Every August, I hear teachers asking the same question: "How soon should I start teaching the standards?
"It's an understandable question.We feel the pressure of pacing guides, district assessments, benchmark testing, and the long list of standards that must be taught before the year ends. It can make us feel like we need to jump into instruction on Day One.
But after years of teaching reading, I've learned something that has transformed my classroom:
The first three weeks are not about teaching everything.
They're about building readers. When we invest time at the beginning of the year helping students understand what it means to live the life of a reader, everything that follows becomes more meaningful.
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It's a classroom culture. It's a place where students learn that reading isn't something we do to complete an assignment—it's something we do to learn, think, question, wonder, and grow. That culture doesn't happen by accident. It happens intentionally.
Before I Teach Strategies, I Teach Behaviors One of the biggest shifts I made as a reading teacher was realizing that students can't successfully apply reading strategies if they haven't first learned the behaviors of successful readers.
During those first few weeks, I spend just as much time teaching behaviors as I do teach comprehension.
We practice:
How to choose a "just-right" book.
How to find a comfortable reading spot.
What independent reading actually looks like.
How to stay engaged when a book becomes challenging.
What to do when meaning breaks down.
How to think while reading.
How to build reading stamina one day at a time.
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Reading Stamina Doesn't Happen Overnight
One mistake I made early in my career was expecting students to read independently for thirty or forty minutes immediately.
It didn't work.
Students became distracted.
Books stayed closed.
Some students looked around the room.
Others asked to use the restroom every five minutes.
It wasn't because they didn't want to read.
It was because I hadn't taught them how to sustain reading over time.
Now, we build stamina gradually.
Five minutes becomes eight.
Eight becomes twelve.
Twelve becomes twenty.
Eventually, students surprise themselves by reading for extended periods because we've built the habit together.
The Classroom Library Begins Building Reading Identity
One of my favorite moments during the first weeks of school is watching students discover books they genuinely want to read.
This is where reading identity begins.
When students have access to books that reflect their cultures, experiences, interests, and curiosities, they begin seeing themselves as readers instead of simply students completing reading assignments.
The classroom library becomes more than shelves filled with books.
It becomes an invitation.
An invitation to wonder.
To connect.
To imagine.
To grow.
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Small Groups Can Wait...
One thing I intentionally avoid doing is rushing into permanent small groups.
During the first weeks, I'm observing.
I'm listening.
I'm taking notes.
I'm learning who my students are before deciding what they need.
Instead of asking,
"Which group should this student be in?"
I ask,
"What patterns am I noticing?"
Those patterns become the data that drives future instruction.
Intentional grouping always produces stronger instruction than rushed grouping.
Conferences Begin on Day One
Many teachers think conferences start once instruction is in full swing.
I disagree.
Conferences can begin with simple conversations.
I ask questions like:
"Tell me about the last book you loved."
"What kinds of books do you usually enjoy?"
"What makes reading difficult sometimes?"
"How do you know when you've understood what you've read?"
Those conversations often provide more valuable information than a score on a single assessment.
My Goal Isn't Compliance...
My goal is independence.
I don't want students reading because I'm watching.
I want them reading because they've discovered that reading has value.
When students understand the routines, know the expectations, and feel ownership over their reading lives, the workshop begins to run itself.
That's when the real teaching begins.
Something to Think About This Week
As you prepare your Reading Workshop, ask yourself:
Am I spending enough time building readers, or am I rushing to cover content?
Sometimes slowing down at the beginning is the fastest way to accelerate growth for the rest of the year.
The investment you make during these first few weeks will pay dividends long after the beginning-of-the-year excitement has faded.
Because when students know how Reading Workshop works, they spend less time wondering what to do—and more time becoming thoughtful, engaged, independent readers.
Wishing you a wonderful start to the school year!
Happy Reading,
Rhonda
Educating Readers Literacy Academy
But after years of teaching reading, I've learned something that has transformed my classroom:
The first three weeks are not about teaching everything.
They're about building readers. When we invest time at the beginning of the year helping students understand what it means to live the life of a reader, everything that follows becomes more meaningful.
Reading Workshop isn't simply a block of time in the schedule.
.png)
It's a classroom culture. It's a place where students learn that reading isn't something we do to complete an assignment—it's something we do to learn, think, question, wonder, and grow. That culture doesn't happen by accident. It happens intentionally.
Before I Teach Strategies, I Teach Behaviors One of the biggest shifts I made as a reading teacher was realizing that students can't successfully apply reading strategies if they haven't first learned the behaviors of successful readers.
During those first few weeks, I spend just as much time teaching behaviors as I do teach comprehension.
We practice:
How to choose a "just-right" book.
How to find a comfortable reading spot.
What independent reading actually looks like.
How to stay engaged when a book becomes challenging.
What to do when meaning breaks down.
How to think while reading.
How to build reading stamina one day at a time.
These may seem like small lessons, but they become the foundation for everything we do throughout the year.
.png)
Reading Stamina Doesn't Happen Overnight
One mistake I made early in my career was expecting students to read independently for thirty or forty minutes immediately.
It didn't work.
Students became distracted.
Books stayed closed.
Some students looked around the room.
Others asked to use the restroom every five minutes.
It wasn't because they didn't want to read.
It was because I hadn't taught them how to sustain reading over time.
Now, we build stamina gradually.
Five minutes becomes eight.
Eight becomes twelve.
Twelve becomes twenty.
Eventually, students surprise themselves by reading for extended periods because we've built the habit together.
The Classroom Library Begins Building Reading Identity
One of my favorite moments during the first weeks of school is watching students discover books they genuinely want to read.
This is where reading identity begins.
When students have access to books that reflect their cultures, experiences, interests, and curiosities, they begin seeing themselves as readers instead of simply students completing reading assignments.
The classroom library becomes more than shelves filled with books.
It becomes an invitation.
An invitation to wonder.
To connect.
To imagine.
To grow.
.png)
Small Groups Can Wait...
One thing I intentionally avoid doing is rushing into permanent small groups.
During the first weeks, I'm observing.
I'm listening.
I'm taking notes.
I'm learning who my students are before deciding what they need.
Instead of asking,
"Which group should this student be in?"
I ask,
"What patterns am I noticing?"
Those patterns become the data that drives future instruction.
Intentional grouping always produces stronger instruction than rushed grouping.
Conferences Begin on Day One
Many teachers think conferences start once instruction is in full swing.
I disagree.
Conferences can begin with simple conversations.
I ask questions like:
"Tell me about the last book you loved."
"What kinds of books do you usually enjoy?"
"What makes reading difficult sometimes?"
"How do you know when you've understood what you've read?"
Those conversations often provide more valuable information than a score on a single assessment.
My Goal Isn't Compliance...
My goal is independence.
I don't want students reading because I'm watching.
I want them reading because they've discovered that reading has value.
When students understand the routines, know the expectations, and feel ownership over their reading lives, the workshop begins to run itself.
That's when the real teaching begins.
Something to Think About This Week
As you prepare your Reading Workshop, ask yourself:
Am I spending enough time building readers, or am I rushing to cover content?
Sometimes slowing down at the beginning is the fastest way to accelerate growth for the rest of the year.
The investment you make during these first few weeks will pay dividends long after the beginning-of-the-year excitement has faded.
Because when students know how Reading Workshop works, they spend less time wondering what to do—and more time becoming thoughtful, engaged, independent readers.
Wishing you a wonderful start to the school year!
Happy Reading,
Rhonda
Educating Readers Literacy Academy
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