2014 UNOmaha K-8 MET Link conference presentation: Participants will learn how to use a mentor text and thread their teaching throughout the language, reading and writing workshops using the mentor text. Participants will also discover the power in an inquiry-driven language workshop model.

1. Language Workshop: The
Heartbeat of Literacy
Instruction
Kellie Hinsley and Amy Anderson

2. Session Outcomes
By the end of the session participants will:
• Understand the role that a language workshop plays in
a balanced literacy workshop model
• Understand language workshop
o It’s purpose
o How to implement
• Understand the use of mentor texts

3. Council Bluffs Literacy Model
• Reader’s Workshop (2 hours)
o 10 minutes- MiniLesson
o 80 minutes- Small Groups
o 10 minutes- Word Work
o 10 minutes- Interactive Read Aloud
o 10 minutes- Share time
• Language Workshop (30 minutes)
o 5-10 minutes- MiniLesson
o 10-15 Investigations
o 5-10 minutes- Share time
• Writer’s Workshop (1 hour)
o 10 minutes- MiniLesson

4. What is Language Workshop?
• Language Workshop is the bridge between Reader’s
Workshop and Writer’s Workshop.
• Students are engaged in an inquiry driven learning
experience.
• Helping children make sense of the reciprocity between
text that they read and text that they write.
“Before you write one poem, you need to read at least 100”
- Katie Wood Ray, Study
Driven

5. Language Workshop Structure
• Mini lesson (5 minutes)
o Teacher models, using the mentor text, an example of what students
will be investigating
• Investigation (10 minutes)
o Students investigate texts through the eyes of a writer and discover
the author’s crafting techniques
o Teacher confers with groups of students, assessing whether students
are meeting the learning target and coaching students
• Share time (10 minutes)
o Students share their discoveries with their classmates
o Teacher is assessing what students have learned and uses this time
as a teaching opportunity

6. Units of Study
• Each grade level genre studies include:
o 3 informational texts
o 1 poetry
o 2 fictional
• Using the Common Core, Grade Level Expectations
(GLEs) are assigned to specific studies
• Example of 3rd grade Realistic Fiction study GLEs:
o Describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how
their actions contribute to the sequence of events
o Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
o Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author
about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series)

7. Units of Study
• Study Driven by Katie Wood Ray
• What are some standards that your students are
working towards? What is one standard you are working
on right now- how could you have students investigate
and think about it from a reader/writer perspective?

8. What is a Mentor Text?
• Teacher chooses a book within their genre, or unit of study, that
has strong examples to teach with (Usually 1-2 per study)
o Things to consider when choosing a mentor text: Standards,
GLEs, crafting techniques, learning targets, student need,
student/teacher interest
• A mentor text will be one that you use, and teach from, OVER AND
OVER AGAIN! (Students and teacher will know it well)
o Used for reading, language and writing instruction
o You can just go right to the page you want to teach from and
begin teaching, and not have to read the entire book (Helps
mini lessons stay mini)

9. Videos-3rd grade
mini lesson
conferring
share time

10. Videos-1st
mini lesson conferring share time

11. Videos-5th
mini lesson conferring share time

12. Next Steps...
• Time to reflect and think about your own
setting, where you can apply, where LW
fits best.
• Share out ideas

13. Time to Plan
• Planning documents
• Think about what your students are
working on right now, where would
Language Workshop fit?

14. Contact Information
Kellie Hinsley
3rd Grade Teacher
khinsley@cbcsd.org
Amy Anderson
Literacy Coach
acanderson@cbcsd.org