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Poetry Workshop

Kids love reading poetry! I turned my reading workshop into a poetry workshop in April. I found lots and lots of poems online and in books. I copied the poems for the kids, and they had their own binder full of poems. Here are two charts that I made to help teach kids how to read poetry. Before doing any type of assessment in poetry, the kids had to learn how to read a poem. After spending a week on reading poetry, I did fluency assessments for three weeks. Kids shared poems to the class aloud independently and in groups. They had lots of fun. Along with the fluency assessments, we also reviewed comprehension strategies inferring and creating mental images.

Determining the Important Idea in Text

Determining the Importance comprehension strategy was a new one that I did this year! I had lots of fun with it too! While reading non-fiction, we practiced finding the "main idea" in text. Along with that, kids had to find important details that supported their idea. Here is chart that we created during the first few lessons. Before I gave students any type of assessment, I wanted to make sure that they were getting the idea down during their independent reading. On this chart, the kids had to write their "important sentence" on one sticky note. On the other side, they had to write two or three sentences that supported their important sentence. During share time, we went over the sticky notes in a large circle.

Letters to the Teacher

Letters to the teacher is a great way to get kids writing and sharing their understanding of the text with you!

Here is a letter that I had my kids do after reading an article about a guide dog named Aynsley that works in the hospital. We read the article together a couple of times before I asked them to do the writing. I have found that letters to the teacher are better when you use the same text for everyone, and do the letters at one time for second grade students. I tried having a few kids each week to do them, but it was hard to manage and the kids were not doing them correctly. When I started to do them together I could remind them of the components, and what was expected of them.

I also have a rubric that I use to score the letter for a reading grade.

Using Think Sheets to Assess During Indpendent Reading Time

When kids are reading you really want them to apply strategies during their independent reading time. Each week I give students a new piece of construction paper. This paper is called their "think sheet." Students use their think sheet to place their thinking on. I collect them every couple of weeks. Their goal is to write one note a day.

This student used a variety of strategies. She used the questioning, determining the importance, and making connections. She also made a response on one of her notes.

Here is a copy of a rubric that I use for independent reading time. In the beginning of the year I use it on a weekly basis so kids understand what they're expected to do. As time goes, I do it every other week. There is a score for taking time to think during the workshop. I think that's very appropriate to have in there since I am asking kids to write down their thinking.

Reading Workshop and Assessment -Suggested Readings

These are my favorite books that I use all year to help me with assessing during the workshop and ideas that help me plan my workshop.


Harvey, Stephanie, & Goudvis, A. Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding. Portland, Maine: Steinhouse, 2000.

Harvey, Stephanie & Goudvis, A. The Primary Comprehension Tooklit - Language and Lessons for Active Literacy. Portland, Maine: Steinhouse, 2008.

Hutchins, C. & Zimmermann, S. (2003). 7 Keys to Comprehension – How to Help Your Kids Read it and Get it! Three Rivers Press.

Miller, Debbie. Reading With Meaning Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades. Stenhouse Plubishing.

What other books do you use?

Assessment Websites for Reading Workshop

Mrs. Hayden's World -http://www.mrshaydenworld.com/forms.html
This is a great website to find different think sheets for kids to use while they're reading. This website has lots of other reading workshop study ideas too! I use this site a lot!

Reading Lady -http://www.readinglady.com/index.php?module=documents&JAS_DocumentManager_op=viewDocument&JAS_Document_id=6
Here is a direct link to thinking sheets that goes with the different comprehension strategies. This is very useful especially if you're just beginning reading workshop. These sheets are already made for you!