Student Accountability: Guided Reading Kidstations

Abstract

Guided reading is a major component of a comprehensive or balanced reading program. Most teachers understand the value of guided reading in the classroom but have difficulty managing effective implementation. They often ask, “What will the other students be doing when I am working with a guided reading group, and how do I manage all the children in the classroom?” The authors created a model of a five-day cycle of guided reading groups and independent “kidstations” in an urban U.S. school district with an ethnically diverse student population in grades 1 through 6. Practical modifications enable the teacher to determine the initial guided reading groups, adjust time engagement with the groups, increase students' time on task with independent literacy activities, foster student accountability, improve collaboration among the general education and special teachers, and provide literacy activities that enhance students' competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.