Special Education Guided Reading Groups

Special Education Guided Reading Groups l Miss Rae's Room Special Education Teaching Blog

​What is Guided Reading?

Guided Reading is an instructional approach to teaching reading.  

Previously, we defined guided reading as, “small-group reading instruction designed to provide differentiated teaching that supports students in developing reading proficiency” (Pinnell, 2010).

So basically, guided reading is when a teacher meets with a small group of students who are homogeneously grouped according to their reading levels.  Students address a reading skill that is required to move onto more challenging texts - or higher reading levels.

Small group instruction typically occurs after the teachers has presented a mini-lesson focused on a reading skill to the whole class.  Mini-lessons often include read alouds to model skills. While meeting with groups, students are working on addressing the skill from the mini-lesson.  This can be done through independent reading, book clubs or literature circles, centers, etc.

Over the last few years, the term "Guided Reading" has taken a hit! You might hear that you shouldn't be teaching using this model!  You might have heard it's not grounded in research.

In reality, there isn't anything wrong with the guided reading in terms of its format.  The issue with guided reading by its traditional definition is some of the tools and teaching points that were previously promoted with guided reading.  So the goal of course is to align guided reading with the Science of Reading research.  When I say 'traditional definition', I mean that we often say guided reading groups when we mean that these groups will be based around reading levels. Over the years, the term guided reading has  become synonymous with reading small groups.  In these groups, we would ask students to read these leveled books.  We promoted theories like the three-cueing method.  The problem with the three-cueing method is that it promotes guessing.  Guessing is a habit of weak readers.  So we can still use guided reading.  That is not the problem.  We do need to make some shifts though.  Group your students for phonics-focused reading groups instead of reading levels.  This is where we can target those teaching points that were an issue with the traditional guided reading.  So instead of making your teaching point for the group lesson a guessing strategy like “look at the first letter” choose a phonics-based teaching point like "Today we are going to learn to read CVCe words."  Instead of teaching word memorization, use an orthographic mapping sequence to help students connect the sounds in the word to the letters.  

You can read more about Orthographic Mapping HERE!

And finally, instead of reading leveled text, read decodables with these phonics-focused groups that allow students to practice the taught skill.  Now, with that said, I do want to include reading with non-controlled texts at times too so students can practice cognitively shifting when reading.  (I explain this more in my blog on decodables!)

And yes, these same tips can be applied to your group time with Special Education students!

So, can Special Education Students Learn with the Guided Reading Model?

Yes!

Educators must modify and adapt best practice teaching models that are currently in place for their special education students.

Special education students fall into the Tier 3 category of Response to Intervention models.  

Tier 3 is the most intense level.  Students with disabilities should receive individualized, intensive intervention in the area of the identified disability in order to accelerate their progress toward command of grade level reading skills.

How can Special Education Students Learn with the Guided Reading Model?

Easy!  The guided reading teaching model does not need to change for special education students.  Instead, educators need to maximize the intensity of the learning time as well as the breadth of skills reinforced, learned, and mastered.

Decades of research has shown the benefits of inclusion on the educational progress of special education students.  This supports, then, the benefit for special education students to participate in the whole class mini-lesson of the guided reading model.  

After exposure to the grade level standard, special education students can then participate in a guided reading group for guided practice with application of the skill.  The guided reading group may work on a modified approach to the skill, learn a strategy to apply the skill, or access the skill through entry points.

What is the Best Special Education Guided Reading Model?

SKILLS:

Mastery of reading requires mastery of five foundational competencies:  Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension.  And don't forget Spelling!

The best special education guided reading lessons must include explicit instruction, review, and application for generalization and independence leading to mastery for each of these areas.  

In order to accelerate the attainment of substantial achievements toward mastery of grade level reading skills, special education students must focus on a breadth of reading skills daily.  By addressing competences in the following sequence, teachers create building blocks toward proficiency.

1 - Decoding

Teachers should pull vocabulary words out of the text ahead of time.

Look for 3 things when choosing words.  Select words that the students will…

-most likely struggle to decode
-most likely not know the meaning

AND
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-they should be words that are integral to understanding

Teachers should write these words on an anchor chart or in a manner that makes the words visible to the students.

