Readers' Workshop

In our first grade classroom, reading, writing, and math blocks will all follow a general "workshop model." What this looks like is that the whole class will start by meeting together for a "mini-lesson" on a teaching point for that day's reading, writing, or math, the students will then move out into the classroom to do some sort of independent practice related to the lesson, then the whole class will come back together at the end of the block for a share, connecting what they learned and practiced back to the teaching point. During the beginning of the school year we focused our reading time on learning the set up of our classroom library care, practicing book care and how to respect other readers, what it looks and sounds like to read quietly to ourselves, etc. This week we began putting the pieces together and really started to practice what Readers' Workshop will look like in first grade. Students in our class practiced choosing books, using book boxes to store the books they are working with, and reading "good fit" books at their independent reading levels. They also practiced reading silently to themselves, respecting other readers, re-reading, and began building stamina for silent reading a few minutes at a time. Readers' Workshop will evolve throughout the year as students build independence and stamina and as they learn do do many different literacy activities, including reading to themselves, reading to partners, word work, writing, listening to reading at a listening center, reading with the RAZ Kids internet reading program (there is a tab for this at the top of my blog and you are welcome to try it out with your child at home ahead of time), and even blogging! Below are some photos of our class beginning to practice the routine of Readers' Workshop.

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