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ELA Academy Part 2:
Guided Reading for
Emergent Readers
Northwest ISD
November 2014
Goals for Today’s Session:

Debrief the Pre-A or Early Lesson plan with colleagues

Examine helpful assessments for monitoring progress
and grouping students

Unpack the components of Emergent Lesson Plan

Reflect on our own practice by watching and debriefing
a model lesson

Discuss scheduling, management, and progress
monitoring
Debrief the Pre-A or Early
Lesson Plan

Debrief about using the Early Lesson plan with
students.

What is going well?

What is an area for which you would like to focus
more attention?

What questions do you still have?

Share out with group.
Guided Reading
Stages
Fluent
N+
(30+)
Early
D-I
(6-16)
Pre-A Reader
(< 40 UC & LC)
*Choral Read
Level A text
Emergent
A-C
(1-4)
Transitional
J-M
(18-28)
Emergent Readers
Emergent Reading Skills
Letter formation
Emergent Reading
Strategies
Employ one-to-one matching
Know all letter and sounds
Use meaning (picture clues) and initial
letters to figure out unknown words
Read and write sight words
Segment sounds to write unknown
words
Segment sounds in sequence (CVC)
Use meaning, known words, and initial
letters to self-monitor during reading
writing
Space between words during writing
Discuss a story with teach prompting
Helpful Assessments for
Grouping Students
Dictated Sentence
 Writing Sample
 Word List
 Running Record


Jan Richardson resources
for Emergent Readers
Assessment Summary Chart p. 75
Review components of
Assessments chart
Materials for Emergent
Group(s)
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Alphabet linking chart (one per student)
primarily to use during guided writing
Letter/sound checklist (if students do not
know all of their letters and sounds)
Dry erase boards, markers, erasers (set of 6)
6-8 sets of lower-case magnetic letters
Pictures for sound sorts (initial consonants
and short medial vowels)
Assessment kit
Materials for Emergent
Group(s)
Leveled books
 Copies of lesson plans
 High frequency word chart for each
group: use to record HF words students
can write (pp. 81-82)
 Sound box templates (one per student)
placed in sheet protector (p. 83)
 Timer – A must!!!

Selecting a Text
Text considerations:
Story makes sense
Strong picture support
Mostly familiar concepts
Some repetitive phrases
Some familiar sight words
One new sight word
Watch for unfamiliar concepts/unknown words
 Consider type of language structures

What would you take into consideration in introducing a book for a
child who is finding structure tricky?
Sight Word Review – Writing
(about 1 minute)
Goal/Purpose:
To write the words quickly, build visual memory, and
help control left to right visual scanning.
Procedure:


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Teacher dictates 3 words from the leveled sight word
list to see if students can write independently;
Teacher tallies progress on sight word progress
monitoring form
5-6 tallies/checks show student mastery
Introduction of New Book
3 - 4 minutes
Procedures:
 Teacher gives a gist statement.
“This book is about...”
 Students talk about each page, locate sight
words – predict first letter to support
cross-checking, etc.
 Teacher supports oral language/vocab.
 A thorough introduction ensures student
success with the text.
Text Reading with Prompting
(5-10 minutes)
Procedures:
 Students are reading and rereading the book
INDEPENDENTLY (no round robin reading).

Teacher listens to each student briefly and uses
the Prompts on the lesson plan to know what to
look and prompt for each student. Encourage
student independence for strategy use. … Not
about accurate reading… it’s about processing!!!

Take brief anecdotal notes on student behaviors.
Teaching Points After Reading
(1-2 minutes)

Notice what strategies several students need
and choose and model one or two teaching
points to match needed strategies.
“I want to show you something that is going to make
you a better reader.”

MODEL the strategies for the students. Have
students BRIEFLY practice.

Discussions Prompt: If appropriate, ask a
question that explores deeper comprehension.
Teach One Sight Word
1-2 minutes

Choose one sight word
(Use the same word for at least 2 days)

Use ALL FOUR strategies EVERY DAY with
EVERY word:
◦
◦
◦
◦

What’s Missing
Mix and Fix
Table Writing
Whiteboards
Pull letters for the word AHEAD
of time to save instructional time
Word Study
(3-5 min)
Word Student options for Emergent Readers:
 Picture sorts
 Making words
 Sound boxes
* See appendix A for example of words to use for each
student activity
Choose only ONE activity
Specific skill for each level:
Level A – hearing initial consonants
Level B – hearing medial short vowels (a and o)
Level C – hearing medial short vowels (i,e, and u)
Prepare materials ahead of time for maximum use of time
Picture Sorts
Picture Sorts: (do before sound boxes)

Level A - Each student gets a picture (no blends… one syllable)
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Level B – Each student gets 2 pictures with for initial consonant OR
short medial vowel a and o (one syllable)
◦
◦
◦
◦
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Student says name of picture
Sounds the 1st letter
Names the letter
Places picture under correct consonant on whiteboard
Student names picture
Stretches the word and “punches” the vowel sound
Names the vowel
Places on white board under correct letter
Level C – work with all short vowels. One familiar vowel and one new
vowel. Follow same procedures
Making Words
Procedures:

Select several consonants and one vowel.

