Dr. Jan Richardson has made accessible her nationally renowned, full-featured, nuts-and-bolts instruction manual for setting up and maintaining a world-class guided reading program. I don't think Dr. Richardson would be at all offended by the comparison of her masterpiece to an automobile repair guide, complete with a trouble-shooting guide. She has provided a proven toolkit of reading assessments for a full range of learners along a literacy continuum. Moreover, Dr. Richardson has made accessible a full kit of developmentally appropriate activities, lessons, and unit planning guides. Dr. Richardson has made guided reading doable.
Although my primary focus now is to learn all I can about Dr. John A. Van De Walle's approach to teaching mathematics developmentally, it makes sense to begin my process of assembling a Master Teacher's toolkit based on Dr. Richardson work. My goal is to apply Dr. Richardson's approach to guided reading to the task of developing a full-featured, nuts-and-bolts guided math program.
Last year, I enjoyed the privilege of receiving Math Investigations training, which is rooted in the philosophies described by Dr. Van De Walle. Math Investigations, which received terrible press last year in Prince William County, reminds me of where guided reading was after Fountas and Pinnell wrote a very thick book which became a literacy bible in Fairfax County.
The scope of materials provided by Math Investigations can be overwhelming, just like guided reading. When I taught 3rd grade Language Arts in my first year of teaching, I was handed Fountas and Pinnell's book on the first day of school. Knowing what I know now, I probably should have plowed through it. Without guided reading training, I wasn't fully prepared for the full range of literacy issues my students were facing. I had more courage then sense - in a Title I school, guided reading training should be mandatory.
Fortunately, in my first year, I was mentored by the Title I math teacher. Although we didn't do guided math, we did do guided discoveries. My third grade students made remarkable progress in math in learning how addition, multiplication, division, and fractions are all related, because of the planning, the coaching, and co-teaching of my mentor, and the way a team of us planned key units. But that kind of rapid growth was difficult for me to duplicate as a 4th grade teacher in a new school system, because I lacked a full-featured, nuts-and-bolts instructional template.
I predict that Dr. Richardson's approach to guided reading will become a national template. A similar template is needed for guided math.
Below is a chunk of a plan for applying Dr. Richardson's guided reading program. In later blogs, after I digest more of Dr. Van De Walle's thinking, I'll return to the task of assembling my guided reading kit, based on the work of Dr. Richardson.
GuidedReading
Although my primary focus now is to learn all I can about Dr. John A. Van De Walle's approach to teaching mathematics developmentally, it makes sense to begin my process of assembling a Master Teacher's toolkit based on Dr. Richardson work. My goal is to apply Dr. Richardson's approach to guided reading to the task of developing a full-featured, nuts-and-bolts guided math program.
Last year, I enjoyed the privilege of receiving Math Investigations training, which is rooted in the philosophies described by Dr. Van De Walle. Math Investigations, which received terrible press last year in Prince William County, reminds me of where guided reading was after Fountas and Pinnell wrote a very thick book which became a literacy bible in Fairfax County.
The scope of materials provided by Math Investigations can be overwhelming, just like guided reading. When I taught 3rd grade Language Arts in my first year of teaching, I was handed Fountas and Pinnell's book on the first day of school. Knowing what I know now, I probably should have plowed through it. Without guided reading training, I wasn't fully prepared for the full range of literacy issues my students were facing. I had more courage then sense - in a Title I school, guided reading training should be mandatory.
Fortunately, in my first year, I was mentored by the Title I math teacher. Although we didn't do guided math, we did do guided discoveries. My third grade students made remarkable progress in math in learning how addition, multiplication, division, and fractions are all related, because of the planning, the coaching, and co-teaching of my mentor, and the way a team of us planned key units. But that kind of rapid growth was difficult for me to duplicate as a 4th grade teacher in a new school system, because I lacked a full-featured, nuts-and-bolts instructional template.
I predict that Dr. Richardson's approach to guided reading will become a national template. A similar template is needed for guided math.
Below is a chunk of a plan for applying Dr. Richardson's guided reading program. In later blogs, after I digest more of Dr. Van De Walle's thinking, I'll return to the task of assembling my guided reading kit, based on the work of Dr. Richardson.
