Mini-Lesson Tips

Hopefully you had a great first week setting up some very necessary classroom routines, especially in the areas of reading and writing workshop! As we move into week two it might be time to start thinking a little more carefully about our mini-lesson timing and language. Over the next couple of weeks your workshop will start to feel like a routine that has always been there and you will start to notice that you can begin to do more and more with your readers and writers! To help you do that, here is some helpful language to try to remember when planning and delivering your mini-lessons. Although time consuming, it is so helpful to write out your connection and your teaching point and make sure you have your teach and active engagement ready to go. Being prepared for your entire mini-lesson before delivering it means you can pay more attention to your students and be responsive to their needs instead of wondering about what you will say next or how you will engage them to try out the new skill you are presenting to them. 

Mini-Lesson Language 

Connection (the time to hook your readers/writers)

• “I’ve been noticing…”
• “I’ve been thinking about your reading/writing and…”
• “Yesterday we talked about…”
• “Yesterday I noticed…”
• Start with a metaphor or a story to connect the new learning to…
• END the connection with your teaching point: “Today I want to teach you…”

Teach (time to model what it is you are asking them to do as readers/writers, this is where YOU are teaching and your STUDENTS are listening)

• “Watch me as I…”
• “Did you see how I…”
• “Let me show you what it looks like to…”
• “Let me show you what I mean…”

Active Engagement

• “Turn and talk about what you just observed me doing as a reader/writer…”
• “Now it’s your turn. Listen to this next section of text and…”
• “Let’s observe the next part of this text together, pay attention to what you notice the writer doing….”

Link (close up the lesson by renaming the teaching point)

•  “Readers/Writers you know so many ways to…”
• “As you go back to your seats one of the things you might try as readers/writers is…”
• “Today we learned…”
• “Today I’d like you to…”

The four parts of your mini-lesson should be deliberate and well-thought out so that you can get the most out of your mini-lesson! Happy teaching!!