Each student gets his/her own set of letters. Tell the students to make a
words.

ALWAYS BEGIN WITH A KNOWN WORD.

Check the word by saying is slowly and running finger underneath
(left to right).

Skills for each level:
◦ Level A – exchange initial consonant
◦ Level B – exchange initial and final consonants
◦ Level C exchange initial, medial and final letters in a CVC word
** See examples on p. 92
Sounds Boxes
Procedures:
Distribute sound box templates (placed in a plastic
sleeve) and if appropriate a dry erase marker.
MODEL saying the word slowly and pushing
counters into each box.
After student can consistently push the sounds
slowing segmenting, have them push the sounds and
write the letter.
Word Study in Action
Picture Sorts
 Making words
 Sound boxes
Example 1
Example 2

Guided Writing
(8-10 minutes)
DO NOT SKIP this component – “If you want to teach a student to
read…..give him/her a PENCIL…”
Procedures:
 Provide students with a writing journal (about 15 sheets of unlined
paper stapled together).

Dictate a sentence. (possibly incorporating new sight word)
◦ Level A: 3-5 words
◦ Level B: 5-7 words
◦ Level C: 7-10 words (add prepositional phrases)

Differentiate for each student by rotating from student to student to
address needs such as risk taking, sound boxes, letter formation,
spacing, learned sight words, conventions, etc.

Separate guided writing journal/notebooks just for responding to
guided reading texts. (You keep at table with you after students write.)
Lets watch an example of an
emergent lesson
Emergent Reader
Lesson Debrief

What was the teacher doing?
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What were the students doing?
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Noticings?
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Questions?
Text Levels
Don’t get too hung up on levels
Very few students are at “that level”
depends on a lot of things.
Management
How well do students know and practice the rituals and routines of the
work period so you are able to teach guided reading with fidelity?
Things to consider…
-Do students know exactly where their “comfy” spot is?
-Do they know and practice the expectations for independent and partner reading?
-Is student stamina increasing for independent reading?
-Have you explicitly modeled the expectation for Reader’s Notebook entries EVERY
time students respond in their journals?
-Are their many independent/easy books (6-10) in their browsing boxes to read so
they are actually practicing reading?
-Do you have a system in place where students know and can get help so your
guided reading group is not interrupted?
(crown, hat, C 3 B 4 me, etc.)
Steps to Effective Guided Reading
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Keep groups interchangeable.
Select appropriate and purposeful text.
Engage in ongoing assessments.
Set only one or two teaching goals for each
lesson.
Engage children in talking, reading and
thinking.
Source: Min Hong, Teaching First Grade: A Practical Guide
29
When students aren't
progressing
Analyze your guided reading teaching
Analyze student assessments
Ask a colleague to observe the student
Develop an acceleration plan
Involve them in guided reading every day.
Provide appropriate levels of text for them to
read.
 Have them write in connection with reading.
 Provide opportunities for silent reading.
 Provide word work based on their needs.
 Be sure that they spend their time reading text.
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Great Resources
 www.janrichardsonguidedreading.com
 Lots
of resources/downloads
 Video demonstration lesson segments,
including multiple levels of word work
 The Next Step in Guided Reading K8, by Jan Richardson. (Amazon.com)
 Continuum of Literacy Learning by
Fountas & Pinnell
For our Next Session….

Watch “Emergent” Lesson Video Clip.

Try out the lesson plan template for a group(s)

Bring a copy of one of your lesson plans and
progress monitoring binder with notes and
questions to debrief with colleagues.
Ticket Out / Reflection
Wows and Wonders
On the back of your name plate,
please make a T-chart list 3 Wows
you are taking away today and 3
Wonders you still have
Thank you for coming!
Please let us know how we can help!
Curriculum Department Contact information:
sjohnson@nisdtx.org
mvanetten@nisdtx.org
pbrake@nisdtx.org