Guided reading is a small-group instructional framework designed for students who have already developed strong decoding skills.
Once students master foundational phonics skills, guided reading, when used appropriately, can support comprehension, fluency, and discussion.
This page reflects my instructional perspective: guided reading and leveled texts are most effective once students have mastered the reading code and can accurately decode unfamiliar words using letter-sound knowledge instead of pictures or guessing strategies.
Table of Contents
- What Guided Reading Typically Looks Like
- When Guided Reading Is (and Is Not) Appropriate
- Why Guided Reading Is Not My Primary Approach
- Sample Guided Reading Lesson Outline
- Before, During, and After Reading Strategies
- What an Effective Retelling Includes
- Key Takeaway
- The DRA2 Assessment Determines Guided Reading Levels
- Guided Reading Expectations by Grade Level: Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5
- Guided Reading Words Correct Per Minute
- Related Resources
What Guided Reading Typically Looks Like
- Small groups of up to six students
- Instruction three to five times per week
- Lessons lasting approximately 30 minutes
- Texts read at an instructional level (90–94% accuracy)
This model assumes students can already decode words independently and accurately.
When Guided Reading Is (and Is Not) Appropriate
Guided reading is most effective for students who can apply phonics automatically and do not rely on pictures or memorization
to read unfamiliar words.
It is not recommended as a primary approach for beginning or struggling readers who have not yet mastered phonics. Those students benefit most from explicit, systematic phonics instruction paired with decodable texts.
Why Guided Reading Is Not My Primary Approach
Research discussed in the podcast Sold a Story raises concerns about cueing-based approaches associated with Marie Clay and Fountas & Pinnell. These approaches may encourage guessing strategies such as
- Using pictures for word clues
- Relying on the first letter only
- Skipping unfamiliar words
- Checking whether a word “looks right” or “sounds right.”
Current reading research emphasizes explicit phonics instruction and decodable texts to help students accurately sound out unfamiliar words.
Sample Guided Reading Lesson Outline (For Fluent Decoders Only)
Rereading for Fluency
Students reread a familiar portion of text for approximately four minutes while the teacher listens or takes a running record.
Text Introduction
- Brief summary (title, author, genre)
- Activate background knowledge
- Picture walk to preview meaning (not for decoding support)
- Introduce unfamiliar vocabulary using letter–sound cues. Locate the new vocabulary during the picture walk.
- State a comprehension strategy. I found a set of free strategy cards based on the Reading Cafe that people consider useful. Similar to a sound wall, the idea is to add each new strategy as it is taught to the wall.
Reading and Discussion
Students whisper-read while the teacher observes and prompts comprehension-focused discussion.
Before, During, and After Reading Strategies
Before Reading
- Vocabulary previews
- Anticipation guides
- Sentence-based predictions
During Reading
- Main idea tracking
- Concept mapping
- Revising predictions
- Teacher observation
After Reading
- Retelling or summarizing
- Sequencing events
- Open-ended responses
What an Effective Retelling Includes
- Events or facts in sequence
- Key details and vocabulary
- Accurate terminology
- Evidence of higher-level thinking
Key Takeaway
Guided reading and leveled texts are most effective after students have mastered decoding. Before that point, explicit phonics instruction and decodable texts are essential.
The DRA2 Assessment Determines Guided Reading Levels
The DRA2 Benchmark Assessment is an individual reading assessment used in grades K–5 to determine a student’s instructional reading level.
It evaluates:
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Accuracy
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Fluency and rate
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Comprehension through oral and written responses
Teachers use DRA2 results to plan instruction and monitor reading growth over time. There is a DRA3 available now.
Guided Reading Expectations by Grade Level
Grade-level benchmarks (Kindergarten through Grade 5) are based on the DRA2 assessment and include expectations for accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.
The students’ independent level is considered one below their instructional level. For example, if a student’s instructional level is K, they are expected to read and comprehend J books independently.
At the instructional level, students should be reading with 90-94% accuracy and at the appropriate number of words correct per minute.
Kindergarten
Instructional benchmark: Level C by June
Key indicators include accuracy, directionality, self-correction, and 1:1 word matching.
Grade 1
Instructional benchmarks:
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January: Level G
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June: Level J
Expectations include accuracy, increasing fluency, structured retelling, and comprehension discussion. Students also make predictions and connections, and tell their favorite part and why.
Grade 2
Instructional benchmarks:
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November: Level K
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March: Level L
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June: Level M
Students demonstrate phrased reading, expressive fluency, prediction, and summary skills. Students also identify the most important event, explain why it is significant, and articulate the author’s message.
Grade 3
Instructional benchmarks:
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November: Level N
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March: Level O
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June: Level P
Students analyze character, theme, and text features and provide written responses.
Grade 4
Instructional benchmarks:
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November: Level Q
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March: Level R
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June: Level S
Students demonstrate deeper interpretation, strategic thinking, and evidence-based responses. After reading a portion of the text aloud, they must stop to write questions they had and make predictions. They also write a summary.
Grade 5
Instructional benchmarks:
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November: Level T
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March: Level U
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June: Level V
Students analyze the author’s message, determine critical events, write a summary, and apply comprehension strategies independently.
Guided Reading Words Per Minute
Nonfiction DRA2 options are available for Levels 16, 28, 38, 40, and 50.
**40 is listed 3x, and 50 is listed 2x. The goal is to become a stronger/higher scorer at each assessment point, allowing the student to be assessed in both fiction and nonfiction at 40 and 50.
Related Resources
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This page was last updated on January 2, 2026.
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