Reading workshop is one of the most valuable times of our day. Using reading workshop as a springboard along with our Expeditionary Learning curriculum creates an intense learning environment with awesome outcomes. I look forward to learning about your child as a reader and igniting their passion for reading. My goal for every child is to not only enjoy reading, but to become a life long reader. Reading opens so many doors and increasing knowledge across the board. You can travel anywhere in a book; I can't wait to open that door for your child.
How can you help?
READ ALOUD TO YOUR CHILD AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. CHILDREN OF ALL AGES LOVE TO HEAR BOOKS READ ALOUD. EVEN IF THAT INCLUDES THE NEWSPAPER!
DISCUSS WHAT YOU READ, YOUR CHILD WILL DEVELOP THINKING SKILLS.
GET A LIBRARY CARD FOR YOUR CHILD. VISIT THE LIBRARY OFTEN (THAT MEANS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEAR, NOT JUST THE SUMMER )
MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS HIS/HER OWN BOOKS. ENCOURAGE RELATIVES TO GIVE BOOKS AS GIFTS.
ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO READ TO FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.
LET YOUR CHILD SEE YOU READING. PARENTS ARE THE BEST ROLE MODELS.
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO WRITE. HAVE YOUR CHILD WRITE GROCERY LISTS, THANK YOU NOTES, A JOURNAL, ETC. ASK THEM TO WRITE ABOUT THEIR BOOK AND USE THEIR CREATIVITY!
MONITOR TELEVISION WATCHING AND VIDEO GAME PLAYING. SET TIME LIMITS.
SUBSCRIBE TO A CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE. SOME MAGAZINES FOR CHILDREN INCLUDE ZOOBOOKS, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FOR KIDS. THESE ARE ALSO FOUND IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
DISCUSS WHAT YOU READ, YOUR CHILD WILL DEVELOP THINKING SKILLS.
GET A LIBRARY CARD FOR YOUR CHILD. VISIT THE LIBRARY OFTEN (THAT MEANS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEAR, NOT JUST THE SUMMER )
MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS HIS/HER OWN BOOKS. ENCOURAGE RELATIVES TO GIVE BOOKS AS GIFTS.
ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO READ TO FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.
LET YOUR CHILD SEE YOU READING. PARENTS ARE THE BEST ROLE MODELS.
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO WRITE. HAVE YOUR CHILD WRITE GROCERY LISTS, THANK YOU NOTES, A JOURNAL, ETC. ASK THEM TO WRITE ABOUT THEIR BOOK AND USE THEIR CREATIVITY!
MONITOR TELEVISION WATCHING AND VIDEO GAME PLAYING. SET TIME LIMITS.
SUBSCRIBE TO A CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE. SOME MAGAZINES FOR CHILDREN INCLUDE ZOOBOOKS, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FOR KIDS. THESE ARE ALSO FOUND IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
Reading Workshop Model
WORKSHOP VIDEO:
EACH READING WORKSHOP SESSION WILL BEGIN WITH A MINI LESSON THAT LASTS APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MINUTES. DURING EACH MINI LESSON, I WILL INTRODUCE A SPECIFIC CONCEPT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE TEACHING POINT. MOST OFTEN THE TEACHING POINT WILL FOCUS ON A READING STRATEGY OR SKILL.
THE SECOND COMPONENT IS INDIVIDUALIZED DAILY READING (IDR) OR THE WORK PERIOD. THE WORK PERIOD USUALLY LASTS AROUND 30 TO 40 MINUTES. (THIS IS THEIR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY! ) DURING THIS TIME STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN SELF-SELECTED TEXTS AT THEIR INDEPENDENT LEVEL. THEY USE THIS TIME TO PRACTICE THE SKILL THAT WAS TAUGHT DURING THE MINI-LESSON.
