Professional development is essential to the success of beginning teachers to implement guided reading effectively. Research findings indicate that guided reading is a complex framework to implement with fidelity, and beginning teachers will need multiple systems of support to be effective with connecting literacy instruction. The exploratory qualitative case study encompassed five beginning primary teachers with less than five years of experience. Through semi-structured interview questions and two questionnaires, data were gathered centered around teacher’s perceptions of how professional development supports literacy instruction. Then, the Expectancy Value Theory and the Zone of Proximal Development were used to help frame the data to support future recommendations. The problem addressed in this study was beginning teachers are not receiving the professional development necessary for them to consistently implement guided reading, thereby reducing the effectiveness of literacy. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of beginning primary teachers regarding how structured professional development may have improved their ability to plan for and implement guided reading and thus increasing the effectiveness of their literacy instruction. Three research questions were posed to gather information, and then analysis was generated to determine recommendations and future research suggestions. Participants revealed that professional development supported the effective implementation of guided reading and increased their efficacy; however, additional supports were needed to strengthen their ability to plan with fidelity. Future research should include mixed methodology to incorporate surveys and observational data to disaggregate which guided reading components need additional supports within professional development.