Reading Curriculum and Instruction

Reading Workshop: 

The workshop model is an important part of our comprehensive literacy framework. It helps build a community of readers by providing explicit instruction, teacher support, collaboration with peers, and opportunities for independent reading. 

Teachers provide reading instruction through whole class and small group lessons and provide opportunities for students to read and practice skills, with books selected for their independent level. Teachers increase independence through a gradual release of responsibility, using partnerships and clubs, and finally independence.

Reading workshop provides students with strong literacy habits by engaging them in meaningful literacy activities that help to develop reading skills and comprehension. Readers improve through focus lessons and by reading daily -- in school and at home.  We provide students with opportunities for choice in reading materials and encourage them to read across a variety of genres and formats.  Reading is taught through the workshop model which has five parts:

• • • • Mini-Lesson: (approximately 10 minutes)  

      • Independent Reading:  (20-40 minutes depending upon stamina and age group *) 

      • Conferring and Small Group Work: (takes place during independent reading) 

      • Mid Workshop Teaching: (3-5 minutes)

      • Share/Closing: (10 minutes) 

TOTAL TIME: approximately 40-60 minutes depending upon the grade level

Independent reading stamina should increase over the school year. *

Scarsdale Elementary instruction in reading includes a variety of research-based materials such as Heggerty Phonemic Awareness, Fundations, Spelling Connections, and the Units of Study in Reading and Phonics,  as the foundation for our reading curriculum.  Our reading instruction exposes students to a variety of reading genres, skills, and strategies and builds a strong vertical alignment for our learners across grade levels.