STUDENTS USE THEIR READER'S NOTEBOOKS TO:
*RECORD BOOKS THEY'VE READ
*LIST BOOKS THEY WOULD LIKE TO READ IN THE FUTURE (DONE AT THE END)
*RESPOND TO THEIR READING- EXAMPLE COULD BE TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE BOOK'S CHARACTER, TALK TO THE BOOK, COMMENT, ASK QUESTIONS, MAKE SUGGESTIONS...PREPARE FOR BOOK TALKS
*KEEP TRACK OF PARTNER READING DISCUSSIONS AND MEETING TIMES
*DURING THE IDR TIME, READING PARTNERSHIPS CAN BE FORMED. IN OUR CLASSROOM, STUDENTS HAVE ASSIGNED READING PARTNERS WITH WHOM THEY SHARE A COMMON INTEREST IN LITERATURE. PARTNERS ARE ASSIGNED AFTER I BECAME FAMILIAR WITH THE STUDENTS AS READERS.
*INFERRING, QUESTIONING, AND MAKING CONNECTIONS ARE ALL IMPORTANT READING STRATEGIES THAT ARE PUT INTO EFFECT WHEN STUDENTS MEET WITH THEIR PARTNERS. AT THE END OF A READING PARTNERSHIP, THE PARTNERS MUST PLAN AND GIVE A BOOK TALK ON THE BOOK THAT THEY HAVE READ TO THE CLASS. THE BOOK IS THEN PLACED IN THE STUDENT RECOMMENDED BOOKS BASKET FOR OTHERS TO ENJOY ON THEIR OWN IF THE PARTNERS DECIDE IT IS ONE THAT THEIR CLASSMATES WILL ENJOY. STUDENTS MUST READ AT LEAST ONE CHAPTER BOOK INDEPENDENTLY IN BETWEEN THEIR PARTNER READING SO THAT THEY ARE ALSO READING BOOKS ON THEIR OWN.
MANAGING READING WORKSHOP -READING WORKSHOP IS A STAPLE IN OUR DAILY ROUTINE. DURING THIS TIME, STUDENTS ARE READING SELF-SELECTED BOOKS INDEPENDENTLY. THEY HAVE CHOSEN THE BOOKS FROM MY CLASSROOM LIBRARY OR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY, AND HAVE ALREADY MADE SURE THE BOOK IS AT THEIR JUST RIGHT LEVEL. WHILE STUDENTS ARE READING THEIR BOOKS, I AM CONFERRING WITH INDIVIDUALS, CONDUCTING GUIDED READING GROUPS OR STRATEGY LESSONS, FACILITATING BOOK CLUBS, ETC. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT I HAVE CLEAR ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO KEEP MY INDEPENDENT READERS ON TASK AND TRULY ENGAGED IN THEIR READING. BELOW ARE SOME MANAGEMENT IDEAS THAT HELP MAKE THIS POSSIBLE IN MY CLASSROOM.
BOOK NOOKS -
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE DETERMINE RULES ABOUT INDEPENDENT READING TIME IN OUR CLASSROOM. ONE RULE IS THAT YOU MUST FIND YOUR OWN PLACE TO READ AND NOT DISTRACT OTHER READERS. FOR SOME STUDENTS, THIS IS HARD. THEY WOULD RATHER SIT TOGETHER WITH THEIR FRIENDS
AND PASS THE TIME. FOR THIS REASON, I HAVE A BOOK NOOK ROTATION SCHEDULE THAT IS SWITCHED EVERYDAY SO THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS A CERTAIN PLACE HE OR SHE SHOULD BE READING. WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND OUR READING WORKSHOP TIME ARGUING OVER WHO GETS WHICH SPOT. SO, WE FREQUENTLY ROTATE OUR BOOK NOOK SPOTS.
