Teaching for Deep Comprehension

"I do workshop", "We do workshop", what is workshop? In an effort to learn more about what our elementary and middle school friends are working on for literacy achievement, I asked +Robert Antholine to give me one of Linda Dorn's book so I could explore reading workshop a bit further.
My first aha, was that the core principles of workshop could really be implemented at the high school level as well. In the @WaukeshaSchools we all have the same commitment to our leaners and that is to make a real difference in the literacy lives of all.

Deep comprehension involves creating problem-solving conditions that will prompt learners to process information at deeper levels. If we do not have the background experience to relate to the reading event, the message can be meaningless. This is true for third graders, seniors, or senior-citizens. It is vital for the reader to construct mental bridges between the author's message and the reader's experiences.

Dorn and Soffos have identified four essential conditions for enabling deeper comprehension:
1. Adequate background knowledge
2. Meaningful, relevant material
3. Sufficient time
4. Talking with interested others about the content

So, what type of literacy environment have you set up in your classroom? In your household? What conditions have you created to foster inquiry and create a culture of literacy learning? Helping children develop the habit of reading is probably a teacher's most important goal and should be a parent's number one priority, because a reading habit is a tool for lifelong learning.

The ultimate goal of a workshop approach is to enable learners to acquire strategies for self-regulating their learning. The workshop is based on a conceptual framework that includes five components, which work together to scaffold student knowledge:
1. Mini-lessons
2. Small-group instruction
3. Independent practice or working with peers
4. One-to-one or small-group conferences
5. Share time

A reading habit is a critical condition of reading achievement.

IF we believe in the power of language for literacy learning, THEN classrooms should burst with opportunities to talk about literacy.

What is your theory of action?
What is your theory of learning?