Readers’ Workshop Researching, Preparing, and Implementing Jennafer Walsh Kerby Elementary August 2012

Three Sections of this Presentation Three Sections of this Presentation 1. What is Readers’ Workshop? - Research -Pros/Cons -Basic Structure 2. Preparing for Readers’ Workshop - Materials -Reader’s Notebooks 3. Beginning Readers’ Workshop -Getting to know your readers -Beginning Mini Lessons -Sample norms and guidelines

What is Reader’s Workshop? “An approach to teaching reading in which students choose their own books, read independently, and confer with their teacher.” ◦ (Laura Candler, ) “The basic philosophy behind the Reading Workshop is to allow students to spend an extended amount of time reading authentic texts that interest them on a daily basis and to provide opportunities to talk about literature.”  ( )

Advantages of Readers’ Workshop Key word … Differentiation!  Students read at their own level  Student choose their own books Allows teachers to understand and connect with our students as readers. Students are spending more time reading  Increases vocabulary  Increases fluency and comprehension Fosters independence among readers Teachers have time to individually confer and meet with students and differentiate instruction based on students’ needs Students discover the JOY of reading!

Criticism… Lack of Assessment ◦Difficult to assess because all students are reading different books Not enough direct instruction from teachers Inconsistency between teachers ◦What goes on post-its and reading notebook ◦How often notebooks are checked by teachers Lack of grammar, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (Penton, 2012)

What will Readers’ Workshop look like in my classroom?

Daily Structure Response to Reading (5-10 min.) Reader’s notebooks Whole Group or Partner Discussions Independent & Guided Reading (35-40 min.) Teacher -Guided Reading groups -Conferring with students Students Independently reading Mini Lesson (10-15 min.)

Mini Lessons Mini Lessons ( Taylor & Nesheim, 2001) Short (10-15 minutes) Whole group instruction Direct & Focused May focus on topics such as:  Procedures  ex. how to find a “just right” book  Literary Devices  ex. Characteristics of a different genre  Strategies or Skills  ex. How to make inferences or asking questions  ex. Strategies for unknown words

Independent & Guided Reading Time minutes Students are reading independently or working with teacher Quiet, uninterrupted time During this time, students are either: 1. Reading books at their own level 2. Conferring individually with the teacher 3. Participating in a guided reading group

Since this time is the basis of Reader’s Workshop, let’s take a look at this step a little closer….

Independent & Guided Reading Time ( min.) Option 1: Independent Reading During this time, students...  are reading independently  choose their own books  choose their own reading spots  respond in their Reader’s Notebooks  are reading at their own levels ◦ This is why our students will be tested to determine their F&P levels and our classroom libraries will also be leveled.

Option 2: Conferring with Students Teacher meets individually with students  at least once a week with each student Keep a written record of each conference Sample conference topics:  Setting reading goals  Checking up on progress with their goals  Work on a specific skill or comprehension strategy  Have student read a passage aloud to you ◦Allows you to monitor fluency, word attack skills, and check comprehension  Ask about what they are reading or predict what will happen next Independent & Guided Reading Time ( min.)

Independent Reading Time (35-40 min.) Option 3:Guided Reading Groups Teacher may choose to meet with small groups of students to focus on a specific topic Group students according to:  Skill level  Common reading goal  Common interests Let your students’ needs guide this instruction During this small group meeting, provide direct instruction and time to practice specific goal.

Management Tip! It is suggested that if you are conferring individually with students one week then the next week work on guided reading groups. Doing both in the same week may become hard to manage. (Laura Candler, Individual Conferences next week Guided Reading Groups one week

Response to Reading (5-10 min) Last step of Reader’s Workshop Lesson closing Whole group or with partners Benefits of this sharing time: ◦Students learn to listen, think, & talk about their learning ◦Holds students accountable ◦A way to assess students What does this look like? ◦Bring students back to whole group reading area ◦Review strategy or reading goal discussed during mini lesson ◦Allow students to share ◦ their Reading Notebook responses ◦ Any connections they made while reading ◦ A strategy that they practiced ◦ Ask any additional questions before transitioning to next subject ◦

Part 2 : What do I need in order to prepare my classroom to prepare my classroomfor Reader’s Workshop ?

Leveled Classroom Library Leveled Classroom Library Here at Kerby Elementary, we will be leveling our books according to the Fountas and Pinnell Fountas and Pinnell leveling system Websites to assist in leveling our books Having a leveled library, will allow our students to easily access books that are “just right” for them or books that match their assessed reading levels. Why level my books? “Experts have discovered that even very young students can read for extended periods of time when they are matched with books that they can read with 95% or higher word accuracy rate, and they are more successful when reading books that interest them.” (Newingham, 2012).

