Establishing a
Reading Workshop
in Your Classroom
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
What is a Reading Workshop?
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A time for the students to read, read, read!
A time to work with small groups in Guided Reading
and Focused teaching groups
A time for students to apply taught strategies
independently
A time for students to read with a small group or
with a buddy
A time for students to meaningfully discuss
literature
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
What happens during a Reading Workshop?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Focus Mini Lesson- Whole Class
Individualised Daily Reading
Guided Reading Groups
Sharing and Reflection Time- Whole Class
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/1486.
cfm
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Mini-Lesson
This is a 20 minute whole class teaching
session in response to a class need identified
through data collection and observation.
• Comprehension Fix-up Strategies
• Comprehension Focus Lessons
• Word Attack Strategies
using Big books, picture books, digital texts …
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Guided Reading
This is where the students move off from the whole class
context. The teacher plans for a group of students with
like reading needs to work with the teacher in a guided
reading session (about 15 minutes). This group works
on a particular skill or strategy at an instructional level of
text.
• Contextualisation and Purpose
• Whisper reading and teacher conferring
• Discussion and reflection
• Response
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
What is guided reading?
 Teacher works with 4-6 students in each group.
 Children are grouped according to similarities in
reading development and instructional reading
levels or comprehension needs.
 Teacher introduces stories, strategies, and concepts
within group to increase independent application in
appropriate leveled text.
 Every child reads and is supported by teacher.
 Emphasis is on strategic problem
solving within appropriate leveled text.
Guided Reading IS NOT round robin
reading!
ELLEN
LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
What are the benefits of guided
reading instruction?
 Students develop into independent
readers while being supported.
 Students have more opportunities to
independently use learned strategies (decoding
and comprehension strategies), with support.
• Instruction can occur at 1-2 levels above
independent level- extending vocabulary
• Teacher can observe the four components of
readingDecoding, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary
RUNNING RECORDS
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
How are guided reading books selected?
Always by the teacher!
 High interest
 Text type
 Level of difficulty- vocabulary, sentence
structure, text format and features
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
How are guided reading lessons structured?
Before Reading: A rich introduction must be provided through:
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Looking at the title and front cover
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Activating prior knowledge
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Asking questions (children)
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Making Connections
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Making predictions
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Revising taught reading strategies for reading
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Scaffolding any difficult vocabulary/sentence or text features
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Goals for the reading developed
Think of the discussion from this text!
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Initial Reading: Children read!
• Students read individually (not round robin)- for a set amount
of text.
• You ask each child to read a small portion of the text aloud
just to you (after some time to read silently) to ascertain the
appropriateness of the text.
• Confer with individual students.
• Note any strategic needs for discussion.
Follow- up to Initial Reading:
• Mini-lesson on decoding strategies (2-3 mins) that need
attention eg. Reading on, chunking big words.
• Discuss meaning of text so far, making reference to small
group comprehension focus eg. inferring
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Completing the Reading-Independently
• Students spread out to finish reading the text
• Whilst students are doing this, do a running record
on a child as they read aloud to you- approximately
100 words.
• Spend the rest of the time conferring with the
individual students as they need help.
• Students may not get to read
the entire text if it is long.
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
After Reading:
• Lead or monitor a discussion about the meaning of the text
and the author’s craft (comprehension).
• Help students to reflect on themselves as
text problem-solvers (decoding)
• Discuss unknown words and meanings in context
(vocabulary)
• Reread special sections chorally (fluency).
• Provide support for related text choices in independent
reading
http://resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/s
napshots/primaryliteracy.html
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Independent Daily Reading
Those students not involved in a guided reading
group or a small book club discussion group are busy
reading independently. This could be in “book
nooks” around the room. These students choose a
text of their own and may be given a task to complete
during this time related to reading strategies taught,
or directly linked to the mini-lesson. It is important
that the task does not detract from the opportunity
for the independent reading of “continuous text” at a
“just right “ level.
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
How Do Students Choose A “Just Right” Text?
