Effective Guided Reading: Theory and Practice

The project aimed to develop teachers' knowledge of the reading comprehension process and pedagogical use of the Reciprocal Teaching approach by by partnering with reading specialists at the University of East London to build a Reading Champions Network of schools and teachers, to disseminate training, knowledge and resources.. The project was delivered to 124 teachers in 11 schools. Findings from pre- and post- questionnaires showed marked increases in the development of subject knowledge, teacher confidence and pedagogical knowledge. Children made above expected progress on average across the two cohorts of schools, and it is suggested that this positive impact can be maintained across years, and that Reciprocal Teaching does not simply provide a short-term ‘fix’. Children also appear to have a greater enjoyment of reading according to their teachers.

Discussions provide a platform for children to share their thoughts and relate issues in the texts to their own experiences and the wider world. Children are becoming more vocal during these discussions and are showing increased independence during follow-up tasks. Their responses to texts are becoming more personal; pupils are taking ownership of their reading response journals”. “Guided Reading is perfect. We can learn about new stories and it is fun. I didn’t like reading when I came to this school but now I love it.

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