Reading & Writing Workshop
Liberty Point ES Learning Walk for Workshop Environments
Artifacts to Study
Charts
 Do charts reflect current unit or work that students are
doing?
 Do some charts include student work exemplars that
highlight a clear, attainable goal?
 Are students using the charts? Can you see the work in their
reading and writing?
Student Work
 Is their current student work displayed in the Writer’s
Gallery? (On demands / Published Piece)
 What tools, if any, are they using? (checklists, progressions,
charts, mentor texts, etc.)
 Can students talk about what they are doing, what they
might do next? Does it reflect choices, decisions, and
assessments?
 Is there evidence of Writing volume in the Writing folder/
notebook. (Dates/entry a day)
Kindergarten: 1+ Booklet Per Week
Grade 1: 3 – 4+ Booklets Per Week
Grade 2: 3 – 4+ Booklets Per Week
Grade 3: 1 Page
Grade 4: 1.5 Pages
Grade 5: 2 Pages
 Do the current entries reflect the Writing genre?
Independence
 Are the students pushing themselves to read and write with
volume?
 Can access materials with independence?
 How much evidence of choice /student initiative is there in
students’ work?
Management / Tone of the Classroom
 Are there routines and rituals?
 Is silence expected or is there an acceptable noise level
set in and outside the classroom?
 Are students engaged in learning or does it feel like they
are being compliant?
 Are teachers engaged in the work or does it feel like they
are being compliant?
Room Set Up: Meeting Area
 Is there a rug area?
 Is there an easel to teach workshop mini lessons?
 Is the Focus Wall up to date with the current Unit Overview,
I Can (K-2)/ EQ (3-5), and Teaching Point?
Library
 Is there a leveled library where children can access their
own books independently?
I Notice
I Wonder
Reading & Writing Workshop
Liberty Point ES Learning Walk for Workshop Environments
Are there baskets clearly labeled and organized in various
ways? (genre, levels)
 Is there evidence of a shopping schedule?
Reading Baggies or Bins
 Do the students have enough books in their book baggies
to sustain reading for the workshop?
 Are many of the books in each student’s baggie ones that
allow the student to participate in the current unit of study’s
strategies during the independent reading time?
 Are most of the books in a student’s baggie on the
student’s independent reading level?
A – I 10 – 12 Books
J – K 8 – 10 Books
L – M 4 – 6 Books
N – Q 2 – 4 Books
R – Z 1 – 3 Books
Logs
 Is there a log system?
 Are students reading enough the day? The week? (35 mins)
 Is it possible to see progress across time in students’ reading
logs? (e.g. increased volume, reading level changes, genre
choices)
Minilesson, Conference and / or Small Groups
 Is the teaching quick paced?
 Is the teaching explicit and clear?
 Does the teacher use gestures, posture, variation in
volume/tone to engage the students?
