large view Our library large view These baskets are great. You can get them from Really Good Stuff. large view This poster helps kids remember things they can write on their "Think Sheets".

                                                                                 “We read to know we are not alone

                                                                                       * C.S. Lewis

Reader's Workshop is set up like Writer's workshop. We begin every day with a mini lesson. The kids grab their reader's notebooks and come to the floor. There, we may read a picture book or part of a longer book together, practicing a strategy for reading. Then, the kids are sent back to their seats to read.

Kids keep books they are reading a zip lock bag that is stored in the classroom. In their ziplock they keep a record of the books they are reading. They also use "Think Sheets" to record what they are thinking as they read.  They hand them in each day and I "grade" them to let them know if their thinking was deep or detailed enough. I just use a check minus, check, or check plus.  What I'm looking for is a thought and then an explaination of WHY they think that. For instance if they make a prediction of what's going to happen they have to use "because" to explain WHY think that's a good prediction. The same for a character trait. What did you read that makes you think "Joe is bossy". 

See the poster we have to remind ourselves what we can "think" about. The part in green can be used in Non Fiction.  Click on the pics to read more about them!

Kids love to give tell the summary of the part they read but they MUST use something from our think chart as well.  I comment on their thoughts each day and give them a check minus, check, or check plus as a way to let them know how their thought was and to give me a "grade" in my gradebook.  I use a check minus as a 70, and check as an 80 and check plus as a 90. At the end of each reading time kids are allowed to go to the classroom "library" and change out books.  I recommend keeping a chapter book, picture book, non fiction book, and poetry book in their ziplock so they have a variety of reading depending on their mood that day.

While kids are reading independently I call small groups for guided reading or one on one time. If they read with me, they write about the story we read together on their think sheet that day.  Think sheets and reading logs are kept in a file drawer so kids can independently get new ones as they need.

Story Elements:

Characters: characters have traits that desribe them, the characters often change in the story. What are clues that support the trait? Does the character change? How? Why?

Setting: The where and when of the setting. What is the mood? What clues does the author use to help support the setting? Is the setting important to this story? What would happen if the setting changed? Would it impact the story?

Plot: Beginning, middle, and ending events. The events push or change the story as it moves along. By noting the events in the plot you can figure out the main idea or what the part is mostly about.

Details: These explain or support the event.  Details can be answered with the Who,What Where (5 W's) questions.

large view As a reader there are certain expectations from you as you read a book.

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