| To help your child improve his or her reading | | | | guided reading curriculum has the primary |
| skills, teachers use what is known as reading | | | | goal of providing the building blocks of |
| levels to help create guided reading | | | | language. |
| curriculums. Each reading level has a set of | | | | |
| books that are specifically geared towards | | | | First Grade |
| improving different reading skills and | | | | |
| comprehension, depending in part on the | | | | As first graders begin to progress, the |
| child's age. If you would like to use summer | | | | guided reading curriculum will begin to |
| vacation to help your child get a head start, | | | | introduce slightly more advanced skills. It |
| his or her teacher should be able to provide | | | | often begins with learning the difference |
| you with the list ahead of time. This can | | | | between nouns and verbs, and builds upon the |
| help you create your own guided reading | | | | skills learned in kindergarten. These |
| curriculum. | | | | stories may also be more advanced, containing |
| | | | longer sentences and plots where the |
| The guided reading curriculums become | | | | characters interact more frequently. |
| slightly more advanced with each passing | | | | |
| school year. The hope is that when the child | | | | Second Grade |
| graduates from the sixth grade, they will | | | | |
| have acquired a large set of reading | | | | The more advanced second grade guided reading |
| comprehension skills. These skills will help | | | | curriculum finds children more able to answer |
| them succeed in middle school, high school, | | | | questions about the stories they have read. |
| and beyond. Here are a few examples of what | | | | Their reading comprehension has advanced, as |
| a good guided reading curriculum should | | | | well as their retention of the material. |
| strive to teach. | | | | Many children this age even begin to read |
| | | | short chapter books. |
| Kindergarten | | | | |
| | | | While a guided reading curriculum is |
| As the child begins learning to read and | | | | generally created for a specific age group, |
| enters school for the first time, they begin | | | | it is important to assess where a particular |
| with a guided reading curriculum meant to | | | | student is and find appropriate material for |
| impart the basics of reading. The books use | | | | their level. Students with a lower |
| sentences that may be only two or three | | | | comprehension should be approached with |
| words, and each of these words tends to be | | | | material to help meet their needs, without |
| four or fewer letters. Such examples as "See | | | | making them feel inadequate. This is also |
| Spot Run" may be memories from your | | | | important for students with learning |
| childhood, and are still popular favorites in | | | | disabilities. It may be helpful to use a |
| a kindergarten guided reading curriculum. | | | | guided reading curriculum that has advanced |
| | | | stories told in a simple, building block |
| The goal of these books is to teach children | | | | format in cases like these. |
| the sounds that the different letters make, | | | | |
| and to help them understand how these sounds | | | | If you understand your child's reading level |
| change as the letters are strung together. | | | | and guided reading curriculum, you can help |
| Often they employ rhyming words to help | | | | them meet their educational goals and spend |
| reinforce the patterns. A young child's | | | | quality time with them. |