Reading Workshop Survival Kit (J-B Ed: Survival Guides) [Paperback]

Gary Robert Muschla (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0876285922 | ISBN-13: 978-0876285923 | Edition: 1

A complete, step-by-step guide to setting up and running a successful reading workshop in grades 5-12. Part I, "Management of the Reading Workshop," offers a host of specific strategies, techniques and reproducible materials for classroom management and student evaluation. Part II, "Using Mini-lessons in the Reading Workshop," provides 100 different ready-to-use mini-lessons focusing on specific reading topic and skills.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

For reading and classroom teachers in grades 5-12, here is a complete, step-by-step guide to setting up and running a successful reading workshop where reading is the priority— all conveniently organized into two parts.

Part I, "Management of the Reading Workshop," shows how to create a reading workshop, offers specific tools and strategies for classroom management, and includes reproducible handouts. Following is a brief description of the three chapters in this section:
* An overview— Emphasizes that through reading and responding to what is read, students communicate and share ideas while they learn skills. Reproducibles include "Elements of the Reading Workshop" and "The Role of the Teacher in the Reading Workshop."
*Management— Covers everything from beginning your day to building a positive atmosphere and organizing discussion groups. Reproducibles include "Student Responsibilities in the Reading Workshop" and "Reading Log Guidelines."
*Evaluation— Provides descriptions of various evaluation methods, such as portfolios, daily logs of student performance, and conferencing. Reproducibles include "Book Summary Sheet" and "Self-Evaluation Questions for Teachers."
Part II, "Using Mini-Lessons in the Reading Workshop," contains 100 different mini-lessons focusing on specific reading topics and skills. Each of the lessons stands alone, can be used in any order you wish, and is accompanied by one and sometimes two reproducibles. The lessons cover:

(1) Types of Reading and Related Topics. 50 mini-lessons feature topics such as Helping Students Select Books for Reading... The Publishing Process... Book Review... Mysteries...Mythology of Native Americans...Poetry of African Americans.
(2) Story Elements. 25 mini-lessons focus on story elements like What Makes a Good Lead... Motivation... Style and Tone... Symbolism... First-Person Point of View... Foreshadowing.
(3) Specific Reading Skills. 25 mini-lessons cover a wide array of reading skills, such as Identifying Fact and Opinion... Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension... Recalling Details... Cause and Effect...Reading Test-Taking Strategies... SQ3R.

In short, the Reading Workshop Survival Kit gives you all the guidelines and tools you need to use the workshop approach effectively, plus 100 ready-to-use mini-lessons and over 120 reproducible worksheets and handouts for teaching and reinforcing specific reading skills and topics in any program.

About the Author

Gary Robert Muschla, B.A. and M.A.T., Trenton State College, has over 22 years' experience as a classroom teacher. He is a member of the Authors Guild and the National Writers Association, and currently teaches at Appelby School in Spotswood, New Jersey. He is the author of many practical resources for teachers, among them The Writing Teacher's Book of Lists (Prentice Hall, 1991), the Writing Workshop Survival Kit (C.A.R.E., 1993) and English Teacher's Great Books Activities Kit (C.A.R.E., 1994).

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (September 26, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876285922
• ISBN-13: 978-0876285923
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Robert Muschla has taught grades four through six for twenty-five years and has written dozens of teacher resource guides.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great teaching resource, May 26, 2000

By 

Nicole Schuette (High Desert, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reading Workshop Survival Kit (J-B Ed: Survival Guides) (Paperback)

As a beginning teacher preparing for a summer reading workshop, I found this book to be helpful. It has great ideas for setting up a workshop atmosphere. I also loved the guidelines and responsibilities of both teachers and students that were included. The reading mini-lessons were useful, although I would say most are geared for late elemntary and middle school students.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Is it really "reading workshop"?, August 14, 2001

By 

Lisa Johannes (Carrollton, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reading Workshop Survival Kit (J-B Ed: Survival Guides) (Paperback)

While this book may be very useful to teachers looking for reading skill activities, it is not developed in the true style of reading workshop. This book is made up of 300+ pages of copy-ready worksheets, each addressing a particular reading skill. If you're looking for a book addressing the procedures of reading workshop, including developing group dynamics and assisting students in reading choices and developing personal reading goals, then this is not the book for you. I found the title to be misleading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Place to Start, February 17, 2002

By 

Cinco Delgado (Enumclaw, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reading Workshop Survival Kit (J-B Ed: Survival Guides) (Paperback)

This a great book for putting together the "mini-lesson" portion of a reading workshop. It provides teachers with reproducible worksheets that focus on reading skills and literary elements. It gives a brief description of student and teacher responsibilities for achieving a successful workshop experience. Although there are many useful tips, and the literary element section of this book is outstanding, it does not provide teachers with activities for incorporating critical thinking and it leaves the reader wanting strategies for establishing student-directed learning. A brief section on integrating different reader responsibilities, and a plan for setting up a workable management system to handle the flow of papers, portfolios, and reading response journals would make this book better.