Begin each lesson by previewing these new words.  This allows teachers to target word attack skills.  Scoop or break each new word into syllables, decode each syllable, and then, read the entire word.  

2 - Vocabulary

Next, look at the words in context.  Read a few sentences containing the word aloud from the text.  Can the students figure out the meaning of the unknown word using the context clues?  If the group is able to determine the meaning from the context, write a student-friendly definition for the word on the chart, next to the word.  Allow students to create this definition.

If the meaning cannot be determined from the context, look the word up.  Re-write the formal definition into our own kid-friendly one. Teachers can teach dictionary skills with either a text or online or both ways!

STRATEGIES:

Teachers should provide students with a strategy for each skill taught.  The strategy should support the student in independently attacking the skill.  Strategies will enable students to become independent when applying the skill.

The RACE strategy is a great example of a tool that enables students to attack a grade level expectation independently.  

GUIDED PRACTICE:

Teachers should act as facilitators, guiding students toward independence.  Special educations students, and all students for that matter, should read daily.  They need a chance to practice learned and new concepts. This practice is guided as it is often facilitated by the teacher; however, students are given the opportunity to apply skills independently.
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3 - Read

Choose a text at the students’ instructional reading levels.  Teachers should continuously challenge special education students.  Students with disabilities are like all other students and should be challenged to achieve their best.

Teachers must also be careful not to move too fast.  Prior to moving onto the next levels, teachers should assess that skills have been independently mastered.  Once a student can apply a skill, move on to the next step!

Guided practice during reading group time can be a facilitated whole, small group reading of a text (think round robin style), partner reading, and occasionally, but only for assessment purposes, independent reading.  

While reading, teachers should begin to address comprehension through oral discussion.  Pause while reading to orally dissect the text for understanding. Ask students questions before, during, and after reading.

*Read more about what texts to choose HERE!

4 - Comprehension

Students should write about text daily.  Writing has been cited as a tool for improving reading (Biancarosa and Snow, 2006).

After reading, students should be expected to answer at least one comprehension question about the text.  Writing about a text improves comprehension (Carr, 2002). Questions should range from concrete to inferential and address the focus skill.   

By addressing writing skills in student responses such as grammar and spelling, teachers can reinforce reading skills.

INDEPENDENT APPLICATION:

Special education students should also be provided with chances to read during special education services and in the general education setting to support globalization and generalization of reading skills.
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Independent application of learned skills should be assessed periodically for progress towards grade level standards, IEP goals, and to enable teachers to address the areas of need that arise along the continuum of student progress.

Progress monitoring is an essential tool of guided reading.  Running records of all students in the group should be implemented at least bi-weekly in order to assess independent application of taught skills, areas of need, and assigned reading levels.  Additionally, research-based assessment tools should be administered every 2 months throughout the school year.

Analysis of assessments will guide a student’s instructional pathway.  The framework should be modified and adapted for each student’s needs. Teachers should plan lessons to target skill deficits.  Spend more time on the facets of the framework that the student needs. Provide shorter amounts of time on the opportunities for skill practice of those competencies that have been mastered.  

Special education teachers should always focus on lagging skills!

Using this method for special education guided reading lessons, enables teachers to support all learning styles as they are all included in this approach.  This allows the framework to be a multi-sensory as well as systematic and intensive approach to teaching special education students reading. And isn’t that best practice?!

Special Education Guided Reading Groups l Miss Rae's Room

Happy and Healthy Teaching!
PEACE,
​Miss Rae

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References:
Biancarosa, C., & Snow, C. E. (2006). Reading next—A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy:A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York (2nd ed.).Washington, DC:Alliance for Excellent Education.

Carr, S. (2002). Assessing learning processes: Useful information for teachers and students. Intervention in School and Clinic, 37, 156–162

Pinnell, G.S. and Fountas, I.C. (2010). Guided Reading Program:  Research Base for Guided Reading as an Instructional Approach. Retrieved from [Scholastic, http://emea.scholastic.com/sites/default/files/GR_Research_Paper_2010_3.pdf]