Guided Math
Guided Reading
• What does it look like?
– Allows students time to read at their level
– Teaches students how to find a book at their
own level
– The teacher conducts mini-lessons, guided
reading lessons with small groups
– The teacher conducts individual interviews to
work with students to improve their reading
skills at their instructional level
Guided Reading
• How does it work?
– Appropriate diagnosis of weaknesses needs
to occur through a balance of assessment,
observations, tasks, or end of unit tests
– The teacher meets with a small group on a
focused need as the rest of the class works
independently
– Set up behavior routines to facilitate the
implementation of the guided reading session
Four Steps to Teach Reading
Comprehension
1. Teacher modeling: In this stage the teacher
describes a comprehension strategy and
models its use explaining aloud what she is
thinking as she does so.
2. Guided Practice: Students then practice the
strategy with teacher support. This may take
place in small group, whole group or one to
one. The teacher encourages the students to
think aloud so she can give them immediate
feedback.
Four Steps to Teach Reading
Comprehension
3.
Independent Practice: Students then begin using the
comprehension strategy in their independent reading.
Students consciously apply the strategy, they jot down
notes in the margins, mark pages with sticky notes, or
engage in conversations with reading partners
4.
Incorporation into real reading situations: Students
make use of reading strategies without teachers
support, in a range of reading situations. The teacher
assesses student comprehension work through written
responses, one on one conversations, and monitoring
reading partnerships.
Four Steps to Teach Math
Comprehension
1. Tapping Prior Knowledge in Mathematics
– Math-to-Self Connections
– Math-to-Math Connections
– Math-to-World Connections
2. Inferring and Visualizing in Mathematics
3. Summarizing and Synthesizing
Combining New Information with Old to
Construct Meaning in Math
4. Monitoring and Repairing Understanding
From Reading to Math in Your
Classroom
Guided Reading = Guided Math
Guided Math
• What is it……..
– Enables children to practice specific strategies and/or
build particular conceptual and procedural knowledge,
with the teacher’s support
– Gives students more individualized time in small
groups to work on and develop particular strategies or
knowledge
– Gives teachers an opportunity to observe and assess
students in a small group setting
– Is grouping children effectively for specific, deliberate
and efficient teaching
Assessment for Learning verses
Assessment of Learning
Guided Math Responds to Student Needs
• How do I find out who needs what?
– Student work products
– Observations
– Quizzes and tests
• How do I keep track of who needs what
(frequent and in writing)?
– Labels
– Graphic organizers
– Clipboards
• What needs am I looking for? (use each
Unit Math Focus Points)
– A misconception
– A fundamental skill that a student needs to
continue to learn
– A place where a “student hits a wall”
• How do I use my assessment data to create my
guided math lesson?
– Cluster students with similar needs
– If students have multiple needs, prioritize (address
the “illness not just the symptoms”)
• How do I plan for my guided math session?
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Select a focused goal for the small group
Short lesson for 1/3 of the time
Guided practice for 1/3 of the time
Independent practice for 1/3 of the time
Select an activity that lends itself to independent or
paired work for the rest of the class
Guided Math Lesson
• What does it look like?
– Briefly introduce the lesson by providing supportive
strategies for learners through a mini-lesson to
introduce or extend the concepts being learned
– Provide students with a clear understanding of the
activity or task on which they will work, including
setting criteria for success
– Model the math concept the students are learning
using manipulatives, representations and simpler
language (the approach in the guided math lesson
has to be different from the approach used with the
whole class)
Guided Math Lesson
– Scaffolds student learning by giving just
enough support to move students to the next
level of understanding and proficiency
– Provide ample opportunities for mathematical
discourse (hands-on activities)
– Give students specific, descriptive, and
positive feedback on their work and
encourage students to engage in selfassessment based on the criteria for success
Examples of Guided Math Lessons
• Tune-up of previously mastered concepts
• Math fact automaticity
• Math games for computational fluency and
skill practice
• Problem solving
Advantages of Guided Math
• It supports the Gradual Release of
Responsibility
– Scaffold lessons
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Occur with assistance
Are positive
Are focused
Avoid failure
Are temporary