Mrs. Kellett's 2nd Grade Class: Reading Workshop

In our classroom, I use a Reading Workshop model to teach. Each reading lesson begins with a mini-lesson such as predicting, main idea, characters/setting, etc. I model that particular skill with a lesson on the Smart Board so we can practice together. After our mini-lesson, children have independent reading time. This ranges from 10-15 minutes so far. My hope is that as the year goes on, your child will be able to build enough reading stamina to read for longer periods of time.

Have you heard your child use the words "Shop for books?" Each week your child has an opportunity to shop for books in my classroom library. They know what level they are on and what baskets to choose from. They use these books during that independent reading time to practice applying the skill I just taught. For example, if we're learning about characters in a story, I may have the kids identify the characters in their own books and use clues to tell me what that character is like.

As your child is reading independently, I'm walking around conducting reading conferences. I listen to a child read and ask them questions as they go along. It gives me a chance to see if they understand the new skill. It also provides an opportunity to see if there's any other problems I can help address with your child's reading.

The last step is share time. We meet back on the carpet and discuss our discoveries from our books. The children really seem to enjoy share time. They have more confidence because they are practicing skills in books that are just right for them. I want your child to grow into a confident, strong reader. In order to build that love for books, it's important to make sure they are reading books on their individual level. They get so excited when they get to move up!!

Some pictures from today's Reading Workshop lesson:

Gabe found a perfect reading spot!

During today's lesson we talked about reading being all around us. We read more than just books. We read signs, recipes, newspapers, clothes, license plate tags, food labels, and so many other things! The kids had a chance to look through magazines and find examples of things people can read.