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Strategy Groups are also known as a Guided Reading Groups. The teacher meets with a small group that needs to work on a specific strategy or that has a similar reading level. Each student has a copy of the text and reads it quietly. The teacher uses this time to explicitly teach and to have students practice the strategy they need to learn.Traditional Reading Groups vs. Guided Reading Groups
Traditional Reading Groups: - Whole class group remain stable in composition
- Students progress through a specific sequence of stories and skills.
- Introductions focus on new vocabulary.
- Skills practice follows reading.
- Focus is on the lesson, not the student.
- Teacher follows prepared "script" from the teacher's guide.
- Students take turn reading orally.
- Focus is on a specific predetermined skill.
- Students respond to a story in workbooks or on prepared worksheets.
- Readers are dependent on teacher direction and support.
- Students are tested on skills and literal recall at the end of each story/unit.
Guided Reading Groups: - Small groups are dynamic, flexible, and change on a regular basis.
- Stories are chosen at appropriate level for each group; there is no prescribed sequence.
- Introductions focus on meaning with some attention to new and interesting vocabulary.
- Skills practice is embedded in reading.
- Focus is on the student, not the lesson.
- Teacher and students actively interact with the text.
- Questions develop higher order thinking skills and strategic reading.
- Teacher and students interact with text to construct meaning.
- Each student reads text silently or whisper reads.
- Focus is on understanding meaning.
- Students respond to story through personal and authentic activities.
- Students read independently and confidently.
- Assessment is ongoing and embedded in instruction.
