The Lower Primary has adopted a workshop approach to teaching reading and writing. Units of study in both reading and writing aretaught in approximately 4-6 weekly periods, immersing students within a particular genre and/or strategy for reading and writing.Regardless of what unit is taught, the structure of the lesson remains the same, providing students with consistency and predictability in instruction.
Mini-lessons
Mini-lessons follow a structured pattern to introduce and teach students knowledge and skills. Students are offered a chance to practice and think about what they have learned. Mini-lessons drive each unit of study forward, giving a road map for the teacher’s ongoing instruction.
Independent Time
The independent time of the workshop provides an opportunity for students to read or write independently. This independent time increases across the year and from grade-level to grade-level. During this time, students are reading independently in their “reading spots” and teachers are having conferences or leading small group instruction.
Conferences
Everyday, teachers spend time working one-on-one with students. This unique way of teaching enables them to differentiate their instruction and therefore to ensure that each student is progressing at their own rate. Teachers cycle through the whole class in approximately 1-2 weeks and are therefore able to follow up on past conferences in a timely fashion. Conferences tend to last 5-10minutes and are focused on individual needs.
Small Group Instruction
Teachers will often notice students with common strengths and needs during the conferring time. They then can pull small groups, commonly referred to as Strategy lessons. These strategy lessons allow teachers to give additional instruction to students as needed and enable teachers to see students quite often across a 1-2 week period. Guided reading is a form of small group instruction, which takes place during reading workshop where teachers gather students with similar reading needs/ working on similar goals.
Share
A share takes place at the end of a workshop and can be both a whole class or partnership conversation. During this time, the teacher usually chooses a focus to share. Students may also have conversations around the experiences around a strategy or troubleshoot challenges encountered. The goal is that through conversation, students reach a deeper level of understanding by explaining their process and expressing their opinion. Celebrating student learning is a fundamental part of our program.
