3 Actionable Steps to Incorporate Reader’s Workshop into Your Classroom

Middle School Café - A Podcast for Secondary ELA Teachers

Did you have a chance to listen to episode 1 where I talk about what reader’s workshop is and why I’m so passionate about it and episode 2 where I talk about how to build a culture of reading in your classroom? If not you won’t want to miss those!

If you did listen to those episodes and you are ready to begin incorporating reader’s workshop into your own classroom but you aren’t sure where to start then this episode is for you.

As you listen to this episode choose one thing you can do right away to start moving your classroom towards the reader’s workshop model. Join me as I discuss how to move your student’s towards independent reading, why you want to poll each of your classes on the genres they are interested in. And I’ll give you some pointers on how to handle book talks when you don’t particularly care for that genre. We’ll chat about the importance of utilizing the library with your students . If you are in a district where you can only teach whole novels I’ve got solutions to help you there as well. And then maybe the most important thing I chat about today is how I model independent reading to my students and show them the thinking process that goes with silent reading.

Are you ready to pick one thing from reader’s workshop and incorporate it into your classroom? Press play and let’s go!

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to move your students towards independent reading
• Why you should poll your students every year on the genres they are interested in
• How I handle book talks when it’s a genre I don’t read
• The benefits of taking your students to the library and why not going to the library devalues reading
• How to incorporate independent reading into your lesson plans
• Solutions to independent reading if you are only able to teach whole class novels
• How I model independent reading for my students

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Lunar Chronicles Boxed Set: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, Stars Above, Winter by Marissa Meyer (nonaffiliate link)
• Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon (nonaffiliate link)

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