We Are Readers & Writers

In KG-B we have been learning all about what it means to be readers and writers, and we have begun to realize that we are already both of these things! This learning coincides so nicely with our current unit of inquiry, whose central idea is "We share ideas through literacy." We follow a workshop model in both reading and writing instruction, which allows us the opportunity to learn new things and practice honing our skills each day.

We begin with a mini lesson. This is where teaching points are made and we have an opportunity to remind ourselves of past lessons. For this part of the lesson we gather on the carpet as a community of learners.

Next we get the chance to develop our skills through individual and group practice. In our reading workshop this includes both private and partner reading each day. Right now we are learning how to slow down to read each page and then how to share our thinking with a partner. We've learned that we can learn so much more simply by rereading stories and looking more closely.

In our writing workshop this is where we can continue our stories from the day before, or start a new piece. Right now we are writing books about experiences we've had or things we know lots about. Today we learned more about how we can make our stories into books, and some of us even started making covers to publish our books!

At the end of both workshops we have a sharing time. Sometimes we share our work with a partner, and at other times we share ideas and thoughts about a story or piece of writing. We are so excited about all that we've already accomplished. As we continue 'trying our best and forgetting the rest' we see that we can do so much more than we initially gave ourselves credit for. When the year started and we were asked to write and read, almost every one of us said "I can't". Now, only three weeks in, almost every one of us is saying "I can!"

*During Back to School Night the librarians shared more about reading and writing workshop and how you can support your child in the area of literacy. If you missed the presentation, please take a moment to read through it: