John F. Kennedy Elementary School

Literacy at JFK ~ Writer's and Reader's Workshops

Literacy at John F. Kennedy is driven by the New Standards Primary Literacy Standards.

Setting aside a large, uninterrupted block of time for writing, daily, is important for students to really have time to think and write; and Writers' Workshop does just that. It provides a predictable place in the school day so that children can anticipate and plan for it. The structure is simple so that children know what to expect in the workshop. If students are expected to do their best and make their best better, they need time to draft, conference, and revise their work.

Writers' Workshop starts with a Mini-Lesson that focuses on some aspect of direct writing instruction. This focus is determined by looking at student work and determining what needs the children have. The next 30-40 minutes is writing time. Students are focused on various aspects of their writing while the teacher conferences with the students. This conference time provides students with the focused instruction that they need. In essence, children are driven by an individualized learning plan that is developed with the teacher, during their conference time together. Each session of writers' workshop ends with "share time". The purpose of it is for children to share successes and new learning and to also support work that is in progress.

"When children have daily extended periods of time to read books that are appropriately supportive and challenging, they get practice in the whole act of reading and experience how all the parts work together". S. Taberski-On Solid Ground

Readers' Workshop allows children to have these long, continuous amounts of time to practice the act of reading. It follows a similar format to Writers' Workshop in that is has a Mini-Lesson, followed by reading time, and ending with share time.

In Readers' Workshop the Mini-Lesson provides direct reading instruction for the children. The children then go find a comfortable place in the room with their "bags of books" and read. During this extended time children practice the strategies for reading that they have discussed with their teacher during conferencing. While the children read, the teacher conferences with individual students. This is when children receive more instruction on a strategy, have conversations about what they are reading, and assess growth in their reading through running records. As is the case with writers' workshop, each child has individual strategies that they are working on and the teacher tracks their progress with these conferences. Each Readers' Workshop ends with "share time" where children share successes or new findings with the class.