Putting My Time Where My Mouth Is: Independent Reading

 

Reading is awesome because you can have fun while getting smart! —6th grader

I remember the days when I used to require outside reading but give no class time for it. After all, independent reading is just that—it can be done independently. And we had so many demands on our class time.

With a lot of cajoling, reminders, and scary mom stares, most of the students would finish their required book or two. At least, they posted a book review or scheduled an interview with me. But I’m pretty sure none of my students ever said, like one did this week, “Reading is awesome because you can have fun while getting smart!”

Time is one of our most precious commodities. Students understand this at a gut level. It’s not that students can’t read at home. It’s that in the past my actions out-shouted my words as I demonstrated to them that what we did in class was more important than developing a lifelong habit of reading. That knowing the symbols in this particular play or learning that particular vocabulary list was more important than sinking into the state of flow with a good book, and all the other benefits that come from that.

This is my third year of reserving the first 10 minutes of every 45-minute class period for independent reading, and it has revolutionized my students’ attitudes toward reading. I end every trimester with an opportunity for students to reflect on their independent reading. Today, I’ve been reviewing this term’s data. My 6th and 7th graders read an average of 7 books since the beginning of September. The range was 3 - 15, with a mode of 5 and a median of 7. Here are some of their responses to prompts on the reflection:   

How do you feel about your progress in reading? 

• Compared to the start of the term, I think I have expanded my range of vocabulary.
• I can understand everything in the books while reading at a faster pace.
• I like reading historical fiction and don’t really read fantasy, so I will try to read those.
• I sometimes use the vocabulary from the book I read. 

What benefits have you experienced from independent reading this term?

• I have learned about different cultures around the world, or just had a relaxing time reading.
• I learned how successful people are not successful just because of their skill.
• I have improved my vocabulary and expression which I have applied to my essay.
• I am enjoying reading now even though I hated reading before.

What was a satisfying book you read this term?

• The Book Thief: (1) There isn’t as much “plot armor” (people not dying because they are the main character) as some novels have. (2) It’s from a unique point of view (the grim reaper). (3) It’s long but doesn’t get boring.
• Quiet because it took long, it is long, and because it had a lot of information in it.
• Trevor Noah: Born a Crime [young readers version] was the most satisfying because (1) Trevor Noah himself wrote the book so it was funny. (2) I started reading more after this book. (3) It was not too easy or too hard.
• Victory. Stand! It was about running track. It was nonfiction. It was about challenges with racism.
• Prisoner B-3087: I liked Alan Gratz so I was happy that I could read his new book. 

What strategies are you using to help you understand your book?

• If I find a word I don’t understand, I either look it up immediately or note the word and page somewhere.
• Read everything on the cover. [This students was referring to Challenger Deep--a book with an unreliable narrator. I'd told him to start it since he'd picked it, and I'd check with him the next day to see if he needed any help. He took it as a challenge and discovered this helpful strategy.]
• I summarized my book by telling people about the content.
• Read. Then read it one more time to see if I have mistaked thing. [Reading this comment reassured me that this student who I'd noticed returning to books wasn't just avoiding picking a new one.]
• Imagine what’s happening in the book. 

Complete the following statement: Reading is…because…

• Reading is important because you can learn new things, and is also a great way to relax.
• Reading is beneficial to our future because having good understanding and good vocabulary will open up chances for jobs that need bilingual employees.
• Reading is important because it can improve your writing skills, and you can learn more words.
• Reading is helpful for you because it improves your focus, memory, and communication skills.

It’s been a delight not only to spend the first 10 minutes of every class period in a room full of focused readers, but also to see them grow. The student for whom English is a 3rd language who has gone from reading only fantasy a year ago, to historical fiction in the spring, to non fiction (Quiet by Susan Cain and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell!) this fall. The student who shared with her peers in her book talk on Kelly Yang’s Room to Dream, “I have had the same problem as Mia: how to follow my dream and still keep my friends. This book showed me it is possible.”

How about you? How important do you think it is for your students to develop a life-long reading habit? How do you help them do it?