WHAT IS READING WORKSHOP?
Reading Workshop
and Writing Workshop
are complements of each other. They are both part of the Workshop System. This
system, remember, is designed to help you become more than a good student--it's
designed to help you become a good writer, and a good reader. Becoming a good
student is something that will serve you for the rest of your school career.
Becoming a good writer and reader is something that will help you--and give you
great pleasure--for the rest of your life.
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In Writing Workshop, you have the freedom to write, making mistakes, until you
hit upon something good you want to polish up, make perfect, and publish for
other people to read (and for Mrs. Loughrige to grade!). In Reading Workshop,
you have the freedom to read,
with the understanding that sometimes you'll choose something you don't like or
for some reason doesn't appeal to you. In other words, unlike the books I
assign to you in class, you won't have to finish reading it if you don't
want to. But in that freedom to find something you like, you will have
to finish reading something, just as in Writing Workshop you eventually have to
finish writing something.
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The problem is that some people are already good readers. Lots of people
would read books for pleasure, even if we didn't have Reading Workshop as part
of the class. In fact, some students wouldn't stop reading books even if I
tried to force them. Those students are in luck, and Reading Workshop will
become their favorite lesson of the week!
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Other students don't, or at least believe they don't, enjoy reading at
all. They'll say they can't find books they enjoy, or that reading is boring,
or in some cases that reading is too hard.
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Those students are also in luck! Reading Workshop is designed for them, too.
While some students will read a large book each week, some students will read a
single book per term. Most students are in the middle. That's okay...as long as
you are reading at a pace that challenges you, and as long as you have
found something you enjoy reading. Reading
is like riding a bike, because everyone starts slow and wobbly, then
eventually takes off and races around. Reading
is like eating potato chips, because every taste makes you hungry for
more. Reading
is like mountain climbing, because you gradually want to try higher and
higher peaks.
The point is that you might not discover all of this if you don't just pick up
books and try (and maybe fail, but then try again) to find a book that's
right for you. I can recommend books I think you might like, but for Reading
Workshop, I won't assign you any book and force you to read it. You need to discover
some things YOU like, and some new things you didn't know you liked, and
wouldn't have discovered without this chance to try something new.
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Why do we have Reading Workshop
once a week? That's why.