Reading and Writing Workshop

A Reading and Writing Workshop is another great way to get children involved with reading and writing. In the workshop, the students are able to choose books, read and respond to them independently. The students will also be able to write books on "self-selected" topics during winter workshop. This is a great way for teachers to monitor the students through conferences and also a great way for students to open up and share the books they have read along with their own created books they made with their classmates.
There are many strengths to this workshop. The students read books appropriate for their reading levels, the teachers teach mini lessons on reading strategies and skills, the activities are student directed and they are able to work at their own pace. There are also limitations to this workshop. During the workshop, the teachers often may feel a loss of control, because just like Literature Circles, the students are reading different books and working at different stages.