Minilessons

(aka Focus
Lessons)
March 24, 2014

AT FRANCONIA, WE ARE COMMITTED

TO BUILDING LITERATE LIVES!
Students will read for long stretches of time.
Students will read accessible texts of their own
choosing.
Students will have opportunities to talk and
sometimes write about their reading.
Students will receive explicit instruction in
the skills of proficient reading.
Students will receive a balanced approach to
literacy instruction, one that includes direct
instruction in writing as well as reading.

Step 1: Connection

Architecture of a
Minilesson

The Nike Minilesson

The Read-Aloud
Minilesson

The Juggling
Minilesson

The MAXI-lesson

Step 2: Teaching point

Architecture of a
Minilesson

Step 3: Teaching

Architecture of a
Minilesson

Minilessons are meant as

intervals for explicit, brief
instruction in skills and
strategies that then become
part of a readers ongoing
repertoire, to be drawn upon
as needed.
-Lucy Calkins

A Minilesson
Is
up the volume on
one skill or strategy of
proficient reading

Is Not

Turning

The whole orchestra of

integrated skills that is
real reading

Less

The kind of lessons we

sat through as kids

A read-aloud

An assignment

than 20 minutes long

Could be referring to a
brief passage from a readaloud

An

invitation

I/We Do

You/You
and Your
Partner-

Step 4: Active
Involvement
Find

someone from a
different table who
has the same number
of children as you.

Develop a minilesson (using our 5

components) to teach one of the following:

How

to make a
margarita.
How to build a
snowman.
How to tie your shoes.

Step 5: Link

Architecture of a
Minilesson

You Do

Today and every day well,

lets get started today!
What

might you be teaching in reading this week?

Try

planning a minilesson(s) using our five-step

structure.

Be

prepared to share in 20 minutes.

Im convinced that we, as

teachers, need the humility to
realize that kids ultimately learn
from their work, not ours. The
only truly sacred part of a
reading workshop is the reading
part of it, that is, what the kids
do when we say, Off you go.
-Lucy Calkins