Growing Readers: Units of Study in the Primary Classroom

This book is excellent for any teacher who is launching reader's workshop in their classroom. I will be teaching first grade this coming school year and have been reading this book to help me prepare. What I really love about the book is that it gives you a scope and sequence for what units of study you could teach throughout the school year, provides examples of mini-lessons you can teach, as well as being very explicit about what a reader's workshop mini-lesson should look like and what reader's workshop should look like in general. Kathy Collins writes in a way that all teacher can relate and includes some funny anecdotes about her own teaching-this is a must have!

I got this book over the summer, and am using it daily to guide my instruction. It takes you step by step in how to implement and teach reading workshop in the primary classroom, and gives units of study for the year. I hadn't previously organized my instruction this way, but she sold me on it with her book. It is also an enjoyable read since Collins is very funny.

As a literacy coach for a large public school system, I feel every 1st grade teacher should challenge themselves to strive for a classroom that resembles Kathy's. In this book, she shares insights on exactly how to do this. What an outstanding text and a MUST for every primary teacher!

For those teachers who are NOT into mediocre reading programs that are teacher proof and, quite frankly, student proof at times...this book is for you...it's for the teacher who wants to create a room that emphasizes volume of reading, being flexible to meet the needs of each student, teachable moments, and using the love of reading as a technique to increase student achievement...think JAZZ rather than CLASSICAL...think ER doctor or surgeon rather than general family practitioner...this book is NOT for the teacher who just wants to be comfortable and "nest" in their rooms...

Kathy Collins is a true expert on Reading Workshop. She writes in such a captivating tone while challenging you to truly reflect on your own teaching. This book will guide you from start to finish on how to take your reading instruction to a level you never thought possible. Collins gives practical advice on teaching reading successfully even when you have a large class with no assistant and readers on each end of the spectrum and several in-between.