Reading in the Wild: Planning Reading Workshop {Part 2}

Here's hoping you joined in the chapter 1 fun last week.  If not, definitely click HERE to check out what it was all about and explore all the other bloggers that are participating/hosting the book study along with me.  You definitely won't be sorry!!

There is a tiny little 4-page chunk at the end of the chapter all about developing a reading workshop in your classroom to support wild readers in your classroom as well as every thing else that comes in to play as modern day teachers that we are.

I'm going to be honest here, I do not have a reader's workshop in my classroom.  It has been attempted more than once over my 9 (soon to be 10-year) career and really got off the ground back when I started using the Daily 5 (I adapted it to Daily 3) and CAFE my last year at my old school.  Then, I transferred schools and had to readjust to different scheduling, requirements, and the environment.  So, I'm looking forward to reading what everyone else comes up with on their blogs this week for sure!

See...what you have here are some oooooooooold pictures from my 2009-2010 classroom when I first decided to try Daily 3 and CAFE.

It worked so well for me that year and I tried so so very hard to follow what the 2 Sisters set forth in their plan.  But I still didn't embrace it fully because I didn't completely like all parts of it.  I don't know if it was the management or if it was the particular lessons.  I do remember not liking how I had to slowly but surely roll out the modeling of certain behaviors and what not.  That might be the BIGGEST part of me stopping it.

So, now that I've seen how well the ideas in The Book Whisperer work for me and my kids in the past AND starting the process of reading Reading in the Wild, I can see how I have to find a way for it to work for me and the students.  I'm willing to try it again and revamp it when necessary because of how independent reading will be the front runner.  But...and this is a big BUT...it will be insanely tricky with the first year of Common Core being rolled out and so many changes in the benchmark assessments this year.  To be honest again, I'm not sure how it's going to work out or if it will work out.
Two things you should really know from this short section:

• "What matters most is that our daily work in the classroom values best practices and doesn't become bogged down with a log of must-dos and tired activities that crowd out authentic learning opportunities for our students." (p. 40)
• "It is our implementation and management of it.  Are we creating a place where reading a lot, writing a lot, and thinking a lot happen in our classrooms?" (p. 41)

Once you grasp the above, start working on what you want your workshop to have (just like a wish list).  Use the rule of thirds to divide it up amongst whole group, independent practice, and independent reading.  I plan to use the two sample schedules (one of those is below) in order to try and figure out what will hopefully become a successful workshop for my students and I.

Do you use reader's workshop in your classroom?  I'd love to hear your tips and tricks as well as things to avoid.  

Link up below if you have your own blog and if you don't, definitely leave comments and we'll start up a discussion!  

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