Teaching Effectively Using the Workshop Model
The new curriculum adopted by the New York City Schools uses
a workshop model to
teach reading and writing. Essentially, in the workshop
model the student learns by doing in the same way you might
learn how to make pottery by going to a pottery workshop. In
this case, the student learns to read by reading and learns
to write by writing.
Both the reading and writing workshops start with a 10 to 15
minute mini-lesson. The
mini-lesson has a definite structure. The first part is the connection (the teacher starts by connecting the current
lesson to something previously done). Next comes the teaching
point (the teacher states explicitly and repeatedly exactly
what she is teaching in this lesson). Next the teacher models
or demonstrates exactly what she wants the students to do.
Next is the active engagement (all the students try out or
discuss what it is they are supposed to do). The last part of
the mini-lesson is the link (the teacher tells
the students what they will do during the independent work
time of the workshop). During this period, the
students work independently while the teacher walks around
and confers with individual students. After about 30
minutes, the teacher briefly shares using a student’s good
work as an example.
Following is an example of a typical Writer’s Workshop: The
teacher refers to the students as “Writers” and starts the
workshop with a connection to whatever writing strategy she
taught the students yesterday. Next, the teacher might say,
“Today I want to teach you how to sketch an experience to
help you write about it.” She demonstrates her thinking
process and how she gets to the moment she wants to sketch.
When she finally gets to that moment, the teacher will do
the sketch in her own writer’s notebook with the students
watching. After the sketch is done, the teacher will write a
few sentences describing the sketch. Next, to encourage
active engagement, the teacher will ask the students to
imagine a small moment that they want to sketch; the
students may trace the sketch on their hands, in the air, or
on the rug. They may turn and talk to their neighbor about
what they plan on sketching. At this point, the teacher may
quote some of the more interesting statements the students
She then sends them off to work independently with words
such as “Today and everyday, when you go off to write, you
may want to make a sketch to help you write about a moment
in your lives.” The students go off to their writing spaces.
The teacher circulates around the room and tries to confer
with a few students. In each case the teacher asks the
student about her writing, and then tries to find an
individual teaching point for that student. If a number of
students need the same kind of help, the teacher may speak
loudly enough for nearby students to overhear the
conference. If the majority of the class requires the same
kind of help, the teacher may use a mid-workshop
interruption to point out something or reinforce a teaching
point. Later the teacher will briefly share with the whole
Similarly, in a reading workshop, the teacher will also
start with a connection to something
previously done. She will then state the teaching point- for
example pointing out that good
readers reread to check their comprehension. She may state,
“Today when we read, we’re going to use the strategy of
rereading to check comprehension.” Next the teacher may read
an excerpt and model rereading it to demonstrate how that
helps her to understand the piece. The students then have
the opportunity to try out their new skill in their group.
The teacher will make the link, saying, for example, “Today
and every day when you read, you will know how to stop and
reread to make sure that you understand what you reading.”
Students then go to their reading spots and try out their
new strategy using their just right books in their book
baggies. The teacher circulates conferring or assessing.
As you can see, the workshop model encourages active
participation from all students.
Please e-mail me if you have any questions.