What is Reader's Workshop?

Reader’s Workshop

I'm sure by now you have probably heard about the Reader's Workshop from your child or their teachers, but if not this is a place to read about the in's and out's of it.


Reader's workshop is a time (usually lasting around 75 minutes) for students to be reading books on their level. It is structured to use every last one of it's precious minutes either teaching students a valuable reading skill or by giving them time to read.


Here is how we spend our time in Reader's Workshop:

1) Mini-Lesson (10 minutes)- This is the time where I teach the whole class a new reading skill. Within the mini-lesson students try the skill with guidance from me, which prepares them to try the skill again on their own during Independent Reading Time.

2) Independent Reading Time (45-50 minutes)- Students use this time to read books on their level from their book bags. This is also the time where I will be meeting with students either one on one or in small groups to give extra practice on either the same reading skill from the mini-lesson or another skill to suit their needs.

3) Mid-Workshop Interruption (5 minutes)- This is a quick break in the Independent Reading Time where I will stop students to teach them a quick skill to help them with their reading for that day.

4) Share (5 minutes)- At the end of Reader’s Workshop, students are given the opportunity to share out the work that they did that day with the class.

Book Levels

Sometimes it is not always apparent what level a book is. One of our goals of Reader's Workshop is to release some responsibility and put it in the hands of our students. Thereofre, students have been taught to give themselves a JUST RIGHT test, to make sure the book is just right for them to read. If your child is having a hard time with this or you would just like to know what level their book is, here is one way to find out.

Just type in the name of the book, the author, or a keyword to search. Not all books are in this database, but there are many to look through.

I will also try to suggest a variety of books from our book order each month. BOOK ORDER

Reader's Notebook

You will probably see your child bring home a Reader's Notebook. This is a place where students keep track of the thinking that they do while reading. It's a place for them to write about what they are reading and a place to try new skills. They can even use it to keep track of what I have taught them so that they don't forget!

Classroom Charts

When you come into our classroom you will probably notice a lot of charts on the walls. We use these to remind students of what we are working on. It provides them with a visual and gives them a place to look if they ever get off track. Take a look at the units we will be learning about this year, located under "Reader's Workshop" on the main page.

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