Paramus Principals Say Reading Workshop is Key in 21st Century Learning

As the world evolves so does education which has to continue to meet the common core standards of today in order to prepare students for the real world.

This is the message Paramus elementary school principals expressed Monday night to the Board of Education as they showed them a presentation on Reading Workshop an effective method of teaching students literacy skills in a way that also gives them some independence.

Jeanine Nostrame, principal of Ridge Ranch Elementary School, said 25 years ago there were more jobs in the world that required a lower skill but today's world that low-skill level amounts to less than 10 percent of the jobs out there therefore schools must work to turn out literal students.

"Because the world is changing we do kids a disservice to use our own educaiton as a measuring stick," explained Nostrame. "Common core standards refect the kinds of things they will do when they get out of school."

Thomas Marshall, principal of Stony Lane Elementary School, screened a video of Mrs. Kate Warner's second grade class at the school taking part in the workshop for the board members so they could see how it works. 

The lesson begins with the teacher reading them a small excerpt of a story which she follows up with a sketching and labeling of the details that were just read. After the teacher reads another excerpt the students are then required to sketch and label what they envisioned of the scene on their own.

Part of the workshop entails having the students sit back in the classroom and read on their own or sometimes in pairs. While this is going on the teacher can then have some one-on-one time with other students which gives the teacher an opportunity to help the student work on his or her own strengths and weaknesses.

The video also showed a portion of the workshop known as guided reading where the teacher will sit with a group of 4 or 5 students who all read at about the same level coaching them towards advancing to the next level.

This method keeps all the kids reading together at once, no room for any of them to become distracted by having to wait for another reader to take his or her turn, said Laverne O'Boyle, principal of Memorial Elementary School. The teacher will work with them as a group and then go to each one to focus on his or her own individual needs.

The principals said these teaching methods get kids to think on their own and use that way of thinking in real life situations.

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