What is guided reading and when is it used?

• A. Whole-class lecture followed by independent work
• B. Silent reading in pairs with no guidance
• C. Small-group, leveled instruction focused on targeted strategies while reading a text that matches students' reading level
• D. Individual reading with no teacher support

Answer: (D)

Guided reading is a small-group, leveled approach to teaching reading. The teacher brings together students who read at similar levels and provides a text that matches their current abilities. As students read, the teacher offers targeted support and prompts to use specific strategies—like predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing—so they can practice comprehension with guided assistance. The aim is to build independent reading skills within a scaffolded setting, with gradual increases in text difficulty as students grow. This approach is typically used during the reading block to focus on strategy use and comprehension, rather than whole-class lectures or reading independently without guidance.