Bringing the Readers Workshop Model to High School ELs Melissa
Persson, Heather McKerrow Wellstone International High School
MPS
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Our School - Wellstone Newcomer High School for MPS Sheltered
ELD, content and literacy classes
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Our Students Beginning/Intermediate Reading WIDA Composite
Levels 1-3 0-3 years in U.S. SLIFE
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Student Data Student A 2014 WIDA Reading 1.9 Current F+P level
A Student B 2014 WIDA Reading 1.9 Current F+P level H
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Why Readers Workshop? Lack of usable data for low language
level Students were not actively reading To increase literacy,
students need: -to read everyday -texts at independent and
instructional level -explicit reading strategies instruction
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Elementary: 90 min. literacy block 1:25 Ages: 5-11 Low-level
texts geared toward this age group High School: 50 min. classes
1:150 Ages: 14-21 Low-level texts not geared toward this age
group
Benefits Knowing our students literacy needs Differentiation
Monitoring growth Individual goal setting All language modalities:
active reading, writing and speaking about text everyday
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Benefits Students understand themselves as readers Choice
Building independence Students ARE reading
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Reading Growth
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What You Need Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment Kits
Leveled libraries in each reading classroom Leveled guided reading
library Reading A-Z, RAZ Kids Readers notebooks Time for assessing
Volunteers and student teachers VERY helpful/ necessary
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Challenges Difficult to fully implement in large classes
Initial cost to get it started Takes time to develop systems and
independence Needs a classroom (not a cart)
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How can you bring this to your school? Study up on the readers
workshop model and best practices for reading instruction Find ally
with access to money (principal, district dept) Find ally with
reading experience (elementary teacher, reading specialist, reading
teacher) Demonstrate the lack of helpful data for your students
Extra time on the front end for book ordering
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Questions!
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Resources Allington, R.L. (2006). What really matters for
struggling readers: Designing research- based programs (2nd ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Cloud, N., & Genesee, F. (2009).
Literacy instruction for English language learners: A teacher's
guide to research-based practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Florida Center for Reading Research. (2014, January 1). Retrieved
November 13, 2014, from http://www.fcrr.org Frey, N., & Fisher,
D. (2009). Good habits, great readers: Building the literacy
community. Boston: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson. Gambrell, L. (2007).
Best practices in literacy instruction (3rd ed.). New York:
Guilford Press. Pinnell, G., & Fountas, I. (2011). The
continuum of literacy learning, grades PreK-8: A guide to teaching
(2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Richardson, J. (2009). The
next step in guided reading: Focused assessments and targeted
lessons for helping every student become a better reader. New York:
Scholastic.
