Strategy Code Key:
- CP = concepts of print
- ST = strategies for selecting text
- W = word decoding strategies
- F = fluency strategies
- V = vocabulary strategies
- C = comprehension strategies
- Guided Reading Levels A–B
Guided Reading Levels A-B (approx. = DRA levels 1–2)
Review basic concepts of print as needed and teach children these strategies:
- Match 1:1 speech and print by pointing under the words. (CP)
- Use endmarks and font (period, question mark, exclamation point, bold font) to give reading voice. (CP/F)
- Use beginning letters to predict the word. (W)
- Locate known words and use them as anchors. (W)
- Use a pattern to read. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t sound right and reread. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t make sense and reread to repair meaning. (W)
- Reread the sentence when stuck on a word and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Use picture clues to predict or confirm words. (W)
- Match picture clues to beginning letters. (W)
- Use the first letter and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Read with proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Make connections. (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before reading). (C)
Also, teach students how to retell stories and respond to text.
Note: Students must have solid control of one-to-one matching before moving on to level C. Occasional slips when confronted with multi-syllable words are to be expected, however. Students may also miscue a word that makes sense and begins with the same initial letter (e.g., “house” for “home”).
Guided Reading Level C
Guided Reading Level C (approx. = DRA levels 3–4)
Strategies to teach:
- Use return sweep to find the next line. (CP)
- Match 1:1 speech and print by pointing under the words (review if needed). (CP)
- Notice when the pattern in a text changes. (W)
- Use beginning letters to predict the word. (W)
- Locate known words and use them as anchors. (W)
- Use a pattern to read. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t sound right and reread. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t make sense and reread to repair meaning. (W)
- Reread the sentence when stuck on a word and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Match picture clues to beginning letters. (W)
- Use the first letter and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Read with proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Attend to meaning and punctuation to ensure proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Make connections. (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before reading). (C)
Also, teach students how to retell stories and respond to text.
Note: Students must understand that what they read needs to make sense and sound right. When prompted, they must also be able to self-correct if a word they read does not match the first letter of the word on the page.
Guided Reading Level D
Guided Reading Level D (approx. = DRA level 6; orange dot books)
Strategies to teach:
- Match 1:1 speech and print by pointing under the words. (review if needed) (CP)
- Use endmarks and font (period, question mark, and exclamation point, bold font) to give reading voice. (CP/F)
- Notice when the pattern in a text changes. (W)
- Use beginning letters to predict the word. (W)
- Use phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words. (W)
- Look across the whole word. (W)
- Use chunks (parts of words) to figure out unfamiliar words. (W)
- Use familiar words to figure out unfamiliar words. (W)
- Locate known words and use them as anchors. (W)
- Use a pattern to read. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t sound right and reread. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t make sense and reread to repair meaning. (W)
- Reread the sentence when stuck on a word and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Use picture clues to predict or confirm words. (W)
- Skip a word, read on, and then go back, figuring out word based on context. (W)
- Match picture cues to beginning letters. (W)
- Use the first letter and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Self-correct by cross checking meaning, syntax, and visual cues. (W)
- Read with proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Learn to read high frequency words automatically. (F)
- Make connections. (C)
- Make and revise inferences (simple predictions). (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before reading). (C)
Also, teach students how to retell stories and respond to text.
Note: Students must understand that what they read needs to make sense and sound right. They must also be able to self-correct independently when a word they read does not match the first letter of the word on the page. Students should show growing ability to cross-check cueing systems to confirm their reading.
Guided Reading Levels E–F
Guided Reading Levels E–F (approx. = DRA levels 8–10)
Please remember that these strategies are suggestions and are not meant to take the place of curriculum dictates. All strategy work is cumulative and builds upon the strategies taught at lower levels. The graphophonic strategies are based upon the assumption that phonics and word study skills are introduced outside of a typical guided reading lesson.