INDEPENDENT READING CHECKLIST -
UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT WATCH EVERY READER DURING THE WORKSHOP. I AM OFTEN BUSY CONFERRING WITH INDIVIDUALS OR MEETING WITH SMALL GROUPS. FOR THIS REASON, MY STUDENTS COMPLETE A QUICK CHECKLIST THAT HELPS THEM MONITOR THEIR READING BEHAVIOR EACH DAY. THE THINGS ON THE CHECKLIST ARE DETERMINED BY THE STUDENTS DURING A MINI-LESSON. THE CHECKLIST ONLY TAKES ABOUT
2 MINUTES AT THE END OF INDEPENDENT READING EVERYDAY. THIS CHECKLIST ADDS AN ACCOUNTABILITY FACTOR TO THE WORKSHOP AND SERVES AS A CONSTANT REMINDER OF EXPECTED READING BEHAVIORS. I LOOK AT MY STUDENTS CHECKLISTS OFTEN AND USE THEM AS POINTS OF DISCUSSION FOR SOME OF MY READERS DURING THE TIME WE CONFER.
ASSESSMENT/ACCOUNTABILITY-
WHILE MY MAIN FORM OF ASSESSMENT IS DONE WHEN CONFERRING WITH READERS OR MEETING IN SMALL
GROUPS, I ALSO WANT TO HOLD STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR AUTHENTIC READING WHEN THEY ARE NOT WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ME. AS STUDENTS READ THEIR BOOKS, THEY ARE ASKED TO USE POST-IT NOTES TO RECORD THE THINKING THAT THEY ARE DOING AS THEY READ. AFTER THEY GET DONE WITH A BOOK, THEY REMOVE THE POST-IT NOTES AND ORGANIZE THEM ONTO PAPER. I LIKE TO LOOK AT THESE PAGES TO ASSESS STUDENTS LEVEL OF THINKING, AND I OFTEN REFER TO THE POST-IT NOTES WHEN CONFERRING WITH READERS.
NO INTERRUPTIONS-
ONCE READING WORKSHOP BEGINS, I REALLY TRY TO TOLERATE VERY FEW INTERRUPTIONS.
RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT TIME SPENT READING IS THE MAIN INDICATOR OF READING SUCCESS AS STUDENTS PROGRESS THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. OBVIOUSLY, STUDENTS WHO SPEND MORE
TIME INDEPENDENTLY ENGAGED IN TEXT ARE EXPOSED TO MORE WORDS, MORE FACTS, AND MORE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE THAN THEIR PEERS WHO ONLY READ WHEN ASKED TO DO SO WITH THEIR TEACHER WHILE THEY ARE IN SCHOOL.FOR THIS REASON, I HAVE SET A GOAL FOR ALL STUDENTS TO READ FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES EACH NIGHT DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK. I WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH YOU IF IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE NOT READING AT HOME. PLEASE BE SUPPORTIVE IN THIS MANNER AND MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD IS READING DAILY. TOGETHER, THIS WILL WORK!
READING WORKSHOP IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE TIMES OF OUR DAY. USING READING WORKSHOP AS A SPRINGBOARD ALONG WITH OTHER ROUND ROCK DISTRICT READING/WRITING/SPELLING INITIATIVES, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN AWESOME SCHOOL YEAR. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING ABOUT YOUR CHILD AS A READER. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THEIR THOUGHTS ON LITERATURE, AND HELPING THOSE RELUCTANT READERS BECOME LOVERS OF READING. MY GOAL IS FOR EVERY CHILD TO NOT ONLY ENJOY READING, BUT TO BECOME A LIFE LONG READER. READING DOES OPEN SO MANY DOORS. YOU CAN TRAVEL ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD INSIDE THE PAGES OF A BOOK. I CAN'T WAIT TO OPEN THAT DOOR FOR YOUR CHILD!
EACH READING WORKSHOP SESSION WILL BEGIN WITH A MINI LESSON THAT LASTS APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MINUTES. DURING EACH MINI LESSON, I WILL INTRODUCE A SPECIFIC CONCEPT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE TEACHING POINT. MOST OFTEN THE TEACHING POINT WILL FOCUS ON A READING STRATEGY OR SKILL.
