1. Overview: Why Reading Workshop? Components of Reading Workshop
Architecture of a Mini-lesson
Snippet of a Mini-lesson (DVD 5:26)
Practice a mini-lesson (You will be the students!)
Video of students in action during a mini-lesson
Curriculum Guides/Alignment to Common Core
Units of Study
Resources
Testimonials
Artifacts
Questions
Handouts

2. What is Reader's Workshop?
Reading Workshop has been based upon the research of Lucy Calkins. She is the founder of Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University in New York City.
Reader's Workshop provides students with a supportive environment that involves them in authentic reading experiences that focus on the strengths and needs of each individual student.  Reader's Workshop helps kids develop strong reading skills through the use of a mini-lesson, shared reading, read aloud, conferencing, independent reading, paired reading, and reading response. The basic philosophy behind the Reading Workshop is to allow students to spend an extended amount of time reading authentic texts that interest them on a daily basis and to provide opportunities to talk about literature. The ultimate goal of a Reading Workshop is to develop life-long passionate readers. 

3. Components of a Reading Workshop
Read Aloud
Mini-lesson
Independent Reading
Conferring/Guided Reading/Small Group Strategy Lesson
Share

4. Read Aloud
 The workshop begins with a read aloud that lasts approximately minutes. It focuses on a skill, strategy, or behavior that will help students become strategic readers.

5. Mini-lesson
This is a ten minute time frame where you are explicitly teaching/modeling a skill or strategy. Very often the current read aloud or prior shared texts are used as examples to support the skill or strategy of the day.
Before being released to independent reading, the children get to practice the skill or strategy within their turn/talk partnership.

6. Independent Reading
The mini lesson is followed by an independent reading time in which children apply the strategy taught or work on an individualized learning target. Each student is reading a book of choice that is on their “just right” independent reading level. They apply the skills or strategies taught to their reading. This time can last between minutes.  

7. What is the teacher doing?
During independent reading time the teacher works with students doing one on one conferring or guided reading.

8. Share
Reader's Workshop ends with a time of reflection and sharing. Students have the opportunity to share what they learned, show what worked for them, any struggles they may have had, exciting moments, and new discoveries.  This sharing allows children to learn from each other and to take responsibility for their own learning.

9. Architecture of a Mini-lesson

10. “Connection”
The teacher places the lesson into the context of what has been learned. This might mean giving an example from real life that connects to the lesson.
The connection helps the student understand both what they are going to learn about, and why it is important.
At the end of the connection, the teacher explicitly states what the teaching point or aim is for the day.
The connection is usually about 1-2 minutes, and is usually just the teacher talking.

11. “Teach”
This is the part of the lesson where the teacher models the skill or strategy being taught. This is done by giving examples of the skill or strategy based on our current read aloud or a past read aloud.

12. “Active Involvement” Guided Practice
Students try out the very same skill that was taught in the demonstration. They may be using their own independent reading books to practice the strategy or the current read aloud or novel.
The active involvement can be done individually, or with their turn/talk partner.
It can be done orally or in writing.
While the students are practicing the skill, the teacher circulates to listen or read over their shoulders to assess how they are doing. The accountability piece is HUGE during this time.
After the activity, the teacher recaps by sharing good examples of student work. This part typically lasts between 3 and 5 minutes.

13. Children in Action

14. “Link”
The teacher reminds students of what was just taught, and explains to them how it will apply to their ongoing work as readers and writers.
In most cases, the link should not sound like an assignment, but be more of a “forever invitation.” It usually starts with the teacher saying, “Readers, today and always, when you are reading independently think about the interactions between the characters in your book. Now, off you go!”
This usually takes about 1 minute.

15. Rick’s Reading Workshop 5th Grade Teacher from California
Based on the Unit of Study,
Following Characters into Meaning
file:///F:/Teaching%20Reading%20Workshop%20%20Working%20With%20Students%20On%20Improving%20Reading%20Skills.htm

16. Growing Theories about a Character Video

17. Demonstrate a Mini-lesson Song, Pick Myself Up, by Frank Sinatra
I will model the skill of inference and theme by noticing clues in the song. We will also discuss that some of the clues to the theme of the song are phrased in the literary device known as idioms.

