Are Guided Reading and Leveled Texts the Best Choices for Young Readers?

This week’s module focuses on guided reading and the act of selecting leveled texts for students.

As a third grade teacher I have a lot to say about this.

Throughout the early elementary years, students’ reading materials are chosen for them. They are informed of their “just right” reading level and must select texts specifically from color-coded bins depending on their reading ability.

In third grade, however, all of this ends.

The teacher does not limit students to choose texts from specific bins and we do not tell our students that the texts they read must be at the “just right level.”

Many parents of my third graders are appalled by this concept at the beginning of the school year.

“You mean you’re not going to help my child choose what books to read!?”

This is not the case. I will still assist my students in choosing reading material, the process will just look a lot different than what these students and their families are used to.

I will not select specific books for each student, but rather, I will teach students the appropriate ways in which they can select their OWN books. Imagine that!?

My students learn strategies for choosing their own books, and there are many different steps to this that must be mastered. Believe me, it takes practice!

First, students are taught to select a book that is appealing to them. Does the topic grab their attention; is the book about something that they are interested in?

Next, flip through the pages. Is the text big or small? Is there too much text, or not enough?

If you approve of the size and amount of text, flip to the first page. Read it. Do you make 5 or more errors and have a hard time understanding the page? Then this book is probably too difficult for you right now. If you don’t make any mistakes, maybe you need more of a challenge!

This takes a lot of time and practice and it can be difficult for kids to select their own reading material successfully at first. However, it is absolutely crucial that our kids learn these skills so that they can choose their own material in years to come. After all, finding amazing books to indulge in is half the fun of reading!