Reader’s Workshop—What’s Your Format?

Are you doing Reader's Workshop? As I present around the country teachers share with me WHY they aren't doing it...they don't know how to get it started, what it should look like, what is the format. Here are some pictures taken in my friend, Kim Jordano's, room of Reader's Workshop in action!

While I was in Kim’s room, she wanted me to model a Reader’s Workshop mini lesson. Kim and her team are using the units that Michele and I have been writing. They are just getting their feet wet and are on unit 2. This is a great time of year to give it a try. If you aren’t doing Reader’s Workshop, now would be a good time for you to try, too. Why? Because your kiddos are already under control and if you mess up…oh well…they already have it anyways! Then, in the fall it won’t all be so new to you and you will feel more confident. Anyways….back to the lesson…
Here’s the format for the mini lesson:
1. Connect: “Remember Yesterday when we….” So here I reviewed all the ways they have learned how to read a book with their friends using the anchor chart “Reading with Friends” from unit 2.
2. Teach: “So today I’m going to show you how…” So here I told them that good readers like to share and talk about books with friends. And one of the things we like to share is our favorite part. “Now let me show you what I mean….” So here I modeled finding my favorite part in a story that Kim had read to them earlier. I took a post it note and put it on that page. I told them I put it there so that I could remember what I wanted to share, but that then I could keep reading until it was partner time. Then I called up one of Kim’s kids to sit back to back with me while I showed them what it should look like. Finally, I had Kim signal that it was partner time and we turned side by side to share our favorite parts by turning to the page with the post it note.
3. Active Engagement: “Now let me see you try….” So we gave them each a book and a post it note. We gave them a few minutes to look through the book to find their favorite part and mark it with the post it note. Kim then signaled partner time and they turned side by side to share their favorite parts with their elbow partner by turning to the page with the post it note. We gave them their sticky note folders and had them place the sticky note right in the spot for favorite part. They then drew a heart on the sticky note.
4. Link: “So remember boys and girls, today and every day,good readers….” So here I reminded them that good readers think about their favorite part while they are reading so that they will be ready to share it with a partner. And, that they can mark it with a post it note so that they won’t forget and can keep reading. “So boys and girls, what do good reader’s do?” Here I have them say it back to me…
Then it was Application Time….

Here Kim’s kids were reading with friends. They had already read privately back to back, but I didn’t snap a picture. Loved the two girls reading their poetry journal and the alphabet card together! They were all so engaged, I could tell that Kim had done a great job teaching those lessons! They knew the expectations!

Here some friends were taking turns with the same book and some friends were also taking turns each reading a book from their own book box. The reason you don’t see the kids using the post it notes, is these pictures were actually taken the day before during application time before we had introduced the sticky notes!
Here are Kim’s book boxes. She has a poetry notebook, an alphabet card, a sight word card, their phonics readers, leveled readers, and books they have made themselves.

So what’s the teacher doing during this time? Well, she is working with kids! She might be walking around conferencing with individual kids or partners, she might be doing guided reading, she might be directing book shopping. As Kim’s kids were shopping for new books, I was listening in. I was impressed with their talk to each other. They were showing books to their friends and talking about why it would be a good choice for them! Loved it. BTW, Kim did direct them to a table holding books with a certain colored dot for them to shop from. This is how she levels her books so that each book is a good fit for their level. Then, they decide if it is a good fit, by interest.
Now it’s share time….
We called the kids back to the carpet and talked about all the good things we saw. Then, I showed them the new anchor chart that says “What can I share with a friend?” And we talked about sharing our favorite parts.
So how’s your reader’s workshop going? I just love this time of year when they are putting all the pieces together and are really growing as readers. Here are all the units that Michele and I have written:
Unit 1: Blasting Off with Reader’s Workshop
Unit 2: Powerful Partnerships
Unit 3: Digging Deeper
Unit 4: Discovering Patterns
Unit 5: Revving Up
Unit 6: Diving In
Unit 7: Building Foundations
We have bundled some of the units:
Units 1-3
Units 4-6
We are currently working on Unit 8. It is going to cover all the standards about characters, their adventures and experiences, and performing. It should be ready by the end of March.