What's your opinion on independent reading?

What grade do you teach and do you incorporate it into the day and if so, for how long?

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

3rd...we have DEAR time from 3:00-3:20 each day...also, we have an independent reading assignment during our reading block (the students read, then write/answer questions in a little notebook and we write back, etc.)

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

I am in 2nd grade. I do dar time for about 10 minutes. The kids also do reading logs where they read a story and there is an activity to go with it.

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

Message edited 9/28/2008 10:25:26 PM.

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

We do Readers WOrkshop, so it is incorporated into that time. So it;s not just random reading, there is a mini lesson that children "practice" on. I teach Kindergarten and it works really well in my K-2 school. Giving them a purpose helps them to really learn a lot in a short amount of reading time!

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

Our school K-6 does independent reading as part of our literacy block. During the time students select books on thier independent reading level (after their levels are determined using Rigy PM assessments). It is a really important time because the teacher conferences 1 on 1 with the students and helps them develop strategies that they need as well as establish strengths, weaknesses and goals. The kids love the one on one time and it is a very informal conference in that the teaching point is established through listening to the child read so it is not expected to be planned out. I specialize K-3 and would never recommend skipping that part. It also helps to plan your other reading lessons based on needs as a whole.

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

We do independent reading every day during our literacy block. I am in first grade so we read for 15-20 minutes and then I have my kids do a response to lit. with the skill i have been teaching.

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

I think we should be doing independent reading or the kids will have no reading stamina, which is so important..we really need to work on getting it in...who would say it doesn't do anything?! It definitely does-gives the kids a chance to practice what we are teaching them to do-READ

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

4th...We have 100 book challenge. They read a half hour everyday

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

Posted by MissJones

I ask because two other teachers were told that ind. reading doesn't do anything and they really don't need to do it. Does that make sense?

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

There is a pretty substantial body of research (lots of it by Laura Robb, I believe) that has found that kids reading daily for a sustained amount of time (I think it's a half hour) from a book on their independent reading level make pretty significant gains.

I teach sixth. The analogy I make to my students is that their brain is a muscle. They do exercises to make their bodies stronger; they need to read a lot to make their brains stronger.

On the ELA exam the pieces aren't that short and the kids are timed- they really need the fluency that IR can build.

Re: What's your opinion on independent reading?

I teach 6th, 7th and 8th grade. This is the same "plan" as the other Language Arts teacher in my building. I am in a K-8 school and every class has some sort of SSR.

When my students walk into my class they have a Do Now/Ready to work assignment. Once they are done with that they immediately move on (hopefully without being told) to SSR (Silent Sustained Reading). It usually lasts 10-12 minutes.

Each month they present a book talk on their SSR book. By the date of their book talk they should have completed at least one book (most complete more by then). They get credit for their reading by completing an in depth reading log about the book.

In addition to that, they have home reading assignments from their book-could be a summary, a character chart...just to "check up" on them.


For those who think it is waste...I went to a reading and writing workshop over the summer at Fairfield University- two week workshop. Presenters were a number of people, experienced teachers...and "gurus" in the field.

We were told several times throughout the two weeks, that students should be reading IN SCHOOL (we can't be at home with the kids, so there is no real way of knowing they are reading) independently (whether it is from a textbook or independent reading book or class book) for AT LEAST 90 minutes each day. If they are reading "just right" books, this will enhance their joy in reading, their comprehension, fluency...and therefore test scores.

Now, reading ind. for 90 min each day in school seems like an impossible task- but getting SOMETHING in, has to help!