Introducing Reader's Workshop

Anchor Poster for "Reading is Thinking"

At the beginning of third grade, it's too bad that my students don't already carry this with them. But, because they are capable, they pick this up and use it competently and quickly. Good for them, I say. I start this lesson with a blank chart, only the two black lines that divide the paper into four sections is already drawn on.

The purpose of the lesson is to learn how to listen to our brains when we are reading. Metacognition (or thinking about our thinking) is one of the most helpful strategies I get to develop with my students. Even when we read for pleasure, our brains are thinking the whole time! And when we can push and flex on that thinking, a little or a lot, depending on our purpose for reading, then our comprehension, fluency, and pleasure in reading will all increase. 

It doesn't hurt that this lesson starts with a favorite title by a well-loved author!

Knuffle Bunny by Mo WIllems, from Amazon 

I tell students that I am going to stop reading every few page, and ask some people to share what their brain is doing/thinking. "So, readers, listen carefully to your brains while I'm reading!"

When I stop, I ask what their brains are thinking, and when they share, I write down what they say on post it notes. I know that I am going to add the following headings to the first three boxes: Making Connections, Making Predictions, and Asking Questions. So, as I finish writing on each post it, I sort it into one of the (currently) blank boxes on our soon-to-be anchor chart.

The following post-its went into the "make connections" box:  Our brothers and sisters have fits, I cry when I lose my toys, and We go to the luandromat to wash our clothes with quarters.

These went into the "make predictions" box:  They are going to wash their clothes, Knuffle Bunny might shrink in the dryer, The bunny will get switched and she might get a different bunny, and The bunny might get washed!

Finally, into the "ask questions" box:  What is she saying? Where are they running to?

At the end of the story, the post it notes are all sorted into the blank boxes, and I tell them, "Readers, you just did what all good readers do! Your brains were Making Connections [write it into the box], Predicting [write into the box] and Asking Questions [write it into the box]."

I go through each one, adding a few bullet points about them, and then they reread their post its and explain why it goes in that category. It leads to a nice mini-discussion because some could fit in either, and in fact, isn't it so true that we don't really separate our strategies, either? Don't we make connections in order to predict? And aren't our predictions so much clearer and more accurate when we infer about the characters in the story? It's a lovely, high level conversation, grounded in some very concrete examples. Lots of light bulbs are coming on during this lesson!

The bullet points that I used are listed below, but honestly, any points you want to make could go right here. There's nothing magical or special about the ones I use:

• Making Connections
• Think about our own experiences
• Think about other stories we've read
• What we know is called "schema"
• Predictions
• Consider what has already happened to make a guess about what else could happen next
• Use our "schema" to guess
• Keep reading to see if our prediction came true
• Adjust our guesses!
• Ask Questions
• Ask ourselves what is happening....do we understand?
• Keep reading to see if our questions are answered
• Go back and REread to see if it's clearer to us

In the final box, we summarize and add READING IS THINKING. This story has been perfect for several grade levels to launch the Reader's Workshop....we laugh the whole time, and if you really are inclined to ham it up in front of your own Little Darlings, I know your kids will laugh as hard as mine do when you read Trixie's call of alarm: "Fluggle whumpy!"

"Read it again, Mrs. B!!!" Are there no sweeter words in the English language? {LOVE}