Guided Reading with Emergent Readers

Ellie GordyFernanda Villalpando

Iliana Chavez

Guiding QuestionsWhat does an emergent guided reading lesson look like?

What are the reading strategies that emergent readers use and do they correlate to their language level?

How can we really decide a child’s reading level if her language is just beginning?

When are English language learners ready for guided reading?

Are some students early or early fluent readers in their primary language and not yet even emergent readers in English?

IntroductionTeacher Plans Effectively

Assess language level and reading level to

meet students needs.

Student that can read in their primary

language is easier to teach to read in

English.

Most ELLs are learning to read and speak

English at the same time, harder for

students and teacher in designing lesson.

Teacher needs to look closely at child’s

literacy and language development.

Building language patterns and reading strategies impacts

success.

GUIDED READINGLESSON FORMAT

• look at book cover, vocabulary, connect child’s backgroundINTRODUCTION

• look at text and pictures , predict, ask leading questionsGuided Orientation

• out loud, teacher can hear and help with questions

Students Read By Themselves

• students share strategies used to help with readingDiscussion

• read to a partner learn from one another, or read to themselves againReread Text

• oral, written or artistic response – or- reread text again

Students Respond to Text

Guided Reading Lesson with Emergent Readers Receiving

Instruction in English Only

In order to use guided reading effectively with emergent readers, ELLs need to have at least early

intermediate language proficiency.

Students should be responding with more

than one or two words or yes/no as beginning English speakers do.

Because of strong picture support, some

beginning speakers with strong reading strategies

are able to do fine.

Planning a Guided Reading Lesson with Emergent Readers Receiving

Instruction in English Only

Introduction Orientation Student Reading

DiscussionFollow-UpEvaluation

IntroductionTeacher sets the scene

Taps into their prior knowledge

Gets them thinking what the

book could be about Teacher draws

attention to pertinent

vocabulary through careful

questioning

Read the author’s and illustrator’s

names

What if I don’t speak the child’s

primary language?

Why don’t you just tell them the

title and tell them what the book is about?

Orientation

• Comprehension should always be the main goal• Students walk through the text with the teacher• Make predictions as they look at pictures• Touch words as they confirm their predictions• Teacher reminds students of reading strategies

they will need to be successful in reading• Teacher needs to make sure students know and

understand the vocabulary• Students should naturally learn from each other in

a group• Tends to be longer for ELLs because the group

really needs to discuss what is happening in the pictures

Student Reading

• Goal is for each child to ignore the others and get lot in their own reading

• Students read aloud individually• Teacher’s task is to observe and instruct if

necessary• Teacher takes notes on their strategy use and

language levels• You are better able to help ELLs when you can

hear how they are reading• Timely suggestions allow students to put that

new learning into practice immediately• Faster readers can reread the story in order to

keep the group together

Discussion • Ask a quick question to elicit a response

to the book and to establish a connection

• Critical for deepening their understanding of the text and for assessing their comprehension and language level

• It is important to have the children reflect on what they read so that they can learn this is what expert readers do

Follow-Up • Reread text through buddy reading or

independent reading• ELLs need practice reading for fluency• Write response to the book in their reading

response journal• For emergent readers, that usually means

drawing a picture or writing a short sentence• Have students write variations on the

repetitive pattern of the text by changing a word or two

• Allows ELLs to practice correct sentence structure and build vocabulary

Evaluation

Evaluate student’s use of reading strategies:

tracking, finding words they knew in the text, using pictures to gain

meaning, using graphophonics, and making predictions

Evaluate whether the book was appropriate:

goal is to challenge readers to read more difficult texts at their

instructional level

Expect language outcomes to match their language level but still

validate their successful reading of these emergent texts.

Determine what mini-lessons should be planned to support

language and literacy development

GUIDED READING LESSON WITH EMERGENT READERS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN

ENGLISH AND SPANISH

When considering a guided reading lesson with

emergent readers in a bilingual classroom, is

essential to identify their language level as well as their reading levels in L1

and L2.

