More from Reading Workshop

Today was our second official Reading Workshop. Students WOWED me! The mini-lesson was about three different ways to read a book (we learned two today): Read the words and "read" the pictures. I used Audrey and Don Wood's book, The Napping House, to model. Students then tried the "Read to Self" component of Reading Workshop, which is when they have to read on their own without talking to their friends. They can read aloud to themselves in a quiet way or read in their minds, but the important thing is to read by yourself during this time. A few students tried to say they can't read--I reminded them that we can all read since looking at the pictures and using them to think about what the book is about is a very important part of reading. Even proficient readers use the pictures to learn more about the book--oftentimes the pictures give information that isn't even in the words. And, I assured everyone that soon they will be reading both the pictures AND the words. :-) Students were able to read quietly without talking to each other for three minutes today, which might not sound like much but is actually REALLY good. They'll be up to 25 minutes before we know it. It's amazing! At sharing circle, students shared what went well or what they noticed during their reading. This class is really good at participating in discussions.