Guided
Week 1:
• Objective: Build community & collaboration routines (small group, team building activities)
• Supplies: 5 themed tubs (reading to self, puzzles/games/computers, content explorations, simple art projects, reading and talking about books); non-verbal signals
• Skills/Procedures to teach:
o Practice rotating and working in teams – every 10 minutes on a timer / non-verbal signals
o Practice sound, look, and feel
§ Sound (silent, whisper, inside voices):
· We have times when its not okay to talk
o when anyone is addressing the class everyone listens
o readers and writers are silent during independent reading/writing
o we raise hands and take turns during discussions
· we have times when talk is permitted
o whisper: turn and talk (partner strategies); buddy read
o inside voice: think-pair-share (team); group discussions (class)
· we use different sound levels for different activities
o independent reading: silent
o partner: whisper
o group / team discussions and activities: inside voices
§ Look:
· We have times when its okay to move
o We expect movement in some activities
§ we get our materials and supplies before the music stops
§ we stay within our work bubbles
§ we go places quickly and quietly – no wandering
o We have procedures for bathroom / water breaks / sharpening pencils
§ not okay during direct instruction or independent work time
§ use hand signal; get a friend (boy/girl); sign bathroom log; bring timer (2 minutes or less)
§ water bottles remain on the floor, not on work surfaces
§ sharpen pencils in AM; not during LA (class supplies)
· Independent/Partners/Teams/Groups have jobs to do: do not disturb!
o should not be interrupted and should not interrupt others
o should keep materials and supplies within work area bubble
o should clean up and transition quickly and quietly
· We use non-verbal signals
o Bathroom/water hand signals
o Bell
o We use non-verbal signals as reminders to adjust
§ Feel:
· We must feel good in order to do our best work (use calm, business-like tones)
· Every day we gather at a central place to reflect + / -
· Good Faith Participation is required: if off task, student gets a check; at end of week, add checks, multiply by 5, and subtract from 100 (Richardson
• Procedure:
o Daily: Put 10 minutes on timer; observe, praise, and chart cooperative behavior
o Week: Vary the activities; chunk; chart the routines & expectations
• Schedule:
T | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
1 | Tub 1 | Tub 2 | Tub3 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 |
2 | Tub 2 | Tub 3 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 |
3 | Tub 3 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 | Tub 2 |
4 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 | Tub 2 | Tub 3 |
5 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 | Tub 2 | Tub 3 | Tub 4 |
Week 2:
• Objective: Introduce 1st center; teach to one new group per day
• Supplies: 5 themed tubs (reading to self, puzzles/games/computers, content explorations, simple art projects, reading and talking about books); non-verbal signals
• Skills/Procedures to teach:
o Practice rotating and working in teams – every 10 minutes on a timer / non-verbal signals
o Center 1 Procedures: Reading
§ Model & practice all parts
· Book choice:
o Just-right from book box (modeled/practiced in mini-lesson)
o Variety of genres (modeled/practiced in mini-lesson)
· Look, sound, and feel
o Look: students read independently at their desks or take AR tests
o Look: students write independently in their Reader’s Notebook
§ Must log title, author, date, genre (Richardson
§ Must respond to reading – answer one response task cards in RN
o Sound: silent
o Feel: (gather and reflect + / -)
§ Our books may be too difficult or too easy – we may need help with our book choices (conference with teacher or librarian)
§ Someone or something is distracting us (conference with the teacher or a counselor)
§ Good Faith Participation procedures
§ Observe & clarify confusions
• Schedule:
T | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
1 | Center 1 | Tub 2 | Tub3 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 |
2 | Tub 2 | Center 1 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 |
3 | Tub 3 | Tub 4 | Center 1 | Tub 1 | Tub 2 |
4 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 | Center 1 | Tub 3 |
5 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 | Tub 2 | Tub 3 | Center 1 |
Week 3:
• Objective: Introduce 2nd center; groups continue to practice 1stcenter; extend time to 15 minutes per center
• Supplies: 5 themed tubs (same 5 themes); non-verbal signals
• Skills/Procedures to teach:
o Practice rotating and working in teams – every 10 minutes on a timer / non-verbal signals
