Guided Reading Strategies to Improve Students - Dr. Stirling ...

The researcher discovered that “[t]he sixth-grade struggling readers involved inopen-ended reader response instruction actually found it easier and moreinteresting than their previous reading instruction, which sought one predeterminedright answer” (p. 540).Within a social constructivist approach, Primeaux discovered there were manyopportunities to help struggling readers comprehend text.Pitts (1991) pointed out that functional illiteracy is a pervasive problem inAmerican society and with many changes to educational programs and services,the onus has been placed on classroom teachers to create a nation of readers.Using classroom examples from fourth to eleventh grade, and documentation fromleading reading specialists, Pitts called for a shift in instruction. Sevenstraightforward strategies were recommended:1) Teach students how to use a textbook by brainstorming, and discussing thevarious parts, before reading,2) Teach background vocabulary, use warm-up drills to teach students howto spell key content area words, and review them daily,3) Prepare study guides with inquiry-type questions to help studentsunderstand content area subjects,4) Teach students how to adjust their reading pace, (read to skim, analyze, orread for details) depending on the text,5) Teach students to summarize content in their own language,6) Teach students to outline using the main idea, and supporting details, and7) Teach students to read about different disciplines in their recreationalreading, and to share what they learn at school.According to Pitts, “Comprehension is the nucleus of learning.” She summarizedher findings by indicating that effective use of these strategies can aidcomprehension, enhance vocabulary, and promote critical thinking.Block (1993) wrote about the effects of a program designed to improve thinkingstrategies, reading comprehension achievement, self-esteem, and criticalthinking abilities. Based on the work of Baron and Sternberg; Beyer; Collins; deBono; Marzano, Jones and Brandt; and Paul, eight categories were identified. Theywere:1) basic cognitive operations,2) fundamental thinking processes,3) decision-making strategies,4) problem-solving strategies,5) metacognitive strategies,6) creative thinking strategies,7) strategies for working effectively with groups, and8) strategies for studying and working.Sixteen lessons, based on these strategies, were designed to explicitly teachKindergarten through eleventh grade students in several schools in the southwesternUnited States for 1 1/2 hours a day, 2 days a week, for 32 weeks,throughout the school year.RESEARCH REPORT: Guided Reading Strategies to Improve Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Grades Three, Four and Five9