Reading Workshop
A reading workshop is made up of a minilesson, independent and partner reading time/conferring and/or small group instruction, mid-workshop teaching, and a share.
Minilesson
students trying a reading strategy with partners during the active engagement phase of a minilesson
Minilessons usually run around 10 minutes. Teachers begin by connecting to prior work, the current unit of study or students’ work, and then clearly stating the teaching point for that day (1 minute). Next, teachers demonstrate the teaching point through a step-by-step process, revisiting immersion work done previously through read aloud or shared reading (3-5 minutes). Students have an opportunity to practice the process and strategy after the demonstration (while still in the meeting area) during active engagement by trying it on in one of their just-right books, planning for their reading work aloud, or in a section of a familiar demonstration text (5-6 minutes). Teachers end the minilesson by linking the strategy, as an addition to students’ reading repertoire (1 minute). Minilessons are often organized from concrete to abstract content within a unit of study and are adapted based on teachers’ assessment of student needs.
Student Book Bins/Bags
student book bins
Students read from their book bins or bags throughout their independent reading time. Book bins usually contain:
Decodable books for students to practice and apply phonics instruction (for grades K-2)
Several just-right pattern books from the leveled library (amount depends on students’ interests and reading level bands)
Some “warm-up” books that are familiar just-right books/old favorites
Small copies of shared reading big books/short texts that have been previously read with the class
A high-interest picture book or magazine from the genre library or school library where students read the pictures/photographs (especially if they cannot read the words independently yet)
A separate bag with guided reading books for rereading in service of decoding practice, fluency, and understanding ***Even though these books are at students' instructional levels, they should be able to reread them now that they were read previously during guided reading sessions
Post-its, reading notebooks, bookmarks, pencils/pens as reading tools
Student Reading Time with Conferring and/or Small Group Instruction
students reading independently following a minilesson
During independent reading (30-45 minutes that build over the year depending on grade level), the work time can be divided between private time when students read decodables (K-2), just-right books to themselves, and partner time, when students read and talk with their reading partners around the minilesson teaching point. Based on students’ needs, teachers work to balance one-on-one conferring with small group instruction while students are reading independently. Teachers may pause for mid-workshop teaching to refocus students, highlight conferring work, or teach another skill that builds upon the minilesson teaching point.
Teaching Share
student-led share at the end of a reading workshop
After independent reading time, students return to the meeting area for the teaching share. Teachers select one or two students to share how they tried the minilesson strategy in service of understanding what they read independently that day (5 minutes). Teachers may also use the share time to introduce upcoming reading minilessons or work that unfolded during an individual student conference with the whole group.