What is Reading Workshop?
Starting next week reading will begin to take shape in Room 167. We will begin to talk about expectations for this year's Reading Workshop, and we will begin to learn how to treat and use books properly. Learning to be a "Book Lover" and not a "Book Bully" will help to ensure that we get the most out of our reading time in First Grade.
In the coming weeks, your child will learn to “choose” their own “just right” books to read during Independent Reading Workshop. I will help your child understand their “magic number” (Their independent reading level – which is one or two reading levels below their instructional reading level used during Reading Groups). Our classroom library is full of leveled books. Each week your child will be given time to “go shopping” for 5 or 6 books to keep in their Book Nooks all week (3 will be their independent reading level, and 2 may be "dessert" books...or just any book of their choosing). They will be doing a variety of tasks/connections with these leveled books in addition to reading them. These tasks will help engage your child in a meaningful way to their reading and will build comprehension. Reading the same books over and over again will build fluency, expression, as well as comprehension.
What Will Reading Workshop Look Like?
Mini Lesson
Each Reading Workshop session will begin with a mini lesson that lasts approximately 10 minutes. Each mini lesson will focus on a reading strategy. There may be times where a strategy will be studied over the course of several days, in which case the mini lessons that week will be related to that strategy.
Independent Reading Time with Instruction
Children are engaged in private reading time. During this time the teacher is doing the following:
Sharing Time
During this time the class might:
How Will Things Look at Home?
The books that your child brings home may be those at their independent/just right reading level (one or two reading levels below their instruction/reading group level). Or they may be books that were used in a guided reading/strategy group that are at their instructional reading level. Your job at home is to listen to your child read their book(s), be sure to ask them lots of questions, if you notice sticky notes, highlighting tape, etc. in their book(s) ask them why it’s there. Students should make at least one entry each night from their reading in their Reading Response Journals, and be sure to mark their reading in their Reading Logs.
Please be sure to ask any questions that may come up. You can also stop by before or after school, or jot me a note or an email.
I’m excited to see your children grow this year as readers!
Starting next week reading will begin to take shape in Room 167. We will begin to talk about expectations for this year's Reading Workshop, and we will begin to learn how to treat and use books properly. Learning to be a "Book Lover" and not a "Book Bully" will help to ensure that we get the most out of our reading time in First Grade.
In the coming weeks, your child will learn to “choose” their own “just right” books to read during Independent Reading Workshop. I will help your child understand their “magic number” (Their independent reading level – which is one or two reading levels below their instructional reading level used during Reading Groups). Our classroom library is full of leveled books. Each week your child will be given time to “go shopping” for 5 or 6 books to keep in their Book Nooks all week (3 will be their independent reading level, and 2 may be "dessert" books...or just any book of their choosing). They will be doing a variety of tasks/connections with these leveled books in addition to reading them. These tasks will help engage your child in a meaningful way to their reading and will build comprehension. Reading the same books over and over again will build fluency, expression, as well as comprehension.
What Will Reading Workshop Look Like?
Mini Lesson
Each Reading Workshop session will begin with a mini lesson that lasts approximately 10 minutes. Each mini lesson will focus on a reading strategy. There may be times where a strategy will be studied over the course of several days, in which case the mini lessons that week will be related to that strategy.
Independent Reading Time with Instruction
Children are engaged in private reading time. During this time the teacher is doing the following:
- Reading conferences – I listen to your child read from any one of their books. I offer a compliment of something great I’ve noticed, and then provide instruction that can help them become a better reader.
- Guided Reading Group – Your child will be given texts to read that are at their instructional reading level. We will continue to work on strategies learned during the minilessons
Sharing Time
During this time the class might:
- Meet as a whole group to refer back to the mini lesson and think further
- Meet together to think about and respond to questions such as:
What did you learn about reading today?
What did you learn about yourself as a reader?
Why Is Reading Workshop SO Great?
- Readers have time to read just-right books independently every day
- Readers select their own appropriate books
- Readers take care of books
- Readers respect each other’s reading time and reading lives
- Readers have daily opportunities to talk about their books in genuine ways
- Readers don’t just read the words but also understand the story
- Reader’s work in the independent reading workshop is replicable outside of the classroom
How Will Things Look at Home?
The books that your child brings home may be those at their independent/just right reading level (one or two reading levels below their instruction/reading group level). Or they may be books that were used in a guided reading/strategy group that are at their instructional reading level. Your job at home is to listen to your child read their book(s), be sure to ask them lots of questions, if you notice sticky notes, highlighting tape, etc. in their book(s) ask them why it’s there. Students should make at least one entry each night from their reading in their Reading Response Journals, and be sure to mark their reading in their Reading Logs.
Please be sure to ask any questions that may come up. You can also stop by before or after school, or jot me a note or an email.
I’m excited to see your children grow this year as readers!