Student chooses any book to read or teacher may guide selection Daily time to read

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1 If proficient readers typically read extensively on their own, as the research suggests, it would seem prudent, even scientific, to develop this habit in young readers. - Thomas Newkirk A carefully monitored independent reading time is a critical block of time for students to practice reading during Reading Workshop. The time to practice is carefully designed and structured, includes demonstrating, guiding, monitoring, evaluating, and goal setting along with voluntary reading of books students choose. District end-of-the-year time expectations are set, by grade level, in which students are engaged in independent reading (time should increase during the school year). A longstanding, highly respected body of research definitively shows that students who read more, read better, and have higher reading achievement. Components of an Independent Reading Time A well-designed and well-stocked classroom library, one that has been set up with and by students, including their interests and preferences, and provides a comfortable seating area. Sustained time each day in which to read. Just-right books. An array of genres. Time for sharing and book talks. One-to-one student-teacher conference (to include teaching, assessing and evaluating on the spot, and goal setting). Well-maintained reading records. Procedures that have been developed in connection with the students, then modeled and understood, and that are followed by everyone. For Humble ISD, the terms sustained silent reading (SSR or DEAR) and independent reading during Reading Workshop time, are NOT interchangeable. The following chart explains the difference: Sustain Silent Reading Independent Reading During Reading Workshop Student chooses any book to read Student chooses any book to read or teacher may guide selection Daily time to read Daily time to read Optional classroom library Excellent classroom library, essential Books may be above reading level Student reads mostly just-right books No checking by teacher Teacher monitors comprehension No writing involved Student keeps a reading record No teaching involved Teaching occurs during a conference and/or mini-lesson No reading goals set Teacher and student set reading goals Focus for Instruction Beginning-of-the-Year (Additional Mini-Lessons Below for Kindergarten and First Grade) It is important that clear routines and procedure are in place to keep independent readers on task and truly engaged in their reading. The following are procedural mini-lessons to launch your independent reading time: How to come to the carpet and where to sit Taking care of books What to do during a mini-lesson Where to sit during independent reading time Keeping track of books read Giving a book talk What is an appropriate noise level during independent reading time What to do when you finish a book What kinds of questions to ask during a share session How to be a good listener in a share session 7/11 1 Getting ready for a conference Readers respect each other s reading time and reading lives Kind reminders for noisy or districting behavior Readers don t interrupt reading conferences

2 Additional lessons with details for Independent Reading: The First Days of Teaching: Mini-Lesson Key Concepts Learning Outcomes Anchor Charts Needed Selecting Books We have specific ways to select and return books in our classroom so that we all can find and use them easily. Students learn how to maintain the organized classroom book collection. Organized classroom book collection. Enjoying Silent Reading Choosing Appropriate Texts for Independent Reading Making Good Book Choices Understanding Purposes for Reading We read silently and do not talk with each other to do our best thinking while reading. Readers choose books in many different ways. Books can be easy, just right, or challenging for a reader. Readers should choose just-right books most of the time. Readers need to understand their purposes for reading and how they affect the strategies and practices they bring to the reading event. The routines of silent individual reading are established. Students will use several different kinds of information to help them choose (strategies for monitoring their selections.) Students will think carefully about book choice. Readers will have criteria to judge whether a book is just right for independent reading. Students will be able to articulate their reasons for reading and evaluate whether their goals have been met by the reading event. Chart Reading is Thinking Chart How to Choose a book Chart Easy, Just Right, Challenging Chart Why do we read? Understanding Genre (Depth and complexity of lessons depends on age of students.) Thinking and Talking About Your Reading Approaching a Text Becoming a Member of a Community of Readers Abandoning Books Keeping a Record of Your Reading Writing Responses to Your Reading Establishing a Readers Bill of Rights Readers choose books from a variety of genres. Readers understand that the characteristics of various genres help readers make sense of their reading. Readers are always thinking about what they understand and how they feel about what they understood. Readers can talk about their thinking. Readers need to understand how to preview (approach) a text before reading. We will do our best talking about reading when we talk with a partner or in small groups. Sometimes readers abandon a book for specific reasons. Readers keep a list of books they ve read so they can evaluate the breadth of their reading. Readers can share their thinking about reading by writing a response Students need to understand their roles as readers in our classroom. Students will read widely across genres and formats as they become more experienced readers. Readers will be aware of their thinking and remember it in order to share with other readers. Readers will talk with each other about their thinking. Readers will attend to the extensive amounts of information and clues in the extra textual and front matter of text. Students will learn how to listen to each other and share effectively as partners or in small groups. Students will learn that, after a good try, they may have a reason to abandon a book. Students will begin to record books they have read using specific procedures. Students will express their thoughts on paper. Students will be able to articulate their behaviors, as well as expectations, for Independent Reading Chart Genres in Our Classroom Library Chart Reading is Thinking Example Stick-on Notes Chart Community Expectations Chart Why Readers Abandon Books Chart Enlarged Reading Log Chart Reading Responses Chart Readers Bill of Rights and Readers Responsibilities 7/11 2

