Teacher Perceptions of Guided Reading

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore teacher understandings and practices of the guided reading process. Guided reading is a process coined/originated in the United States by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, literacy teachers and researchers who have made numerous contributions to the education field with their books and programs. Fountas and Pinnell (2001) state that the purpose of guided reading is to "meet the varying instructional needs of all the students in [a] class, enabling them to greatly expand their reading powers" (p. 191). Data was collected to answer the following question: What are teacher perceptions about guided reading? I based my research of guided reading on the definition produced by Fountas and Pinnell (1996, 2001, 2010): small group instruction for students who read at about the same book level, demonstrate similar reading behaviors, and share similar instructional needs. I surveyed teachers of kindergarten through sixth-grade students. Through this study, I examined how teachers conduct guided reading lessons and whether they align with prescribed method and definition. I hope to share my study results with colleagues, administrators, and college literacy professors. This study demonstrates whether teachers are knowledgeable about guided process order to help students advance through the reading process.