Reading Workshop has been based upon the research of
Lucy Calkins. She is the founder of Teachers College
Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University in New
York City.
Reader's Workshop provides students with a supportive
environment that involves them in authentic reading
experiences that focus on the strengths and needs of each
individual student.
Reader's Workshop helps kids develop strong reading skills
through the use of a mini-lesson, shared reading, read
aloud, conferencing, independent reading, paired
reading, and reading response.
The basic philosophy behind the Reading Workshop is to
allow students to spend an extended amount of time
reading authentic texts that interest them on a daily basis
and to provide opportunities to talk about literature. The
ultimate goal of a Reading Workshop is to develop lifelong passionate readers.
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Read Aloud
Mini-lesson
Independent Reading
Conferring/Guided Reading/Small Group
Strategy Lesson
Share
The workshop begins with a
read aloud that lasts
approximately 20-25 minutes. It
focuses on a skill, strategy, or
behavior that will help students
become strategic readers.
This is a ten minute time frame where you
are explicitly teaching/modeling a skill
or strategy. Very often the current read
aloud or prior shared texts are used as
examples to support the skill or strategy
of the day.
 Before being released to independent
reading, the children get to practice the
skill or strategy within their turn/talk
partnership.
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 The
mini lesson is followed by an
independent reading time in which
children apply the strategy taught or
work on an individualized learning
target. Each student is reading a book
of choice that is on their “just right”
independent reading level. They
apply the skills or strategies taught to
their reading. This time can last
between 30-40 minutes.
During independent reading
time the teacher works with
students doing one on one
conferring or guided reading.
Reader's Workshop ends with a time
of reflection and sharing. Students
have the opportunity to share what
they learned, show what worked for
them, any struggles they may have
had, exciting moments, and new
discoveries. This sharing allows
children to learn from each other
and to take responsibility for their
own learning.
The teacher places the lesson into the
context of what has been learned. This
might mean giving an example from real
life that connects to the lesson.
 The connection helps the student
understand both what they are going to
learn about, and why it is important.
 At the end of the connection, the teacher
explicitly states what the teaching point or
aim is for the day.
 The connection is usually about 1-2 minutes,
and is usually just the teacher talking.
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 This
is the part of the lesson where
the teacher models the skill or
strategy being taught. This is done
by giving examples of the skill or
strategy based on our current read
aloud or a past read aloud.
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Students try out the very same skill that was taught
in the demonstration. They may be using their own
independent reading books to practice the
strategy or the current read aloud or novel.
The active involvement can be done individually,
or with their turn/talk partner.
It can be done orally or in writing.
While the students are practicing the skill, the
teacher circulates to listen or read over their
shoulders to assess how they are doing. The
accountability piece is HUGE during this time.
After the activity, the teacher recaps by sharing
good examples of student work. This part typically
lasts between 3 and 5 minutes.
The teacher reminds students of what was
just taught, and explains to them how it will
apply to their ongoing work as readers and
writers.
 In most cases, the link should not sound like
an assignment, but be more of a “forever
invitation.” It usually starts with the teacher
saying, “Readers, today and always, when
you are reading independently think about
the interactions between the characters in
your book. Now, off you go!”
 This usually takes about 1 minute.
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Based on the Unit of Study,
Following Characters into Meaning
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I will model the skill of inference and theme
by noticing clues in the song. We will also
discuss that some of the clues to the theme
of the song are phrased in the literary
device known as idioms.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN9zKp
O3Qus
You will now play the role of student by
practicing the skill of inference and theme
using a poem called Mother to Son, by
Langston Huges. This poem uses
metaphors, symbolism, and repetition.
Date:
Lesson 4
Unit of Study – Fiction
The Tiger Rising, by Kate Di Camillo
Overall Aims and
objectives:
Reading Workshop-Long Term Focus: I will think aloud how good readers think about what they are
reading, making connecti0ns to the text and engage in the text. The focus of this new novel, The Tiger
Rising lends itself to teaching high level comprehension strategies. I will focus on Character, setting,
plot, problem and solution. We will stop and jot as I read and use our notes to warm up with each
reading. We will retell in sequential order and also focus on characters and their relationships. The
strategy or aim chosen is determined upon the text that is being read throughout the novel.
NCCCS: 4.RL.1, 4.RL.2,
4.RL.3
These objectives will
be weaved
throughout this unit.
4.RL.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, events, drawing on specific details in the text. (e.g., a
character’s thoughts, words, or actions). I will describe a character, setting, and event. 4.RL.1 Refer to
details and examples in text when explaining what text says and when drawing conclusions. I will ask
and answer questions. I will recall details from text. I will analyze important details.4.RL.2 Determine a
theme of story by summarizing text. I will explain what the theme is using specific details and evidence
from the text.
Teaching Point:
Read Aloud
How can we use our inference skills to determine the theme of a poem?
A Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo Chapters 7-9, Use post-its as a warm up. Think aloud as I am reading
to model inferences I can make about the main character.
Connection:
“Yesterday we talked about envisioning skills. Today I am going to teach you how we can make an
inference while we are reading.
Mini-Lesson/Teach
I will first discuss what an inference is. An inference is a conclusion we draw about the story that is not
clearly stated in the text. I will model with the song Pick Myself Up, by Frank Sinatra . I will play the
video clip from YouTube. After the song I will point out the clues in the song that allowed me to make
an inference and draw the conclusion that no matter how bad or tough times are, we must rise
above it, put it behind us and move forward in a positive way.
Active Involvement:
Students will have a try with the poem, “Mother to Son”. They will each have a copy of the poem.
They will read silently, stop and jot, then discuss what they can infer from it with a partner. Students
must infer to truly understand its theme. We will discuss their findings in whole group.
Link/Independent
Reading:
Students will read their novels for 30 minutes. As they read they will try to make an inference and or
practice previously taught strategies. I will meet with one Guided Reading group and confer with 2
students.
Closure/Share
A few students will share how they made an inference. Today we learned how to draw a conclusion
based on an inference we make with the text.
Units of Study for Reading Workshop
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Building a Reading Life
Stamina, Fluency, and Engagement
Following Characters into Meaning
Volume 1: Envisionment, Prediction, Inference
Volume 2: Building Theories, Gathering Evidence
Navigating Nonfiction
Volume 1:Expository Text; Determining Importance and Synthesizing
Volume 2:Narrative and Hybrid Text; Using Text Structures To
Comprehend
Tackling Complex Text
Volume 1: Historical Fiction in Book Clubs; Synthesizing Perspectives
Volume 2: Historical Fiction in Book Clubs; Interpretation and Critical
Thinking
Reading Resources
http://readingandwritingproject.com/- Website for the Teacher’s College
Reading and Writing Project
• The Art of Teaching Reading , by Lucy Calkins
• Pathways to the Common Core , by Lucy Calkins, Mary
Ehrenworth, Christopher and Lehman
• Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance
Understanding by Stephanie Harvey, Anne Goudvis and Donald
Graves
• Non-Fiction Matters: Reading, Writing, and Research in Grades 38, by Stephanie Harvey
• Teaching Reading in Small Groups: Differentiated Instruction For
Building Strategic, Independent Readers, by Jennifer Serravallo
• Conferring with Readers; Supporting Each Student's Growth &
Independence, by Jennifer Serravallo & Gravity Goldberg
• Mosaic of Thought, Teaching Reading Comprehension in a
Reader's Workshop, by Ellin Oliver Keene & Susan Zimmermann