Resources

The use of the following resources helped develop our staff's capacity in Reading and Writing workshop:

• Growing Educators Professional Development Workshops, Institutes, and In-house PDs 
• Lucy Calkins Reading and Writing Institutes at Columbia University, Teacher's college
• Beth Newingham's Reading Workshop great visuals and mini lesson ideas in reading workshop
• To help build your classroom library: Booksource, Scholastic
• Other Grants that support classroom libraries: Riordan Grants, Donor's Choose, Book Ends
• Professional Materials: Words Their Way, Reading and Writing Workshop Units of Study, The Art of Teaching Reading, Around the Reading Workshop in 180 Days, Fountas and Pinnell, Growing Readers, Bird by Bird
  
  

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Reading and Writing Institute

Using the TIIP funds, 3 of our team members were able to go the Reading and Writing Institute. Their work with the staff is documented below. 

1. To launch Reading and Writing workshop, we first developed a needs assessment survey to gather information about staff questions and concerns. Our staff was in various parts of the learning process and so we needed to streamline the professional development depending on their needs. 

2. Based on teacher responses, we developed a series of school-wide professional developments.

3. Here are some sample professional development agendas: sample 1, sample 2, sample 3.

4. Finally, our team sponsored a gallery walk to culminate our first year of using Reading and Writing Workshop. The gallery walk gave an opportunity for teachers to share and reflect experiences with the curriculum. Each grade level wrote a group reflection on their classroom successes and needs based on their use of Reading and Writing workshop.

Grade 2:

"We are highly enthusiastic about teaching reading and writing according to the Lucy Calkins guidelines. We feel we have learned a lot, along with our students, and we feel we have improved in our teaching practice. Giving children choices about what they read and write, and having leveled libraries has had a huge positive impact in our students’ motivation and growth. We look forward to our continued growth, along with our students next year."

Grade 3:

"Reading and writing workshop is really fun and engaging for students and teachers. It meets students at their level and allows for choice. Reading groups helped us group children based on ability level. Incorporating grammar, pushing kids into the next level, and word study is difficult to maintain."