Best Practices: Reading workshop at VCES


Reading workshop emphasizes student time on text. Research shows a strong correlation between time on text, higher order thinking and overall reading achievement. Reading workshop is designed to minimize teacher talk and maximize students’ time on text, with fifth graders reading for nearly sixty minutes in class each day.
The teacher teaches a 10-15 minute standards-based mini-lesson on a specific
concept or skill, then students spend the majority of their time engaged in authentic experiences with reading. A key part of reading workshop is teaching students to understand how to read specific kinds of texts, such as fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. The lessons they learn are designed to be transferable from book to book, thus providing them the skills to be lifelong readers and to be able to “read to learn.”

During independent reading time, the teacher leads small groups or works with students individually. This time is crucial for differentiating instruction to ensure that each student is appropriately challenged. At this time, students might all participate in book clubs or other discussions about a shared text.
There are no textbooks in reading workshop, and students select books that interest them at their designated reading levels.
Word work, read alouds, and shared reading are used on a daily basis to support reading and writing workshops (see pictures below).
