An Upper Elementary Reading Block is the most important instructional time of the day for an English Language Arts Teacher. Regardless of the grade, an upper elementary reading block can be formatted similar to a lower elementary reading block, through a workshop model.
It’s recommended that students need to have at least 90 minutes of reading instruction every day to ensure that they become strong readers. Teachers need to teach the reading standards utilizing the Comprehensive Core Reading programs during the majority of the class provided by their district. However, this is only about 30-40 minutes each day of that required 90 minutes. To help ensure that my students read every day and get their 90 minutes a day, we have implemented a reading workshop model!
What topics to cover during a reading block
What you need to cover during your reading block will depend largely on the grade you’re teaching. Usually, it will be some combination of these topics:
- Fluency
- Comprehension (Oral and Written)
- Vocabulary
- Oral Language
- Variety of strategies and skills specific to learners needs
What to include in your reading block
In our reading block schedule, we have a mix of differentiated reading instruction and small groups. During our differentiated reading instruction, we tend to focus on teacher-led, matching instruction, and flexible instruction depending on what book we’re working through.
During differentiated small groups, this is when my students will expand on the lesson with vocabulary and writing practice, systematic word study, text analysis, and reading assessment data.
A 90 Minute Read Block Schedule
Here is a great schedule that can be used for your read block time! While not working directly with me, the students work in their small groups at literacy centers. In our classroom, we tend to have groups of about 3-6 students, but you may need to increase that number depending on your classroom size and the number of students.
- Whole Group Instruction: 15-20 minutes
- Small Groups: 45-60 minutes
- During this time students are participating in small group reading centers or independent activities
- Immediate Intensive Intervention: 15 minutes
- Closing: 5-10 minutes
Hopefully, this post has inspired you to put together your own reading block for your students! If you don’t currently have a reading block, this will hopefully help lay the foundation for your read block no matter what grade you’re teaching.
