Whole Class:
- Interactive Read-Aloud
- Minilesson
- Shared Reading
Small Group:
- Guided Reading
- Book Clubs/Literature Circles
- Shared Reading
Individual
- Independent Reading
- Reading Conferences
Essential Components of Reading Workshop
- (5 to 10 minutes) Whole Class: Minilesson (may include Interactive Read-Aloud)
- (40-45 minutes) Small Group or Individual Reading:
- Independent Reading
- Guided Reading
- Book Clubs or Literature Circles
- (5 to 10 minutes) Whole Class:Group Share and Evaluation
The following is a general description of each component of Readers' Workshop:
Minilessons
Readers' Workshop generally begins with a whole class mini-lesson. Minilessons are used to teach skills and strategies needed by all students.
At the beginning of the school year, mini-lessons will be used to introduce routines and procedure for Readers' Workshop. As these routines take hold, the focus of minilessons will shift to teaching reading skills and strategies needed by all students as they work to become independent readers. ** Use ongoing observation and assessment of your students to help determine the focus of your minilessons.
Interactive Read-Aloud
Interactive read-aloud allow students to interact with text that may be beyond their ability to read independently. The teacher reads aloud to the class, taking away the need for students to navigate the decoding of what might otherwise be a challenging text. As the teacher reads, she pauses to share her thoughts, interact with the text, and model a wide range of comprehension skills and processes. This activity is interactive in that the teacher both models her own thinking process and solicits ideas from her students.
Shared Reading/Performance Reading
Shared Reading - shared reading is used in grades PreK-2 as students are developing beginning reading skills. Texts for shared reading are in an enlarged format - big books, text projected on a screen, a poem copied on a chart, etc. During shared reading, the teacher directs the reading, modeling such skills as voice to print match, reading with expression and phrasing, monitoring the use of punctuation, etc. Children generally read in unison, and repeated readings are often part of a shared reading activity.
Readers' Theater - Readers' Theater involves students in reading aloud from a shared script. Most Readers' Theater scripts are based on known literature. Unlike traditional theater, the emphasis is not on memorization of the text, the costumes, or the staging. A major goal of Readers' Theater is to provide opportunities for students to develop phrased, fluent oral reading in a fun, purposeful way.
Readers' Theater - Readers' Theater involves students in reading aloud from a shared script. Most Readers' Theater scripts are based on known literature. Unlike traditional theater, the emphasis is not on memorization of the text, the costumes, or the staging. A major goal of Readers' Theater is to provide opportunities for students to develop phrased, fluent oral reading in a fun, purposeful way.
Independent Reading
Children need time to independently practice and apply the skills and strategies being taught during minilessons and interactive read-alouds. Independent reading time is different that SSR or DEAR. During independent reading, students are reading silently, usually in books of their choice, but sometimes in a book the teacher has assigned. During this time, the teacher conferences with individual students to check in on their developing skills and reading behaviors. Taking notes during this time allows the teacher to make informed decisions about next steps in planning, instruction and minilessons.
Guided Reading
In guided reading, a teacher works with a small group of students with similar needs in regard to reading development. These grouping allow a teacher to explicitly teach effective reading strategies. Observation and note-taking over time during guided reading lessons will inform decision making and next steps for planning and instruction.
The teacher carefully selects a text at the students' instructional level, a level providing the right balance of support and challenge to allow the reader to grow successfully. A guided reading lesson begins with a brief book introduction. Students then read their books independently while the teacher checks in with individual students to monitor reading behaviors and strategy use. Careful observation and note-taking help the teacher make instructional decisions about next steps for future lessons.
The teacher carefully selects a text at the students' instructional level, a level providing the right balance of support and challenge to allow the reader to grow successfully. A guided reading lesson begins with a brief book introduction. Students then read their books independently while the teacher checks in with individual students to monitor reading behaviors and strategy use. Careful observation and note-taking help the teacher make instructional decisions about next steps for future lessons.
Literature Groups/Book Clubs
Book clubs, or literature groups, are based on interest rather than simply instructional reading level. Children who are interested in reading books on similar topics, authors, or series gather together to read and discuss a book of their choice. Students who are not able to read a specific book independently may access the text through audio recordings. Book club members share and discuss ideas during agreed upon meeting times. The discussions that take place allow for authentic experiences with the common language being practiced in the classroom during minilessons and guided reading groups.
Resources used for the information found on this page:
Guiding Readers and Writers, Grades 3-8, Fountas and Pinnell
Genre Study, Fountas and Pinnell
More Than Guided Reading, Mere
Revisiting the Reading Workshop, Orehovec and Alley
Reading With Meaning, Debbie Miller
Comprehension and Fluency, Fountas and Pinnell
