Workshop Wednesday: Reader's Workshop Prep

Sorry, I'm so late to the party! Does anyone else feel like they're drowning?  I officially go back to school next week, but you know what the week before is like!

I'm linking up with my BBB Jivey for her Workshop Wednesday! Today, Tonight, I'll be talking about Reader's Workshop. One of the first things I tackle in my classroom are my book bins. I categorize my books by author, genre, reading level, and favorites. One of our first class discussions is about selecting books for independent reading. I talk about my classroom library in depth and how to find just right books. I try to organize my books so students are attracted to them and can find books of interest easily. The reason for so many different categories is to fit all of my students' reading interests and needs. (Plus, I have a very large book collection!)

Book bins shown: (Authors) Judy Blume, Avi, Andrew Clements

Book bins shown: (Genres) Realistic fiction, mystery, poetry.

At a glance-I have 20 book bins for selected books.

 

I also get my reading bins ready for guided reading. I like my readers to be equipped with all their reading tools! I have six sets of these bins for groups.

These bins include:

•  Easy Reader-Really Good Stuff-highlights the words/helps students keep place while reading.
• Evidence Key Rings-I have a class set of these key rings, plus one for each guided reading bin to aid students in citing their evidence. They love using these rings!
• Highlighters-two colors for comparing and contrasting.
• Post-It note highlighter-tiny Post-Its to mark text or find answers once I've given them a specific task.
• Magnifying Glass-My students use these when they have to be "Text Detectives!" Magnifying glass=FUN!
• Dry erase marker-Used when using page protectors for graphic organizers or to write responses on dry erase boards.
• Pencil & Pen-Used to respond to text or mark text.

How do you organize books for independent reading? What "tools" do you use for guided reading? I'd love to hear from you! Any comments, questions, or ideas are welcome!