o Center 2 Procedures: Partner reading/retell
§ Model & practice all parts
· Book choice: (help our partner)
o Just-right (book box)
o Variety of genres
· Look, sound, and feel
o Look: knee to knee/shoulder to shoulder in work bubble
o Look: One reads/one retells what other read; switch roles
o Look: 5-finger retell organizer (character, setting, problem, events, ending)
o Sound: whisper voices; asking and answering questions
o Feel: best thinking expected; teamwork (gather and reflect + / -)
o Feel: Good Faith Participation Procedures
o Observe & clarify confusions
• Schedule:
T | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
1 | Center 1 | Tub 2 | Tub 3 | Tub 4 | Center 2 |
2 | Center 2 | Center 1 | Tub 5 | Tub 3 | Tub 4 |
3 | Tub 2 | Center 2 | Center 1 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 |
4 | Tub 3 | Tub 4 | Center 2 | Center 1 | Tub 2 |
5 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 | Tub 3 | Center 2 | Center 1 |
Week 4:
• Objective: Introduce 3rdcenter; groups continue to practice 1st and 2nd centers; extend time to 20 minutes per center
• Supplies: 5 themed tubs (same 5 themes); non-verbal signals
• Skills/Procedures to teach:
o Center 3 Procedures: Word Study (see Richardson
§ Model & practice all parts
· Sort (category/abc)
· Partner
· Search (find patterns in independent reading books or around room)
· Antonyms / Synonyms
· Magnetic letters, white boards
· High frequency word lists
§ Look, sound, feel
o Sound: whisper voices; asking and answering questions
o Feel: best thinking expected; teamwork (gather and reflect + / -)
o Feel: Good Faith Participation Procedures
• Schedule:
T | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
1 | Center 1 | Tub 2 | Tub 3 | Center 3 | Center 2 |
2 | Center 2 | Center 1 | Tub 5 | Tub 3 | Center 3 |
3 | Center 3 | Center 2 | Center 1 | Tub 5 | Tub 1 |
4 | Tub 3 | Center 3 | Center 2 | Center 1 | Tub 2 |
5 | Tub 4 | Tub 5 | Center 3 | Center 2 | Center 1 |
Week 5:
• Objective: Introduce 4th and 5th centers; groups continue to practice 1st, 2nd, and 3rd centers
• Supplies: 1 themed tub; non-verbal signals
• Skills/Procedures to teach:
o Center 4 Procedures: Writing
§ Model & practice all parts (Writing Cycle Chart)
· Planning (4sq, web, outline)
· Drafting (hot pencils)
· Revising (Revising prompts/color codes)
· Editing (peer editing prompts/codes/checklist; word wall / high frequency words)
· Publishing (expectations/rubrics)
§ Look, sound, feel
· Look: Folders/Notebooks
· Sound: Whisper voices
· Feel: best thinking expected; teamwork (gather and reflect + / -)
· Feel: Good Faith Participation Procedures
o Center 5 Procedures: Content (vocabulary & explorations in Science, Social Studies, and Math)
§ Model and practice all parts
· Vocabulary
· Explorations (sequence, cause/effect, compare/contrast, procedures/methods)
§ Look, sound, feel
· Look: INB’s, experimentation, NF reading strategies
· Sound: whisper voices; asking and answering questions
· Feel: best thinking expected; teamwork (gather and reflect + / -)
· Feel: Good Faith Participation Procedures
• Schedule:
T | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | |||||
10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
1 | T1 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4* | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5* |
2 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4* | T1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5* | C1 |
3 | C2 | C3 | C4* | T1 | C1 | C3 | C4 | C5* | C1 | C2 |
4 | C3 | C4* | T1 | C1 | C2 | C4 | C5* | C1 | C2 | C3 |
5 | C4* | T1 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C5* | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 |
Week 6:
• Objective: Lengthen center time to 40 minutes (20 minutes per center); introduce guided reading in whole class meeting; meet with groups
• Non-verbal signals
• Supplies:
Tubs (1-5)
Center 1: Read to self
Center 2: Partner reading/retelling
Center 3: Word Study
Center 4: Writing
Center 5: Content Vocabulary and Explorations
• Skills/Procedures to teach
o GR Procedures (no interruptions)
o Look, sound, feel
• Schedule:
T | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | |||||
20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
1 | C5 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 |
2 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 |
3 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C1 |
4 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C1 | C2 |
5 | C4 | C5 | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C1 | C2 | C3 |
TC | GR1 | GR 2 | GR 3 | GR 4 | GR 1 | GR 2 | GR 3 | GR 4 | GR 1 | GR 2 |
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