Expected and Unexpected Places to Sink into Reading in 4th Grade

Fourth grade students brainstormed places that were conducive for sinking into reading at their first reading workshop of the new year.  Some of the ideas were expected and some were surprising and unexpected. Data was collected about how many students have enjoyed reading in each of those environments. We discussed the qualities of the various settings that allowed them to read with stamina and enjoyment. Strategies that students could use to sink into reading in the classroom were then shared. The next step in reading workshop was to pick "just right" books for the beginning of the school year that have great stories, are relatively short and will allow students to practice comprehension strategies as they are reading. Readers will be looking for examples of character traits in their books and writing short notes about these traits on post-it notes. They will be saving their post-its on sticky "parking lots" so that they can keep track of their thinking about the books.