Choice #5: Write About Reading

The most recent choice we have added to our Reading Workshop time is Writing About Reading, a choice in which students write letters to me about the current I PICK book they are reading, these letters are written in their Reading Workshop folders and I use these letters as a way of holding students accountable for what they are reading during their independent reading. The focus of the letters is not to summarize the facts of what they have read, but to show their thinking about what they have read. The letter they write include a short summary of what they have read most recently read, responses to reading workshop questions that encourage students to show their thinking about what they have read, and answers to questions that I have recently asked the student about their reading. The initial response to this choice has been, at most mediocre. It seems that most students have written some sort of Reading Workshop Letter in previous years and do not have overly positive feelings towards this. This will present some challenges for me as I strive to make this a choice that students enjoy. In my Week 8 Reflection survey for my collection of data I will be asking students about their feeling towards the Writing About Reading choice and will then have a better understanding of students’ true feelings towards this choice.

One way that I hope to keep students engaged in this choice is through my responses back to them about what they are reading. I strive to use my responses to student’s letters as a time to connect with them about what they are reading as well as time to connect with them on a more personal level. My goal is through prompt responses and showing my own effort being put forth that students will be motivated in their own writing as well.

Student’s letters are due approximately once every other week, and with 25 students I have 5 journals due each day. The students were given a color folder where different Reading Workshop materials are kept, including a place where they write their letters, their color represents the day in which their journal is due. I am currently 3 days into the first week of journal being due and so far their letters have been good, some stronger than others, some showing their thinking with good details, some trying to get away with as few words as possible. But for now I am happy that all letters are being handed in on time with some sort of letter written. We will work on continuing to improve the quality of these letters as we move forward.  

We are currently established in four choice activities during Reading Workshop: Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, and Write About Reading. (the reason that this post is titled Choice #5 is because I have also introduced the choice of what students choose to read for their independent reading book selections) One shift I have seen with these choices is that Read to Someone is not as popular as it once was, which has eased some of my concerns about this choice. I think part of this shift comes from the new responsibility of having to Write About Reading, students are finding that they need to use some of their Reading Workshop time to work independently on their letter so that it is ready on their due date. I do have some students who are continuously choosing to Read to Someone, and while I do feel this is a good choice, I also do not think it is one that they should be doing every day. We currently only have one block of time per Reading Workshop period in which students can make a choice. As we establish routines I am hoping that we can shift this to two choice blocks per Reading Workshop period. (at least a few times a week) I am finding time to be one of my greatest challenges.

Next up is Working on Writing a choice in which students will be able to use their time to work on and reread their own writing pieces that they are producing during Writing Workshop.