It's beneficial to give students a few minutes to reflect on what they have read. I like to have students talk in pairs before there's a large group discussion. One activity I use consistently is asking students to visualize what they have just read. Making mental pictures, and then orally describing the scene, is helpful for the individual student and often helpful to other students who are listening to the descriptions. There's a powerful connection between reading and writing.
Every teacher is a reading teacher.
The longer I teach, the more I am convinced that this clich is true. I think the reading that takes place outside the reading workshop is of equal value to the material students concentrate on when learning to read. Our challenge is helping students become strategic readers by providing the necessary support to develop critical thinking and study skills. Because they provide some of the very best resources available in the content area. The topics grab students' attention because the editors focus on interesting topics.