stuff". Granted, sometimes you need to give assignments -that's reality, but it's not necessary to over assign or to assign something for everything a child reads. The best way to motivate kids to read is to allow them to just read.

Independent Reading Elementary Pack

Guided Reading

 The teacher gathers a small group of students to their table. This group of students read on the same level and need additional instruction for specific skills or strategies. During guided reading the teacher introduces a book by building background knowledge and vocabulary before the students read the text independently. The teacher can listen to one child read aloud and take a running record while the others read silently. After students finish reading the teacher follows up with instruction and discusses the book with the students.

The teacher reads aloud a short text. During the read aloud, the teacher stops to model strategies using metacognitive thinking, or "thinking out loud" about the text. At preplanned points in the text, the teacher gives students the opportunity to think about their own thinking by "turning & talking" to a partner.

The teacher reads part of the text and explicitly models thinking at certain points in the text. The students read along (silent or orally) preselected portions of the text, thereby "sharing" the reading experience.