Components of Literacy, using the Gradual Release Model

The past few weeks, I have written about the read aloud, or interactive reading, as well as shared reading.  The interactive reading is the focus lesson in the gradual release framework. This is the "I do" time to model the skill or strategy that we want our students learn.  As we shift the load from the teacher to the students, the shared reading provides that guided practice, or the "we do together". This is a time of moderate support. Guided Reading provides an opportunity to continue to shift this work load. At this point, students should be able to use the strategy, with low support, as the chart below suggests.  However, keep in mind a couple of others points about guided reading.

• Guided reading is a time to have students read texts that are at their level, that can be read with minimal support. These books should be read independently, with support provided with purpose. 
• Comprehension is the always the goal.  While you may have a skill or strategy you want your students to use, it is important to cycle back to other strategies and discuss the text and your students' comprehension. Efficient readers use multiple strategies for reading. 
• Guided Reading is a time to incorporate word work strategies for students, specific to the needs of the group. 
• Students should be writing in response to their guided reading.