The  purpose of reading  & writing workshop is to promote literacy in the classroom. We set the purpose for students by focusing on text and promoting the enjoyment and love of reading through meaningful interactions with the printed word. This is true for writing as well. By making their own responses to reading or responding in some written context to what they have read, students begin to understand what they read.

    We  use conversation as a bridge for reading and/or writing. Reading is the foundation of the bridge (anchors), writing the suspension cables and conversation the deck- or what gets us places.

    The  main focus of reading workshop is to help our students learn to read independently for enjoyment by connecting to the text in meaningful ways. 

        "Workshop is an ideal environment for high-energy middle school students who love to chat and socialize, are working towards independence in reading, and yearn for more responsibility."

Teaching Reading in Middle School

Laura Robb (p.26)

     The  main Focus of Writing Workshop is to support the reading and to help students make connections with text, the world and their own experiences. (self)

     We  set the purpose for writing through reading. What matters is that students talk about the reading and talk about the writing both their own and that of good story tellers. Students must use their own language to come to an understanding of literature, then they may begin to craft(Fletcher/Portalupi) their own writing.

"The Writing Classroom is Built on a foundation of literature. Kids need    challenging texts that awe and inspire   as well as easier texts over which they have mastery.....Many books can be used to teach craft (writing) lessons     A picture book like The Paperboy, by Dav Pilkey, is written in a style that is deceptively simple."

Craft Lessons: teaching Writing K-8

Ralph Fletcher & JoAnn Portalupi (p.11)