Strategies to teach:
- Use endmarks and font (period, question mark, and exclamation point, bold font) to give reading voice. (CP/F)
- Use phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words. (W)
- Look across the whole word. (W)
- Use chunks (parts of words) to figure out unfamiliar words. (W)
- Use familiar words to figure out unfamiliar words. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t sound right and reread. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t make sense and reread to repair meaning. (W)
- Reread the sentence when stuck on a word and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Skip a word, read on, and then go back, figuring out word based on context. (W)
- Use the first letter and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Self-correct by cross checking meaning, syntax, and visual cues. (W)
- Use context clues to infer meaning of unfamiliar words. (V)
- Read with proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Attend to meaning and punctuation to ensure proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Learn to read high frequency words automatically. (F)
- Make connections. (C)
- Make inferences (including predictions). (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before reading). (C)
Also, teach students how to retell stories and respond to text.
Note: Students who have not been attending to the details within a word and over-relying on patterns will have a difficult time at this level. Most of their strategy work will focus on using phonetic skills and analogy to figure out unknown words. However, if you notice a decrease in rereading, monitoring, or self-correction, the instruction may need to be more balanced.
Guided Reading Levels G–H
Guided Reading Levels G–H (approx. = DRA levels 12–14)
Please remember that these strategies are suggestions and are not meant to take the place of curriculum dictates. All strategy work is cumulative and builds upon the strategies taught at lower levels. The graphophonic strategies are based upon the assumption that phonics and word study skills are introduced outside of a typical guided reading lesson.
Strategies and literary elements to teach:
- Use endmarks and font (period, question mark, and exclamation point, bold font) to give reading voice. (CP/F)
- Use phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words. (W)
- Look across the whole word. (W)
- Use chunks (parts of words) to figure out unfamiliar words. (W)
- Use familiar words to figure out unfamiliar words. (W)
- Notice when a word doesn’t make sense and reread to repair meaning. (W)
- Reread the sentence when stuck on a word and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Skip a word, read on, and then go back, figuring out word based on context. (W)
- Use the first letter and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Self-correct by cross checking meaning, syntax, and visual cues. (W)
- Use context clues to infer meaning of unfamiliar words. (V)
- Read with proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Attend to meaning and punctuation to ensure proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Learn to read high frequency words automatically. (F)
- Create visual images to adjust phrasing and voice when reading dialogue. (F)
- Adjust pace of reading as needed. (F)
- Go back and reread from the beginning of the sentence after correcting an error. (F)
- Monitor for meaning (at the passage level). (C)
- Make connections. (C)
- Create sensory images. (C)
- Ask questions. (C)
- Make and revise inferences (including predictions). (C)
- Summarize information. (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before and during reading). (C)
- Character development and setting (lit. elements)
Also, teach students how to retell stories, respond to text, and talk about text with others.
Note: Students will need to have a clear sense of what to do when they come to unknown words or phrases while reading. Students need to know when reading doesn’t make sense and have independent strategies for problem-solving through text.
Guided Reading Levels I–K
Guided Reading Levels I–J–K (approx. = DRA levels 16–24)
Strategies and literary elements to teach:
- Recognize when a book is “just right.” (ST)
- Use chunks (parts of words) to figure out unfamiliar words (including multi-syllable and compound words). (W)
- Reread the sentence when stuck on a word and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Skip a word, read on, and then go back, figuring out the word based on context. (W)
- Self-correct by cross checking meaning, syntax, and visual cues. (W)
- Use context clues to infer meaning of unfamiliar words. (V)
- Read with proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Attend to meaning and punctuation to ensure proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Go back and reread from the beginning of the sentence after correcting an error. (F)
- Monitor for meaning (at the passage level). (C)
- Make connections. (C)
- Create sensory images. (C)
- Ask questions. (C)
- Make and revise inferences (including predictions). (C)
- Determine importance. (C)
- Summarize information. (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before and during reading). (C)
- Character traits (lit. element)
- Conventions and text structures of particular genres (lit. element)
- Features of non-fiction texts (table of contents, headings, captions, etc.) (lit. element)
- Author’s style (lit. element
Also, teach students how to retell stories using specific language and narrative structures, and to use evidence from the text to support their opinions.
