Once Reading Workshop begins, I really try to tolerate very few interruptions.

Since Reading Workshop always occurs immediately after our morning work, I tell students that they need to go to the bathroom before we start. (Of course in emergency situations students must be allowed to go to the bathroom, but emphasizing the need to go before instruction begins leads to far fewer students leaving the classroom during this time.)

Students must always check the book nook schedule in the morning so that they know exactly where they will be reading each day.

Students must also have their book boxes ready before independent reading time starts so that there are not groups of students browsing the classroom library during the time that they should be engaged in their texts.