Beginning speakers are not ready to benefit from

guided reading lessons

Often, it seems that student´s have large discrepancies

between perceive reading levels in Spanish and English.

because teachers do not look carefully to children´s strategy

use and language levels.

Reading strategies

transfer form the primary language to

English. Fluent L1 reader will

have easier time transferring strategies.

When language proficiency in L2 is really low, students need

direct language instruction – new academic vocabulary, new

sound-symbol connections – before starting to read in

English.

PLANNINGBefore delivering a guided reading lesson, teachers must assess their students’ use of reading strategies and language patterns, in order to select the best reading material.

GUIDED READING LESSON WITH EMERGENT READERS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN

ENGLISH AND SPANISH

During the introduction, the teacher should ask

questions about the cover photograph to assess children vocabulary that will be used in the text. It is important let students figure out for themselves the title of the book.

It is important to tap into children’s background

knowledge and experiences. And encourage

them to make connections.

The introduction part of the lesson helps emergent readers realize the

importance of predicting what the book may be about by using the cover picture and then looking at the title to see if it matches the predictions.

In an emergent text the title

page is designed to help readers learn more

about the story before they even start reading it.

Teachers need to capitalize in

on these picture

clues and have children

make predictions that will help

them read the story.

INTRODUCTION

GUIDED READING LESSON WITH EMERGENT READERS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN

ENGLISH AND SPANISH

ORIENTATIONHelp students recognize repetitive sentence

patterns. Ask questions to remind

pictures and text complement each

other.

STUDENT READING

Teachers seats back, listens and observes

students reading.

Look for students checking students

predictions, self-correct and other emergent reader strategies.

STUDENT READING

If text is below their reading level, it would be

hard to identify students’ language levels and reading

strategies knowledge

GUIDED READING LESSON WITH EMERGENT READERS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN

ENGLISH AND SPANISH

DISCUSSIONIt is a time to learn more about the oral language

levels. Ask higher thinking level questions (WHY?,

HOW?)pushes students to produce more language and develop thinking abilities.

DISCUSSIONIt is important for teachers to allow enough time for ELL students to process and answer a question. Students need to feel comfortable.

DISCUSSIONTeachers should ask questions in different ways, and give

different word clues.Teachers should listen carefully

to ELLs responses, because maybe there doing more

connections that we think.

GUIDED READING LESSON WITH EMERGENT READERS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN

ENGLISH AND SPANISH

Follow - upUsually, the follow ups are re readings, independently or with a buddy…

… but sometimes a text was below students’ reading level that a writing response may be appropriate.

GUIDED READING LESSON WITH EMERGENT READERS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN

ENGLISH AND SPANISH

EVALUATIONDuring an evaluation, teacher must identify

which reading strategies

transfer from L1 to L2. Teachers

should be aware that sometimes children

language output does not compare with

their reading level.

Questioning techniques

are critical in influencing the types of responses

children give.

Knowing the skills and strategies that are used at each

developmental stage of speaking and

reading, and comparing children´s output with those, is essential. (Tables 2.1 -2.13 and Apenndixes A3-A7.)

GUIDED READING LESSON WITH EMERGENT READERS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN

ENGLISH AND SPANISH

Choosing Text for Emergent ReadersTexts with support - Pictures and text match exactly, readers rely on clues for meaning.• Teacher guides students to correspond text with picture.• Readers should point and touch words.

Books should have repetitive patterns and be predictable and connect to readers experience.• Readers can use their background experience to predict ending.• Vocabulary and life experience that are familiar to reader.

Match concept of book with concept development level of reader – their understanding of what is happening in the story.• If reader knows concept and vocabulary in L1 they can learn the

English equivalent.

Use Emergent-Level Books for Beginning Speakers-

(Small-group shared reading lesson)

Guided walk through the text,

repeat words that match pictures.

Students develop new vocabulary.

Best way to integrate oral

English language development.

Students learn high-frequency

Words.

Students learn about book

handling skills.

Students learn progression of

story lines.

Students learn rhythms of

English language patterns