What is Readers' Workshop?

Readers’ Workshop (RW) is a research-based approach that addresses the needs of all students in a classroom. RW begins with a focus lesson where the teacher explicitly models a strategy or skill. After the focus lesson, the students read independently to practice the strategy or skill.

During independent reading, students are reading “just-right” books that are matched to their individual abilities and interests. The teacher confers with students during independent reading to be sure they are successful in their practice or to provide 1:1 instruction around any particular needs. Sometimes, the teacher may work with a small group of students who have similar needs during independent reading.

Finally, RW ends with a group share to summarize the important understandings of the lesson.

The structured nature of RW builds a predictable routine and guarantees opportunities for differentiated instruction and intervention.

Structure of Reader’s Workshop