ASSESSMENT COVER PAGE

Course Name:
Instructor Name:
Task Title:
Due Date:

EPR 2603

Course Code:

Liz Taylor
Coursework - Essay. Approaches to teaching reading: an insight
into methodologies used in an English Medium School

23.3.16

Student Muna Hasan

Name:

Student ID:

Language Arts
D

H00272711

Date
Submitted:

22-3-2016

Section:

12B4EPR01

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Student Declaration:
This assignment is entirely my own work except where I have duly acknowledged other
sources in the text and listed those sources at the end of the assignment. I have not
previously submitted this work to the HCT. I understand that I may be orally examined on
my submission.

v. 2014-0515

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Guided Reading

Muna Hasan
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Muna Hasan

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12B4EPR01

During my teaching practice, I observed the teacher used reading

approaches in reading time. I chose guided reading approach to
discuss it.
Guided reading:
Guided reading is reading with a small group at a similar instructional
level, providing them with problem- solving support with level
appropriate texts. (Guided Reading, n.d.) That means the teacher sit
with a small group of student, its about five or six students, the
students must be in the same level of reading, the teacher start read
then the student complete it, the teacher support when they read.
Guided reading was developing in 1960 in New Zealand by educators.
(Guided Reading, n.d.) Guided reading is important to support the
student to be a good reader.

Strategies and activities related:

The teacher uses pre-while-post reading for guided reading, for

example, I observed the teacher in guided reading section, she
set with low- level students and she started to read with them,
before that she gave them pre -reading activity about
vocabulary words in the story to give them an idea about the
words. Also, before reading the story the teacher asked the
students about the title and the author then during the reading
story the teacher ask each student to read one sentence after
that, when she finished the story she asked them about what
happen in the story also, she gave them post reading activity
about match the event with the right picture.
The teacher uses discussion time to let the student participate
and engage with her for example, I noticed the teacher used
dice in each side has a question about the story after that, she
ask each student in the small group to throw it and read the
question and answer it.

Top - down and Bottom -up processes:

In guided reading the teacher supports the students to read and she
observes them. According to Vygotsky theory, he suggests ZPD that
means the student wants support from the teacher or the student can
do it without help. For example, in the guided reading the student
wants support from the teacher because they cant read the text alone.
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After that, the student can read without support from the teacher and
they can jump to independent reading. The aims of guided reading are
the student will improve reading skills by reading the story or the text,
it helps teacher to monitor the student while reading also, the student
be comfortable when he read. The teacher uses two processes (Top down, Bottom - up) to teach the student reading, the students might
use two approaches to understanding the text, it depends on the text.
The researchers believe that two processes are important in the
reading process. (TDU 6: Reading English: shared reading and guided
reading, n.d.) .

Top down approach that mean focus in whole meaning and whole
language, the students use prior knowledge and expectations ,for
example, the teacher read with small group then let them read the
story and the student use background of the story to know what will
happen now and understand it also, the student see the picture expect
what happen now. The national capital language research center
reports say top- down approach is helpful for the student who learn
English as a second language because it concentrates on the whole
meaning of the text. (Pearson, 2016) .On another hand is bottom -up
that mean focus in letters then words then sentences, the student use
phonics to read the text, for example, I observed the student in guided
reading time he starts to decode each word to read the story he used
phonics to make it easy for himself. It not necessary the student
understand the meaning in a bottom up approach. According to
Krashen theory, he believes when the teacher provides a good
environment for student they can more active in the class. That mean
when the teacher gives the student chance to choose what approach
he wants to use for reading the story or the teacher sit with the
student when he read to support him then the student feel
comfortable.
During guided reading the teacher interactive with the students for
example, I observed that in my teaching practice the teacher asked
students about the characters of the story she said I will throw the
ball if you get that means your turn the student was very active they
like this activity after that, the teacher throw the ball and the student
catch it , he read the question and start to answer it also, he discussed
with the teacher then the teacher gave the students chance to say
their opinion about the story after read it then the teacher gave them
feedback and praise them. According to Skinner theory, he says the
teacher must praise student because they feel happy and they be
more active in the class. Also, the student might interactive with his
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group when the teacher says discussion time for example, I noticed in
my teaching practice when the guided reading section the teacher
gave a small group of the student to discuss the story like what , why ,
when ,where questions the students start to discuss together with his
group. According to Piaget theory, he says when the students work in
the group they can learn better than when they work alone because
they can take experience from the students.
Recommendations for guided reading:
During my teaching practice, I observed teacher use good way and bad
way in guided reading, I will say what was bad and why it bad for the
children.
For example, I noticed the teacher does not give the students prereading activity for the story, the teacher does not introduce the
vocabulary words of the story that things is bad for them because
when the students start to read the story they do not understand what
happen or the meaning of the words also, because the per-reading help
student to understand the text. I suggest giving the student vocabulary
word before reading the story because it makes the story easy for
them also, the student will know the meaning.
For example, the teacher does not discuss the story with the student
after finished read that thing is bad for them because might some
students dont understand the story also, when the teacher discuss
with the student she will know who is not understand the story or text.
I suggest giving student chance to discuss with the teacher after
finishing the story because it helps her to make sure all students
understand also, help the student to get the idea of the text or story.

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References:
Guided Reading. (n.d.). Retrieved from Lesley Univsity :
http://www.lesley.edu/guided-reading/
Pearson, A. (2016). The Top-Down Reading Model Theory. Retrieved from
global post: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/topdown-readingmodel-theory-13028.html
TDU 6: Reading English: shared reading and guided reading. (n.d.). Retrieved
from Open.edu:
http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/mod/oucontent/view.php?
id=51514&printable=1

Muna Hasan

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Notes for observation guided reading

In this picture the teacher put

different level story for
different group and she sit
with low-level group to read

In this picture the teacher

asked each student
question about the story
and the student tried to
In this picture
the teacher
7
discuss the event of story
with the students