Reader's Workshop
At Lovett, reading is taught through Reader's Workshop. Reader's Workshop begins with a mini-lesson, which lasts about 10-15 minutes. The mini-lesson always has a specific teaching point, usually focusing on a reading strategy or skill. The teacher introduces or reviews this strategy explicitly through modeling. Often, the students have an opportunity to discuss or practice this strategy with a partner. After the mini-lesson, the students have independent reading time, where they read texts they have chosen either from the classroom library, the school library, or that they have brought from home. The students are all reading books that are appropriate for them. They are books that are at their reading level and that they are interested in. Students sometimes participate in small groups, individual student-teacher conferences, and book clubs during this independent reading time. While reading independently, the students are working on applying the skill or strategy from the mini-lesson to their reading where applicable. After independent reading time, the students and teacher come back together for the closing, where the students reflect on their reading and share something from their work that day.
Why Use Reader's Workshop?
“If reading is about mind journeys, teaching reading is outfitting the travelers, modeling how to use the map, demonstrating the key and legend, supporting the travelers as they lose their way and take circuitous routes, until, ultimately, it’s the child and the map together and they are off on their own.”
- Ellin Keene & Susan Zimmerman (2008)
- Ellin Keene & Susan Zimmerman (2008)
Units of Study
Throughout this year, we will be studying:
- Following Characters into Meaning
- Non-fiction Reading: Comprehending Expository, Narrative & Hybrid Non-Fiction
- Non-Fiction Research Projects: Navigating Complex Non-Ficiton Text-Sets with a
Critical Analytical Lens
- Historical Fiction
- Fantasy Fiction
- Following Characters into Meaning
- Non-fiction Reading: Comprehending Expository, Narrative & Hybrid Non-Fiction
- Non-Fiction Research Projects: Navigating Complex Non-Ficiton Text-Sets with a
Critical Analytical Lens
- Historical Fiction
- Fantasy Fiction