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Academics: ELA » Readers Workshop (ES)

Readers Workshop (ES)

Ed Services - ELA - Readers Workshop
What is Readers Workshop?
 
This is a way to teach students to engage in authentic reading experiences. Workshops may vary in length and include time for teaching, selecting reading books, writing about books, and sharing ideas about books with partners or in group discussion.
 
What is the format of Reader's Workshop? (Overview)
 
reading workshop components
 
Description and Resources for Each Component
 
Component Description Resources
Mini Lesson
(10-15 min)
The mini- lessons are used to teach concepts, strategies, and techniques for reading and comprehension while encouraging students to read and interact with good literature.  Teachers give direct instruction and model using authentic literature. Sample mini-lessons can include:
  • comprehension strategies
  • procedure for Reading Workshop
  • reading strategies and skills
  • literary elements
  • literary techniques (i.e. voice, descriptive words, etc)
 
 
 
 
 
Read Aloud
(5-10 min)
The read-aloud is an activity in which the teacher reads a book aloud to the whole group.  Teachers are able to model appropriate reading behaviors and strategies.  Students are exposes to a variety of genres and literary styles and taught how to think and discuss text.  The goal should be every student have a chance to practice the skill during the group lesson. 
 
To make interactive use:
  • turn and talk partners
  • sign language
  • Stop and Jot
 
 
 
 
Independent Reading & Conferring
Independent Reading is the time when students practice strategies modeled in the mini-lesson or practice reading.  Students can read alone, in pairs, or in small response groups.
 
Teachers have the opportunity to:
  • Teach guided reading lessons (see below)
  • Assess students: running records, retellings, or keeping anecdotal notes on children's progress.
 
Some activities include:
  • Responding to text in reader's response notebook
  • Participate in literature circles
  • Story chat with a group of students
  • Work in a reading partner
  • Do some silent reading.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Guided Reading
Guided reading is a form of small group instruction- the teacher works with a small group of students that are on the same reading level. 
 
Each student usually has their own text and the teacher works with the students on skills depending on their needs, whether it is phonemic awareness, work attack skills, fluency, or reading comprehension.  
Visit Guided Reading Page
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Response and Reflection
Students need opportunities to respond and reflect about what they are reading.  It helps clarify their thinking, ponder questions, and develop divergent thinking.
 
There are many ways students can respond to a text: 
  • Share connections made with text or mini-lessons
  • Use a reader's response journal to write responses and reactions while they are reading or afterwards
  • Keep a reading log
  • Respond to directions given by teacher (i.e. write a summary, fill in a character map, etc.)
  • have conversation with teacher or classmate about their reading.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sharing
(5 min)
The class regroups to discuss what they learned or did in their groups, such as which strategies they employed for reading, or projects they worked on.  
 
Some great strategies for sharing include:
  • Knee to knee:  partners go knee to knee to discuss a teacher's question or share what they learned/did in reading workshop.
  • Individual share: teacher asks one student to share something they practiced that the teacher noticed during reading workshop.
  • Group Share: have students sit in groups to have discussions on a topic or a strategy.