Michael P. Ford

A National Survey of Guided Reading Practices: What We Can Learn from Primary Teachers.

This study presents the results of a national survey of 1500 K–2 teachers describing understandings and practices related to guided reading. Results focused on five questions: What is the purpose of guided reading groups? What grouping techniques should be used? What texts should be used? How is instruction planned with and away from the teacher? And how are learners assessed during guided reading? Responses indicated confusion about the purposes of guided reading, variability in grouping techniques, static membership in groups, over reliance on narrative texts, inconsistent use of instructional level texts, extensive use of centers and independent seat work to engage learners away from the teacher, and frequent use of informal assessments. Implications for providing professional development to teachers implementing guided reading are discussed.

Sustaining the heart of education: finding space for wisdom and compassion

How is it possible for those of us involved in education to bring to life the language and ways of being together in schools that sustain the heart of education, cultivating wisdom and compassion in ourselves and those in our midst, while tending to our educational responsibilities associated with standards and assessment? This inquiry led us to educators, children and classrooms in the UK and US, in urban cities and small towns, where conversation and space is being held for the cultivation of wisdom and compassionate action. Primary data were gathered from interviews employing a semi‐structured interview protocol developed specifically for the wisdom‐and‐compassion research and derived from wisdom teachings as set out in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Through observations and interviews we discovered examples that bring to life the ongoing cultivation of dynamic wisdom, mindful awareness and compassionate action in schools and classrooms today.

Teaching Flexibly With Leveled Texts: More Power for Your Reading Block

The practice of matching texts to readers is one that many teachers use and yet one that can become rigid and cumbersome with everyday classroom use. Here we discuss concerns about leveling and propose that by observing and listening to the students in our classes we can develop more powerful ways with leveled texts.