3 Value Independent Reading in Kindergarten In Kindergarten, much of daily independent reading is really time spent looking at books. Students gain confidence by browsing, interacting with, and enjoying reading materials they choose to look at. Students also enjoy reading texts they have memorized. Create this familiar reading for students by giving them access to big books from shared reading (or smaller versions), and their own copies of familiar nursery rhymes, songs, and poems the students have learned. Interactive writing should be read and reread with the whole class until it becomes familiar reading. A personal copy could be given to the students to read. As students begin guided reading, these books will also be included in their independent reading time. Beginning-of-the-Year Mini-Lessons for Kindergarten and First Grade: Develop habits that readers keep What is it that readers do? Think about somebody you know who loves to read. Get a picture of that person in your head. What do you see him or her doing? What do you know about this person as a reader? Chart responses on sentences strips. Post sentence strips around the room or on the door. Challenge students to watch carefully for people who are readers and notice what else they do; where they read. Begin practicing the things that readers do and understand the reason why. Choose the most important reading behaviors for beginning readers to practice early on. Spend time modeling and practicing the reading behaviors for your classroom. Choose your procedural mini-lessons. Generate interest in classroom text (books) by introducing and creating interest in the many different types of text your students can find/read in the classroom. 7/11 3

4 During-the-Year Mini-Lessons (all grades): Ongoing mini-lessons carry over from reading behaviors modeled during Interactive Read Alouds and/or Shared Reading. Refer to the lessons from prior Units as mini-lessons for Independent Reading. Please note: Independent Reading mini-lessons should be kept very brief (5 minutes or so) and NOT take away/replace student independent reading time. Additional mini-lesson ideas for the year Literacy Mini-Lessons Difference between fiction and non-fiction books Learning from dedications Characteristics of different genres How leads can hook us How authors use the problem/event/solution pattern How illustrations enhance the story Readers think and talk about books with others. Partners Sit side by side and read with the book in the middle Plan ways to read together Take turns making decisions Talk about their books Solve their own problems Readers get their minds ready to read Take a book walk to help them get their minds ready Try to get a sense of the story during a book walk Remind themselves what the book is about as they read Pay attention to chapter titles and the cover blurb, and sample a page or two Readers have thoughts as they read React and talk back to the text Notice when they get a feeling as they read Make predictions as they read Try to picture what s going on in the story Pays attention to when they are confused Questions things that happen or things that characters do Strategy/Skills Mini-Lessons Connecting reading materials to your own life Figuring out unknown words Using context Substituting Using picture clues Using Post-is to mark interesting parts Monitoring comprehension Readers don t just read the words but also understand the story Readers have goals what are your goals for reading this year? Readers reread books Reading with fluency Readers envision as they read Readers make connections as they read Readers clear up confusions as they read Readers check for comprehension as they read Readers have favorite authors they study Independent Reading Check-Points: Through experience, we have found that it may be necessary to revitalize and reteach procedural independent reading mini-lessons during December/January AND March/April. Conferencing: Conference one-on-one every day for the first few weeks of school until small group/guided reading instruction begins. After small group/guided reading instruction begins and students are reading independently during this time, conferences can occur before, and after small groups. It is essential that conferences continue. Consider conferencing with student during other times of the day (as students arrive and set up for the day, after lunch, etc.) (See Helpful Language for Conferences document.) 7/11 4

5 Assessment/Accountability: The main form of assessment is done when conferring with readers or meeting in small groups. To hold student accountable for authentic reading, as student read their books, they are asked to: Record ALL books Reflect on their own reading habits Self-evaluate their reading behavior Record and/or tag their thinking Occasionally, you may want to have directed independent reading, when you ask students to read and do one of the following as a follow-up or evaluation of what you have been teaching In other words, When you are reading today:. For maximum engagement and application, have student read and practice with books they ve chosen themselves. Resources used and adapted: Fountas, Irene, and Gay Su Pinnell, Guided Readers and Writers Grade 3-6; Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Miller, Debbie, Reading With Meaning. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Routman, Regie, Reading Essentials: The Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Serafini, Frank, The Reading Workshop Creating Space for Readers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Serafini, Frank and Serafini-Youngs, Suzette, Around the Reading Workshop in 180 Days. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Serafini, Frank, Lessons in Comprehension. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 7/11 5

6 Helpful Language for Conferences Opening the Conversation How s your reading going? What are you thinking about your book? Where are you in your reading? What is the best part of your reading so far? Is this a good book choice for you? How are you enjoying this author? Talk to me about your reading. That is a (book, author) I love. That s a book I want to read. Sampling the Student s Oral Reading Read a part you really liked. Read from where you are. Listen to your reading. How does it sound? Encouraging Monitoring and Reflection How well do you understand your book? Do you have any questions for me? Are there any confusing parts? Is this book just right for you? How do you know? How are you doing with the variety of books you are reading? How can I help? What can I help you think about? What s going well in your reading? What can I help you do better? What goals do you have for your reading? What do you think about your reading list so far? How are you doing with your journal writing/reading log, etc? Encouraging Connections How is this book like (another book read)? When I read this book I.. This book reminded me of (another text, characters, place, and plot). Did you notice that this author.. Encouraging Critical Reading Would you recommend this book to other students? What s the best part of your reading so far? What do you think about the author s writing? How does this book compare with this author s other books? Extending the Student s Reading Interests I suggest this (title, author, and genre) because I think you would like it. What are you thinking about reading next? Extending Problem-Solving Strategies Let me show you a way to figure out that word. In today s minilesson, we. Have you tried that strategy? Or have you been thinking about that? How are you doing with what you just learned in the minilesson? What problems have you encountered that I can help you with? Adapted from Guiding Readers and Writers: Grades 3-6, Fountas & Pinnell 7/11 6