LEADERS IN LITERACY
CONFERENCE
Infusing the Mini Lesson into
Your Reading/Writing
Workshop
Aiken County Public School District
January 13, 2017
[email protected]
Essential Question
What drives the planning and
delivery of the Mini Lesson for
Reading/Writing Workshop?
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Outcomes
As a result of attending this meeting, participants will:
• have an understanding of the components of a mini lesson
• have an understanding of the three types of mini lessons
• understand how to use the ELA indicators/data to drive the
mini lessons.
• participated in a model mini lesson.
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AGENDA
• Definition and Components of the Mini Lesson
• Types of Mini Lessons
• Standards-Driven Mini Lessons
• The Mini Lesson
• Mini Lesson Examples
• Discussion/Reflection
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The Mini Lesson: Defined
A mini lesson is a short lesson with a narrow
focus that provides instruction in a skill or
concept that students will then relate to a
larger lesson that will follow. A mini
lesson typically precedes reading workshop or
writing workshop, but it can serve as an
introduction to a social studies, science, or
math lesson.
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The Mini Lesson: Details
• One clear teaching point
• 8-12 minutes MAX
• Components of the lesson
• Connection
• Teach
• Active Engagement
• Link
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The Mini Lesson: Connections
• Students learn WHY the lesson is important and how it
relates to the current learning.
• The teaching point (learning objective) is clearly stated.
• “Yesterday, we ………. So today we are going to ……..”
• “I noticed ………. and I have found a way to ………”
• “ We have been discussing how to ………. so I found ……..”
1-2
minutes
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The Mini Lesson : Teach
• The teacher:
• teaches by demonstrating/modeling
• teaches by explaining/showing
• teaches by involving them in shared inquiry/practice
“Watch me………”
“Today, I will show you …….”
“Together we
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Minutes
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The Mini Lesson : Active Engagement
• Now, the students will practice/engage with what you have
taught them.
• Everyone attempts the engagement before the end of the
lesson.
• Ways to practice/engage:
• “Turn and Talk”
• “Think-Pair-Share”
3-6
• Partners
Minutes
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The Mini Lesson : Link
• What has been taught now must be added to the students’
growing repertoire.
• Students are reminded that today’s lesson pertains to
everyday learning---always.
• “Today and everyday when you are reading, you can……”
• “When you are reading _____, you can use this strategy to
_________”
1-2
Minutes
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Check for Understanding
• What is the average length of a mini lesson?
8-16 minutes
• How many teaching points should be covered?
ONE
• What is the purpose of the active engagement?
It is the “We Do” for everyone to practice with your guidance.
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Types of Mini Lessons
•Procedural
•Craft
•Skills/strategies
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Procedural Mini Lessons
• Rules/expectations for Workshop
• Finding a good/appropriate book
• Discussing literature
• Giving a book talk.
• Being a good listener in a share session.
• Asking questions during a sharing session.
• Setting individual goals.
• Keeping a book log.
• Taking care of books.
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Craft Mini Lessons
• Difference between literary and Informational texts
• Parts of a book
• Poetry
• Books written in the first, second, third person
• Author studies
• Author’s styles
• How authors reveal characters
• How the story is developed: setting, characters, plot
• Use of figurative language for meaning/purpose
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Skill/Strategy Mini Lessons
• Context Clues
• Asking questions during reading
• Making predictions
• Mapping a story
• Making inferences
• Drawing conclusions
• Summarizing
• Analyzing
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Checking for Understanding
Name one type of mini lesson.
Procedural
Craft
Skills/Strategies
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Planning the Mini Lesson
Questions to consider:
1. What do my students need to know?
2. What strategies/knowledge help them as readers?
3. In what way does a strategy look different across genres?
4. What text/materials will I use to best support this
instruction?
5. How can this connect to my writing workshop?
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My Thought Process
• Rubicon Atlas: 4th grade Unit 6: Informational targeted standards-RI.6.1
• Students need to know the difference between the topic and the central
idea of a passage.
• Using a strategy called: “What, So What?”
• Materials:
• Simple but meaty passage---” A Frog’s Life”
• Graphic organizer
• Learning objective—I can identify the topic and the central idea of an informational
passage.
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The Mini Lesson
WHAT?
A Frog’s Life
A frog’s life begins in the water for
three stages of its life and doesn’t
live on land until it becomes an
adult.
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Mini Lesson
WHAT?( TOPIC)
Central Idea
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Mini Lessons
Now with a partner, read your article and complete the
graphic organizer. I am going to walk about the room
and listen as you work. I am just making sure you all
have the gained the understanding of my lesson.
Remember:
Topic--- what the passage is about
Central Idea ---- The most important point or thought
about the topic.
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Mini Lesson
Now as you continue to work with informational
text or literary text, you have a strategy you can
use to distinguish between the topic and the
central or main idea. Good readers eventually do
this in their heads without needing a graphic
organizer.
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Mini Lesson
Reflection on the Mini Lesson
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Mini Lesson
Resources:
https://www.cli.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Components-of-a-ReadingWorkshop-Mini-lesson.pdf
http://www.appstate.edu/~smithtw/rcoe/RE_3150_web/Reading_Minilessons/Re
ading%20minilessons.htm
https://www.heinemann.com/shared/companionResources/E06155/Yates_Simple
Starts_AppendixC.pdf
[email protected]
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