About debracrouch

Debra Crouch works nationally as an independent literacy consultant, collaborating with districts and schools in designing professional learning opportunities. Her work empowers teachers, principals, and coaches to envision instructional decisions that matter for children—decisions about processes for learning that unfold over time, across texts and among practices. She actively shares her thinking and practices through long-term professional learning opportunities with districts across the country serving children from diverse backgrounds, languages, and socioeconomic needs.

High-Frequency Words in Guided Reading: Words by Sight

When It Comes to High-Frequency Words, Context Is Key in Guided Reading Texts!The use of high-frequency words in guided reading texts offers young readers the opportunity to learn these words as part of a wider reading process. When developing readers learn these words, such as he, she, you, I, ask, is, but, the, have, and good in context, they learn to recognize these words by sight. This supports the child to become a [...]

High-Frequency Words in Guided Reading: Words by Sight2024-08-05T06:48:08-07:00

Shared Reading and Guided Reading: Learning in Context

In Shared Reading, Students Learn What They Later Apply in Guided ReadingShared reading and guided reading lie alongside each other within a gradual release of responsibility model of instruction.  One of the key ways guided reading instruction differs from other small reading groups is through this relationship to shared reading instruction. Along with read aloud (sometimes referred to as Instructional Read Aloud or Interactive Read Aloud), [...]

Shared Reading and Guided Reading: Learning in Context2024-08-05T10:18:37-07:00

Close Reading and Guided Reading

Close Reading Can Be Powerful Within the Context of Guided ReadingClose reading and guided reading can exist in the same instructional environment.  By reading closely in guided reading, a reader is encouraged to apply all their known understandings about how texts work to figure out meanings the text brings into existence.  When close reading of a text is viewed as comprehending a text in an intentional manner, [...]

Close Reading and Guided Reading2024-08-05T10:18:43-07:00

Guided Reading and Reading Strategies

Learn to Let Students Apply Reading Strategies During Guided ReadingGuided reading is a small group opportunity to support readers as they apply known reading strategies. David Hornsby, in A Closer Look at Guided Reading (2000), describes guided reading as a time when “the teacher helps the children use strategies they already know so that they are able to read an unfamiliar text independently, with success.” Those reading strategies have been modeled [...]

Guided Reading and Reading Strategies2018-09-03T09:01:36-07:00

Managing Guided Reading Groups with “Warm” Running Records

What Difference Would a “Warm” Running Record Make in Your Guided Reading Groups?Managing guided reading groups often generates a multitude of questions about flexibility: How do I know which children go in which group? Which books do I use in a particular level? How do I know when my students are ready for the next level? One tool often used in answering these questions is a record [...]

Managing Guided Reading Groups with “Warm” Running Records2024-08-05T06:45:07-07:00

Managing Guided Reading Groups with “Warm” Running Records

What Difference Would a “Warm” Running Record Make in Your Guided Reading Groups?Managing guided reading groups often generates a multitude of questions about flexibility: How do I know which children go in which group? Which books do I use at a particular level? How do I know when my students are ready for the next level?One tool often used in answering these questions is a record of [...]

Managing Guided Reading Groups with “Warm” Running Records2024-08-05T06:48:49-07:00
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