Readers Workshop: Improving Comprehension and Interest in Reading Lynsey DeWitt

Readers Workshop is something that students are getting more and more accustomed to in the elementary school environment. Certain teachers believe that this could really bridge the gap between struggling and excelling readers. With the education world, fads come and go from year to year. One year something is going to help students, the next year we realize it doesnt work. How affective is Readers Workshop? Is this something that teachers will be using for a couple of years just to throw out and start with something new, or will teachers continue to use this model for reading instruction for years to come? Readers Workshop evolved to answer the following questions: How can we as teachers tap into the interest of adolescent emerging readers? What are some ways we can make literacy learning meaningful and interesting for these readers? What approaches can we use to prompt readers willingness to construct meaning from printed text? (Taylor, 2000). According to the article in, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (2000), Readers' workshop, a learnercentered approach to teaching reading, was implemented in order to encourage students to share their reactions to readings, make connections between the readings and their life experiences, make their own reading selections, and participate in setting goals for their future reading. (Taylor, 2000, p. 308) .This allows for students to be more involved in their reading because they are connecting their books to their own lives. When students read books that they have an interest in, they often times enjoy the book more and understand it better. The students are in charge of setting realistic goals for themselves, which they will be more likely to try to reach if they are taking part in making these goals. Everything about Readers Workshop

is directed towards the readers not the teachers. I feel as though this could be the way I teach in the future. I think that students can learn a lot when the teacher takes a step back and lets them learn on their own. The great thing about Readers Workshop is that most aspects of it are individualized. Students are the ones who get to make decisions and guide instruction during Readers Workshop (Buhrke & Pittman, 2008). The mini-lessons that are taught at the beginning of the workshop are chosen based on the needs of the students in a specific classroom. The teacher chooses what topics they will learn about or practice in the mini-lesson based on what his/her students are struggling with. During this teacher-led instruction, the teacher will focus on connecting the topic or skill to each students books or their lives. According to Mrs. OHern, a sixth-grade teacher at Horizon Elementary School, The mini-lessons are short, no longer than 15 minutes in length, and I introduce the skill that the students will be learning about while I model the skill (L. OHern, personal communication, September 28, 2013). This modeling can involve using a mentor text or read-aloud book to show the students specific examples of the topic or skill they will be learning that day. Readers Workshop strives to enhance reading comprehension and an enjoyment for reading (Buhrke & Pittman, 2008). Since the students are in charge of picking their own books, they will find the book more enjoyable. It is important to make sure that the book that is chosen is at the students independent reading level, meaning that the student can successfully read the book on his/her own without assistance. This is something that teachers need to pay attention to because most of the reading is going to be done independently.

This is not a program that only involves reading; otherwise Readers Workshop would not be as effective as it is. Conferences occur during Readers Workshop that are implemented by the teacher. During the silent reading part of Readers Workshop, Mrs. OHern calls individual students for conferences. She has them bring their book and discuss how their book incorporates the skills that were learned that day in the mini-lesson. She also asks the students about the book to see if the students comprehend the novel they have chosen (L. Ohern, personal communication, September 28, 2013). During this time, students can share their favorite passages or examples in the book with the teacher. During the conference, the teacher should be taking notes as to what level the book is and if it seems too easy or hard for the student. The teacher should suggest books at the students independent reading level that he/she might be interested in. The teacher should take into consideration not only independent reading levels, but also students likes and dislikes, favorite subjects, and favorite genres. After each conference, the teacher can reflect to see if the mini-lesson was understood by his/her students based on the conferences he/she just had. Also during independent reading, students are responding to their books. There are a variety of ways that the teacher can choose for the student to respond. Some ideas include: reflective journal writing, discussions, interviews, and surveys (Buhrke & Pittman, 2008). This is to make sure that the students comprehend what they are reading and are able to practice the skills that they learned during the min-lesson. Halfway through the workshop, Mrs. OHern does a mid-workshop interruption; she listens to the group discussion that may be taking place and checks to see that the students understand what was taught in the mini-lesson (L OHern, personal communication, September

28, 2013). This interruption can be either a reminder of the skill they are working on to keep the students on task, or it can be time for the teacher to reiterate what the skill is if the students dont seem to be understanding it. At the end of the workshop, students are able to share with a partner or the whole class about their book and what they did that day during their response time. This is helpful for the student to show the teacher whether or not he/she understands the skills and comprehends the book, but it is also a great way to get the other students interested in books that their classmates are reading. This might spark interest in a student and encourage him/her to read. This approach to teaching reading is something that has been very successful in classrooms nation-wide. Mrs. OHern believes that it is a great way to teach reading because it is individualized and the students are interacting with each other and learning from each other (L. OHern, personal communication, September 28, 2013). Taylor (2000) states that this program was implemented in a school of extremely high-risk students with much success. These students were asking when Readers Workshop was going to take place during that day. They were excited about reading, and most of them didnt enjoy it before Readers Workshop. This approach to reading instruction allows students to find enjoyment in reading while also working on literacy skills and comprehension. I would definitely use this approach in my classroom and during my student teaching this spring. I believe that I could be very successful in my Reading and Language Arts class if I used this approach to teach reading.

Works Cited Buhrke, G., & Pittman, S. (2008). Readers in Action: Implementing Readers' Workshop in a Firstand Second- Grade Classroom. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 36(1), 14-21. Retrieved September 28, 2013, from the EBSCOhost database. OHern, Lisa. Personal interview. 28 Sept. 2013.

Taylor, S. (2000). Making Literacy real for 'high-risk' Adolescent Emerging Readers: An Innovative Application of Readers' Workshop. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 44(4), 308-318. Retrieved September 28, 2013, from the EBSCOhost database.