[MOSAIC] [BULK] Re: Reading Workshop Schedule

Wed Oct 18 21:40:06 EDT 2006

I would tend to think that the answer to your question depends on two
variables:
*the style/expertise of the teacher - that's YOU
*the needs of the students

For example, one of the most wonderful fourth grade teachers I know is
considering whether to move to a rotating schedule similar to the one
you describe, as she is feeling the pinch of not getting "all of it done
every day" (full Readers' Workshop, full Writers' Workshop, full Word
Study).  Her goal this coaching cycle was for me to spend enough time in
her classroom observing and conferencing with her kids and then help her
with her decision - similar to your Options 1 & 2.

She is MASTERFUL with Morning Meeting, weaving content and community,
and has made it a seamless flow into her read aloud/strategy lesson. 
She conducts the best strategy lessons I have ever observed, better than
I can do myself, and better than some consultants I have seen.  These
read alouds are well-prepared, well-modeled, and for the most part ALL
of her students attend well and demonstrate increasing appropriate
participation.  They demonstrate growing respect for one another, they
demonstrate increased critical thinking.  She moves from there into
shared reading with the Rigby CQ (written just for shared reading and
guided practice of strategies, consultant is Ellin Keene).  She is a
marvel at leading her students to use "figuring out unknown vocabulary
strategies" during this shared reading.  From there she moves to
conferencing/independent reading, during which a fair percentage of her
students are not engaging appropriately.  Some days she gets writers'
workshop in and some days she doesn't.  Some days she gets word study
in, and some days she doesn't.  She has a large, tough class.  

At our coming conference, my "noticings" of my observations that I will
share with her will be her marvelous strengths:  Morning Meeting,
integrating focused curriculum with building community, her visible
planning and modeling which are moving her students along the gradual
release of responsibility toward using comprehension strategies
independently, her keen ability to link new learning to old, her
enthusiasm for her students' learning and independent thinking, her
ability to lead guided practice of comprehension strategies and
vocabulary growth strategies, her skilled and individual touch with
student conferences, the wonderful and effective writing lessons (when
she gets to them).

My questions to her at our next conference are going to be:
*What are you noticing about student participation during Independent
Reading?  Looking at your assessments and observations, are all of your
students progressing in this area as you would want them to do?  What
might be some approaches to increasing their participation?
*What are you noticing about your students' writing?  Looking at your
assessments and observations, are all of your students progressing in
writing as you would want them to do?  What might be some ideas for
focusing on writing?

She may decide to do everything as whole group EXCEPT independent
reading and conferencing, and to rotate that.
She may decide to adopt an Independent Reading Rubric and work
purposefully toward improving the "status of her class" with Independent
Reading.
She may decide something else.  I have confidence that what she decides
will focus on her students needs, and build on her own strengths as an
instructor.

PJ
Lit Coach 3/4/5/6
>>> Brenda <bmorgart2000 at yahoo.com> 10/18/06 5:20 PM >>>
What would the other half be doing while you did reading work shop with
10 students?

  Brenda Oh/3

Denise Ross <jkrmom4 at yahoo.com> wrote:
  I would like to pose this question regarding the pros and cons of a
particular schedule to any or all of you who have experience with
reading workshop. If given the following two options for a first grade
reading workshop schedule, which would you prefer?

Option 1: 90 minutes between recess and lunch (10:30 am - 12 noon) with
20 students.

Option 2: 45 mins. with 10 students, followed by 45 mins. with the other
10 students; recess; then 45 mins of whole group.

Obviously, with Option 1, you have 90 consecutive minutes, but with 20
students the entire time. With Option 2, there would only be 10 students
during each of the two 45 minutes periods, making it easier to do guided
reading, reading conferences, etc. The whole group time would follow the
small group time after recess. However, with all the necessary
transition time, you'd probably lose minutes and not have 90 full
minutes of workshop. Also, it wouldn't be as easy to change groupings
because the special teachers (that the students go to during half-group
time) don't appreciate constant changes to their classes. 

Does the benefit of the two groups of 10 children outweigh the
choppiness of the workshop? I would appreciate any feedback you can
provide.

Thank you.
Denise Ross
Literacy Coord.
No. Hollywood, CA

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