At our Westwood Regional Middle School, we utilize the Readers and Writers Workshop Model for English Language Arts in grades 6-8, a highly effective instructional approach designed to cultivate independent and skilled readers and writers. This model, often associated with the work of Lucy Calkins, centers on a three-part structure: a mini-lesson, a workshop period, and a debrief.
The workshop model is built to provide targeted instruction followed by ample practice and reflection:
Mini-Lesson: This brief, focused segment kicks off the workshop. During this time, teachers introduce and demonstrate a specific skill, strategy, or a step within a larger project. The emphasis here is on conciseness and clarity. While direct instruction can be part of a mini-lesson, our teachers often prioritize open-ended lessons that equip students with flexible strategies or thinking routines they can apply independently or in small groups. The goal is to model a concept efficiently so students can quickly move into applying it themselves.
Students find comfortable spots to read or write. Students practice strategies learned throughout the unit, working independently or with partners.
Extends the mini-lesson or reminds students of ongoing habits.
Our comprehensive digital search engine provides access to all resources within both the Media Center and our classroom libraries. This means you have a single point of access to discover a wealth of books and materials.
To explore a specific classroom library: Simply click the drop-down arrow next to "Sublocation" and select the teacher's library you wish to browse.
To find specific titles: Use the "Find" search field to type in the book's title.
To search by subject or category: Enter your desired subject or category into the "Find" search field. This will display all titles that contain those words in their title or are listed under those subjects in our digital system.
See below how to search our Library Catalog
You can search for a book in the title or subject.
Click on the arrow by SUBLOCATION, and SELECT the LOCATION.
Or you can search for a specific reading level by selecting READING PROGRAMS for FOUNTAS & PINNELL (F&P LEVEL).
Then select the reading level you wish to research.
The Westwood Regional Middle School Academic Support Pilot Program for
ELA offers targeted assistance to students in grades 6-8 who require
additional support in ELA. Our goal is to help students succeed in their core
ELA classes.
We use two main approaches to provide instruction:
Push-in support: A support teacher works directly with students in their regular classroom, alongside the classroom teacher.
Pull-out sessions (when applicable): A student works in a small group or individually with a support teacher outside of their regular classroom.
A student's need for support is determined by a combination of teacher and parent referrals and a review of various assessments.
Please click on our manual for more information about our service.