Reading/writing workshop

[happyteacher]

I am a first grade teacher and this is my second year. I am trying to find something different to help my students in reading and writing. I had a professor in college that did a reading/writing workshop with her 5th grade students and I would love to try something like this with my first graders. Does anyone have any ideas? Or has anyone done this and can help get me started?

[lia]

I am a first grade teacher and this is my second year. I am trying to find something different to help my students in reading and writing. I had a professor in college that did a reading/writing workshop with her 5th grade students and I would love to try something like this with my first graders. Does anyone have any ideas? Or has anyone done this and can help get me started?

Not sure if this is what you mean by workshop, but I do a reader's workshop for 1 hr and then a writer's workshop for 1 hr (per America's Choice design). They're both pretty much the same format--first 10-15 minutes on a mini-lesson, 30-40 minutes indepedent time, 10-15 minutes for closure/celebration.

For reader's workshop, usually the mini-lesson is on a decoding or comprehension strategy--something the children can practice during their independent time. Then my kids are split up (my kids last year really needed the structure, so I made the schedule myself, but you could have a more fluid design and let the kids decide) and have specific areas to go--partner reading (where they practice mini-lesson), buddy reading (more practice), and small-group instruction (direct instruction with the teacher to make sure they understand/apply the mini-lesson). Other areas could be listening center, word wall, library center, computer, reader's notebook (a place for them to write author's message, beg/mid/end, etc. as well as do reflections on their reading), etc. So while you are meeting with the small group, the other children are doing something with reading, trying especially to hit the mini-lesson you taught. Then, in the last 10-15 minutes, you call everyone together and close the workshop by going back to the mini-lessons, usually calling for students to explain what they did, that you saw during small group time, or by something they wrote in their reader's notebook...if nothing, just rehash what you talked about earlier.

Writer's workshop is very similar, except that instead of all different reading centers, they are all indepedently writing during that 30-40 minute block. While they are indepently writing, I meet with a group and we work on revising & editing, or I roam and sit in with whomever needs me. I make a special note of who incorporated what we talked about in mini-lesson, and then for the last 15 minutes, we have "author's chair" and I call those children up to read what they wrote, and we use that time for comments and celebrations. They help each other out by using questions and praise. Again, if there weren't any examples that you found in the children's writings, just rehash what you said earlier.

This is the workshop structure as described by America's Choice--not sure if that's what you had in mind? If not, sorry! In the 6 or 7 years that we've been doing America's Choice, this is what I've done with my kids, and it seems to work--it at least guarantees you the small-group time, which is so important at this age, but hard to work in to a schedule where you don't have to be monitoring them all at the same time. If you have any questions about structure or something, let me know and I can share what I or some of the other teachers in my school do--just not sure if this is what you meant by workshop :o Sorry!

[TeacherRW]

There are two resources that I can point you towards for helping out... Regie Routman's book are absolutely wonderful especially for primary teachers when considering/setting up reading and writing workshops. The other is Fountas & Pinnell's Guiding Readers and Writers. The book is written for upper age kiddos but the ideas are easily adaptable. Those authors may even have something out for primary grades also.

Good luck...

[busybee]

I am also a teacher at an America's Choice school. This is my first year teaching and I have first grade. Can you happy teacher, lia or anyone give me a few examples of a typical mini lesson that you would teach for writers and readers.

For instance in the beginning of the year, should I have a mini lesson on capitalization as a mini lesson for writers and have my centers about this?

[lia]

I am also a teacher at an America's Choice school. This is my first year teaching and I have first grade. Can you happy teacher, lia or anyone give me a few examples of a typical mini lesson that you would teach for writers and readers.

For instance in the beginning of the year, should I have a mini lesson on capitalization as a mini lesson for writers and have my centers about this?

In the beginning of the year, I'd make my mini-lessons be about the rituals & routines--how do you borrow a book, how do you know a book is the correct level for you, how do you take care of books, what do good readers do? ... that sort of thing. Same with the writing--where do you get the paper, what do writers write about, why do we write, etc. Each one of those would be one mini-lesson (yes, it takes a long time to get through them all, at least 3-4 weeks just doing routines). Since in the beginning you're not really doing small group because you're still monitoring behavior, you just roam and point out to the class who is following the routine you just talked about, then in the closing, you ask for people who did the routine correctly to please show the class how to do it, etc. I can't emphasize enough that going through these routines will be SO helpful later on, otherwise it seems like you're forever getting after them to clean up the library! ;)

As the year goes on, yes, go into mini-lessons like capitalization or punctuation (conventions), intermingled with the craft lessons. Do mini-lessons on reading strategies (such as doing a shared reading while emphasizing "get your mouth ready", etc.) and even reading fluency (modeling how to read by dropping your voice at the period, pausing, etc.). Read a book and emphasize the reading comprehension strategies. You can also do your genre/author studies as the mini-lesson as well. :)

I hope I didn't confuse you? :confused: Any other questions, just ask! We just started, so I'm going through all of this right now and it should be fresh in my mind :)

[sara.iteachk]

I really love Lucy Caulkins writing program. I don't know how much it would cost to get you a set of books. Our district bought them for those who were interested.

[tndrmrcies]

I would also recommend Lucy Caulkins and Fountas and Pinnell. The Four Blocks books also can be used for readers/writers workshop.

[jbh]

Another great book to look at is On Solid Ground by Sharon Tabernaski (sp). She has a very comprehensive explaination of what she does for reader's workshop. Hope that helps!