Note: Students at this level will usually read silently. They will demonstrate understanding through retelling, discussion, and written responses. Students need to know when reading doesn’t make sense and have independent strategies for problem-solving through text. Book choices should be “just right” on a consistent basis.
Guided Reading Levels L–M
Guided Reading Levels L–M (approx. = DRA levels 28–34)
Strategies and literary elements to teach:
- Recognize when a book is “just right.” (ST)
- Use phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words (including syllabication). (W)
- Reread the sentence when stuck on a word and think about what would make sense. (W)
- Self-correct by cross checking meaning, syntax, and visual cues. (W)
- Use context clues to infer meaning of unfamiliar words. (V)
- Read with proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Attend to meaning and punctuation to ensure proper phrasing and voice. (F)
- Create visual images to adjust phrasing and voice when reading dialogue. (F)
- Monitor for meaning (at the passage level). (C)
- Make connections. (C)
- Create sensory images. (C)
- Ask questions. (C)
- Make and revise inferences (including predictions). (C)
- Determine importance (including how to skim and scan nonfiction text for important information). (C)
- Summarize and synthesize information. (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before and during reading). (C)
- Point of view (lit. element)
- Character traits (lit. element)
Also, work on building stamina for longer text and carrying a story line through chapters.
Note: If students at this level can read the words but are not consistently checking for understanding, do not move on until they are monitoring for their own comprehension regularly.
Guided Reading Levels N–O
Guided Reading Levels N–O (approx. = DRA levels 38–40)
Strategies and literary elements to teach:
- Use chunks (parts of words) to figure out unfamiliar words (including meaning of prefixes, suffixes, root words). (W)
- Use context clues to infer meaning of unfamiliar words. (V)
- Analyze word parts (morphemes) to understand unfamiliar words. (V)
- Adjust pace of reading as needed. (F)
- Monitor for meaning (at the passage level). (C)
- Make connections. (C)
- Create sensory images. (C)
- Ask questions. (C)
- Make and revise inferences (including predictions). (C)
- Determine importance (including how to skim and scan nonfiction text and use it for research). (C)
- Summarize and synthesize information. (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before and during reading). (C)
- Point of view (lit. element)
- Character traits (including how and why they can change during a book) (lit. element)
- Theme (lit. element)
Also, work on building stamina for longer text.
Note: If students at this level can read the words but are not consistently checking for understanding, do not move on until they are monitoring for their own comprehension regularly. Students should be comfortable reading both fiction and nonfiction and have many opportunities to read both.
Guided Reading Levels P+
Guided Reading Levels P+ (approx. = DRA levels 38–50)
Strategies and literary elements to teach:
- Use chunks (parts of words) to figure out unfamiliar words (including meaning of prefixes, suffixes, root words). (W)
- Use context clues to infer meaning of unfamiliar words. (V)
- Analyze word parts (morphemes) to understand unfamiliar words. (V)
- Adjust pace of reading as needed. (F)
- Monitor for meaning (at the passage level). (C)
- Make connections. (C)
- Create sensory images. (C)
- Ask questions. (C)
- Make and revise inferences (including predictions). (C)
- Determine importance (including how to skim and scan nonfiction text and use it for research). (C)
- Summarize and synthesize information. (C)
- Activate background knowledge (before and during reading). (C)
- Point of view (lit. element)
- Character traits (including how and why they can change during a book) (lit. element)
- Theme (lit. element)
- Historical perspective (lit. element)
- Conventions and text structures of particular genres (lit. element)
Also, work on building stamina for longer text, understanding text that contains content not connected with students’ direct experiences, and applying and integrating multiple comprehension strategies.
Note: If students at this level can read the words but are not consistently checking for understanding, do not move on until they are monitoring for their own comprehension regularly. Students should be comfortable reading both fiction and nonfiction and have many opportunities to read both.