Reading Workshop follows a very similar format to writing workshop. First the teacher models a reading strategy during a mini-lesson. Next students engage in a large block of time where they apply their reading strategies. Lastly, the students meet to share what they learned as readers.
The Reading Mini-lesson
The Mini-Lesson is where you explicitly demonstrate strategies that good readers use to figure out words and construct meaning. Allow about 15-20 minutes for this. During this time the students know that the teacher will be showing them exactly what he/she wants them to apply during their independent reading time. They know this because the teacher consistently reminds them everyday why he/she is showing them that strategy.
Mini-lessons need to be thoughtfully planned according to what students need to get them to progress as readers. In other words, they need to be somewhat systematically planned so that they build on one another. Long gone are the days of scrambling to plan disconnected activities and finding the random “Standard” that fits that activity. Instead in-depth units of study can be planned and implemented so that students really get a chance to get into it and take it deeper.
