Carrie E. Goodnight
October 13, 2004
�Procedure (Grade 6)
35 minutes
Mini-Lesson:�
Reading Workshop Procedures
I.� Getting Started/Warm-Up Activity (2 min)
Ÿ
Inform students
that this year we are going to focus on elements of literature that are
appealing to their interests and concerns.�
They will have freedom to read texts that they find relevant to their
own lives.
����������� This year students, you will have the opportunity to explore your own interests through the literature that you read in and out of this class.� I want you to read many different genres to introduce you to texts that you may have never considered until now.� Among these texts are poetry, novels, short stories, memoirs, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, auto-biographies, and many others.� Though you all do not have to read the same texts at the same time, you must read from a variety of genres and topics during the year.
II.� Review/Introduction (13 min)
����������� Discuss
with students about their reading history.�
Allow them to raise their hands and answer to the entire group (This
discussion does not have to take long; it is just to get students talking
together about their reading history)�
Ask questions such as the following:
Ÿ
What types of
books have you read in school in the past?
Ÿ
What did you like
about them?�
Ÿ
Were there any
specific books that you liked?
Ÿ
If you disliked
them, why?
Ÿ
Do you like to
read silently or aloud in a classroom setting?
Ÿ
Do you like to
read?� Why?
Ÿ
If not, why?� Hopefully, we can change your thoughts about
reading through Reading Workshop.
����������� (Make sure to include your own thoughts about reading.� Tell students why you like to read.)
III.� Points/Objectives to Learn
NCSCS Standards
Through Reading Workshop, the
student will:
5.01 Increase fluency,
comprehension, and insight through a meaningful and comprehensive reading
program by:
Ÿ
Using
effective reading strategies to match type of text.
Ÿ
Reading
self-selected literature and other materials of individual interest.
Ÿ
Taking an
active role in whole class seminars.
����������� Students
will have the opportunity to choose their own literature during Reading
Workshop.� However, they will have to
choose from a variety of genres sometime during the year.� Mini-lessons will be devoted to learning
different kinds of reading strategies that are helpful in fostering
comprehension.
5.02� Study the characteristics of literary
genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry)
through:
Ÿ
Reading a
variety of literature and other text (e.g. mysteries, novels, science fiction,
historical documents, newspapers, skits, lyric poems).
Ÿ
Analyzing what
impact literary elements have on the meaning of the text such as the influence
of setting on the problem and its resolution.
����������� Students
will read a variety of literature and other text.� This will be monitored through their own
�Reading Log� and through the notes that I will make while they are
reading.� They will begin to understand
the different components that characterize different genres that they have read
through their own personal experience with the reading.
National Standards
3.� Students apply a wide range of strategies
to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.� They draw on their prior experience, their interactions
with other readers and writers their knowledge of word meaning and of other
texts. Their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual
features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context,
graphics).
����������� Through
mini-lessons throughout the year, students will learn how to comprehend,
interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts with.�
Through the practice of reading they will have an opportunity to develop
these skills.� They will also have the
chance to interact with others to talk about their selections on a weekly
basis.
11. Students participate
as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members f a variety of
literacy communities.
By
creating a community of readers through Reading Workshop, students will be able
to relate their experiences with reading to one another.� They will be able to respond to their books
and share their feelings with one another.
Rationale
Though more standards are met
through participation in Reading Workshop, the standards listed above are the
ones that students will be addressing through their overall experience with
such an individualized reading program.�
This procedural mini-lesson will introduce students to the program and
will familiarize them with the schedule that we will follow three days out of
the week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).�
In order for students to succeed, they need explicit directions for
procedures in the classroom.� By writing
the schedule in their Reading Workshop folders, they will always have an idea
of what to expect in their ELA class.�
Through Reading Workshop, students will be able to read on their own
levels and try reading on their own terms.�
While they will be evaluated on their progress as a reader, they will be
able to determine what they read and select books that speak to their interests
as a person.� Reading Workshop gives them
a voice in their own experience as a reader.
IV.� Materials Needed
Ÿ
Reading Workshop
folders (This folder will contain many handouts about reading by the end of the
year.� Notes on mini-lessons will be kept
here in the future.� Since this
particular mini-lesson is at the beginning of Reading Workshop, the Reading Log
will be the first contribution to the Reading Workshop folder.)
Ÿ
Reading Log
handouts (to be kept in Reading Workshop folders)
Ÿ
Pens/pencils
V.� Guided Practice (18 min)
Procedures for Reading
Workshop
�Reading Log�
(Pass out Reading Workshop
folders with Reading Logs inside)
Explain to students:��������
��������������� Every
day we will record what we read through a �Reading Log.�� This record of what we read will show how
many books you read throughout the year, when you read them, and if you liked
them or not.� At the end of class every
day, you will take out your �Reading Log� and update it with what you have
read.� Also, we will have a chance to
talk about the books that we are reading so that other students can find out
about interesting literature as well.�
The �Reading Log� should be kept in the Reading Workshop folder.
�����������
����������� We
will have Reading Workshop on three days out of the week:� Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.� On these days, you need to be prepared to
come and use the time in class wisely to gain as much knowledge from your
reading as possible.� There will be a set
format for Reading Workshop that we will follow everyday.
����������� (Write
the highlights of the topics on the board for students to copy on the inside
cover of their folders as a daily checklist.�
An example is provided below.)
1.� We will get
out materials for Reading Workshop.�
Ÿ
Reading materials
(books)
Ÿ
Reading Workshop
folders
2.� When
everyone arrives, we will usually have a short lesson on some type of reading
strategy that will improve our reading techniques.� Also, if Reading Workshop needs to be reformatted
in some way, you will be notified of any changes during this time.�
Ÿ
This time could
also be used for a trip to the school library so that students will have time
to select books.
3.� At this
time, everyone will begin reading the selection that you have chosen.� After the mini-lesson, I will move around the
room to take a look at the kinds of materials that you are reading.� I will record these selections to monitor
your decisions as a reader in the same way that you will record your own
reading in your Reading Log.� I will also
use this time to read with you because reading is a valuable practice that is
important in my own life as well.� Also
during this time, on the day that I assign to you, you will write in your
dialog journals to me.� Do not worry
about these right now.� I will devote
another day to explaining the dialog journals.
����� (The class
will be split into three groups.� Each
group designated to a specific day:�
Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.� On
the specified day, students will turn in their dialog journal.� Students should record the day they are given
on the inside of their Reading Workshop folder beside #3.)
4.� We will take
a short bathroom/stretch break every day to refresh our minds and get a new
take on our reading.� However, if you are
�into� your book, you may choose to take a break at a later time during the
class period.
5.� When you
return, you will continue reading.� It
might be helpful to take a moment to reflect on what you have already read
today, to regroup your thoughts about the text.
6.� At the end
of class, you will record your progress in your �Reading Log.��
7.� We will then
take the opportunity to talk about the books that we are reading and recommend
them to others in the class.
VI.� Independent Practice
Students will demonstrate
these procedures on the following day during the first day of Reading Workshop.
VIII.� Closure/Expectations (2 min)
Give students an idea of what
you expect from them through their participation in Reading Workshop.
Ÿ
I hope that you
will enjoy this opportunity to explore your options through reading.� I expect each of you to come to class with a
text that you are interested in reading or at least a topic that we can expand
on during our trip to the library tomorrow.�
Talk to your friends about books that they have enjoyed reading in the
past for suggestions.� Reading is such an
important skill to develop and this year, I want you to realize the importance
it can have in your life.