Reader’s Notebooks Reader’s Notebooks These notebooks serve as a place for our readers to:  to organize their reading materials  keep track of the books they read  List books they would like to read in the future  record the thinking they do about their reading. (Beth Newingham,

Reader’s Notebooks Reader’s Notebooks Possible Reading Notebook Sections and Resources  Reading Record or Log (Laura Candler)Reading Record or Log  “Books I Plan to Read” List  Genre Overview Resource (Beth Newingham) Genre Overview Resource  My Reading Goals  Reading Response Prompts

Reader’s Notebooks Reader’s Notebooks Sample Reading Response Prompts Your readers’ responses should connect to the mini lesson when possible. Students might write about… Something that surprised them or that they found interesting. Their thoughts or feelings about the author’s message. How the book reminds them, people they know, or of something that happened in their life. How they would react if they were one of the characters in the story. The possibilities are endless… Great resources for prompts! Reading Response Topics Fiction and NonFiction Journal PromptsFiction and NonFiction Journal Prompts (lauracandler.com) Reader's Response BookmarkReader's Response Bookmark (

Reader’s Notebooks Reader’s Notebooks Use of Post-It Notes in Reader’s Workshop Post it notes are a great way to allow your students to ◦Flag any words or parts of the book that are causing them difficulty ◦Note any text to self, text to text, or text to world connections ◦Jot down any questions they are having while reading ◦Point out a specific comprehension strategy that they utilized ◦Record information about different characters Having students flag these areas in their book allows the teacher to see their thinking while reading during conferences. The following resource provides a code students can use on their sticky notes! Sticky Notes CodesSticky Notes Codes (Karen McDavid, 2007)

Other Helpful Materials Other Helpful Materials Book boxes, bins, or bags  1 per student  Place for students to store books, notebooks, and sticky notes  Having multiple books in bin eliminate students time spent browsing in your class library Classroom area for students to read  Pillows, beanbags, carpet samples  “Book Nooks” (Beth Newingham)  Comfortable spots for students -to read independently -not distract other readers -get “lost” in their books!

Part 3 : My classroom is ready, my students are here… NOW WHAT?

Beginning Reader’s Workshop Meet your students as readers ◦Assessments, F&P testing, conferences Set up norms and guidelines for Reader’s Workshop Beginning Mini-lessons to start the year ◦How to choose books, introduce sticky notes,

Get to know your readers Get to know your readers Reading Interest Surveys “Knowing about childrens’ interest areas arms teachers with the know-how they needs to recommend books that match existing enthusiasms” (Mckenna & Stahl, 2009,p. 205). ◦We want to discover their feelings about reading, personal interests, favorite genres, favorite books, time usually spent reading, etc… ◦Sample Reading Interest Survey (scholastic.com)Sample Reading Interest Survey Formal Assessments ◦At Kerby, we will be using the Fountas and Pinnell Assessment System to find our students’ individual reading levels. ◦As teachers we will now be required to assess our students three times a year to check their progress. ◦Since our libraries are now leveled according to F&P, our students will be able to easily find books that are at their own reading level. Conferences and Conversations ◦ Throughout the year, simple informal conferences and conversations with your students will allow you to get to know your students better as readers. This will also show your students that you really care about getting to know them, which is a key factor in motivating your students!

Set up norms and guidelines Set up norms and guidelines “A readers’ workshop isn’t just having students sit around and read; students must learn strategies and have significant amounts of time to practice these strategies with self-selected materials” (Taylor, 2001, p.48) Sample Reading Workshop Norms 1. If necessary, use the restroom before reading workshop begins 2. During Independent Daily Reading (IDR), we are reading silently. 3. If you are near the end of a book, “shop” for a new book in the morning, before reader’s workshop. 4. Find a reading spot where you will not be disturbed by friends.

Beginning Mini-lessons topics Beginning Mini-lessons topics ◦ Start small! ◦ When our students are still learning the procedures of reading workshop, it is good to begin the year with simple mini-lessons, then move your way toward specific reading skills and comprehension strategies. ◦ Some simple mini lesson topics you may want to begin with: What is reading…Reading is Thinking! What does reading look like? How to choose “just right” books What is a good reading spot? Using sticky notes while reading

Closing Comments & Questions ◦ I know that Readers’ Workshop is quite different than our current literacy curriculum. However, the benefits of this new program are tremendous. As we begin to transition our literacy block, start small and please feel free to ask if you have any questions. I have plenty of resources available to share. I am looking forward to another successful school year with a great team of colleagues!

References Candler, L. (2012). Reading workshop works! [Webinar recording]. Retrieved from ntables ntables Gomez-Schame, E. (2007). Reader’s response rubric [website]. Retrieved from Lause, J. (2004). Using reading workshop to inspire lifelong readers. English Journal, 93(5), Retrieved from accountid= accountid=12598 McDavid, K. (2007). Sticky Note Codes [website]. Retrieved from Newingham, B. (2012). Beth Newingham’s third grade classroom [website]. Retrieved from: Penton, K. (2012, Jan 30). New curriculum draws criticism. Asbury Park Press, pp. n/a. Retrieved from accountid= accountid=12598 Stahl, K. A. D., & McKenna, M. C. (2009). Assessment for reading instruction (2 nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford. Taylor, S. V., & Nesheim, D. W. (2001). Creating meaning in a readers' workshop. Principal Leadership, 2(2), Retrieved from accountid= accountid=12598