Have you ever thought about writing a guided reading book? Educational publishers need writers to write these little 8-10 paged books for beginning readers.
Teachers use these in reading groups in schools. Some are based on phonics. Some are based on sight words. And all are based on some kind of leveled reading system. Take a look at Caring for Your Dog by clicking here and then return to this post. This book was based on a Lexile reading level and controlled vocabulary. There are fiction and nonfiction guided readers.
As with writing picture books, you have to read them in order to write them. If you want to write guided reading books, you need to read them, especially since they are written on so many levels. How?
- listen to your children/grandchildren read them for homework
- volunteer at an elementary school for reading time and listen to kids read them
- ask a teacher if you could look at her collection, tell her you're interested in writing them
- peruse educational publishing websites and look at their guided reading books, there may be samples you can click on
When you're ready, try writing a manuscript for a guided reader. I even self-published one in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I wrote the text, and my daughter illustrated it. This is a sight word reader. Can you guess the sight words?
My Hamster
My hamster lives in a cage.
My hamster lives in a cage.
My hamster can eat a seed.
My hamster can drink water.
My hamster can run.
My hamster can slide.
My hamster can dress up.
I love my hamster.
Guided reading books are fun to write. But just like picture books, every word counts, since they are sparse.
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| www.edu-clips.com |
Writing Beginning Readers or Guided Reading Books (at my OLD blog)
How to Write for the Educational Market Part 1
How to Write for the Educational Market Part 2 (explains Lexile levels)
Guided Reading Levels and the Writer (explains Fountas and Pinnell leveling system)
If you have any questions, ask in the comments, email/message me, or find me at my blog!
Tina, lots of good resources here to begin writing a guided read. I am impressed by balancing the must-haves of a publisher with the creative side of the writer! Good job.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy. Yes, these are a lot of work actually.
ReplyDeleteGreat information and advice Tina. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThanks for sharing with us other writing genres. Sounds like it takes talent and creativity. Such an addition for students everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherri. It takes practice like all good writing.
DeleteThanks Tina. This is good advice.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know more about how you set up your Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Claire, See my blog posts about TpT: http://www.tinamcho.com/blog/teachers-pay-teachers-part-1-or-making-educational-products
DeleteThanks Tina. This is good advice.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know more about how you set up your Teachers Pay Teachers store.
This is an excellent. Thanks for sharing your insights, Tina.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Hannah. I could see you writing one.
DeleteThanks so much for this post. I was not familiar with guided reading books. Great information.
ReplyDeleteThank you, David. Another way to get published.
DeleteYou have been a master (or is it mistress?) of this form of writing for sometime. Very disciplined.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mirka!
DeleteYep, this kind of writing takes true discipline and it's so much harder than those simple words on a page look! Good for you, mastering guided reading, Tina!
ReplyDeleteOh, I wouldn't say I've mastered it...Still learning as I go! Thanks, Cathy.
DeleteGreat post, Tina! And congrats on all your leveled readers, both published and in the pipeline!
ReplyDeleteNice to have this, Tina! I know absolutely nothing about writing guided reading books. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis is excellent insight for writing guided reading books. As a trained Reading Recovery Teacher, I am familiar with these leveled books. My students and I have created our own readers using sight words that needed mastery. Perhaps I should be more serious about this form of writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tina.
~Suzy
Indeed, you should try!
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