By Laura Robb

Every time my students say "Show me again" and "I need help," they reinforce my strong belief in mini-lessons and guided practice. In a mini-lesson, the focus is on the "show me," as I spotlight the way I use a reading strategy. Mini-lessons can be planned in advance or implemented spontaneously in response to students' needs; in follow-up discussions, students raise questions and share how the strategy works for them. In twice-a-week guided practice sessions, the focus is on "help me." With guided practice, I can support students as they use and think about reading strategies. Here are three activities that show you how.

• Primary Activity: Mini-Lesson on Browsing
• Intermediate Activity: Mini-Lesson on Book Choice
• Primary Activity: Guide Practice in Questioning

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  Primary Activity:
  MINI-LESSON ON BROWSING

  Purpose: To create a strong desire to read by browsing and having kids raise questions to discuss.

  Materials: an oversized book such as The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins (Mulberry Big Books, 1994), large chart paper, a bold marker

  Time Needed: 30 minutes

  Steps:

  1. Have the class browse through and wonder about the book's cover and illustrations.

  2. Think aloud some questions that browsing this book raises in your mind, such as "Why is the boy looking through the mail slot in the door?"

  3. Record students' questions on chart paper. My students asked, "Why does the mom always have a mop and bucket?" and "Why do the looks on the kids' faces keep changing?"

  4. Ask students how they feel about the strategy of browsing.

  5. After the mini-lesson, take two or three class periods to read the book and discuss students' questions.

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  Intermediate Activity:
  MINI-LESSON ON BOOK CHOICE

  Purpose: To help kids choose books they can read and enjoy.

  Materials: large chart paper, bold marker

  Time Needed: 20 minutes

  Steps:

  1. Share your feelings about reading a difficult book. For example, I might say, "I worry I won't remember anything" or "I hate reading it."

  2. Demonstrate the tried-and-true Five-Finger Strategy. Turn to any page of a book and read. If it has five words you can't pronounce or understand, save it for later, and choose another book to read.

  3. Ask students how and why they choose books.

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  Primary Activity:
  GUIDED PRACTICE IN QUESTIONING

  Purpose: Use this strategy to generate questions for a theme study, such as the oceans.

  Materials: books, magazines, chart paper, bold marker

  Time Needed: one to four 20-minute class sessions

  Steps:

  1. Gather books like Ann Doubilet's Under the Sea from A to Z (Crown, 1991) or What Lives in a Shell? by Kathleen Werdier (HarperCollins, 1994), along with articles from magazines like National Geographic.

  2. Divide the class into groups of four. Give each group a mix of materials."

  3. Have students browse and raise questions. One group of second graders asked, "How do clams and oysters breathe?"

  4. After kids have completed the strategy, their questions will guide their reading, discussion, and hands-on experiments.

Laura Robb, a classroom teacher for 34 years, currently teaches eighth grade at Powhatan School in Boyce, Virginia, and coaches teachers in grades K-8. She is the author of Reading Strategies that Work (Scholastic Professional Books, 1996) and Whole Language, Whole Learners (Morrow, 1994).

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