English Language Arts
Reading Workshop
Reading Workshop is a reading instructional model that fosters a love of reading within students by allowing them long periods of time to read and respond to text in authentic and meaningful ways. Students are encouraged to share about their daily interactions with text through writing and oral language opportunities. The daily routine for Reading Workshop is explained below.
1. Mini-Lesson
Each Reading Workshop session will begin with a mini-lesson. These are short, explicit lessons on a reading strategy.
2. Reading Time
During this time, students will:
- select a "just right" book to read independently for about 45 minutes to an hour.
- practice the skill that they learned in the mini-lesson
- respond to the text by writing notes, thoughts and questions in their Literacy notebooks
- meet with their peers to hold a book discussion
During this time, the teacher will:
- confer with individual students to assess their progress and offer 1:1 instruction
- meet with small groups of students for guided reading sessions
3. Reflection and Sharing
This is a time for students to discuss their thinking and strategies they used during independent reading with the class.
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Writing Workshop
Writing Workshop, similar to the Reading Workshop, is a writing instruction model that helps to foster a love of writing within students by allowing them time to write. The purpose of Writing Workshop is teach students that they are writers. The daily routine for Writing Workshop is explained below.
1. Mini Lesson
The mini-lesson is an explicit teaching and modeling of a writing skill. Many lessons are created after the teacher conferences with students and identifies a skill or teaching point that would benefit most of the class.
2. Writing Time
During this time, students will:
- work in their Writer's Notebook to collect entries ("seeds") that may later become published pieces of writing
- apply skills or strategies from the mini-lesson in their writing
- confer with the teacher or with their peers
- carefully select entries from their notebooks to "nurture" and take through the writing process (all entries in the Writer's Notebook do not become published pieces of writing).
- publish selected writing pieces (all published pieces are added to each student's e-portfolio, and some pieces will even be put into student created books, which are shared at publishing parties).
During this time, the teacher will:
- confer with students about their writing
- take notes to document students' progress and to plan future mini-lessons
- listen to students read their entries aloud
- help students decide what they want to say
- provide feedback
- re-teach skills taught during mini lessons
- teach necessary new skills
- reinforce a writer's strengths
3. Sharing and Reflection
At the end of writing workshop everyday, students are brought back together for a group share and reflection. When students sign up to share or are asked to share, they take a seat in the coveted "Author's Chair." Sometimes a writer might come to the author's chair to ask for help or receive feedback from his or her classmates ("I like my story, but I can't think of a good title."). The author might also want to share part of an entry of which he or she is especially proud.
Websites
Brainpop Writing Username:aisbudapest Password:brainpop