What Makes a Good Guided Reading Text for Early Readers ?
By Dr Sue Bodman
that relate to pupils ’ own experience and interests . Early texts need to be well-authored in written language that builds on rich oral language experiences but empowers through effective use of register . Clear story struc ture - problem – climax – resolution – encourages the development of reading comprehension and makes pupils want to read . Satisfying story content and endings are the reward of reading .
Reading experiences in the first few years of schooling are key to future successes . Guided reading is one possible wholeschool strategy to ensure positive experiences when learning to read in Arabic . Guided reading involves working with a small group of similarlyattaining pupils . Reading a text with accessible challenge , they are taught to apply and extend reading strategies . It is a powerful teaching methodology designed to ensure that pupils acquire positive reading attitudes and motivations , as well as reading skills and knowledge of words and letters . Therefore , the books we use for guided reading lessons need to be more than words brought together to satisfy a prescribed learning sequence . They need to be worth reading .
We need to choose wisely . The criteria below will help ensure that every guided reading experience you provide uses texts that will help inspire reading motivation by helping you choose a ‘ just right ’ book .
1 . Is the book designed for guided reading ?
Not all books for early readers are compatible with the guided reading methodology . A guided reading lesson for early readers is designed to support progress in many areas of literacy learning :
• Comprehension of the text ’ s message , avoiding the pitfalls of a reliance on decoding at a later stage when diacritics are no longer used
• Letter knowledge and how to use known letters as a source of information whilst reading
• Learning how to decode letter sounds from right to left into whole words
• Knowledge of high frequency words to support fluent reading
• Language development so that the grammar and vocabulary used in the Modern Standard Arabic ( MSA ) language register become increasingly accessible
Not all texts for early readers offer these characteristics , focusing instead on just one or two aspects of the reading process ; this is not helpful in a guided reading lesson .
2 . Does the book have good content ?
In order to develop motivation to read , books need to have well-conceived stories or interesting information
3 . Is the text strongly supported by clear design and layout ?
Some early for guided reading texts include poor or distracting layout inappropriate spacing between words that don ’ t facilitate clear demonstration of directional and matching principles . These need to be avoided in favour of books that present text clearly , have enlarged spaces between words and clear fonts . This allows discrimination of letters and diacritics to develop as quickly as possible . As learners progress , they will need to meet diversity and variety in all of these areas and these features become less of a consideration in book choice .
4 . Are the illustrations clear and supportive ?
Illustrations are an integral part of early reading . They extend the meaning conveyed in the text . But they should not detract attention from the text or take away the need to attend closely to print to understand the author ’ s message . Good illustrations add an additional source of information to the reader , not dominating or distracting .
Choosing books for guided reading is a skill worth developing . Effective book choices for guided reading lessons ease pupils into reading MSA and provide successful experiences with books . Engaging books for guided reading lessons , like those included in the Arabic Club Readers series , help forge reading motivation that lasts a lifetime .
26 | May - Jun 2017 | | Class Time