Morgan Frye, M.Ed.

Master of Science in Education


Lesson Planning: Guided Reading



Table of Contents



Introduction
Guided Reading Lesson Plans
Differentiation and Responding to Student Data
Guided Reading Lesson Plan Execution
Student Data Reflection and Data Driven Instruction
Conclusion




Introduction





Guided Reading Lesson Plans



Guided Reading lesson plans are an integral part of Guided Reading instruction, as there are several different Guided Reading lessons that happen every day. My co-teacher and I teach all students in leveled groups daily. Due to the fact that my literacy co-teacher teaches some of my students (but is not in my classroom all day) it is extremely important that I plan all lessons with detailed notes to ensure that she knows which trouble spots to look out for with certain students or which skills students are struggling with.


We consult with Lavinia Group for our Guided Reading plans and instruction, as they work to ensure that teachers and administrators understand the best methods to grow student reading levels. Our lesson plans are also monitored by our administrators to ensure that we are using the strategies that Lavinia Group has encouraged us to use.



Above is our Master Planning Grid for Guided Reading Instruction. Listed are all of the different Guided Reading lesson plans, the texts that were used with them, and the skill that students were working towards for that particular lesson.



Above is another screenshot of the Master Planning Grid with my groups and group levels listed. These lessons themselves are linked in the document to ensure that all teachers and administration have access for any reason, or for teachers who need help or guidance on their lessons to have examples of Guided Reading plans.




Guided Reading Lesson Plans (Examples)





Why is it important to analyze lessons?



Analyzing both my lessons and my co-teacher's lessons are important to understand where students might experience confusion or misconceptions. Doing so allows for us to address those problem areas before lessons actually begin, and plan any differentiation or reteaching if needed. At my school, teachers are encouraged to share lesson plans that have been approved by our administration and simply change them to fit the needs of their students. Lesson plan internalization is important for teachers as it ensures that we understand the material and are ready to teach the lesson to ensure student success.



Above is a Guided Reading lesson plan for the level A text, "The House." In this lesson, students work through a book launch where their interests are peaked to read the text. Successful book launches can set the tone for the whole Guided Reading lesson.



Above is the continuation of the lesson plan pictured left. Other sections of this lesson include understanding essential vocabulary and/or high frequency sight words, discussing the transferrable strategy, and creating a comprehension frame.



Above is an example of a Guided Reading lesson plan that I made notes on for the specific group that I was teaching. The notes included the different topics that were discussed during the book launch and the questions that were asked to that group of students.



Above are the different coaching prompts that were used during this Guided Reading lesson for students. The coaching prompts were specifically assigned to students who I knew had trouble with that certain skill or reading strategy.




Differentiation and Responding to Student Data





How do I respond to student data in the moment?



In the lesson plans pictured above, I took notes on different students who needed additional support to ensure that I included those in my lesson plans later. Responding to student data in the moment is important, but following up with those data points to ensure misconceptions are addressed during later lessons is equally as important. Making notes on lesson plans is one way to ensure that when planning for lesson plans the next day or later in the week, I am including the different issues that I noticed during small group instruction.


Responding to student data is one of the best ways to ensure that students will grow their reading levels quickly. If instruction is not being tailored to students and their needs, students will not master the skills due to their misconceptions not being addressed. Teachers also need to monitor student data to ensure that students are working in the proper group that fits their reading levels. Students all learn and grow at different paces, and some students may need to move to higher reading groups sooner than others.



Above a student reads a level A book and utilizes the strategy of one-to-one reading. The student ensures that he puts his finger under each word as he reads.



Above is an example of a lesson plan that was executed and notes were taken in real time to ensure that future planning included addressing these student misconceptions.




Guided Reading Lesson Plan Execution





How are the different lesson plans utilized during instruction?



Since there are six different Guided Reading groups in my classroom, there are sometimes four to five different lesson being taught every day, depending on the text and level of text complexity. My co-teacher also creates her own plans that I look over and annotate/mark student differentiation on before Guided Reading begins in order to make sure that my students will be successful with her lessons.


With some groups, I work through mini Fundations lessons and letter review before starting the Guided Reading lesson to help build fluency with letter recognition and letter sounds. Below is the minute by minute (MxM) guide for our Guided Reading lessons.



Above is the Minute by Minute guide for Guided Reading instruction. My students spend fifteen minutes in each Guided Reading center to ensure that we see each group every day.



Above, students are engaged in the Guided Reading center. I took this picture of my students, but students are engaged in whisper reading the text and I will listen to each student read two to three pages, offering support and clarification when needed.



Above is an example of a Guided Reading lesson plan and the scripted execution of what was said at the beginning of the lesson. I create these lessons with Reading A-Z Guided Reading lesson plans and texts and rework them to conform to Lavinia Group standards.



Above are more examples of coaching prompts during Guided Reading lesson executions. The coaching prompts are guiding prompts to aid students in comprehension and fluency.




Reflection of Student Data and Using Data to Drive Lesson Planning





How does the data gathered during Guided Reading block drive instruction?



The data gathered during Guided Reading instruction is used to ensure that students are in the right groups and that students are ascending instructional and independent reading levels throughout the year. The data is also used to help engage students in their own learning growth, as they work with personalized, student-facing trackers that show their growth over the course of the year.


The data that I gather proves that my Guided Reading instruction is growing students and their reading levels. This creates a paper trail of information that I can give to teachers in the next grade level, interventionists, and co-teachers to help create new plans that are tailored to fit my students' needs.



Above are student reading level benchmarks that are pulled for report cards and pulled by administration to ensure that student growth is occurring. These levels drive instruction as they inform Guided Reading groups and interventionist decisions.




Conclusion





How does lesson planning engage with all other types of planning?



Guided Reading lesson planning is just one of the many different lesson plans that I execute throughout the school day. These lesson plans are all strategic, intentional plans that are used to ensure that student needs are being met and addressed.