How to use Reading Workshop

Do you use reading workshop in your classroom?  Or, have you ever wondered how it works?  Well, here is a sneak peak of how I use workshop in my classroom!

We first start by gathering on the rug sitting next to our reading partners.  Students sit by their reading partners on their specific square.  I like to leave an aisle down the middle so I can walk down and listen to them talk with their partners.  It helps me understand who knows what we're doing and who is learning what during our mini lesson.

So, once we have gathered on the rug, I recite our learning target for the day.  My students repeat it after me and then we discuss what we are learning so they understand what it is we're doing today.  Then, I go into the mini lesson.  This usually lasts about 10 minutes.  This particular lesson I am teaching about using blends to help us figure out tricky words.  So, I shared the different blends, we placed them in the pocket chart - spoke them aloud - and then placed a picture that matched each blend next to it.  I also showed them how to find blends in words in books we read.  I modeled using a story and showed them how I got my mouth ready to read the word.  I then showed the next page and had them turn to their partner to practice reading the blend word and using the blend to help them figure out the tricky word.  We share back as a class and conclude by restating our learning target.  

Students then go off to their reading spots and get their book bins.  I tell my students that while they are reading I will go around and listen to see if they are using blends to figure out tricky words and get their mouths ready when reading them. 

 

You can see my kids sit anywhere in the room with their book bins and they read their leveled books first. I walk around and use my clipboard to record whether students are understanding the learning target or not.  I use a -, check, + system.  If they do not understand, they get a -, if they are on level they get a check, if they are above level they get a +.  I record this on my clipboard so that I can use this information during small groups to help my students. 

Once I have checked the learning target, students are then asked to reflect on their reading by using their reflection sheet.  They mark whether they were able to complete the learning target, they could do some of it, or they need more help.  I use this to also help students during small group time.

After students reflect, they can read their poems or look books.  A look book is a harder book they can enjoy looking at the pictures and try finding words in the text to match the pictures.  Our poems are what we read during our shared reading/writing.  You can learn about that by going here!

Once they read their poems and look books for a bit, they can switch to partner reading.  During partner reading I may have them practice extra skills together. 

After, we gather back on the rug and go over what our lesson was and what we learned.  For this lesson, we practiced reading the blends on our blend chart!

That is a reading workshop lesson.  Here is a breakdown of the times:

Mini lesson - 10-15 minutes

Independent reading - 30 minutes

Partner reading - 10 minutes

Wrap up - 5 minutes

I hope you enjoyed learning about workshop in my classroom!  Thanks for stopping by!