The teacher plans activities for before, during and after reading the text. Have pupils discuss the title and cover of the book and what they think the story will be about. Younger pupils can take a picture walk, where they preview the text by looking at the pictures. Lead a discussion to tap into pupils' prior knowledge of the book's topic. During reading, choose reading strategies to focus on, such as using context clues and building fluency. After-reading activities include retelling, responding to comprehension questions and discussing unfamiliar vocabulary.
The rest of the class can participate in reading activities while the teacher focuses on her guided reading group. Provide pupils with appropriate level texts to read independently. Have pupils take turns reading with a partner. Ask proficient readers to listen to and assist pupils reading at a lower level. Have pupils listen to audio books as they follow along in copies of the texts.
Create literacy centers for pupils to use when they are not part of the guided reading group. Pupils can use magnetic letters to build words and magnetic poetry kits to create poems. Have pupils write journal entries, type stories on computers or practice their handwriting. Create flashcards of high-frequency words to use. Set up board games, such as Scrabble and Silly Sentences. Pupils can practice their spelling words on miniature chalkboards and whiteboards.