Reading Workshop

First grade is learning how to do book talks!  We are talking about books with the whole class and with reading partners.  Partners make predictions and do picture walks before reading the book.  After reading the book, partners can discuss their favorite part, favorite picture, a personal connection, things they are wondering, and many other topics.  Partners practice being a good listener during book talks by looking at the speaker, nodding your head, and saying, "uh-huh."  Their minds are focused on the speaker and they respond to what the speaker says.

Writing Workshop

Writing workshop allows students to spend time daily writing about things that interest them. 

Writing workshop helps students take ownership of their writing and their goals for improvement.  It increases class time spent on writing rather than on whole group instruction and supports the stages of the writing process.  Writing workshop decreases the amount of time spent on isolated drills and worksheets and increases the amount of time spent on real writing.   Teachers are able to spend time conferring with individual students on a daily basis in order to determine their instructional needs.  This information is used to plan future instruction that is differentiated to meet the needs of all students.  The ultimate goal of writing workshop is to develop life-long writers who enjoy writing and are able to write with proficiency and confidence.

"We fall in love with our students when we know their stories...when their stories emerge, our teaching is changed forever." --Lucy Calkins