Guided Reading fosters collaborative learning in Bristol Twp. SD

Bristol Township SD educators are getting big results using a small-group instructional approach called Guided Reading. Used nationwide, the technique involves teachers gathering students in groups of no more than six and working with each group on a reading passage that is at their learning level. According to the needs of each individual group, the teacher may focus on fluency, comprehension, or phonics skills. While a teacher works with one group, other students in the class work independently on a writing response, silent reading, reading to a friend, word work or other literacy-related activities. Christine Schrack, a teacher at Brookwood Elementary, says Guided Reading is an extremely effective strategy and brings great results in the classroom when done with fidelity. She also noted that the collaborative nature of the strategy is another benefit: “In a world filled with tension and stress, I find such hope in seeing first- graders united and sharing a love of reading.”