Guided Reading: Teaching Comprehension, Phonics, Word Study, and Fluency in Grades K-8
Learn how to use small group reading instruction to meet the individual needs of your students in your K–8 classroom.
In this 5-day training for teachers and literacy educators, learn how to plan for and teach intensive small group, differentiated reading instruction that focuses on essential components of evidence-based reading instruction in grades K-8.
Register to participate in-person at Lesley University or virtually!
- Classroom Teachers K-8
- Interventionists
- Literacy Coaches/Teacher Leaders
- Graduate Credit Participants, please see “Graduate Credit Options” tab for pricing information
- Literacy Collaborative Affiliation Discount available
Guided reading is an instructional approach in which teachers work with small groups of students to support and expand each student’s reading ability. In this course, you’ll take an in-depth look at how to use Guided Reading to support readers in the primary, intermediate, and middle grades.
Learn how each element of a guided reading lesson presents opportunities for teaching and learning that supports each reader’s development of oral language, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension skills. You’ll build an understanding of reading as a complex process, learning how to observe and assess students’ reading behaviors. You will examine how to: assess students’ strengths and needs as readers; form flexible groups; analyze and select appropriate texts for your students; and plan small group lessons that differentiate instruction to address the needs of each reader within a group.
Course Outcomes
- Build knowledge of the reading process and the actions that enable students to become strategic readers
- Integrate assessment and instruction taking into consideration the diverse needs of all students including multilingual learners
- Examine how to teach readers to apply a variety of flexible phonics and word-solving skills while reading
- Analyze books to consider the supports and challenges that texts offer to readers
- Choose and introduce high quality, appropriate books for guided reading instruction based on assessment data
- Analyze how each part of a guided reading lesson—text introduction, reading the text, discussing the text, and word work—presents opportunities for teaching and learning
- Group students dynamically for guided reading instruction based on assessment data
- Identify characteristics of fiction and nonfiction to support students as they read in a variety of genres
- Learn how to provide a structure and management system that allows for whole-group, small-group, and individual teaching
You can take this course for non-credit and earn 35 professional development hours, or you may take it for 3 graduate credits. Those taking the course for graduate level credit will choose a grade level span of either grades K-2 or 3-8 as a focus for credit assignments. Please see the “Graduate Credit Options” tab for more information.
Heather Rodman, Literacy Trainer
Prior to joining the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative as a Primary Trainer, Heather was a Kindergarten, first, second, third, and fourth grade classroom teacher in Middletown, CT for 16 years. She was also a Primary Literacy Coordinator for five years where she provided literacy training and coaching to K-5 teachers. In addition, she was a member of the Connecticut Department of Education Common Core State Standards Curriculum Design Team for English Language Arts.
Required Texts
You are responsible for purchasing/having access to the following professional texts for this course:
- Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2017). Guided reading: Responsive teaching across the grades. Heinemann.
- Either version of The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum:
- Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2022). The Fountas & Pinnell literacy continuum: A tool for assessment, planning, and teaching, grades prek-8, second edition. Heinemann.
- Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2016). The Fountas & Pinnell literacy continuum: A tool for assessment, planning, and teaching, grades prek-8, expanded edition. Heinemann.
Recommended Texts
- Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2012). Fountas & Pinnell prompting guide, part one for oral reading and early writing. Heinemann.
- Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2012). Fountas & Pinnell prompting guide, part two for comprehension: Thinking, talking, and writing. Heinemann.
Cancellation Deadline & Refund Policies
Non-Credit Participants
You have until one week before the first day of this offering to cancel your registration. The cancellation deadline is Monday, July 21, 2025. There is a $50 cancellation fee. If you request a cancellation after the deadline, you will not be issued a refund. Substitution requests are acceptable. Please email CRRLC@lesley.edu if you have a cancellation or substitution request.
Graduate Credit Participants
Review the university’s cancellation and refund policies for credit bearing courses.
Registration Deadline
The registration portal closes at 5pm ET on July 25, 2025. You will need to have all required texts available for the first day of the training.
Requirements for Participation
After the training, non-credit participants will receive a certificate of attendance for your participation. To receive a complete certificate, participation during the specified times is required. Additional work may be assigned to meet the clock hours.
In-Person or Virtual Attendance
You may choose to attend this training in-person at Lesley University or virtually in real time. Should any of the conditions change and it is determined the training will be offered virtually only, you will be notified as soon as possible. We recommend that you contact us before reserving travel and lodging.
If you choose to attend in-person, the training room will have Lesley University’s HyFlex Classroom Technology to support an engaging learning environment for in-person and virtual participants. If you have questions about in-person or virtual attendance, please email us at CRRLC@lesley.edu.
Graduate Credit Options
With additional assignments, this institute can be taken for 3 graduate credit hours. During the registration process, you will have the option to register as a Graduate Credit attendee and you will only be charged the graduate credit fee listed below.
When your registration is complete, contact CRRLC@lesley.edu to finish the required secondary registration process for grad credits through Lesley University.
Grades K-2 Course Number: EEDUC 6047-34
Grades 3-8 Course Number: EEDUC 6045-34
PRICING:
- $2,700 ($875*/credit + $25*/credit comprehensive fee) *subject to change
On-Site Professional Development
We can deliver this training to your school/district. This option can be delivered virtually or in-person for a group within your school/district. For detailed costs, complete our online form to request this training for your school/district and we will contact you.
Interested in professional learning at your school or district? Schedule a meeting with one of our faculty trainers
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