"Guided reading instruction is a necessity in the elementary classroom. Through such instruction educators can meet the diverse needs of their readers as these programs allow for differentiated reading lessons. Schools that implement a guided reading program produce more confident readers. Overall, they are more fluent, accurate, and can effectively answer comprehension questions related to a piece of reading." Baier, R. J. (2005). Reading comprehension and reading strategies University of Wisconsin Stout, Wisconsin.
In terms of a personally relevant element of interactivity, post it notes and mini flags have become a vital part of my literacy instruction, specifically in my daily guided reading instruction.
Below, is the location and color chart from this week's handout that I will use in my classroom for as long as I am teaching elementary school reading. It will help eliminate any confusion for the students to identify key elements in their reading:
Use different colors for different reasons:
- Pink - Important vocabulary
- Green - Names to know
- Purple - Picture/map
- Yellow - Dates
- Blue - Chapter questions
Position tap for various uses:
- Top - Entire page is important
- Side - Important text marked on page
- Bottom - questions requiring further study
Laura Greenstein states in her book "What Teachers Really Need to Know About Formative Assessment" , "Sticky notes support a variety of assessment techniques involving signaling, sorting, and analysis. Students can use these slips of paper to communicate their knowledge and understanding before, during, or after instruction.
The purpose of using the sticky notes is to check for student progress toward the learning target. Sticky notes are a fast way to check for understanding that also involves movement, so the sticky note activities are kinesthetic and increase oxygen flow to the brain." (Greenstein, 2010)
