"Greasing The Wheels For Effective Reading Workshops"
Lisa and Melisa, coaches at Wade Park Elementary School, want their students excited about reading in the classroom. If they have their way, the classroom will be a most special place, where children are respected and given choices, and where those children work with rigor and are thrilled and surprised with what they achieve. Lisa and Melisa wanted their classroom to be a place where children would come to do their best reading…and enjoy it! When it came to assigning reading spots, they didn't! Instead, children were encouraged to choose their spots, to exercise some decision making and responsibility that would be necessary to an effective classroom environment. To that end, they read a book called Evan's Corner by Elizabeth Starr Hill, about a boy who wants to have a special spot to call his own. They talked as a class about how some readers have special spots where they feel comfortable and focused, where they can get their best reading done. The group looked around the room and identified possible reading spots, discussing those spots where good reading might be done (on the rug, at tables) and those where good reading was unlikely to happen (under a table). On that day, they asked students to tell the group where they wanted to read and, one at a time, they were sent off to read. In the week that followed, they allowed children to try different spots each day. They wanted their students to experience reading in a variety of spots and positions---sitting at a desk, leaning back on a pillow, lying on their belly on the meeting area carpet. They wanted their children to begin to think about what kind of reader they are, being aware of where they are when they are getting some good reading done and taking responsibility for moving when they aren't. The coaches knew that if children were to also choose books independently and return them to their rightful place, students should be familiar with the classroom library. Having already organized their library into baskets of varied genre, subjects, and levels, they started by simply letting readers browse through the library, choosing books to read. On another day, they pulled books from each of the pre-labeled baskets and gave one to each child. They had a Book Frenzy in which each child quickly flipped through a book to get some sense of what it was about. They then discussed where each book might "live." When the group reached consensus about a given book, that student returned the book to its basket, while others watched. Discussion was centered not only on the importance of returning books to the correct baskets but also on how an organized system helps readers find books they want without wasting precious reading time. During composing time in the days that followed, Lisa and Melisa focused on assessing their students' reading levels and pointing them towards appropriate books. Lessons on book choice would be crucial to the whole group and those lessons would need to happen soon. But until then, they prioritized matching their struggling readers with books that they could read. In crafting sessions (mini-lessons) Lisa and Melisa talked with the children about how important conferences would be during the composing component of the workshop. They explained the reasons for their request to not be interrupted so that they could focus on the reader (or writer) that they are meeting with. Students brainstormed ideas in response to the query, "What do you do when you need help but the teachers are meeting with someone?" As the coaches began to delve deeper into teaching skills, strategies, and concepts, the need for adding more structure to their classroom routines became obvious. They needed children to get some quality reading done during the workshop by reading appropriate books (on their level) in spots where they would consistently get good reading done. The present structure was feeling too loose for Lisa and Melisa. Children were spending too much time settling into their spots and too much moving around was occurring when they were supposed to be composing meaning. So they tightened routines. Children who weren't focused and productive during reading time were assigned spots. Others were allowed to stay where they were. The coaches drew a map of their room and spotted each child's place on the map. The expectation was clear: No more switching around unless the teachers felt a reader might do better in a different spot or if a student felt he/she might do better somewhere else. Each child was given a book bag filled with several books - most of which are "just right" books, with a few challenging books. Children were assigned spots on the carpeted meeting area (or crafting area) and were expected to head to that spot when they entered the room. This cut down on time wasted with children negotiating where they would sit. Because children were strategically arranged according to their behaviors and needs, interruptions were reduced during crafting lessons. Lisa and Melisa knew they were allowing children to make many choices during the literacy block and that these arrangements would eventually become less necessary. They felt confident that this added structure would greatly enhance the learning. Recognizing the value of lively discourse in the reading and writing workshop, the coaches established "Say Something" partners. Students were paired with the sole purpose of talking about what was being read aloud. At various times during the lesson, each would turn to his partner and "Say Something." In these partnerships, children will eventually come to discuss key elements of the book, pursue lines of inquiry, restate what others have said, and talk about aspects of their lives as readers. With practice, this partnership structure will become an effective way for students to talk about what they read. Lisa and Melisa continue their thoughtful consideration of classroom routines and structures that enable children to take greater charge of their own learning.
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