Readers Workshop Observation Template

Teacher:____________________ Date: _________________

Time: _________________________

Component Practice Observed? Notes

Teachers meet with one another,
Planning AEs, EL, SPED, and/or literacy
specialist to plan literacy
instruction on a consistent basis
using assessment data and ELA
standards.
Teacher gathers the whole class
Whole Group for 5-15 minutes to provide
Mini-Lesson explicit instruction on text
structure, reading skills,
comprehension strategies and
ways to respond to different
types of text.
Students see models, including
think aloud, during read aloud
and interactive/shared reading.
With guidance, students read,
Work Period think, and talk through an
instructional level text within a
*Guided small group based on needs.
Reading
Work Period Students read to one another
and get immediate feedback on
*Partner the pronunciation of words and
Reading the meaning of text.
Work Period Building on their experiences in
guided reading, students engage
*Literature in critical thinking and
Circles reflection as they read, discuss
and respond to books.
Work Period Students respond to text using a
strategy or skill taught in the
*Writing mini-lesson
about
Reading
Work Period: Teacher confers with students
independently or in groups, if
*Guided partner reading, to reteach skills
Practice of or strategies learned in the
Skill/Strategy miniliesson or provide any
additional scaffolding needed
 for students to be successful
when working independently.
Work Period Students practice strategies they
have learned while reading and
*Independent responding to text at their
Reading and independent level. Teachers
Conferring provide guidance with book
choices, tailor teaching to meet
individual needs and confer
with individuals to monitor
progress.
Students come back together as
Closing a group to connect back to the
focus of the lesson and share
their learning (and struggles)
from the work period. Teacher
often identifies students during
their conferring time.
Whole Group Teacher conducts a whole group
Strategic reading lesson for a longer
Reading period of time, such as a close
reading lesson or the initial
teaching of a skill or strategy.
Transitions Students move efficiently from
one space to another. The
teacher has
rituals/routines/signals in place
to support smooth transitions.
Classroom The classroom is organized to
Organization support readers workshop
included space for independent
work, small group work, and a
classroom library that includes a
variety of genres, topics, levels,
balance of fiction and
nonfiction, and picture books
and chapter books.
*From MPS Balanced Literacy Framework.