THE SECOND COMPONENT IS INDIVIDUALIZED DAILY READING (IDR) OR THE WORK PERIOD. THE WORK PERIOD USUALLY LASTS AROUND 30 TO 40 MINUTES. (THIS IS THEIR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY! ) DURING THIS TIME STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN SELF-SELECTED TEXTS AT THEIR INDEPENDENT LEVEL. THEY USE THIS TIME TO PRACTICE THE SKILL THAT WAS TAUGHT DURING THE MINI-LESSON.
STUDENTS USE THEIR READER'S NOTEBOOKS TO:
*RECORD BOOKS THEY'VE READ
*LIST BOOKS THEY WOULD LIKE TO READ IN THE FUTURE (DONE AT THE END)
*RESPOND TO THEIR READING- EXAMPLE COULD BE TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE BOOK'S CHARACTER, TALK TO THE BOOK, COMMENT, ASK QUESTIONS, MAKE SUGGESTIONS...PREPARE FOR BOOK TALKS
*KEEP TRACK OF PARTNER READING DISCUSSIONS AND MEETING TIMES
*DURING THE IDR TIME, READING PARTNERSHIPS CAN BE FORMED. IN OUR CLASSROOM, STUDENTS HAVE ASSIGNED READING PARTNERS WITH WHOM THEY SHARE A COMMON INTEREST IN LITERATURE. PARTNERS ARE ASSIGNED AFTER I BECAME FAMILIAR WITH THE STUDENTS AS READERS.
*INFERRING, QUESTIONING, AND MAKING CONNECTIONS ARE ALL IMPORTANT READING STRATEGIES THAT ARE PUT INTO EFFECT WHEN STUDENTS MEET WITH THEIR PARTNERS. AT THE END OF A READING PARTNERSHIP, THE PARTNERS MUST PLAN AND GIVE A BOOK TALK ON THE BOOK THAT THEY HAVE READ TO THE CLASS. THE BOOK IS THEN PLACED IN THE STUDENT RECOMMENDED BOOKS BASKET FOR OTHERS TO ENJOY ON THEIR OWN IF THE PARTNERS DECIDE IT IS ONE THAT THEIR CLASSMATES WILL ENJOY. STUDENTS MUST READ AT LEAST ONE CHAPTER BOOK INDEPENDENTLY IN BETWEEN THEIR PARTNER READING SO THAT THEY ARE ALSO READING BOOKS ON THEIR OWN.
MANAGING READING WORKSHOP -READING WORKSHOP IS A STAPLE IN OUR DAILY ROUTINE. DURING THIS TIME, STUDENTS ARE READING SELF-SELECTED BOOKS INDEPENDENTLY. THEY HAVE CHOSEN THE BOOKS FROM MY CLASSROOM LIBRARY OR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY, AND HAVE ALREADY MADE SURE THE BOOK IS AT THEIR JUST RIGHT LEVEL. WHILE STUDENTS ARE READING THEIR BOOKS, I AM CONFERRING WITH INDIVIDUALS, CONDUCTING GUIDED READING GROUPS OR STRATEGY LESSONS, FACILITATING BOOK CLUBS, ETC. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT I HAVE CLEAR ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO KEEP MY INDEPENDENT READERS ON TASK AND TRULY ENGAGED IN THEIR READING. BELOW ARE SOME MANAGEMENT IDEAS THAT HELP MAKE THIS POSSIBLE IN MY CLASSROOM.
BOOK NOOKS -
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE DETERMINE RULES ABOUT INDEPENDENT READING TIME IN OUR CLASSROOM. ONE RULE IS THAT YOU MUST FIND YOUR OWN PLACE TO READ AND NOT DISTRACT OTHER READERS. FOR SOME STUDENTS, THIS IS HARD. THEY WOULD RATHER SIT TOGETHER WITH THEIR FRIENDS
AND PASS THE TIME. FOR THIS REASON, I HAVE A BOOK NOOK ROTATION SCHEDULE THAT IS SWITCHED EVERYDAY SO THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS A CERTAIN PLACE HE OR SHE SHOULD BE READING. WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND OUR READING WORKSHOP TIME ARGUING OVER WHO GETS WHICH SPOT. SO, WE FREQUENTLY ROTATE OUR BOOK NOOK SPOTS.
