Many teachers are excited to implement a Reading Workshop in their classroom.  And why not?  It is a framework for teaching reading that allows students to read self-selected texts at their own level, and it provides us teachers with many opportunities to differentiate our teaching to meet the wide variety of readers we often find in our classrooms.  However, when we give up the traditional methods of teaching reading, there can initially be a concern when it comes to assessment.  The basal texts and other prepackaged reading programs come complete with end-of-the-story comprehension questions for each selection, fill-in-the blank vocabulary worksheets to match the "one size fits all" stories, and specific questions to ask students as they are reading the stories.  We know that these methods of assessment are not accurate indicators of true reading performance, nor do they help teachers guide their instruction to meet the specific needs of individual readers in their classroom.  So you are probably asking, how can I implement a Reading Workshop and also assess my readers in an effective, efficient, and, most importantly, informative way?

Read on to find out how I use both formal and informal means of assessment to regularly evaluate my readers and inform my own teaching.

Once I did away with the basal many years ago and adopted the Reading Workshop approach in my classroom, I quickly realized that my students needed a place to organize their reading materials, keep track of the books they read, and record the thinking they do about their reading.  After trying out a variety of different versions of a Reader's Notebook, including a spiral notebook and a Duo-Tang folder, I finally determined that a binder was the most user-friendly solution. 

A binder works so well for my readers because it provides them with an efficient way to add new handouts, quickly access information, and easily refer to previous reading responses in the six carefully organized sections of the binder.

I can't imagine running my Reading Workshop without having my students maintain a Reader's Notebook.  It is in this notebook that students build their reading lives over the course of the year.  READ ON to learn more about the sections I include in my Reader's Notebook and find links to download the resources I include in each section.

Richard Allington believes that effective elementary literacy instruction incorporates six common features.  He labels them as the Six Ts.

They are time, texts, teaching, talk, tasks, and testing. 

His many studies make it clear that students need lots of time to read. It's also important that the time spent reading is done in texts that are "just right" for the students. Explicit teaching of reading strategies and skills followed by meaningful tasks are at the heart of what he believes readers need. He also emphasizes the importance of providing time for readers to engage in authentic talk about their books. Finally, he believes testing should not be used to define students but rather to guide a teacher's instruction so that she can help her readers grow. 

I believe wholeheartedly in the philosophy of reading workshop because, if executed effectively, it allows teachers to seamlessly incorporate these Six Ts into their reading instruction on a daily basis. While it has taken me years to feel entirely comfortable with this reading workshop, I can't imagine another way of teaching reading that would as effectively meet the needs of my readers.

Read on to view a VIDEO of a typical day of reading workshop in our classroom, find tips for workshop management, get new ideas for assigning and managing independent reading tasks, and check out links to reading workshop printables.

A library is an essential part of any elementary classroom. To run an effective Reading Workshop, it is necessary to stock your classroom library with books of a variety of genres, topics, and levels. Teachers who use the workshop method know that readers need lots of books in a single year, as they are given time to read self-selected texts independently on a daily basis. For this reason, it's important to organize your classroom library in a way that allows students to easily find "just right" books that they are interested in reading.

Read on to watch a video about how I organize my classroom library and how I use it as a tool to help my students evaluate their own reading progress throughout the year.  You will also find ideas for collecting more books for your own classroom library, links to download book labels, and additional photos of the library.

There are times when I feel more like an interior designer than a teacher.  I'm sure there are many of you who can relate to this same feeling at the beginning of the school year. I spend a great deal of time obsessing over the layout of my classroom so that it complements my teaching style and also creates an environment that supports learning. I work hard to arrange my furniture in a way that leaves lots of places for students to gather. I also strive to make my classroom one that is cozy, interesting, and interactive all at the same time.  After many tweaks and even extreme makeovers, my classroom finally feels like my "home away from home."

Read on to view a virtual tour of my classroom, see additional pictures of classroom displays, and find downloads of useful posters and tools I use in my classroom.

One of the most important goals for me as a teacher is to build community in my classroom.  Making my diverse students feel like a united group of individuals who care for each other and work together is what I strive for as each new school year begins.  I also work hard to make my classroom a place where learning is fun and where students feel excited to be each day.  Implementing a class theme each year is the perfect way for me to combine these two important goals.  

Welcome to Teaching Matters! I’m Beth Newingham, and this is my 10th year of teaching. I had the pleasure of serving as the Scholastic Grades 3–5 Teacher Advisor two years ago, and I’m so excited to be back on the site this year!

I’ve lived my entire life in Michigan and currently teach in Troy, Michigan, at Hill Elementary School. The City of Troy is a suburban community located about 25 minutes from downtown Detroit. Troy is rich in cultural diversity, and that is certainly reflected in our student population. Among the 350 students in my building, over 30 different languages are spoken. Teachers, parents, and students celebrate this diversity and take great pride in the unique differences we all bring to our school and our community.