18. Active Involvement
You will now play the role of student by practicing the skill of inference and theme using a poem called Mother to Son, by Langston Huges. This poem uses metaphors, symbolism, and repetition.

19. Mini-lesson Hand-out Date: Lesson 4 Unit of Study – Fiction
The Tiger Rising, by Kate Di Camillo
Overall Aims and objectives:
Reading Workshop-Long Term Focus: I will think aloud how good readers think about what they are reading, making connecti0ns to the text and engage in the text. The focus of this new novel, The Tiger Rising lends itself to teaching high level comprehension strategies. I will focus on Character, setting, plot, problem and solution. We will stop and jot as I read and use our notes to warm up with each reading. We will retell in sequential order and also focus on characters and their relationships. The strategy or aim chosen is determined upon the text that is being read throughout the novel.
NCCCS: 4.RL.1, 4.RL.2, 4.RL.3 These objectives will be weaved throughout this unit.
4.RL.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, events, drawing on specific details in the text. (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions). I will describe a character, setting, and event. 4.RL.1 Refer to details and examples in text when explaining what text says and when drawing conclusions. I will ask and answer questions. I will recall details from text. I will analyze important details.4.RL.2 Determine a theme of story by summarizing text. I will explain what the theme is using specific details and evidence from the text.
Teaching Point:
How can we use our inference skills to determine the theme of a poem?
Read Aloud
A Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo Chapters 7-9, Use post-its as a warm up. Think aloud as I am reading to model inferences I can make about the main character.
Connection:
“Yesterday we talked about envisioning skills. Today I am going to teach you how we can make an inference while we are reading.
Mini-Lesson/Teach
I will first discuss what an inference is. An inference is a conclusion we draw about the story that is not clearly stated in the text. I will model with the song Pick Myself Up, by Frank Sinatra . I will play the video clip from YouTube. After the song I will point out the clues in the song that allowed me to make an inference and draw the conclusion that no matter how bad or tough times are, we must rise above it, put it behind us and move forward in a positive way.
Active Involvement:
Students will have a try with the poem, “Mother to Son”. They will each have a copy of the poem. They will read silently, stop and jot, then discuss what they can infer from it with a partner. Students must infer to truly understand its theme. We will discuss their findings in whole group.
Link/Independent Reading:
Students will read their novels for 30 minutes. As they read they will try to make an inference and or practice previously taught strategies. I will meet with one Guided Reading group and confer with 2 students.
Closure/Share
A few students will share how they made an inference. Today we learned how to draw a conclusion based on an inference we make with the text.

20. Curriculum Guide 4th Grade Reading Workshop is Common Core Aligned Units of Study for the workshop

21. Units of Study for Reading Workshop
Building a Reading Life
Stamina, Fluency, and Engagement
Following Characters into Meaning
Volume 1: Envisionment, Prediction, Inference
Volume 2: Building Theories, Gathering Evidence
Navigating Nonfiction
Volume 1:Expository Text; Determining Importance and Synthesizing
Volume 2:Narrative and Hybrid Text; Using Text Structures To Comprehend
Tackling Complex Text
Volume 1: Historical Fiction in Book Clubs; Synthesizing Perspectives
Volume 2: Historical Fiction in Book Clubs; Interpretation and Critical Thinking

22. The Art of Teaching Reading , by Lucy Calkins
Reading Resources
Website for the Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project
The Art of Teaching Reading , by Lucy Calkins
Pathways to the Common Core , by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth, Christopher and Lehman
Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding by Stephanie Harvey, Anne Goudvis and Donald Graves
Non-Fiction Matters: Reading, Writing, and Research in Grades 3-8, by Stephanie Harvey
Teaching Reading in Small Groups: Differentiated Instruction For Building Strategic, Independent Readers, by Jennifer Serravallo
Conferring with Readers; Supporting Each Student's Growth & Independence, by Jennifer Serravallo & Gravity Goldberg
Mosaic of Thought, Teaching Reading Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop, by Ellin Oliver Keene & Susan Zimmermann