INDEPENDENT READING CHECKLIST -
UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT WATCH EVERY READER DURING THE WORKSHOP. I AM OFTEN BUSY CONFERRING WITH INDIVIDUALS OR MEETING WITH SMALL GROUPS. FOR THIS REASON, MY STUDENTS COMPLETE A QUICK CHECKLIST THAT HELPS THEM MONITOR THEIR READING BEHAVIOR EACH DAY. THE THINGS ON THE CHECKLIST ARE DETERMINED BY THE STUDENTS DURING A MINI-LESSON. THE CHECKLIST ONLY TAKES ABOUT
2 MINUTES AT THE END OF INDEPENDENT READING EVERYDAY. THIS CHECKLIST ADDS AN ACCOUNTABILITY FACTOR TO THE WORKSHOP AND SERVES AS A CONSTANT REMINDER OF EXPECTED READING BEHAVIORS. I LOOK AT MY STUDENTS CHECKLISTS OFTEN AND USE THEM AS POINTS OF DISCUSSION FOR SOME OF MY READERS DURING THE TIME WE CONFER.
ASSESSMENT/ACCOUNTABILITY-
WHILE MY MAIN FORM OF ASSESSMENT IS DONE WHEN CONFERRING WITH READERS OR MEETING IN SMALL
GROUPS, I ALSO WANT TO HOLD STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR AUTHENTIC READING WHEN THEY ARE NOT WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ME. AS STUDENTS READ THEIR BOOKS, THEY ARE ASKED TO USE POST-IT NOTES TO RECORD THE THINKING THAT THEY ARE DOING AS THEY READ. AFTER THEY GET DONE WITH A BOOK, THEY REMOVE THE POST-IT NOTES AND ORGANIZE THEM ONTO PAPER. I LIKE TO LOOK AT THESE PAGES TO ASSESS STUDENTS LEVEL OF THINKING, AND I OFTEN REFER TO THE POST-IT NOTES WHEN CONFERRING WITH READERS.
NO INTERRUPTIONS-
ONCE READING WORKSHOP BEGINS, I REALLY TRY TO TOLERATE VERY FEW INTERRUPTIONS.
RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT TIME SPENT READING IS THE MAIN INDICATOR OF READING SUCCESS AS STUDENTS PROGRESS THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. OBVIOUSLY, STUDENTS WHO SPEND MORE
TIME INDEPENDENTLY ENGAGED IN TEXT ARE EXPOSED TO MORE WORDS, MORE FACTS, AND MORE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE THAN THEIR PEERS WHO ONLY READ WHEN ASKED TO DO SO WITH THEIR TEACHER WHILE THEY ARE IN SCHOOL.FOR THIS REASON, I HAVE SET A GOAL FOR ALL STUDENTS TO READ FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES EACH NIGHT DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK. I WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH YOU IF IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE NOT READING AT HOME. PLEASE BE SUPPORTIVE IN THIS MANNER AND MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD IS READING DAILY. TOGETHER, THIS WILL WORK!
READING WORKSHOP IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE TIMES OF OUR DAY. USING READING WORKSHOP AS A SPRINGBOARD ALONG WITH OTHER ROUND ROCK DISTRICT READING/WRITING/SPELLING INITIATIVES, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN AWESOME SCHOOL YEAR. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING ABOUT YOUR CHILD AS A READER. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THEIR THOUGHTS ON LITERATURE, AND HELPING THOSE RELUCTANT READERS BECOME LOVERS OF READING. MY GOAL IS FOR EVERY CHILD TO NOT ONLY ENJOY READING, BUT TO BECOME A LIFE LONG READER. READING DOES OPEN SO MANY DOORS. YOU CAN TRAVEL ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD INSIDE THE PAGES OF A BOOK. I CAN'T WAIT TO OPEN THAT DOOR FOR YOUR CHILD!