Reading Expert: Laura Robb
Reading Workshops in Middle School

Because of the various and diverse reading experiences the reading workshop makes available, it is especially popular with middle school teachers. This month's Meet the Expert was created from excerpts from Laura Robb's book Teaching Reading in Middle School. This feature offers educators tips for developing their own classroom reading workshop and meeting the needs of the middle school reader. The reading workshop is successful as it povides students with several elements that foster literacy in the classroom.

• Students get the time they need to read.
• Students get a selection of books that meet their reading interests.
• Chunks of time build on the social needs of middle schoolers and allow flexibility in arranging stategic-reading groups, book discussions, paired readings and retellings, and sustained silent reading.

• Long stretches of time enable students to practice and apply reading strategies at school.

Although this reading workshop is developed with middle school students in mind, these activities can be adapted for use in other grades. To find out more about reading workshops, click on the links in the left column.

• Visit our reading discussion board to share your views on this topic.
• Listen to Laura Robb discuss the challenges of teaching reading in middle school.
• Visit our Teacher Store for information about this and many other Scholastic products.
  
  Teaching Reading in Middle School
  Item # NTS68560
  Professional Book
  Grades 5–8
  Softcover
  320 pp.
  Retail: $23.95

Laura Robb is the Director of Language Arts and Curriculum Coordinator for Powhatan School in Boyce, Virginia. She conducts staff development workshops and coaches teachers of grades K–8 in Virginia. She is the author of several books, including the best-selling Reading Strategies That Work published by Scholastic, and Redefining Staff Development published by Heinemann.