What is guided reading?

Guided reading is defined as a small-group instructional strategy where teachers support reading at instructional levels. This approach allows educators to tailor instruction to meet the diverse needs of students within a group, facilitating development in reading fluency, comprehension, and strategic thinking. In guided reading sessions, students are grouped based on their individual reading levels, enabling them to engage with texts that are appropriately challenging. The teacher provides focused support through modeling, prompting, and questioning, which helps students to develop their reading skills in a targeted manner.

In contrast, a one-on-one reading session with a teacher does not capture the collaborative small-group dynamic essential to guided reading. A self-paced reading program lacks the direct instructional support and strategies employed by educators during guided reading. Furthermore, it is a misconception that guided reading is only for advanced students; it is designed to support learners at all levels, helping each student make progress in their reading development. Therefore, the correct understanding of guided reading emphasizes its small-group format and instructional support tailored to students' individual needs.