Reader's Workshop and Mini-lessons

     I envision reader's workshop to be a daily block of time that students will silently and independently read. Students can anticipate this specific time everyday to relax from the set curriculum and indulge in their own personal books. I envision my reader's workshop to be a comfortable environment that nurtures student reading to the fullest. I plan to have comfortable spaces set up around the room such as pillows, and bean bag chairs for students to sit and read in. These "book nooks" will help to make Reader's Workshop something to look forward to each day. They will also help break up the monotony of sitting at a desk all day. I also plan to implement and model specific rules during reader's workshop such as: silent reading for 15 minutes, bathroom/ water breaks before or after and books will always be self-selected. Finally, I will implement a book-log for each student to track their reading. This log will serve as an easy way for me to assess each student and will also help students/ parents track their progress and accomplishments.
     Mini-lessons will play a role in how to teach my students to become effective readers. I will use mini-lessons to focus on one particular skill that I feel will benefit the entire class. These skills might include: looking for textual evidence to support a claim, using textual clues to help define an unknown word or tracking character development. These mini-lessons will provide support for students struggling to effectively and actively read. It will teach students skills to practice and apply independently during Reader's Workshop. These lessons will only be about 15-20 minutes.