Children require explicit teaching about how to
choose appropriate texts for their independent
reading. This requires students to choose a texts
based upon
• interest
• prior knowledge
• purpose
• level (five finger test)
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Reading Response Journals
The Response Journal
provides :
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A place for students to reflect on and
record their thinking using a range of
taught strategies
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An ongoing record of the reader’s
thinking and ability to independently
apply taught strategies
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Literature Circles/ Book Clubs
You may also wish to have a small group involved in a
book discussion based around a class novel or a
particular text. This could be led by another adult
such as a teacher aide or by the children themselves.
Such discussions are planned and developed to lead
the students to meaningful dialogue about quality
texts.
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Literature Circles
Book Clubs
Students can read
the same or a different
book
Students read the same
book
Roles allocated:
Summariser
Travel Tracer
Vocabulary Enricher
Illustrator
Discussion Director
Literary Luminary
Reading tasks are
sometimes assigned
Purpose
Participation
Planning
Draw or write before, during
or after reading
Structure:
PREPARE- read, think, mark
DISCUSS- talk and listen
SUMMARISE and EVALUATE
EXTEND- Project
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Both Book Clubs and Literature Circles have these common attributes:
PURPOSE:
• To encourage wide reading
• To generate deep discussion about the meaning of texts and the author’s
craft
• To create reading communities within the classroom
PARTICIPATION
• To encourage all students to take an active role in reading
• To empower all students to have a voice in discussions on a regular basis (eg.
weekly)
• To allow for the gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to the
students with regard to discussions and text choice
• For students to self evaluate and set goals for the group
PLANNING
• Careful planning in order to provide all students with access to texts (reading
independently/reading with/ reading to at school or at home)
• Explicit teaching of the process and roles/ protocols
ELLEN LARSEN ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
• Grouping- small, temporary, heterogeneous
What about Prep and Year 1?
Whole Group-Small group
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Small Group Choice
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Children choose a
wordless picture book
Children talk for 10-15
mins
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Teacher reads aloud
Children meet in groups
of 4 to talk about text for
10-15 mins
Teacher moves from
group to group
Children draw or write
about their thinking
Text Set Small Groups
Pair Share
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Pairs select the same
book
Children talk together
for 10-15 mins about
their thinking
Pairs then share
something with the rest
of the class or another
pair
ELLEN LARSEN
•
Children with same
stories, authors or
illustrators talk about
their particular book in
a small group
Children ask questions
and share their thinking
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Sharing Time
This is the time to share the learning that has occurred during the workshop.
Sharing ideas include sharing:
• Independent reading tasks eg. A graphic organiser of information
developed in response to a non-fiction text from one of the independent
readers
• Learning that occurred as the teacher conferred with an independent
reader eg. Sam, could you tell everyone about that inference you made- it
was amazing!
• An observation during Guided Reading eg. John, could you share what we
found worked really well in our decoding work today?
• Some of the important points made during a book club meeting eg. Can
you tell us one important thing that you found out about the text today?
• Free sharing- has anyone got something they learned or did today that they
would like to share?
• Book recommendations eg. Does anyone
want to recommend a text for the class?
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Launching a Reading Workshop
The success and effectiveness of the
reading workshop is dependent upon:
• The explicit teaching of necessary skills
• The establishment of clear expectations
• The development of routines
• The organisation of the classroom and
resources within the workshop space
• Clear and Purposeful planning
• Commitment to the benefits of such practice
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
“Setting Up the Reading Workshop” Mini-Lessons
What does independent reading look and sound
like? (RULES)
• What do I do during independent reading?
(RESPONSIBILITIES)
• How do I choose a just right book? (SKILLS)
• Where do I get the resources I need to complete my
task? (ORGANISATION)
• Where do I go after that?
How long do I have? Where do I
put my work? (ROUTINES)
DO NOT RUSH THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
•
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
http://www.wrsd.net/literacy/launch.cfm
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU
Video CLIP
AN ESSENTIAL WEBSITE
http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingh
am/myweb3/FrameBoxes.htm
ELLEN LARSEN
ELARSEN@AISQ.QLD.EDU.AU