I use the reading/writing workshop as an opportunity to Guide my students along a continuum in both reading as well as writing. This workshop is  intended to be a five week long [or more if you want ] teaching unit that invites students to read and write-often simultaneously- so that meaning is made through connections with text, themselves and the world they live in. Throughout the workshop students use the individual novels they choose to work most often independently but through shared activities they gain an understanding of the other novels in the class. I use short books with artistic drawings to demonstrate comprehension strategies and I use strategy lessons to teach writing techniques or traits that all authors follow.  I have set up a schedule where students understand what is expected of them during the workshop.

     My  GOAL  is to take students from dependency to independency, where they can make their own decisions about what they will read and how they will write. However, I feel they need guidance before they can do this. In order to help students reach independence I conference with them individually. I ask them questions about what they have read or I ask them to read orally to me. When they are working on responding, I have them read these to me and I have conversations about their reactions. When students write a poem or a letter based on what they have read we discuss writing techniques.

     Throughout this workshop, my students organize their work using a Portfolio to bring meaning to their reading as well as structure to their writing. They are asked to Relate and React to what they read. They use a Reading Log section to record their reactions through many different means like letter writing to a character. Students are asked to keep a Writing Notebook and to write their life in it so that they can understand the importance of Point of View and Voice in their writing.  Through Read Alouds students learn to read from an author's point of view and understand the nuances of  style of writing.

      Before students choose their first book I teach them how to choose a just right book   If this link doesn't work   go to:  http://www.tooter4kids.com/classroom/how_to_choose_a_book.htm

     I have independent activities organized in pocket folders for students. After I guide them through a few graphic organizers and mapping activities I all them to pick and choose activities that suit their reading purpose. I show them the ones that they need to hand in. Otherwise when they find parts of the book difficult to read or when they find they are drifting off they are to go into the folders and find an activity to complete. They choose two of these to hand in by the end of each book.

     By using the resources provided by the Department of Education (Nova Scotia) we have a rich learning environment where students can explore the world of reading/writing. The opportunities across the curriculum for reading/writing practice are endless and can be part of the daily Reader's and Writer's workshop.

     Guided reading or writing is a large part of a workshop of this type. It would be advisable to view the background information first.