Balanced Literacy

Reading Workshop

The reading workshop is a teaching method in which the goal is to teach students strategies for reading and comprehension. The workshop model allows teachers to differentiate and meet the needs of all their students. Reading workshop helps to foster a love of reading and gives students chances to practice reading strategies independently and with guidance.

Writing Workshop

The Writing Workshop, similar to the Reading Workshop, is a method of teaching writing using a workshop method. Students are given opportunities to write in a variety of genres and helps foster a love of writing. The Writing Workshop allows teachers to meet the needs of their students by differentiating their instruction and gearing instruction based on information gathered throughout the workshop.

Reading & Writing Workshop

The workshop model is an incredibly efficient method of teaching reading and writing. Within the workshop structure, teachers are able to address both the whole group’s needs as well as differentiating for the needs of small groups and individuals. By utilizing this instructional practice, educators are essentially getting the most “bang for their buck!” When successfully implemented, the workshop model allows teachers to not only meet standards but also provide students the time and support they need to grow into fluent readers and writers.

Workshop is:

• A component of a balanced literacy block
• Standards based
• Driven by student assessment
• Differentiated instruction (by level, interest, groupings)

During a workshop lesson teachers can:

• Model reading and writing in front of students
• Have students spend time engaged in independent reading and writing
• Have students share writing by helping you/classmates compose, revise or edit a piece of writing
• Have student share in the reading by utilizing partner reading strategies
• Confer with students, guiding their reading and writing and teaching them skills and strategies

The workshop structure is made up of the mini-lesson, work time and share time.

Mini-Lesson:

is where the teacher teaches the students a skill or strategy through demonstration and direct instruction.

Work Time:

is when the students are reading and writing and directly applying the lesson they just learned. This is also when teachers conduct small groups and individual conferences with students.

Share Time:

is when students have the opportunity to share with the rest of the class how they used the skill or strategy just learned or reinforced in the mini-lesson.