Orehovec, Barbara & Alley, Marybeth (2003)
Revisiting the Reading Workshop: Management, Mini-Lessons, and Strategies.
New York: Scholastic.
Revisiting the Reading Workshop presents the K-12 teacher practitioner’s understanding of what a reading workshop is and how it fosters lifelong strategic readers in elementary grades. The authors provide information on each component; how to organize a reading workshop as well as teaching activities/techniques. Examples of basic elements, procedures, recommended books (for particular skills instruction), and various guides for immediate classroom use are included along with explanations of many teaching activities. The book proposes that the Reading Workshop is effective due to the supportive environment created for authentic and meaningful reading experiences based on the strengths and needs of each individual learner. The authors draw upon their many years of first-hand experiences—one as a classroom teacher and the other as a reading specialist—to map out a plan for their fellow teachers.
The book is structured in eight chapters and centers on how to establish a literate community using a reading workshop approach. The strengths of the book lie in the mini-lesson ideas, various teaching activity guides, and sharing “Teacher to Teacher” tips. An overview of each chapter and evaluation of the book follow. Chapter one includes the basic elements of a reading workshop (i.e., the mini-lesson and read aloud, independent reading and conferring, responding and sharing), a rationale, and a comparison of traditional reading instruction to the reading workshop classroom approach. The differences are examined in terms of time for reading, types of direct instruction, nature of instructional practices, nature of responses, and assessment. Chapter two discusses the organization and management of a reading workshop classroom. It highlights principles of a successful workshop such as teacher expectations, ways to encourage “on task” behaviors, scheduling, space design, classroom library set up and system, and parental involvement.
The next four chapters (three, four, five, and six) are devoted to structures, contents, and techniques of mini-lessons. They include a brief discussion of long-term and short-term planning, and sample planning guides. In structuring mini-lessons, it is important to understand what is required for a teacher’s role and the responsibilities of the student to ensure a smooth transition to independent reading activities. Chapter four highlights a four-week plan for the month of September for the purpose of ironing out a routine in the beginning of academic year. A twenty-day mini-lessons example illustrates a variety of topics for the mini-lessons and the procedures. Chapters five and six focus on teaching (1) reading strategies—mainly metacognitive strategies, (2) skills instruction—a variety of skills such as decoding skills, identifying the content and the structure of different types of text, and response techniques, and (3) literary elements—e.g., character, setting, theme, etc. for mini-lesson instructions.
Chapter seven explains independent reading, reading conferences, and reading response. Different formats of organizing independent reading time (e.g., partner reading, story chats, guided reading, etc.) provide readers a general understanding of what and why. What a reading conference is and possible content of reading conferences are listed. A table highlights interventions for conferring with students who are having reading difficulties. The chapter ends with a brief section of different methods of responding to literature. The final chapter introduces several informal assessment techniques in documenting student progress. Checklists and rubrics are provided. Following the final chapter are recommended children’s books, a list of professional resources, and appendices of more ready-to-use guides for different teaching activities. For example, “Story Chats” is a checklist to guide the students in what to do before they meet for story chats.
This can be a useful book for classroom teachers who are seeking ideas for the reading workshop approach, and mini-lessons in particular. The authors’ attempt in mapping out a framework for a reading workshop instructional approach should be applauded. However, there are several concerns with regards to the scope of the content and the overall knowledge of the reading workshop approach. First, the presentation weighs heavily on mini-lessons and offers little on independent reading, reading conferences, and reading responses, which are also main components of the reading process. Second, the categorization of reading strategies, skills, and literary elements overlaps and very likely will confuse readers’ and learners’ understanding of metacognitive strategies, reading skills, and literary repertoire. This understanding is critical in sequencing effective instructions that meet individual learner needs. Third, explanations and information on “Independent Reading” are limited. Ways in which grand conversations can be promoted during partner reading or group reading are not addressed. Overall, this book is a useful resource guide for a variety of ideas and strategies of the reading workshop instruction. Other readings are needed for adopting a Reading Workshop approach.
Pages: 160
Price: $15.99
ISBN: ISBN 0-439-44404-7
Reviewed by by Dr. Shwuyi Leu, Saint Xavier University, Chicago
