Balanced Literacy: Reader’s workshop Elizabeth Bickerton, Donna Johnson, Veronica Terrana

Balanced Literacy Approach Reader’s Workshop (45 min-1 hour) Writer’s Workshop (45 min) Interactive Read Aloud (15-20 min) Shared Reading / Writing K-2 (15-20 min) Word Study (15-20 min) Response to Instruction (30-45 min) Intensive Reading Block (30 min) FitzGerald

Reader’s Workshop Structure Mini Lesson (10 min) Independent Reading Time (30-40 min) Conferring with readers Guided Reading / Strategy Groups Share / Closure (5 min)

Reader’s Workshop Mini-Lesson (10 min) Connection: Connect to previous lesson Teaching Point/Modeling: Read a story and model ONE skill that good readers do (based on common core) and that we want them to try Active Engagement: Students practice what we just modeled (turn and talk; stop and jot) Link: Link back to teacher input and the strategy/skill we want them to try FitzGerald Video example Page 1 of packet (Mini-Lesson sample)

Mini Lesson Sample Objective: RL.4 Identify words and phrases in stories that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses (Feeling words)   Board Objective: I will be able to find words that tell how a character is feeling in a story. Connection: Readers, we have been talking about using describing words in our writing. We do that so that our readers know how people are feeling in our stories and so they know what’s happening in our story. So do authors of books we read! Teaching Point/Modeling: Today I want to show you how authors use feeling words to tell you how the character is feeling in different parts of the book. Feeling words are words that tell you how someone is feeling. It could be happy, sad, excited, or mad. I’m going to read you one part from the story, “Flip and Flop.” These 2 penguins live in the Arctic. While I’m reading, I’m going to look for words that tell me how the characters are feeling. Read a page from the book and model how you look for words that tell how the character feels (sad in this example). Write on anchor chart. Active Engagement: Read another page of the book. Turn and talk to your partner about how you think Flip feels now. What feeling words give you a clue about how he feels? I heard… Link: So today I want you to remember that good readers look for feeling words when they are reading. This gives you a clue for how the character is feeling in different parts of the book.

Mini-Lesson Practice Find a partner and practice writing a mini-lesson!

Independent Reading Time Independent Reading Time (30-40 min) Students read independently and with a partner Set Expectations Book Baggies Journals Choice Boards Partner Work Back to back: Read to themselves and work in journals / Write by themselves Hip to hip: Read books to each other/ Read writing to each other Knee to knee: Talk about book and share journals / Revise and edit writing together Teacher and Support Staff confer with readers Guided Reading / Strategy Groups are options after conferring Nemser and Kowalski Page 2 of packet (Choice Boards)

Conferring “ Reading conferences are often one-to-one work with a student in which instruction is individualized to support her strengths and help to push her to the edge of what she’s just beginning to be able to do.” Jennifer Saravello & Gravity Goldberg Conferring with Readers

Types of Conferences Table Conference- The teacher simply works with all the readers at a table, coaching them toward work they all need to be doing. Teachers will also lead small group Strategy Lessons. In these instances, the teacher convenes a cluster of children who need similar help and demonstrates for them (for 1-2 minutes) and then, as each child reads, the teacher coaches into that child’s work. Table conferences can also be Compliment Conferences. Compliment Conferences –These are short (two minutes.) A new strategy is not taught, instead, the teacher reinforces a strategy a reader is beginning to use. Steps: 1. Research 2. Authentic compliment Partnership Conference – Teacher participates in a student run partnership conversation and is able to model effective partnership conversation and offers an authentic compliment to readers when they are able to follow the lead of the teacher.

Types of Conferences Research- Decide-Teach Conferences- 1. Research – Begin with open ended question. “What are you working on as a reader?” listen, look at jots. 2. Compliment- Authentic compliment highlighting something that the reader is doing well. 3. Decide/Teach- Teach the reader something and have them try it! 4. Link – Restate the strategy you taught and link it to their ongoing work LET’S WATCH: https://vimeo.com/55957324

Conferring Tips Record Keeping! Create a toolkit Know the characteristics of the text bands and come up with kid friendly strategies to teach at each level or band. Use mentor text to teach with (use mentor post-its, mark up your books with the work expected at the level or band) Introduce “Strategies to Habits.” Leave students with a post-it for their link or next step.

Conferring Practice Watch the video and practice conferring with this reader. What research would you do? What would you compliment her on? What would you teach her? How would you link it back so that she remembers to do this independently?

Guided Reading / Strategy Groups Guided Reading / Strategy Groups (20 min) Setting Up Groups are based on reading levels (GR) or skills that a group needs (strategy group); 4-6/group Spend 2-3 days with one book Use leveled descriptors and notes to plan lessons Lesson Routine Before Reading Sight Words, Picture Walk, Vocabulary, Set purpose During Reading Students read at own pace; Teacher takes notes and coaches students through the text After Reading Discussion about story; Link back to purpose Word Work, Interactive Writing, Comprehension Kowalski Video example Page 4 of packet (Guided Reading Walkthrough and Lesson Plan)

Share / Closure Share (5 min) Close Reader’s with a share time Choose a students who modeled the skill/strategy from the mini-lesson and highlight them Link to their everyday life as reader’s Nemser

Q & A Bickerton Contact Information: Elizabeth Bickerton (K-1 Academic Facilitator): elizabeth.bickerton@cms.k12.nc.us Donna Johnson (Literacy Facilitator): donnal.johnson@cms.k12.nc.us Veronica Terrana (Literacy Facilitator): veronica.terrana@cms.k12.nc.us