Welcome to the Reader's Workshop Page

Reading Instruction Beliefs for MCSD

As a district, we believe that children get to be strong readers by spending time reading.  We must build strong readers who are able to read critically across a variety of texts and genre.  In order for children to become strong readers, they must spend time reading "high access" texts.  High access texts can be read independently with accuracy, fluency and comprehension.  

The goal of MCSD is that students will read at least 60 minutes daily in our K-5 setting. 

Expectations for Reading Workshop 

Classroom Management

Big Idea: When the structure of our teaching is fun, safe and predictable, children will focus on the content we are trying to teach. 

• The classroom is a joyous community in which children love to read. 
• The teacher builds positive relationships with students and staff. 
• The workshop consists of ongoing & predictable workshop structures including: 
  
  • Materials: 
    
    • Classroom Library with Books Labeled with Guided Reading Levels 
    • Bins or Bags for Students to Store Books 
    • Students use Logs to Keep Track of Reading Lives 
  • Predictable Teaching Structures:  
    
    • Mini Lesson 
    • Independent Reading/Independent Student Conferences/Strategy Groups
    • Partner Reading 
    • Groups Share

 Content Planning

Big Idea: Grade level teams will develop changing Units of Study for reading.  These Units of Study will provide opportunities for students to read for different purposes an across a wide variety of genres. 

• Students are matched with text at their independent reading level. 
• Grade levels collaborate to read through and customize units of study for reading--aligning with district expectations and standards. 
• Grade levels collaborate to revise their units of study as needed. 
• Grade levels collaborate to develop essential questions to frame the instruction in a unit. 
• Grade level teams meet vertically when possible, to collaborate and align their units of study with the grade below and above them. 
• Units of Study are used as curriculum: the content of each unit is infused into the predictable structures and routines of each unit. 

Instruction

Big Idea: "MIni-lessons address big ideas or concepts--instruction in small groups and independent student conferences is differentiated to meet children at their starting points, giving them tips along the way to deepen their ability to work with that concept or skill."--Shanna Schwartz

Mini-lessons

• Each teacher understands and follows the architecture of an effective mini-lesson: 
  
  • Connection (activate prior knowledge through story telling or thinking prompts, focus student attention on the lesson, state the teaching point, contextualize learning)
  • Teach (demonstrate the teaching point as if you were working independently, little to no student participation) 
  • Active Engagement (opportunity for experiential learning, cooperative learning & guided practice) 
  • Link (review and clarify key points, contextualize learning) 

• Mini-Lesson Teach Big Skills with a Small Tip (the small tip is the teaching point, small tips deepen the child's understanding of the skill over time, offering a manageable way to accomplish something big)
• Mini Lessons are Lean and Efficient (no Longer than 10 min)
• During Mini Lessons, the teacher engages students in learning by: 
  
  • using stories to draw in their learners 
  • using gestures to create gross motor memory
  • using role-playing to move children from talking about strategies to trying them on their own 

Individual Student Conferences

• Our goal is to conference with each student at least ONCE per week.
• Teachers differentiate instruction by teaching skills that a student is ready to learn (zone of proximal development) and provides this instruction during conferences accordingly.
• The teacher understands and uses the structure of an effective independent student conference: 
  
  • Research: "What are you working on as a reader today?"
  • Make a Decision for Instruction: What will help this reader most at this time and across many books?  What strategy is this reader ready to learn?
  • Compliment student on a strength: "I love how you are...."
  • Teach the skill you have decided the student is ready to learn, and provide the student with an opportunity for guided practice with the new skill. 
  • Link today's teacher point to future learning: "So today and everyday, when you are...you can; From this point on, when you are...you can; So anytime you want to, you can..."

Reading Partnerships

• The teacher has matched each student with a partner whose reading development is at a similar stage. 
• During Reading Workshop, the teacher provides his/her students with time to talk to their partners about what they are reading. 

Artifacts of Teaching/Learning

• The teacher creates and shows students how to use anchor charts, table signs and strategy rings as resources for their learning. 
• The teacher provides his/her students with book logs.  Book logs are used to:  
  
  • monitor the types of books a child chooses (is there a good variety, or is it time to broaden the child's reading tastes?)
  • monitor time spent reading in school
  • monitor time spent reading at home
  • monitor child's page per minute rate. 
• Students in grades three and up use reading notebooks to:
  
  • write about their independent reading
  • write in preparation for conversation with partners
  • write about their thinking during read-alouds
  • write about or reflect on their reading process goals 

Assessment for Learning

Big Idea: "As teachers of reading, it is important to find teaching opportunities that are within a child's zone of proximal development.  I teach for depth instead of deficit.  I look at the quality of the skill being used and think about how I can help the child deepen this skill." - Jennifer Serravallo

The teacher uses formative assessments to determine each student's zone of proximal development and to design instruction that the student is ready to learn.  Formative assessment tools include: 

Reading Engagement 

• Reading Interest Inventories 
• Reading Engagement Inventories 
• Book Logs

Reading Fluency

• DRA 
• Running Records
• One-on-One Conferences 

Reading Comprehension 

• The DRA (twice per year) - THE DRA IS TO BE DONE TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL 
• Running Records (based on level-see attached chart)- RR ARE TO BE DONE TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL (MSCD will use running records from the Reading & Writing Project)
• One-on-One Conference 
• Reading Portfolios
• Reading Notebooks
• Whole Class Conversations 
• Partner Conversations 
• Small Group Conversations 

The teacher keeps anecdotal notes about teaching conference and strategy group they have with a student (attachment included).  

Guided Reading & Reading Workshop Strategy Groups