The Workshop Model and Balanced Literacy aims to foster lifelong independent readers and writers. It emphasizes high-interest, high-volume reading and writing based on individual developmental levels. There is never a greater time of cognitive variability than in the middle years. Therefore, it is vital to ensure students are reading texts and engaging in writing tasks that appropriately match their developmental needs in order to ensure success.
During Reading Workshop students are guided through their choice of texts to read. To support a high volume of reading exposure, students are given class time each day to read. The model allows students to acquire skills through the use of strategy driven mini lessons; student/teacher conferring sessions; small group instruction; mid-workshop teaching points, and teacher shares. Teachers also put an emphasis on individualized reading conferences, allowing for personalized, one to one instruction.
During Writing Workshop, students engage with units of study that provide instruction in narrative, argument (persuasive), informational, research, and poetic writing. The program focuses on developing each student's understanding of the writing process, the use of writing, and the acquisition of the characteristics of great writers. The workshop method helps develop writers that are focused, detailed, structured, clear, and insightful through mini lesson; student/teacher conferring sessions; small group instruction; mid-class assessments and teaching points and teacher shares. Teachers also put an emphasis on individualized writing conferences, allowing for personalized, one to one instruction.
Our curriculum is aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for English Language Arts, the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments and is designed to develop confident, critical, and skilled readers and writers.