What the Students Will Say While the Teacher is Away: An Investigation into Student-Led and Teacher-Led Discussion within Guided Reading Groups.

Abstract

This article describes a qualitative study of discussion patterns within guided reading groups in a struggling metropolitan school. The study involves analy-sis of reader response to literature through discussion within teacher-led and student-led contexts. Transcripts of discussions surrounding texts, teacher interviews, and student surveys were collected. In responding to texts, students used reporting of information straight from text, connections, elaborations, evaluations, clarifications, and word play. Findings indicate that students read-ing on-level independently use more-diverse reader response strategies than do their below-level peers. In a teacher’s presence, however, all students showed use of diverse reader response strategies in discussion as a result of teacher scaf-folding. In addition, open-ended questions led to more-intricate responses within student-led discussions than did closed-ended questions. Results indicate that there are advantages to both teacher-led and student-led discussion within classrooms, and both can be incorporated within the school day. Examples of response strategies are given and future steps for research are shared.