Reading Workshop Activities

Song and Poem Book

At the beginning of the year, I give each child a 1/2 inch white binder. We put a title page inside the front clear pocket and each student keeps the binder in his/her desk. I introduce the songs and poems during shared reading and writing mini-lessons. During reading workshop, each student illustrates the song/poem and then they get a reading wand (chop stick, dipped in glue and rolled in glitter) and then they find a buddy to read with.

Sometimes, we use the song and poem book in a mini-lesson and do a 'fast finger' search for language arts skills. I'll ask them to point to/find capital letters, punctuation, compound words, contractions, nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. Sometimes I make a list and sometimes we just call them out. They like it because the text is so familiar. I like it because I can see who still has a hard time finding what we are looking for. At the end of the year, I bind the books together with yarn and the children take them home.

CanTeach Songs and Poems

Mrs. Henriksen's Poetry Pages  

Listening Center

I have a CD / Tape player and a large collection of listening center books. For years, I used all my bonus points from the Scholastic orders to collect them. I always do a preview of the story during whole group mini-lesson and there is always a follow-up activity to do with the reading workshop group. I let the students work together (help each other) because the follow-up activity will be done independently later on during Reading Response Journals.  

Pocket Chart Activities

I keep a pocket chart on one side of my easel so it is always ready to be used. I keep the materials needed for the activity in a tub with the 'pocket chart' icon on the front. I introduce the activity during whole group mini-lesson and then the students do the activity together during small group reading workshop. I have many different types of matching games, word sorts (from Words Their Way), Sentence Strip - making sentences, adding adjectives, changing a sentence to a question, finding main ideas from a group of words, etc. They are very hands-on and interactive.

Reading Response Journals

We do not start independent Reading Response Journals until we have done many of the activities whole group and small group. I have a large binder with tabbed sections to keep 'ready to choose' activities. I wrote the name of the activity on the tab and color coded easy/medium/hard (kids don't know why there are colors). When it is time for RRJ, the student can choose three different ones to go in their own RRJ notebook. I let them take three so they have a choice and they must do all three before coming to get more. I try to direct them to an appropriate activity based on the book they are going to use.

In my notebook, I have collected graphic organizers and retelling activities (create a 'Wanted' poster, character sketches, make a story cube, create a different ending, make a commercial, etc.) I started with the book Revisit, Reflect, Retell by Linda Hoyt.....lots of great graphic organizers and activities (she has a website with free stuff!!!). I have also collected from other books / teachers or made my own. The kids love it because they are always different and they have a choice!

Linda Hoyt Freebies

Double Entry Journal - Fiction

Double Enrty Journal - Nonfiction

My Favorite Part

Reader's Theater