DPS Literacy Program – SpecialEducationCenter Program Teachers

Best Practices: Guided Reading for Early Fluent and Fluent Readers

(This rubric has been modified in bold print to reflect the unique needs of special education students in center programs)

Getting Started

/ Developing / Highly Effective
Grouping / Teacher groups students using beginning of the year assessments (DRA, QRI or EDLor other appropriate assessments).
Groups change infrequently.
Groups no larger than 6. / Teacher groups students using instructional reading levels as determined by ongoing assessment (reading conferences, running records, reading components, or other appropriate assessments).
Groups are somewhat flexible. / Teacher groups students based on instructional reading levels, language level,and/or strategies & skills with reading components, or other appropriate assessments (as determined by ongoing assessment during reading conferences and guided reading lessons).
Teacher reflects frequently on how students are grouped.
Text Selection / Teacher selects text based on approximate instructional reading level of students. / Teacher selects text based on
- students’ instructional level
- students’ language level
- opportunities text offers for discussion and retelling
- opportunities text offers to learn about different genres / Teacher selects text based on
-students’ instructional level and strategies
- students’ language level and conceptual understandings
- opportunities text offers to teach specific literature concepts and comprehension strategies
-opportunities text offers to teach about specific genres
Selection of Focus Strategy / Teacher selects focus strategy from skills that are identified for that instructional level. / Teacher selects focus strategy from skills identified for that instructional level and from observing students during guided reading lessons. / Teacher selects focus strategy that students need as identified by reading conferences,guided reading lessons, and analysis of skill level in reading components. The emphasis is on problem-solving and fostering independence.
Book Introduction / Teacher has students predict from the cover and discuss what the book might be about. / Teacher activates students’ background knowledge by predicting from their experience and their knowledge about the story structure, the subject of the book, and/or the author. / Teacher guides students in making personal connections, activating background knowledge, developing conceptual schema and vocabulary and building a deeper understanding of how to use text structure and identify the purpose of the text. Ifappropriate, teacher uses realia and visuals to support understanding.
Reading the Book / Each student has a copy of the book and reads a portion of the text.
Teacher listens and observes as students read. / Teacher chunks the text into manageable sections for students to read. Teacher sets the purpose for reading each section with focus questions. Teacher may listen to individual students read quietly. / Teacher guides students to set their own purposes by having them ask questions and make predictions while they read portions of the text. Students may use post-its to keep track of their comprehension. Reciprocal Teaching or Literature Circles techniques may be used to encourage students’ independence(only if appropriate based on the individual student’s cognitive, developmental, and social-emotional needs and abilities).
Teacher listens to individual students read quietly and takes notes on their strategies and comprehension in assessment notebooks.
Discussion and Comprehension Tasks / Teacher asks questions and/or students retell story. / Teacher encourages discussion connected to students’ predictions and to their experiences. Accountable talk may be used. / Teacher encourages discussion that allows students to make connections and to use higher level thinking skills and accountable talk(only if appropriate based on the individual student’s cognitive, developmental, and social-emotional needs and abilities). There is student-student interaction in supported settings.
Extensions and Connections to:
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Writing / Teacher sometimes does extension activities. / Teacher provides word work instruction based on words students had difficulty with when reading.
Teacher may have students do reading that is related by genre or author.
Students sometimes read aloud for fluency practice.
Students sometimes write responses to their guided reading texts in their reading response journals. / Teacher has planned word work/vocabulary lessons that are based on systematic word study and language objectives.
Teacher may have students do reading that is related by theme, author, genre, or subject.
Teacher guides students in practicing reading for fluency.
Students sometimes write responses to their guided reading texts in their reading response journals.

3/1/05 Denver Public Schools Department of Student Services

Denver Public Schools

Elementary Literacy Program, 2003