What is it about "readers workshop"?

It's reading. It's listening to reading. It's writing about reading. It's talking about reading. It's practicing reading. It's learning phonics. It's conferencing about reading. It's thinking about reading. It's sharing about reading.

The books I read to them all teach a lesson of some sort or another that goes along with our reading workshop. I perfected a series of mini lessons that gradually releases responsibility to the children for their reading. Thus, allowing me the time to conference with each one during the week as a means of keeping them focused on their individual reading needs and goals without being interrupted. I am teaching them how to read, listen to, and comprehend books. I make mistakes when I read such as saying wall instead of hall. I stop and say wait a minute. Did that make sense? They say no. I reread that sentence and fix up the mistake I had made and then talk about how easy it is to make a mistake. I then explain how easy it is to fix the mistake. They are doing a very good job during the reading portion time of class. They have learned quite easily which are the "just right" books for themselves. Some are still working on this, and I conference with them to help them through this learning process. Not to mention they love our "I PICK" song. I am not so sure it is about the words to the song or if it is how I have taught them to dance to the song. I believe it is the latter...but I figure whatever it takes to help them remember how to pick just right books! They are up to about 25 minutes of sustained reading time.(This means they are quiet, nearly silent, and reading their just right books.) The goal is at least 45 minutes of which I will not demand silence. After all, talking about books and sharing your learning is how we all learn best! I keep reminding them that reading is like a sport and that they have to practice, practice, practice reading! I tell them that they are becoming voracious readers. They love the new and exciting words I point out such as indignant, voracious, and gleamed. I write them in my words I use when I write book because I love them so much and want to remember to use them in my writing during writers workshop. Modeling for them the exact way I want them to write these words they find as they read in their "words I use when I write" book. Next time you hear your child read...tell them they are becoming a voracious reader! They will probably faint that you recognized in them what their teacher has been telling them all along!
So many things happen in our day, I can not even begin to name them all. I do know that it is my goal to make their learning fun and meaningful in a developmentally appropriate way. You CAN NOT rush these things...so you might as well have a lot of fun along the way! I also can not stress enough how very much I care about each student, what they are learning, and if I am teaching it to my utmost ability! Besides, they are just children...life can get difficult and troublesome down the road...for now its about having fun and learning to love to learn!

I tweaked an email I had sent out earlier to a parent and placed it here on the blog.  Good information for all!