This set of Guided Reading Strategy Cards includes 12 pages of cards with 12 different reading strategies (4 on a page) that can be used in guided reading groups to reinforce the reading strategy you are teaching. You might also find these cards useful to support students during Independent Reading, Conferences, or to send home for parents. The strategy cards can be printed on paper or card stock and then laminated. You can keep the cards on a binder ring or in Ziploc bags. In my 4th grade classroom, we used these cards during small group to help students “SEE” the strategy we were working on. You can find more information about these particular strategies in the book The Next Step in Guided Reading by Jan Richardson I hope you and your students find these cards useful!
Strategies Included:
*BME -(Beginning, Middle, End) a summarizing/retelling strategy
*Somebody-Wanted-But-So- A strategy to follow the plot structure and what the character wants in the story in order to summarize the story.
*5 Finger Retell- A retelling strategy to retell the characters, setting, problems, and events.
*Stop! Think. Paraphrase.- Helps students monitor their thinking.
*Who? and What?- Who is this part mostly about? What was the most important thing that happened? A strategy to keep track of the big events of the story.
*VIP {Very Important Part}- a strategy to focus on important things that are happening and character change.
*VIP {Very Important Part} Internal and External-a strategy to focus on the important things the character does (external) and how the character feels (internal)
*Ask Questions- a strategy to mark interesting parts with questions using What? How? and Why?
*It’s all about the Character!- Pay attention to the character’s action and dialogue.
*Green Questions- These types of questions can be found directly in the text. The author states the question exactly. I can GO directly to the text and find the answer. Who, What, When, Where, Why?
*Yellow Questions- I need to slow down and look in more than one place in the text to answer this kind of question. Compare & Contrast, Cause & Effect, Main Idea/Details
*Red Questions- The question is NOT answered directly in the text. I must STOP and THINK about the passage and what I know to help me answer this question.
Strategies Included:
*BME -(Beginning, Middle, End) a summarizing/retelling strategy
*Somebody-Wanted-But-So- A strategy to follow the plot structure and what the character wants in the story in order to summarize the story.
*5 Finger Retell- A retelling strategy to retell the characters, setting, problems, and events.
*Stop! Think. Paraphrase.- Helps students monitor their thinking.
*Who? and What?- Who is this part mostly about? What was the most important thing that happened? A strategy to keep track of the big events of the story.
*VIP {Very Important Part}- a strategy to focus on important things that are happening and character change.
*VIP {Very Important Part} Internal and External-a strategy to focus on the important things the character does (external) and how the character feels (internal)
*Ask Questions- a strategy to mark interesting parts with questions using What? How? and Why?
*It’s all about the Character!- Pay attention to the character’s action and dialogue.
*Green Questions- These types of questions can be found directly in the text. The author states the question exactly. I can GO directly to the text and find the answer. Who, What, When, Where, Why?
*Yellow Questions- I need to slow down and look in more than one place in the text to answer this kind of question. Compare & Contrast, Cause & Effect, Main Idea/Details
*Red Questions- The question is NOT answered directly in the text. I must STOP and THINK about the passage and what I know to help me answer this question.
🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.
Let’s connect!
The Literacy Loft on Instagram
The Literacy Loft on Pinterest
