{"id":4188,"date":"2022-08-07T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-07T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/?p=4188"},"modified":"2022-08-08T11:17:12","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T16:17:12","slug":"independent-reading-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/independent-reading-program\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start Your Independent Reading Program in 6 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of my most significant accomplishments in the classroom was my independent reading program. For thirty minutes every week, as students read you could hear a pin drop in my classroom. Sure, not every kid turned into a voracious reader, but they all at least pretended to look like they were reading. In this post, I will walk you through the steps of creating your own independent reading program.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"How to Start Your Independent Reading Program in 6 Steps\" Pinterest pin with teenaged student reading<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #1: Build a Classroom Library<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don’t need to have a huge classroom library to begin, but it definitely helps if you have a few books on hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started my independent reading program with probably a dozen or so books.<\/strong> I know. It was awful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While my classroom library got its footing, I used my school’s library. We went during the first week of school and then at least twice a quarter after that. I was also liberal with library passes–especially for students who were actually reading during our independent reading time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can probably guess, however, the downsides of relying on your school’s library.<\/strong> To start, you might not even have one. And if you do, it’s probably frequently closed for standardized testing, other classes, or presentations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, students will take their sweet time with those library passes and miss out on lots of instruction time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why starting your classroom library early is best.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more tips on how to begin, where to get cheap books, and what kind of books to read, check out this post here about building the classroom library of your dreams.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #2: Decide How Often Students Will Read<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are typically two camps when it comes to when students will read. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are pros and cons to both options. You’ll need to think about your students, the length of your classes, and your own classroom procedures to make the best decision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first option is to have students read once a week (the time allotted will depend on your class length).<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My classes were on ninety-minute blocks; my students were mostly reluctant readers. Therefore, I chose to read once a week (every Wednesday) for thirty minutes with my students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirty minutes in a ninety-minute class doesn’t sound like much, but time flies! By the time I did a book talk, asked students to retrieve or pick out a book, and got the class actually silent, we had usually used up fifteen minutes of class. Then we still had to read. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I had so many reluctant readers, this was the best option for me.<\/strong> I always had students who were slow to grab books, forgot theirs, or picked a new one every week. For these reasons, I would have wasted way too much time if I had tried to read every day with my kiddos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second option, popularized by the great Penny Kittle, is to start every class period with ten minutes of reading. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re in a school or have a class with strong readers, well-behaved students, or advanced courses, everyday reading might be a great option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If students know to come in and start reading, that provides an excellent opportunity for you to take attendance, deal with any issues, and do a quick check of your email before beginning class in earnest if you need to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, reading is a daily warm-up that will always be worthwhile. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So think about your students and your class format. Then decide when and for how long students will read. Stick to this schedule every day or every week, so students won’t be surprised. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"How to Start Your Independent Reading Program in 6 Steps\" Pinterest pin with teenaged students reading<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #3: Choose Student Tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you have students reading, you need to give them a task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What task(s) you give students will depend on how heavily you want independent reading to feature in their grades. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I just wanted students to read. I didn’t want independent reading to be a reason a student could fail. So I just gave students simple exit tickets like these reading strategies exit tickets<\/a> or story elements exit tickets. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Product<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Product<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These forced students to review some basic concepts and connect them to their reading without taking up a ton of class time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading logs are another low-stakes task and an absolute must if you expect students to read at home independently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could also do some end-of-the-year projects with your students about their independent reading novels.<\/strong> Maybe students will do a study of the author they read<\/a>. Or maybe you can have them write their own epilogue or sequel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But unless you have a room full of intrinsically motivated students or engaged readers, you’ll probably have to give students a task to make sure they actually read. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need more ideas?<\/strong> Check out this post with independent reading activity ideas. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #4: Create a Classroom Management Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having a classroom management plan is essential for an independent reading program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens if a student forgets his or her book? If a student refuses to read? What if a student is absent–does he or she have to make it up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what will happen if students become distracting during independent reading? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will you display a timer on your projector? (I recommend it!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Want a play-by-play of the first day of independent reading in my classroom? Read this post!<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was pretty laid back in my room, but when it came to independent reading, I didn’t play any games.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every week before reading time, I reviewed the expectations. There were no headphones or talking aloud. You had to have a book in your hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And students had two choices: read silently and participate or go to the dean’s office.<\/strong> I worked this out with my dean ahead of time and warned her during the first few weeks that there would be an influx of students until they learned their lesson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think participating in independent reading should be rewarding. Sometimes I made students hot chocolate while they read. I turned off the big fluorescent lights and opted for soft lamp lighting instead. It was a cozy way to spend part of the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I didn’t let any of my students who became distracting get away with it.<\/strong> If a student was distracting or flat out refused to leave, they had to leave my room. (If a student pretended to read and was otherwise not a problem, I just pretended to believe they were reading.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decide your non-negotiables and let those be the hills upon which you are ok dying. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n