I love the Workshop approach to teaching reading and writing because it allows ALL of the kids to be engaged at whatever
level they are at, while also giving me time to meet with kids one-on-one in conferences or in small groups. Plus, the
class learns to monitor their own learning and apply what we talk about to their own reading and writing, instead of everyone
completing the same activity that I assign.
A few years ago I decided to focus on Writing Workshop and saw a big improvement in the writing of my kindergarten students.
I read as much as I could, talked with other teachers who used the workshop approach, and did a lot of trial and error.
But I became more dissatisfied with my reading instruction- the kids were actively engaged during writing time and I could
track their individual progress through our conferences. But reading time felt like I was trying to force a class full
of kids at different levels into completing the same tasks- and only a few of those kids were really at the level where they
"got it". I decided that since Writing Workshop helped, I should research how to implement a Reading Workshop.
What I found was a lack of information online about Reading Workshops. I had hoped to find ideas for minilessons
and a structure for taking the kids from the very basics of how to manage a workshop to actually applying word attack skills
and comprehension strategies. I turned to the bookstore and found some great books to help me through- these are the
books where the majority of these ideas have come from. They are:
- Growing Readers: Units of Study in the Primary Classroom (by Kathy Collins, 2004)
- Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades (by Debbie Miller, 2002)
- On Solid Ground: Strategies for Teaching Reading K-3 (by Sharon Taberski, 2000)
- The Art of Teaching Reading (by Lucy Calkins, 2001)
- One to One: The Art of Conferring with Young Writers (by Lucy Calkins, Amanda Hartman, Zoe White, 2005)
I put this website together to help other teachers find information for starting a Reading Workshop in their kindergarten,
first or second grade classroom. The lists of minilessons are meant to give you ideas or show some of the things that
can be covered during a school year, but they are not "cut in stone"- adapt them to meet your students needs and standards.
I hope that you will find the resources helpful. If you have something to add, please
email me your ideas and I will share them. Best wishes for you and your students!
