When I finished “Room” by Emma Donoghue the other day, all I wanted to do was talk about it with someone who had read it or suggest the title to others who hadn’t read it. Real readers do like to talk about what’s going on in their books. So I’m renewing my efforts in the New Year to make sure that kids get enough share time at the end of Reading Workshop. Some days can be very open-ended by merely saying, “We have 6 minutes, boys and girls, turn to a partner and share something about the book you were reading.” Or it could be more organized like the suggestions below.
Here are three different ways that teachers organize their 10 minute share at the end of Reading Workshop – 1) having selected students share, 2) having all students share with partners, or 3) do a “whip around the circle” share.
Selected students (ones you’ve encouraged to share as you were meeting with them in small groups or one-on-one) could share about something connected to your mini-lesson from that day:
* Something new they learned from a non-fiction book today
* A part where they were able to visualize or a connection they had
* A place they inferred the meaning of a word
* A prediction they are making for the ending of their book
* Or, just recommend their book to the group by telling why it’s a great read
All students can share with a partner about:
* The setting, narrator, or problem in their book
* Something about a character
* An exciting part of their book
* What they would like to ask the author of their text
* Something they did well as a reader today
* A new insight/discovery they made about their book today
Whip around the circle, giving each child the opportunity to share or pass, on topics such as:
* A line you liked
* The title, author, and genre of your book
* A line of dialogue from your book
* Something you noticed about how reading workshop went today
* What you plan to read next
Of course, these are only a few of the many ways to get kids talking about their books. What ideas do you have for share time at the end of Reading Workshop?
By the way, I’m 150 pages into “Rush Home Road” by Lori Lansens and really enjoying it. Anyone want to talk?
Catching Readers Before They Fall 
I know how hard it is for teachers to fit everything into their instructional day, but I agree that it is so important for children to have time to talk about their reading. Sometimes verbalizing a thought helps to create a new understanding for the sharer as well as those he/she is sharing with.
Glad you are enjoying the book 🙂