Well, the school year has taken off and I'm finally catching my breath a bit. I've gotten my students settled into most of our routines. We have finally conquered the bigger blocks of our day and I can now sit in my guided reading groups without interruption.
In a previous post I discussed how I use the reading workshop model in my classroom. I explained my read aloud method and described in overview how the workshop model works. Now I would like to share with you how I make the independent reading time work in my room.
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About nine years ago I was teaching third grade and very unhappy with my reading instruction. Sure, the kids were learning, but I wasn't seeing the growth that I was hoping to see in my readers. My students just weren't that excited about reading. I did a little research and discovered the Reading Workshop Model. I was intrigued by this instructional model and the potential for my students. I read everything I could get my hands on about Reading Workshop at the time, and set a plan to change my reading instruction. I spent my holiday break putting together the plan and when we returned to school in the new year, I began implementing the model. Now, Rome was not built in a single day, and I did not convert my classroom overnight either. I started with the manageable pieces and implemented those. Immediately I saw results both in the students' enthusiasm and in their successes in reading. My reluctant readers were reading books in the classroom voluntarily, and I could see their reading levels rising. The assistant principal's son was in my class and she shared a story with me. Over the weekend, her son, who was very athletic (and also a VERY reluctant reader) had disappeared during the day. He wasn't playing football with the neighbors, he wasn't running around with the dog, in fact, he wan't outside anywhere. Concerned, they searched the house. To their utter surprise, they found him in his bedroom reading a book, in the middle of a beautiful Saturday afternoon. He had chosen to read instead of play outside. We call that, ladies and gentlemen, a touch down! Now, I'm not advocating that children should spend their days locked in their rooms reading instead of playing outside. But, I realized, at that moment, I had something very powerful going on in my classroom. Since then, I have used this instructional model every year. I have seen amazing things happen in my classroom. I love it enough that I would like to share it with you now. So, what is the Reading Workshop Model and how does it look in my classroom? |
AuthorWelcome to my blog! I'm Susan and I am a wife, mother, runner, teacher, and resource author! I have been teaching for 21 years, and I love finding ways to engage my students in learning! Reading is my passion, and I love helping my students find their passion for reading. Categories
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