What Are You Thinking? Conferring in Reader's Workshop

Patrick A. Allen, author of Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop, models one-on-one conversations here with children that are aimed at helping them become “wise readers.” In two “crafting lessons,” Allen interacts with a small group, asking the young participants to make a chart based on what they notice about his reading behaviors. In classroom footage, Allen works with individual students on vocabulary, expository text choice, text discovery, metacognition, and word-level issues, demonstrating how he guides them through mistakes with specific words as well as challenges related to overall comprehension. The kids make written notes about their efforts, and Allen encourages them to talk about both what and how they read—what sparked their book choices, what part of a text they're focusing on and why, what they are discovering, and how they investigate unfamiliar terms. Allen's genuine interest in how his young charges think about their reading makes for inspiring viewing. A detailed PDF guide is also included on a separate CD-ROM. Aimed at professionals working with young readers, this is highly recommended. [Note: also newly available for $99 is How Can I Support You? Strategies for Effective Writing Conferences.] Aud: E, I, C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)