Imagine the scene: the room is quiet, save for the turning of pages and the scribbling of a few pencils. Students are scattered around the room. Some are reading online texts, others read print versions of fiction or non-fiction. A few, those who like being active, are cruising the building as they listen to an audio book and work out their kinesthetic energy at the same time. The students have had choice in what they read, and you can tell because they seem utterly engaged in what they are doing. While the class comest together for a few moments each day for a mini-lesson, there is an absence of basal readers or anthologies. The sing-song readalouds of the past aren’t here.
Sounds like the perfect library, eh? Could be. But it also could be a classroom ignited with the power of Reader’s Workshop.
Reader’s Workshop allows for very individualized instruction and for children to naturally progress at their own pace and level.
But there’s a catch.
Most Reader’s Workshop advocates suggest that teachers have a classroom library that has literally dozens of books for each student. How is the library — what was once the go-to spot for great reads — impacted by the proliferation of satellite libraries built by teachers, often at their own expense? How is the librarian involved in helping classroom collections grow with a balance of genres, perspective, and formats?
For an upcoming “Essential Reads” column, we’d love to hear how your building is implementing Reader’s Workshop. How did you, as the librarian, find a home in this initiative? What essential questions need to be discussed? What resources were used to help build up faculty expertise?
We hope you’ll share your experiences in the form below. Classroom Management and RtI are now closed topics, but you’re welcome to submit to either Reader’s or Writer’s Workshop. Help your colleagues gain a footing — and enjoy seeing your name in print!
Thanks!
