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2.2. Ways to make time for Independent reading
So you'd love to let your students choose their own novels, but you've got a set curriculum to teach and full class novels to get through. Readers' Workshop is just not possible at this time, yet you'd still like to give your kids the freedom to read what they want. How do you do it? How do you squeeze it in? 1. Read for fun with whatever time you can devote to it The best way to incorporate choice reading into your class is to do it just for fun, with no grades involved. Start each class with silent reading - even if you can only devote five minutes of your class time to it each day. This isn't a lot of time, but if you don't require that students read a certain number of pages or books, the amount of time that you can spend on independent reading won't matter because they are just reading for enjoyment. But how do you do that if you aren't holding your kids accountable for their reading? How do you convince them (as well as parents and admin) that it's ok to devote time to something you aren't assessing? 2. Use choice novels as mentor texts to teach skills: Ways to make time for independent or choice reading in middle and high school English classes. You may have novels that you are required to cover, but you also need to teach your kids the skills that they will use to analyze those texts. For example, you might be teaching your students to determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings and to analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. You can teach them this, using their choice novels as mentor texts. Present your lesson as you normally would, and then have the kids look for examples of their author's deliberate word choice in the books that they are reading. Once they have located an example, they share it with a partner who will give them feedback on whether it's an effective example or not. You can also circulate while the kids are reading or working on an activity and ask each one to show you a place where their writer has made a deliberate word choice. Note the students who have had trouble identifying author craft so you can work with them later. With this method, it doesn't matter what page students are on, or how many chapters have been read, because they just need to look for examples in the novels they are reading, and they can find those at any point in the book. You can even choose to have silent reading after your lesson, so students can watch for word choice as they read. This strategy gives students practice in recognizing the moves that writers make with books they enjoy, and then they can apply that skill when it's time to do so with their class novels. You can read about this process in more detail on this blog post. 3. Use choice novels as a basis for assessment of other outcomes: I suggested above that you don't assess students based on what or how much they read. However, you can still keep them accountable if you use their reading as a way to assess other outcomes. Let's look more closely at how you can assess a specific standard or outcome using choice texts::
Ways to make time for independent or choice reading in middle and high school English classes use text-to-text connections CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. Instead of asking your students to compare two full class texts, create assignments that allow them to use their independent novels. For example, you could start with this writing prompt: in what ways are the characters and events in your novel similar to those of our full class text? Brainstorm ideas; then, choose one to explore more fully. There are so many universal themes in literature that students can almost always make a connection, even if it's just that characters need to make.
There is no doubt about the fact that reading aloud to children goes a long way in not just improving their reading comprehension and vocabulary but also in predisposing them towards reading independently. If that is the next milestone that you are looking forward to, here are some handy tips that you can follow and see that little confident reader emerge:
Tempt them with a large array of appealing books
Having appealing reading material within reach is the number one thing that can go a long way in piquing the child’s curiosity and getting him or her to actually pick up the book and start reading. Do keep the child’s areas of interest as well as the ease with which the book lends itself to reading in mind while choosing books.
Reading time
Setting aside a reading time, especially family reading time will also do wonders for the little one. Remember to choose a time though where the child is feeling fresh and is not tired or sleepy. You would not want him to look at reading as a chore. Also ensure the time you set apart is age appropriate. Often times, just 15 minutes spent together reading, will not only improve his or her reading capability, but also go a long way in strengthening family bonds. A family that reads together… stays together!
If you are dealing with a preschooler, it may be tempting to push the child to spend more time reading than they want to. However, it is important to remember that it is imperative to enjoy their early reading experiences. The moment it starts to seem like something that they have to do, odds are that they will look at reading differently and you would have lost the opportunity to help them build a lifelong affair with reading.
Allow them to choose what they read
Above everything, reading has to be a pleasurable activity. To drive that, allow the child to choose what he or she wants to read. Of course, you need to ensure that the choices you are offering are age appropriate. However, handing over a book and asking the child to read it, does not work as well as allowing him to choose the book that interests him.
Follow the book reading with a fun discussion
Follow up each book reading with a fun conversation. Let the child narrate the story to you. As you partake in the discussion, you could also speak of similar stories you have read. Joining a parent and child book club can be yet another way of keeping the interest going in reading.
Library visits
In times where outings often mean rides to the mall, it will help to take the child to a library periodically. Reading will soon become a part of their routine, a habit that will last them a lifetime.
Wide variety of reading
From encouraging them to read menu cards to signboards and of course books, encourage a wide variety of reading without making it a chore for the child. Focus on the child’s strengths instead of getting upset about what he isn’t able to read. Remember that your attitude will also go into defining the child’s relationship with reading.
Monitor progress
Do monitor the child’s progress closely and do not hesitate to reach out for help if you think the child is facing an issue. These days from games to apps to books-on-tape there are a whole lot of aids available to help the child in his or her reading journey. If the child gets stuck on particular words, encourage them to use phonics to work the word out. You could also encourage the child to think about the meaning of the whole sentence if there is a word that they do not know. Despite these efforts, if the child is struggling with a word, it is okay to read the word out so that the story and the experience does not slow down, for the child.
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